Navigation in hypermedia learning systems: Experts vs. novices

With the advancement of Web technology, hypermedia learning systems are becoming more widespread in educational settings. Hypermedia learning systems present course content with non-sequential formats, so students are required to develop learning paths by themselves. Yet, empirical evidence indicates that not all students can benefit from hypermedia learning. Research into individual differences suggests that prior knowledge has significant effects on student learning in hypermedia systems, with experts and novices showing different preferences to the use of hypermedia learning systems and requiring different levels of navigation support. It is therefore essential to develop a mechanism to help designers understand the needs of experts and novices. To address this issue, this paper presents a framework to illustrate the needs of students with different levels of prior knowledge by analyzing the findings of previous research. The overall aim of this framework is to integrate students’ prior knowledge into the design of hypermedia learning systems. Finally, implications for the design of hypermedia learning systems are discussed

A reflective characterisation of occasional user

This work revisits established user classifications and aims to characterise a historically unspecified user category, the Occasional User (OU). Three user categories, novice, intermediate and expert, have dominated the work of user interface (UI) designers, researchers and educators for decades. These categories were created to conceptualise user's needs, strategies and goals around the 80s. Since then, UI paradigm shifts, such as direct manipulation and touch, along with other advances in technology, gave new access to people with little computer knowledge. This fact produced a diversification of the existing user categories not observed in the literature review of traditional classification of users. The findings of this work include a new characterisation of the occasional user, distinguished by user's uncertainty of repetitive use of an interface and little knowledge about its functioning. In addition, the specification of the OU, together with principles and recommendations will help UI community to informatively design for users without requiring a prospective use and previous knowledge of the UI. The OU is an essential type of user to apply user-centred design approach to understand the interaction with technology as universal, accessible and transparent for the user, independently of accumulated experience and technological era that users live in

El potencial de la teoría cognitiva en la enseñanza de la contabilidad y auditoría

El artículo examina la asimilación de dos conceptos contables complejos: la imagen fiel (TFV) y el valor razonable (FV) en una muestra de estudiantes de Contabilidad Financiera. El objetivo es evaluar la opinión de los estudiantes sobre TFV y FV durante su educación y detectar si las percepciones cambian con su nivel académico y madurez. La metodología utilizada es una encuesta de opinión. Las respuestas obtenidas muestran que los estudiantes consideran que la TFV es un concepto superior a otros principios contables. Además, en el estudio se observa que las respuestas de los estudiantes dependen del nivel académico y la madurez. Por último, se considera que los postulados que establece la teoría cognitiva podrían servir a los instructores en materia de contabilidad y organismos reguladores para mejorar el proceso de aprendizaje así como la calidad de la información financiera.This paper examines the understanding of two complex accounting concepts: true and fair view (TFV) and fair value (FV) by students in Financial Accounting. The correct assimilation of these concepts is assessed as to whether there are differences in concept perception due to academic level and maturity. We use a survey to examine the perception and assimilation of the TFV and FV. The evidence suggests that accounting students consider that TFV is a superior accounting concept over other accounting principles. Additionally, the study identifies a pattern of change depending on the academic level and maturity of the participants. On discovering differences, a proposal is made to use the Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) by standard setters and instructors in accounting and auditing to improve the learning process and the quality of financial information.Ministerio de Innovación y Ciencia DER2009-09539 ECO2010-17463 ECO2010-21627 DER2012-33367 DER2015-67918PConsejería de Educacion y Ciencia Castilla-La Mancha POII10-0134-5011Universidad de Alcalá CCG20014/HUM-03

Towards a Theory of Software Development Expertise

Software development includes diverse tasks such as implementing new features, analyzing requirements, and fixing bugs. Being an expert in those tasks requires a certain set of skills, knowledge, and experience. Several studies investigated individual aspects of software development expertise, but what is missing is a comprehensive theory. We present a first conceptual theory of software development expertise that is grounded in data from a mixed-methods survey with 335 software developers and in literature on expertise and expert performance. Our theory currently focuses on programming, but already provides valuable insights for researchers, developers, and employers. The theory describes important properties of software development expertise and which factors foster or hinder its formation, including how developers' performance may decline over time. Moreover, our quantitative results show that developers' expertise self-assessments are context-dependent and that experience is not necessarily related to expertise.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, 26th ACM Joint European Software Engineering Conference and Symposium on the Foundations of Software Engineering (ESEC/FSE 2018), ACM, 201

Designing and evaluating the usability of a machine learning API for rapid prototyping music technology

To better support creative software developers and music technologists' needs, and to empower them as machine learning users and innovators, the usability of and developer experience with machine learning tools must be considered and better understood. We review background research on the design and evaluation of application programming interfaces (APIs), with a focus on the domain of machine learning for music technology software development. We present the design rationale for the RAPID-MIX API, an easy-to-use API for rapid prototyping with interactive machine learning, and a usability evaluation study with software developers of music technology. A cognitive dimensions questionnaire was designed and delivered to a group of 12 participants who used the RAPID-MIX API in their software projects, including people who developed systems for personal use and professionals developing software products for music and creative technology companies. The results from the questionnaire indicate that participants found the RAPID-MIX API a machine learning API which is easy to learn and use, fun, and good for rapid prototyping with interactive machine learning. Based on these findings, we present an analysis and characterization of the RAPID-MIX API based on the cognitive dimensions framework, and discuss its design trade-offs and usability issues. We use these insights and our design experience to provide design recommendations for ML APIs for rapid prototyping of music technology. We conclude with a summary of the main insights, a discussion of the merits and challenges of the application of the CDs framework to the evaluation of machine learning APIs, and directions to future work which our research deems valuable

Using language technologies to support individual formative feedback

In modern educational environments for group learning it is often challenging for tutors to provide timely individual formative feedback to learners. Taking the case of undergraduate Medicine, we have found that formative feedback is generally provided to learners on an ad-hoc basis, usually at the group, rather than individual, level. Consequently, conceptual issues for individuals often remain undetected until summative assessment. In many subject domains, learners will typically produce written materials to record their study activities. One way for tutors to diagnose conceptual development issues for an individual learner would be to analyse the contents of the learning materials they produce, which would be a significant undertaking. CONSPECT is one of six core web-based services of the Language Technologies for Lifelong Learning (LTfLL) project. This European Union Framework 7-funded project seeks to make use of Language Technologies to provide semi-automated analysis of the large quantities of text generated by learners through the course of their learning. CONSPECT aims to provide formative feedback and monitoring of learners’ conceptual development. It uses a Natural Language Processing method, based on Latent Semantic Analysis, to compare learner materials to reference models generated from reference or learning materials. This paper provides a summary of the service development alongside results from validation of Version 1.0 of the service

Using protocol analysis to explore the creative requirements engineering process

Protocol analysis is an empirical method applied by researchers in cognitive psychology and behavioural analysis. Protocol analysis can be used to collect, document and analyse thought processes by an individual problem solver. In general, research subjects are asked to think aloud when performing a given task. Their verbal reports are transcribed and represent a sequence of their thoughts and cognitive activities. These verbal reports are analysed to identify relevant segments of cognitive behaviours by the research subjects. The analysis results may be cross-examined (or validated through retrospective interviews with the research subjects). This paper offers a critical analysis of this research method, its approaches to data collection and analysis, strengths and limitations, and discusses its use in information systems research. The aim is to explore the use of protocol analysis in studying the creative requirements engineering process.<br /

The Effectiveness of Customer Education: evaluating synchronous and asynchronous e-learning technologies

This paper considers the role played by customer education in enhancing their engagement by enriching the customer experience. Enrichment may be seen in terms of enhanced customer communication or service co-creation. This is often mediated by the effectiveness of customer education. Consequently, organisations are evolving new ways of educating their customers to carry out their roles as co-producers. Increasingly this process depends on the latest synchronous and asynchronous e-learning technologies, requiring significant resource investments. Whilst it is easy for organisations to become absorbed with the latest technological trends, we suggest a refocussing on how customers actually engage in learning and skills acquisition. A conceptual framework is developed that combines key concepts from IT service delivery with well-established models of learning acquisitio