Weaving Māori culture into natural fibre reinforced composites.

Harakeke has been an important plant in Māori culture for its use in weaving and as concerns for the environment increase, sustainable materials must be created. Natural fibre composites are a promising application for plant fibres such as harakeke and All Cellulose Composites (ACCs) have seen research as a sustainable matrix material for natural fibre composites. This project set out to create composites using harakeke woven with Māori weaving patterns. Computational modelling of a Māori woven composite was trialled to compare calculated values with tested tensile strength data and methods for describing Māori weaving patterns using mathematics were investigated. An online survey was conducted to find how valuable Māori woven composites were perceived to be. Traditional Māori methods and Tikanga for gathering harakeke were used and Māori weaving patterns were made. These weaves were used to create textile samples and composites using cellulose and epoxy matrices with samples woven by an experienced weaver being compared to those made by a novice weaver. The bonding between harakeke and matrix phase was investigated using SEM. Griswold’s method for describing weaving patterns was applied to Māori weaves and TexComp was used to model a harakeke composite. A short online survey was made to gauge participants perception of Māori woven composites. Despite trialling different treatment processes on the harakeke such as boiling and NaOH/Urea treatment, neither cellulose nor epoxy bonded well with the harakeke leaf which was seen through SEM and caused low tensile strength in the composites. Tensile strength values of between 0.5–1 MPa were achieved by the harakeke-ACC composites and 13.2–17.7 MPa for the harakeke-epoxy composites. The skill level of a weaver was not found to affect the strength of a woven textile but rather the consistency in values, with a novice weaver having standard deviation of 1.12 MPa in their weaves and an experienced weaver having 0.26 MPa. Māori weaving patterns in upright orientations were able to be described using Griswold’s method based on drawdown diagrams of the weaves. People showed clear preference towards the harakeke-epoxy composite compared to the harakeke-ACC. This was due to the visibility of the Māori woven harakeke inside the epoxy

Dual-method usability evaluation of e-commerce websites : in quest of better user experience

E-commerce has increased substantially, as e-retailers engage with consumers online. Users require more than products and quality service; they also expect a good user experience. User experience is affected by branding, functionality, navigation, content, aesthetics and usability. This study investigates the attainment of better user experience on e-commerce websites. A dual-method usability evaluation approach – usability testing with end-users and heuristic evaluation by experts – was employed to obtain a holistic picture of how usability aspects support or hinder the user experience. Usability testing provided insights into detailed interface issues and the type of content and journey that users prefer when making a purchasing decision, while heuristic evaluation was mainly directed at overall user interface and interaction factors. In a complementary way, each method identified a high number of usability problems. Key findings are summarized, and design guidelines are identified that can facilitate the development of e-commerce websites to promote user experience.E-handel het aansienlik toegeneem, soos e-kleinhandelaars by verbruikers aanlyn betrokke raak. Gebruikers verlang meer as produkte en kwaliteit diens; hulle verwag ook 'n goeie gebruikerservaring. Gebruikerservaring word deur ‘branding’, funksies, navigasie, inhoud, estetika en bruikbaarheid beinvloed. Hierdie studie ondersoek die bereiking van beter gebruikerservaring op e-handel webwerwe. 'n Dubbelemetode bruikbaarheidsevaluering benadering – bruikbaarheidstoetsing met eindgebruikers en heuristiese evaluering deur kundiges – is gebruik om ‘n holistiese beeld te verkry van hoe bruikbaarheidsaspekte gebruikerservaring ondersteun of verhinder. Bruikbaarheidstoetsing lewer insigte in gedetailleerde koppelvlak kwessies en die tipe inhoud en roete wat gebruikers verkies wanneer hulle 'n aankoop maak, terwyl heuristiese evaluering hoofsaaklik gerig is op algehele gebruikerskoppelvlak en interaksie faktore. Op 'n komplementêre manier, het elke metode' n groot aantal bruikbaarheidsprobleme geïdentifiseer. Belangrike bevindings word saamgevat, en ontwerp riglyne is voorgestel wat die ontwikkeling van e-handel webwerwe fasiliteer wat gebruikerservaring bevorder.ComputingM. Tech. (Information Technology

User experience evaluation of electronic moderation systems : a case study at a private higher education institution in South Africa

The transformation of a manual paper-based moderation process into an electronic moderation (eModeration) process poses unique challenges. These challenges concern academic processes, people and the user experience of interactive systems. eModeration can improve the user experience of assessment processes while lowering the risk of delaying the process or losing scripts. Despite the benefits associated with optimising assessment procedures, particularly examination procedures, the use of eModeration in South Africa is limited. There are several possible reasons for a lack of eModeration adoption ranging from infrastructure and technical issues through to organisational and human factors. The focus of this study is on the human factors involved in eModeration. Since no User Experience Evaluation Framework for eModeration existed at the time of this research, an in-depth study was conducted based on the experiences of eModeration users in the context of private higher education institutions. The study focused on identifying the most important user experience constructs for the evaluation of an eModerate system within the context of private higher education institutions in South Africa towards proposing a framework. The study was based in the fields of Information Systems and Human-Computer Interaction with eModeration being the application domain. The research used a Design Science Research methodology, which involved the development and testing of a User Experience Evaluation Framework for eModeration. The data generation methods included interviews with deans, eModerators and management, as well as a survey that included responses from both moderators and deans. The research was conducted at Midrand Graduate Institute and evaluated at Monash University. The study makes a validated contribution towards identifying the most important user experience constructs. The identified constructs were utilised in the design and development of the User Experience Evaluation Framework for eModeration, which can be used along with the evaluation criteria tool to evaluate eModerate systems.Information ScienceD. Litt. et Phil. (Information Systems