Designing and evaluating the calm electronic newspaper

This paper reports from an ongoing action research study concerning the design of the future enewspaper, i.e. a newspaper on e-paper technology. The e-paper innovation is of great importance to the newspaper publishers since it has the potential of eventually replacing the printed newspaper due to its readability and high contrast. This study addresses the challenge of how to design calm user experience of the e-newspaper. The action research approach followed the canonical action research method, in collaboration with publisher, reader and advertiser clients. The activities include a range of data collection techniques such as project meetings, workshops, interviews and prototype testing. In the diagnosing phase we identified the core challenges for designing the e-newspaper which directed us to the literature of calm technology. Three design principles for calm user experience were formulated in the action planning phase, followed by designing three e-newspaper prototypes, which embeds the design principles, in the action taking phase. The prototypes were evaluated with 36 readers in the evaluating phase and the outcome of these evaluations was later assessed in collaboration with newspaper designers for specifying learning. The results indicate that the design principles support calm user experience

ENGAGED DESIGN SCIENCE: DEVELOPING DESIGN VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE E-NEWSPAPER

This paper reports the development of design visions for the future electronic (e-) newspaper. The ambition is to bring together the features of printed newspapers with the possibilities of online media. In an engaged design science research project we together with representatives of the newspaper industry and newspaper readers identified the three design challenges genre awareness, stress and lack of control, and obstruction. We also developed the guiding design metaphor of a calm e-reading experience and three design principles provision of media recognition support, support for user control, and support for focus on content. The design principles were evaluated through e-newspaper prototypes and on this basis we revised the design principles which led to a design theory for e-reading solutions on and for digital media

The Ideal Judge: How Implicit Bias Shapes Assessment of State Judges

Judicial Performance Evaluation (JPE) is generally seen as an important part of the merit system, which often suffers from a lack of relevant voter information. Utah’s JPE system has undergone significant change in recent years. Using data from the two most recent JPE surveys, we provide a preliminary look at the operation of this new system. Our results suggest that the survey component has difficulty distinguishing among the judges on the basis of relevant criteria. The question prompts intended to measure performance on different ABA categories are also indistinguishable. We find evidence that, on some measures, female judges do disproportionately worse than male judges. We suggest that the free response comments and the new Court Observation Program results may improve the ability of the commission to make meaningful distinctions among the judges on the basis of appropriate criteria

Authentic And Concurrent Evaluation –Refining An Evaluation Approach In Design Science Research

This paper addresses the need for more detailed accounts for evaluation in design science research literature. By revisiting a design project regarding the future e-newspaper we give detailed descriptions of its authentic and concurrent evaluation approach by illustrating the what, why and how of all evaluation activities throughout the whole project. The project produced seven different design artifacts that were evaluated. The utility and theoretical outcomes of the evaluation activities clearly influenced design decisions regarding newspaper design, user value and business model design as well as decisions on strategic levels. We emphasize a holistic and concurrent approach to evaluation compared to the general design science research thinking and argue that reflecting on how to seek authenticity is important. By authenticity we refer to the notion of how closely an evaluation captures the context and actual use of an artifact. With the holistic approach we encourage evaluation to be inclusive of different aspects and relationships between stakeholder groups in the evaluation activities. Further we think that concurrency is not narrowed to evaluation but also regards theorizing. While it makes sense for planning to distinguish between phases and stages of evaluation and theorizing, in practice they are intrinsically interlinked and concurrent

Predicting language learners' grades in the L1, L2, L3 and L4: the effect of some psychological and sociocognitive variables

This study of 89 Flemish high-school students' grades for L1 (Dutch), L2 (French), L3 (English) and L4 (German) investigates the effects of three higher-level personality dimensions (psychoticism, extraversion, neuroticism), one lower-level personality dimension (foreign language anxiety) and sociobiographical variables (gender, social class) on the participants' language grades. Analyses of variance revealed no significant effects of the higher-level personality dimensions on grades. Participants with high levels of foreign language anxiety obtained significantly lower grades in the L2 and L3. Gender and social class had no effect. Strong positive correlations between grades in the different languages could point to an underlying sociocognitive dimension. The implications of these findings are discussed

Pre-service teachers use e-learning technologies to enhance their learning

The purpose of this study was twofold. The primary purpose was to improve pre-service teacher education by using technology to help pre-service teachers bridge the gap between academic preparation and practice. The secondary, but still important, objective was to familiarize pre-service teachers in the use of technology to support their future pedagogical activities. Therefore, this research sought to develop a method for training undergraduate students in designing, implementing, and evaluating lesson plans to solidify the relationship between research, pedagogy, and teaching practice. Specifically, this study investigated the implementation of e-learning as a method of instruction to help pre-service teachers evaluate and improve upon the implementation of their lesson plans during their real world practicum experiences. The study was guided by the following research questions: 1) What successes, challenges, and benefits do university instructors and pre-service teachers experience in using and analyzing video in teacher education methods coursework? 2) In what ways did the use of e-learning help the pre-service teachers improve their teaching during the practicum experience? Results showed that participants reported improved lesson planning, improved lesson implementation, visual interpretations of best practices, modeling, and peer and university instructor feedback as successes of the e-learning project. Challenges included participants’ frustrations of being overworked and overwhelmed with the technical problems associated with e-learning. Overall participants judged the e-learning project as a very positive aspect of their teacher training

Reflections on the Use of Psychophysiology in Studying Reading on Digital Media

This study reports the results of an experiment for studying the reading experience on digital media using frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha asymmetry, an index of approach/withdrawal motivation. Natural reading of a newspaper on the traditional print medium and a tablet computer were compared. Reading the print newspaper induced relatively greater left frontal cortical activation, suggesting higher approach motivation during reading on paper than on a tablet. The observed differences are moderated by individual differences in personality type (BIS/BAS scales), reading style, and experience with a tablet computer. BAS Drive and Fun Seeking subscales showed a significant negative effect on frontal EEG asymmetry when reading on tablet; increases in the Drive and Fun Seeking scores predicted lower approach motivation. In addition, the analysis of reading profile and demographics showed that focused readers experienced greater approach motivation during reading the print newspaper and a higher experience with a tablet computer was not found congruent with higher approach motivation during reading on a tablet. Implications for information systems research and design practice are discussed

INFLUENCE OF PERSUASIVE REMINDERS AND VIRTUAL REHEARSAL ON INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR SLEEP DEPRIVATION

Appropriate amount and good quality of sleep are essential for mental and general well-being. Sleep deprivation and other chronic sleep disorders could lead to negative consequences for health, poor quality of life and reduced competence. An individual’s quality of life could be unsettled because of several reasons, sleep deprivation is one of them. Information systems (IS) and human-computer interaction (HCI) researchers have paid considerable attention to promote healthy behaviors however sleep deprivation as a problem domain has received relatively little attention. In this paper, we present qualitative findings from a field study that examined potential influence of persuasive reminders and virtual rehearsal on the effectiveness of a Behavior Change Support System (BCSS). Tyyne is a BCSS developed for people suffering from sleep deprivation. The content of virtual rehearsal modules were drawn from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Participants were recruited through newspaper advertisements. After screening at the university clinic, eligible participants (n = 86) were randomized into an Intervention group and a Control (wait-list) group. For data collection, we employed pre and post study structured questionnaires. Upon completion of the study, 41 participants volunteered to complete post study questionnaires. The findings reveal that a moderate number of participants (60.5%) improved their sleeping habits, a significantly high number of participants (79.1%) approved the BCSS, a staggering high number (93.0%) of the participants agreed that learning new skills through web-based BCSS is a good idea, and a substantial number of participants (72.1%) believed that persuasive reminders help people in task completion and compliance. Even though only about one third of participants (37.2%) reported that after using the BCSS they could better manage their sleep disorders, we suggest that the findings are encouraging. Given that treating sleep deprivation requires much longer periods of time than the intervention’s duration (in our case it was 6 weeks), improvement with one third of the participants is nevertheless a promising result. On the whole, persuasive reminders and virtual rehearsal as software features have a significant potential to enhance overall effectiveness of information systems for chronic sleep disorders

Information Outlook, March 2007

Volume 11, Issue 3https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_io_2007/1002/thumbnail.jp

Mirroring the past, from typewriting to interactive art: an approach to the re-design of a vintage technology

Obsolete and old technologies are often used in interactive art and music performance. DIY practices such as hardware hacking and circuit bending provide e ective methods to the integration of old machines into new artistic inventions. This paper presents the Cembalo Scrivano .1, an interactive audio-visual installation based on an augmented typewriter. Borrowing concepts from media archaeology studies, tangi- ble interaction design and digital lutherie, we discuss how investigations into the historical and cultural evolution of a technology can suggest directions for the regeneration of obsolete objects. The design approach outlined focuses on the remediation of an old device and aims to evoke cultural and physical properties associated to the source object