Hang on a sec! Effects of proactive mediation of phone conversations while driving

Conversing on cell phones while driving is a risky, yet commonplace activity. State legislatures in the U.S. have enacted rules that limit hand-held phone conversations while driving but that allow for hands-free conversations. However, studies have demonstrated that the cognitive load of conversation is a significant source of distraction that increases the likelihood of accidents. We explore in a controlled study with a driving simulator the effectiveness of proactive alerting and mediation of communications during phone conversations while driving. We study the use of auditory messages indicating upcoming critical road conditions and placing calls on hold. We found that such actions reduce driving errors and that alerts sharing details about situations were more effective than general alerts. Drivers found such a system valuable in most situations for maintaining driving safety. These results provide evidence that context-sensitive mediation systems could play a valuable role in focusing drivers' attention on the road during phone conversations

Understanding driving stress in urban Bangladesh: An exploratory study, wearable development and experiment

Driving stress significantly impacts driving behavior primarily from roadside factors, where driving is more challenging in developing countries (i.e., Bangladesh) for unique cultural and infrastructural setups. We conduct an exploratory study (Qualitative n=26, and Subjective Feedback n= 80) and a correlational analysis involving professional and private car drivers in urban Bangladesh. The study reveals drivers' demography and driving stress factors on the road. These findings motivate us to identify driving stress from physiological factors by developing a low-cost wearable, Stress Wear. This can detect stress from varying Heart Rates, validated by expensive commercial wearables. Between subject experiments on drivers (total n=14 in two phases) with wearables, we also found that road factors are responsible for driving stress. Therefore, the developed system is helpful for these drivers to self-sensing their stress

Towards the Learning, Perception, and Effectiveness of Teachable Conversational Agents

The traditional process of building interactive machine learning systems can be viewed as a teacher-learner interaction scenario where the machine-learners are trained by one or more human-teachers. In this work, we explore if teachable AI agents can reliably learn from human-teachers through conversational interactions, how this teaching process affects a teacher's performance in the task, and their trust on the agent. We introduce a teachable agent named Kai, that learns to classify news articles while also guiding the teaching process through conversational interventions. In a three-part study, where several crowdworkers individually teach Kai, we investigate whether this Learning by Teaching approach creates reliable machine learners, improves Turkers' performance and leads to trustable AI agents that crowdworkers would use. We present and discuss the results of the underlying classifier built from conversational interactions with other text classification algorithms. We also provide an evaluation of how crowdworkers perform a text classification before and after interacting with a teachable agent. Finally, we investigate the notion of trust that crowdworkers exhibit for their teachable agents in terms of delegating the work involving monetary compensation. Together, our results demonstrate the benefits of Learning by Teaching approach, in terms of the performance of the AI agent, the crowdworkers, and the dynamics of trust built from the teacher-learner interaction

Practical, appropriate, empirically-validated guidelines for designing educational games

There has recently been a great deal of interest in the potential of computer games to function as innovative educational tools. However, there is very little evidence of games fulfilling that potential. Indeed, the process of merging the disparate goals of education and games design appears problematic, and there are currently no practical guidelines for how to do so in a coherent manner. In this paper, we describe the successful, empirically validated teaching methods developed by behavioural psychologists and point out how they are uniquely suited to take advantage of the benefits that games offer to education. We conclude by proposing some practical steps for designing educational games, based on the techniques of Applied Behaviour Analysis. It is intended that this paper can both focus educational games designers on the features of games that are genuinely useful for education, and also introduce a successful form of teaching that this audience may not yet be familiar with

Systems for Managing Work-Related Transitions

Peoples' work lives have become ever-populated with transitions across tasks, devices, and environments. Despite their ubiquitous nature, managing transitions across these three domains has remained a significant challenge. Current systems and interfaces for managing transitions have explored approaches that allow users to track work-related information or automatically capture or infer context, but do little to support user autonomy at its fullest. In this dissertation, we present three studies that support the goal of designing and understanding systems for managing work-related transitions. Our inquiry is motivated by the notion that people lack the ability to continue or discontinue their work at the level they wish to do so. We scope our research to information work settings, and we use our three studies to generate novel insights about how empowering peoples' ability to engage with their work can mitigate the challenges of managing work-related transitions. We first introduce and study Mercury, a system that mitigates programmers' challenges in transitioning across devices and environments by enabling their ability to continue work on-the-go. Mercury orchestrates programmers' work practices by providing them with a series of auto-generated microtasks on their mobile device based on the current state of their source code. Tasks in Mercury are designed so that they can be completed quickly without the need for additional context, making them suitable to address during brief moments of downtime. When users complete microtasks on-the-go, Mercury calculates file changes and integrates them into the user's codebase to support task resumption. We then introduce SwitchBot, a conversational system that mitigates the challenges in discontinuing work during the transition between home and the workplace. SwitchBot's design philosophy is centered on assisting information workers in detaching from and reattaching with their work through brief conversations before the start and end of the workday. By design, SwitchBot's detachment and reattachment dialogues inquire about users' task-related goals or user's emotion-related goals. We evaluated SwitchBot with an emphasis on understanding how the system and its two dialogues uniquely affected information workers' ability to detach from and later reattach with their work. Following our study of Mercury and SwitchBot, we present findings from an interview study with crowdworkers aimed at understanding the work-related transitions they experience in their work practice from the perspective of tools. We characterize the tooling observed in crowdworkers' work practices and identified three types of "fragmentation" that are motivated by tooling in the practice. Our study highlights several distinctions between traditional and contemporary information work settings and lays a foundation for future systems that aid next-generation information workers in managing work-related transitions. We conclude by outlining this dissertation's contributions and future research directions

What makes an interruption disruptive? Understanding the effects of interruption relevance and timing on performance

Interruptions disrupt activity, hindering performance and provoking errors. They present an obvious challenge in safety-critical environments where momentary slips can have fatal consequences. Interruptions are also a problem in more workaday settings, like offices, where they can reduce productivity and increase stress levels. To be able to systematically manage the negative effects of interruptions, we first need to understand the factors that influence their disruptiveness. This thesis explores how the disruptiveness of interruptions is influenced by their relevance and timing. Seven experimental studies investigate these properties in the context of a routine data-entry task. The first three experiments explore how relevance and timing interact. They demonstrate that the relevance of interruptions depends on the contents of working memory at the moment of interruption. Next, a pair of experiments distinguish the oft-conflated concepts of interruption relevance and relatedness. They show that interruptions with similar content to the task at hand can negatively affect performance if they do not contribute toward the rehearsal of goals in working memory. By causing active interference, seemingly useful interruptions that are related to the task at hand have the potential to be more disruptive than entirely unrelated, irrelevant interruptions. The final two experiments in this thesis test the reliability of the effects observed in the first five experiments through alternative experimental paradigms. They show that relevance and timing effects are consistent even when participants are given control over interruptions and that these effects are robust even in an online setting where experimental control is compromised. The work presented in this thesis enhances our understanding of the factors influencing the disruptiveness of interruptions. Its primary contribution is to show that when we talk about interruptions, ‘relevance’, ‘irrelevance’ and ‘relatedness’ must be considered in the context of the contents of working memory at the moment of interruption. This finding has implications for experimental investigations of interrupted performance, efforts to under- stand the effects of interruptions in the workplace, and the development of systems that help users manage interruptions

A model for mobile, context-aware in-car communication systems to reduce driver distractions

Driver distraction remains a matter of concern throughout the world as the number of car accidents caused by distracted driving is still unacceptably high. Industry and academia are working intensively to design new techniques that will address all types of driver distraction including visual, manual, auditory and cognitive distraction. This research focuses on an existing technology, namely in-car communication systems (ICCS). ICCS allow drivers to interact with their mobile phones without touching or looking at them. Previous research suggests that ICCS have reduced visual and manual distraction. Two problems were identified in this research: existing ICCS are still expensive and only available in limited models of car. As a result of that, only a small number of drivers can obtain a car equipped with an ICCS, especially in developing countries. The second problem is that existing ICCS are not aware of the driving context, which plays a role in distracting drivers. This research project was based on the following thesis statement: A mobile, context-aware model can be designed to reduce driver distraction caused by the use of ICCS. A mobile ICCS is portable and can be used in any car, addressing the first problem. Context-awareness will be used to detect possible situations that contribute to distracting drivers and the interaction with the mobile ICCS will be adapted so as to avert calls and text messages. This will address the second problem. As the driving context is dynamic, drivers may have to deal with critical safety-related tasks while they are using an existing ICCS. The following steps were taken in order to validate the thesis statement. An investigation was conducted into the causes and consequences of driver distraction. A review of literature was conducted on context-aware techniques that could potentially be used. The design of a model was proposed, called the Multimodal Interface for Mobile Info-communication with Context (MIMIC) and a preliminary usability evaluation was conducted in order to assess the feasibility of a speech-based, mobile ICCS. Despite some problems with the speech recognition, the results were satisfying and showed that the proposed model for mobile ICCS was feasible. Experiments were conducted in order to collect data to perform supervised learning to determine the driving context. The aim was to select the most effective machine learning techniques to determine the driving context. Decision tree and instance-based algorithms were found to be the best performing algorithms. Variables such as speed, acceleration and linear acceleration were found to be the most important variables according to an analysis of the decision tree. The initial MIMIC model was updated to include several adaptation effects and the resulting model was implemented as a prototype mobile application, called MIMIC-Prototype

Developing and improving the method for measuring the level of traffic safety at the territory

роблем безбедности саобраћаја на глобалном нивоу је један од водећих проблема, са којим се сусрећу све земље света, почев од развијених, па све до неразвијених земаља. Кључ успеха у свакој области, па и у унапређењу безбедности саобраћаја огледа се првенствено у успешном и прецизном дефинисању постојећег стања, чиме се ствара могућност за достизање постављених циљева. За прецизно дефинисање постојећег стања неопходна су одговарајућа мерења, па се слична аналогија може применити и у области безбедности саобраћаја. На глобалном нивоу још увек није усаглашена и установљена процедура мерења и оцењивања стања у безбедности саобраћаја, између осталог и због тога што је безбедност саобраћаја комплексна област и што на безбедност саобраћаја утичу многи фактори, који су међусобно најчешће у јакој корелацији. Дакле, у безбедности саобраћаја још увек није успостављен прецизан и међународно признат и усвојен ''топломер'', који би указао на небезбедност или безбедност и који би указао на кључне области деловања у безбедности саобраћаја. У досадашњој пракси мерења и оцењивања нивоа безбедности саобраћаја користе се најчешће подаци о саобраћајним незгодама и последицама саобраћајних незгода. Овакав, тзв. традиционални приступ мерења и оцењивања нивоа безбедности саобраћаја је реактивни приступ, где се на основу излазних резултата оцењује стање. Међутим, тенденција у данашњем, савременом приступу је тзв. проактивно, односно превентивно деловање, које подразумева да се оцени стање у безбедности саобраћаја без познавања података о броју и последицама саобраћајних незгода, али и да се оцени стање у безбедности саобраћаја и пре догађања прве саобраћајне незгоде. Овакав приступ је широко прихваћен у последње време у безбедности саобраћаја представља и тзв. ''хумани приступ'' унапређења безбедности саобраћаја.The problem of traffic safety at the global level is a major problem faced by all countries of the world, from developed, to underdeveloped countries. The key to success in every field, including the improving of traffic safety is reflected primarily in the successful and precise definition of the current situation, which creates the possibility of achieving the set of goals. For a precise definition of the current situation it is required appropriate measurements, and a similar analogy can be applied in the field of traffic safety. At the global level has not yet been agreed and established procedures for measuring and assessing the situation in road safety, among other things, because road safety is a complex area and affected by many factors, which are usually mutually highly correlated. So, it has not been established and precise internationally recognized and adopted ''thermometer'' in the field of traffic safety, which would indicate unsafety or safety and that would indicate the key areas of activity in road safety. In the current practice of measuring and evaluating of traffic safety level it is commonly used data on road accidents and the consequences of accidents. This, so-called traditional approach to measuring and assessing traffic safety level is reactive approach, which is based on the output assessing. However, the tendency in today's modern approach is so-called proactive and preventive action, which means to assess the state of traffic safety without knowledge of the number and consequences of accidents, but also to assess the state of the traffic safety before the events of the first accident. This approach is widely adopted in recent times in traffic safety and is also called ''humane approach'' to improving road safety

Understanding and supporting mobile application usage

In recent years mobile phones have evolved significantly. While the very first cellular phones only provided functionality for conducting phone calls, smartphones nowadays provide a rich variety of functionalities. Additional hardware capabilities like new sensors (e.g.~for location) and touch screens as new input devices gave rise to new use cases for mobile phones, such as navigation support, taking pictures or making payments. Mobile phones not only evolved with regard to technology, they also became ubiquitous and pervasive in people\u27s daily lives by becoming capable of supporting them in various tasks. Eventually, the advent of mobile application stores for the distribution of mobile software enabled the end-users themselves to functionally customize their mobile phones for their personal purposes and needs. So far, little is known about how people make use of the large variety of applications that are available. Thus, little support exists for end-users to make effective and efficient use of their smartphones given the huge numbers of applications that are available. This dissertation is motivated by the evolution of mobile phones from mere communication devices to multi-functional tool sets, and the challenges that have arisen as a result. The goal of this thesis is to contribute systems that support the use of mobile applications and to ground these systems\u27 designs in an understanding of user behavior gained through empirical observations. The contribution of this dissertation is twofold: First, this work aims to understand how people make use of, organize, discover and multitask between the various functionalities that are available for their smartphones. Findings are based on observations of user behavior by conducting studies in the wild. Second, this work aims to assist people in leveraging their smartphones and the functionality that is available in a more effective and efficient way. This results in tools and improved user interfaces for end-users. Given that the number of available applications for smartphones is rapidly increasing, it is crucial to understand how people make use of such applications to support smartphone use in everyday life with better designs for smartphone user interfaces.Mobiltelefone haben sich innerhalb der letzten Jahre signifikant weiterentwickelt. Während erste Modelle lediglich Sprachtelefonie zur Verfügung stellten, ermöglichen heutige Smartphones vielseitige Dienste. Technologische Fortschritte, wie beispielsweise GPS-Lokalisierung und berührungsempfindliche Displays, haben neue Einsatzbereiche für Mobiltelefone eröffnet, wie solche als Navigationsgerät oder als Fotoapparat. Doch nicht nur in Bezug auf die Technologie haben sich Mobiltelefone weiterentwickelt, sondern auch in der Verbreitung ist die Anzahl der Geräte enorm gestiegen. Sie werden allgegenwärtig im täglichen Leben genutzt, da sie ihre Anwender bei verschiedensten Aufgaben unterstützen können. Das Aufkommen von Vetriebsplattformen für die Verbreitung mobiler Software erlaubt es dem Anwender selbstständig Modifikationen an der Funktionalität seines Geräts vorzunehmen und dieses an persönliche Zwecke und Ansprüche anzupassen. Bisher ist wenig darüber bekannt, wie sich Anwender die Vielfalt zu Verfügung stehender Applikationen zu Nutze machen. Als Folge daraus gibt es bisher nur rudimentäre Unterstützung für Anwender, die Vielfalt von Applikationen effektiv und effizient einzusetzen. Diese Dissertation ist durch den Wandel des Mobiltelefons vom reinen Kommunikationsgerät hin zum multifunktionalen Werkzeug motiviert. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, Systeme für die Unterstützung einer besseren mobilen Applikationsnutzung zu entwickeln, deren Design auf dem neuen Verständnis von Benutzerverhalten beruht, das durch empirische Studien gewonnen wird. Diese Dissertation hat einen zweiteiligen Beitrag: Zum einen werden theoretische Erkenntnisse dazu erarbeitet, wie Anwender die Applikationsvielfalt nutzen, installierte Applikationen auf ihren Geräten organisieren, neue Applikationen entdecken und zwischen diesen in der Ausführung wechseln. Die Erkenntnisse hierzu beruhen auf der empirischen Beobachtung von Nutzungsverhalten. Zum anderen hat diese Arbeit ingenieurwissenschaftliche Ziele dahingehend, die Anwender von Applikationen dabei zu unterstützen, ihre Smartphones sowie deren Funktionsvielfalt effektiver und effizienter einzusetzen. Dieser Beitrag resultiert in der Beschreibung implementierter Systeme und verbesserter Benutzerschnittstellen für Anwender. Angesichts der rapide wachsenden Zahl zur Verfügung stehender mobiler Applikationen ist es wichtig, zu verstehen wie Endanwender diese nutzen, denn nur so kann die Nutzung von Smartphones gebrauchstauglicher und einfacher gestaltet werden