How really effective are Multimodal Hints in enhancing Visual Target Spotting? Some evidence from a usability study

The main aim of the work presented here is to contribute to computer science advances in the multimodal usability area, in-as-much as it addresses one of the major issues relating to the generation of effective oral system messages: how to design messages which effectively help users to locate specific graphical objects in information visualisations? An experimental study was carried out to determine whether oral messages including coarse information on the locations of graphical objects on the current display may facilitate target detection tasks sufficiently for making it worth while to integrate such messages in GUIs. The display spatial layout varied in order to test the influence of visual presentation structure on the contribution of these messages to facilitating visual search on crowded displays. Finally, three levels of task difficulty were defined, based mainly on the target visual complexity and the number of distractors in the scene. The findings suggest that spatial information messages improve participants' visual search performances significantly; they are more appropriate to radial structures than to matrix, random and elleptic structures; and, they are particularly useful for performing difficult visual search tasks.Comment: 9 page

Adding, Retrieving and Browsing Content in Social Media and E-Journalism

This thesis explores the use of avatars with facial expressions in social media and e-journalism communication interfaces. This thesis involved three experimental conditions. In the first experimental condition a survey (n=34) and an experiment (n=25) were carried out in order to explore the central problems faced by users during adding and retrieving comments and methods to overcome those problems. The survey intended to find out the position users took towards these metaphors. 25users from the Aljazeera Channel in Doha, Qatar took part. The first experimental condition consisted of two interfaces, TARCS (traditional adding and retrieving comments system) and CMARCS (classification multimodal adding and retrieving comments system). This was carried out in order to assess users' perception of unique text with graphic classification and multimodal in an EARCS (electronic adding and retrieving comments system) interface in the presence and absence of an interactive context. This was implemented in order to assess the role of these unique classification interfaces in a news comment in the term of usability. In the second experiment, forty users evaluated the use of the VARCS (visual adding and retrieving comments system) and MMARCS (multimodal adding and retrieving comments system). Both interfaces evaluated the effect on public opinion as media study and effectiveness, interactivity and user satisfaction in HCI studies. The third experimental condition consisted of one study that investigated the impactbility and usability of facial expressions compared text with graphic and multimodal metaphors. Sixty six users from Al-Arabiya Channel in Dubai, UEA took part in these two experiments. The results obtained show that users had some problems with adding and retrieving comments in social media such as missing data and lack of organisation. Also, the new classification performed better and faster under an interface that implemented avatars with specific facial expressions compared to a textual interface and multimodal. Practical guidelines were also introduced to provide assistance to multimedia designers who use avatars with facial expressions in e-journalism interactive systems as well as its impact on the public opinion.Ministry of High Education in Saudi, the Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau, Al-Jazeera Channel, MBC Group and Al-Arabiya Channe

Human-Computer Interaction

In this book the reader will find a collection of 31 papers presenting different facets of Human Computer Interaction, the result of research projects and experiments as well as new approaches to design user interfaces. The book is organized according to the following main topics in a sequential order: new interaction paradigms, multimodality, usability studies on several interaction mechanisms, human factors, universal design and development methodologies and tools

Para uma taxonomia da multimodalidade na interacção homem-computador : proposta aberta da classificação pluridimensional

Tese de doutoramento, Belas-Artes (Design de Comunicação), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Belas-Artes, 2015A Interacção Homem-Computador tem-se assumido como uma área interdisciplinar que integra contributos de diversas áreas científicas como a engenharia, a filosofia, as ciências sociais e humanas e o design. A presente investigação tem como principal objectivo o estudo e a classificação das Interacções Homem-Computador de carácter multimodal e procura contribuir para a produção de ferramentas teóricas de concepção, análise e construção de interfaces, compreendendo a forma como agentes humanos e informáticos interagem entre si. A primeira parte, integra o enquadramento conceptual e histórico sustentado pela revisão de literatura. A segunda, apresenta propostas de sistemas de classificação de modalidades de interacção, de processos interactivos e de interacções, baseados em reflexão académica e análise prévia do estado da arte, quando existente. É dada especial atenção ao paradigma de interacção natural pelo seu carácter historicamente dominante. O défice de análise académica registado no âmbito desta temática, contribuiu para o desenvolvimento de uma investigação de carácter tipológico e exploratório.Human-computer interaction has emerged as a interdisciplinary area that integrates contributions from different scientific territories such as engineering, philosophy, psychology, and design. This conveys a need for shared conceptual tools that promote interface invention, development, and analyses. This study aims to develop a pluridimensional classification system that encompasses the maximum diversity through the consideration of the multiple classification systems that have been put forward in the analyses of multimodality in human-computer interaction. The present investigation intends to contribute with a deeper understanding on the manners that interactions develop and/or may develop between human and computer agents. The investigation comprises two parts. The first, reviews conceptual and historic back- ground supported by literature. The second, pursuits investigation goals supporting it self on the different classification dimensions portrayed in academic classification systems on the analyses of multimodality in human-computer interaction. This leads to interaction modalities, interactive processes, and interactions classification systems presentation. The natural interaction paradigm receives special attention given its dominant and historical status. The absence of relevant academic analyses in some of the main classifications dimensions promotes a typological and exploratory approach