Role of context in usability evaluations: A review

Usability is often defined as the ability of a system to carry out specific tasks by specific users in a specific context. Usability evaluation involves testing the system for its expected usability. Usability testing is performed in natural environment (field) or artificial environment (laboratory). The result of usability evaluation is affected by the environment in which it is carried out. Previous studies have focused only on the physical environment (lab and field) effect on the results but rarely focused on the effect of social environment (people present during testing). Therefore, this study aims to review how important it is to take context into account during usability evaluation. Context is explored through the theory of behaviour settings, according to which behaviour of individuals is strongly influenced by the physical as well as the social environment in which they function. The result of this review indicates that the physical and social context plays a substantial role in usability evaluations. Further, it also suggests that the usability evaluation model should encompass context as an important component in the framework.Comment: 10 pages, 2 tables, ACIJ- Vol3.No.2 March 201

Evaluating First Experiences with an Educational Computer Game: A multi-Method Approach

This paper presents our evaluation approach for a specific case study, namely the evaluation of an early prototype of an educational game with children aged between 12 and 14 years. The main goal of this initial evaluation study was to explore children’s first impressions and experiences of the game on the one hand and to assess the students’ ideas and wishes for the further development of the game on the other hand. The main challenge for the evaluation activities was the selection of the appropriate methodological approach, taking into account children as a special user group. We opted for a combination of different, mainly qualitative and explorative methods that were reported beneficial for work with children in the human-computer interaction (HCI) field. By presenting our multi-method approach, in particular the different steps and procedure within our study, other researchers can get inspirations for follow up activities when evaluating games with children as well as benefit from our experiences in exploring more collaborative methods and methodological combinations

Oral Interaction Around Computers in the Project-Oriented CALL Classroom

Language teachers need to provide students with a context for genuine communication (Sullivan, 2000). Project-oriented computer-assisted language learning (PrOCALL) attempts to achieve this by orienting learners towards tasks, which encourages them to communicate in the target language while working towards completion of a project (Debski, 2000). The study investigates the oral interaction that takes place in this context. According to Vygotsky, social interaction mediates cognitive development. Swain's (2000) application of this concept to language learning suggests that collaborative dialogues mirror the moments of language development. Using this framework, the present study identifies "language related episodes" (Swain & Lapkin, 1998) and describes the characteristics of the oral interaction generated by two small groups of French learners working towards the completion of Web pages in a major Australian university. The study also describes instances of "triadic interaction" (van Lier, 2002) involving learners' interactions with each other and with the computer screen. In sum, the analysis suggests that the PrOCALL context can provide students with opportunities for collaborative dialogues, through which language learning occurs. However, the social context of these interactions is mediated by personal relationships, preferences, and motivations

Preschool Children’s Cooperative Problem Solving during Play in Everyday Classroom Contexts: China and the US

There is value in studying young children’s cooperative problem solving (CPS) during play in different cultures since children in our society will continue to face problems that are not unique to a particular culture, but also relevant to people from other countries. Cognitive development theory and sociocultural theory contend that play contexts can support children in the construction of their knowledge through explorations with different play materials and engagement in social interactions with peers during CPS experiences. However, there is a lack of research studying children’s CPS during play in their everyday preschool classrooms, and particularly, cross-culturally. Therefore, this dissertation, that includes three manuscripts, was designed to investigate (a) preschool children’s different patterns of engagement in play and CPS in Chinese and US preschool classrooms and (b) their teachers’ beliefs about their roles and pedagogical decisions for supporting children’s CPS in particular settings in these two cultures. In the first manuscript, a systematic literature review was conducted framed by PRISR, and it was found that there is a lack of cross-cultural studies that have investigated (a) preschool children’s CPS during play in their everyday classroom contexts and (b) teachers’ roles in children’s development of CPS. These research gaps were addressed in the second and third manuscripts by conducting (a) a 10-month, ethnographic informed observational study in a Chinese kindergarten and a US preschool center that included (b) semi-structured, teacher interviews with the integration of the visual stimulated recall approach. The data and findings are presented, based on over 960 minutes of (a) 16, four- and five-year-old children’s video recordings, (b) six classroom teachers’ interview transcriptions from two early care and education centers, and (c) the researcher’s field notes and journal entries. Findings support that there were cultural and gender differences in children’s engagement in their types of play (constructive play, fantasy play, and rough-and-tumble play) and CPS (debating and mentoring). Further, teachers in both cultures showed similarities and differences, within and across the cultural contexts, in their beliefs and pedagogy regarding their image of the child, their role as teachers, and their arrangements of classroom environments

Low-income children's pretend play: The contributory influences of individual and contextual factors

The purpose of the present study was to examine the contributory influences of individual and contextual factors that are associated with the complexity of pretend play in low-income preschool children. Forty-seven children and their teachers from six Head Start classrooms in Guilford County, North Carolina, participated in the study. Children's play behavior and their verbalization were video recorded using a camcorder and a wireless microphone for 10 minutes on two separate days during free play period. In addition, information on children's current language competence was collected using the Expressive Vocabulary Test (EVT). Lead teachers completed the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale (PIPPS), a teacher rating scale of children's social skills. A teacher survey on children's pretend play provided descriptive information regarding teachers' beliefs about the importance of pretend play and relevant teaching practice. Individual factors investigated in the study included age, gender, language competence, and social skills. Contextual factors examined in the study included use of low-structure materials, level of peer involvement, peer language competence, and social configuration of the play group. The results showed that a combination of contextual factors (use of low-structure materials, level of peer involvement, and peer language competence) strongly predicted the complexity of pretend play. The social configuration of the play group was also found to be associated with the complexity of pretend play. Level of peer involvement and peer language competence were the most significant predictors in the complexity of pretend play in the study. Limitations as well as implications for future research are discussed

An examination of a nurse's observations of a psychotic child's behavioral changes during their relationship

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit

ASSIMILATION AND ACCOMMODATION: EXPLORING THE DYNAMICS OF CLASS DISCUSSIONS

Class discussions can lead to learning of new knowledge acquisition of new meaning among team members. The social development theory argues that in a group interaction, social interaction precedes development. The process of learning is a result of social interaction-both positive and negative. Learners learn assimilation and accommodation during the interaction. They learn these through agreeing and disagreeing with ideas put forward by the team members. Past studies have shown how learners respond in class discussions may depend on gender. This quantitative study explores how gender influence assimilation, accommodation, agreement as well as disagreement influence the dynamics of class discussions. 164 students were chosen to respond to a 32 -item questionnaire. Findings of this study reveal interesting pedagogical implications in the use of class discussions as part of teaching-learning activities.  Article visualizations