User-driven design of decision support systems for polycentric environmental resources management

Open and decentralized technologies such as the Internet provide increasing opportunities to create knowledge and deliver computer-based decision support for multiple types of users across scales. However, environmental decision support systems/tools (henceforth EDSS) are often strongly science-driven and assuming single types of decision makers, and hence poorly suited for more decentralized and polycentric decision making contexts. In such contexts, EDSS need to be tailored to meet diverse user requirements to ensure that it provides useful (relevant), usable (intuitive), and exchangeable (institutionally unobstructed) information for decision support for different types of actors. To address these issues, we present a participatory framework for designing EDSS that emphasizes a more complete understanding of the decision making structures and iterative design of the user interface. We illustrate the application of the framework through a case study within the context of water-stressed upstream/downstream communities in Lima, Peru

Value beyond function: Analyzing the perception of wheelchair innovations in Kenya

Innovations in the field of assistive technology are usually evaluated based on practical considerations related to their ability to perform certain functions. However, social and emotional aspects play a huge role in how people with disabilities interact with assistive products and services. Over a five months period, we tested an innovative wheelchair service provision model that leverages 3D printing and Computer Aided Design to provide bespoke wheelchairs in Kenya. The study involved eight expert wheelchair users and five healthcare professionals who routinely provide wheelchair services in their community. Results from the study show that both users and providers attributed great value to both the novel service delivery model and the wheelchairs produced as part of the study. The reasons for their appreciation went far beyond the practical considerations and were rooted in the fact that the service delivery model and the wheelchairs promoted core values of agency, empowerment and self-expression

Designing Perferable Virtual Worlds: An Analogy of Space

Based on an analogy of space, this study adopted two 2D-based web usability models, namely landscape preference model (LPM) and architectural quality model (AQM), to test their applicability in 3D-based virtual worlds. An exploratory crosssectional study with Second Life users was conducted and data were analyzed using a partial least squares (PLS) technique. The findings of this study demonstrate that these models have strong psychometric properties and explain a large amount of variance of the attitudes and perceptions of virtual world users associated with its usability factors. For LPM, except for significant legibility-affective appraisal path and insignificant variety-cognitive appraisal path, all paths in the original model were confirmed. For AQM, all relationships held except an insignificant external security-firmness relationship. Although further investigation is warranted, the findings indicate these models can successfully be used as theoretical alternatives to design usable virtual worlds. Key implications for theory and practice are discussed

An enhanced architecture of online 3D visualization framework for monitoring coconut plantation

The visualization of existing and future agricultural plantation is becoming more important for monitoring crops as well as for decision-making, as it considerably helps to influences the production. The concept of best monitoring coconut plantation is an important stage of agricultural technology development; for instance, utilizing online 3D visualization system to support monitoring processes. The goal of this research is to present and justify an identified research problem with the utilization of a proposed enhanced architecture of online 3D visualization framework. The identified research problem was investigated since the current 3-layer framework has shortcomings, such as, weaknesses in the size of graph visualization, especially the ability to visualize large size of graph in online 3D visualization. In such situation, 3D visualization seems challenging as it generates a massive amount of image datasets and large 3D objects or graphs for each of the coconut trees. Therefore, in this novel approach, this study introduced a client/server structure-based framework which subdivides the total process into the concept of layer to overcome the existing issue. One more layer will be added to the existing three-layer framework to formalize into 3-layer framework for handling the large size graph visualization. It consists of four separate layers, namely interface layer, visualization process layer, display information layer, and database layer. Each layer has its own specific function and distinct from others. The framework was reviewed, evaluated and validated by the coconut plantation manager and 3D visualization experts; it was then used as a basis to develop a prototype to visualize the large virtual area of coconut plantation. Subsequently, the prototype was evaluated by users with diverse experience. Overall, results from the usability testing demonstrated that it can comfortably support or handle more graphs of the coconut plantation, thus achieving its satisfaction through formulating identified graph visualization problem

Interactivity, the heart and soul of effective learning: The interlink between internet self-efficacy and the creation of an inclusive learning experience

There is a growing recognition that the relationship between digital technologies and education is more complex and multi-faceted than previously conceived. Given the multi-faceted nature of digital education, which involves social and technology elements in the realm of knowledge-acquisition, an epistemic community such as a community of inquiry (CoI) provides an appropriate theoretical perspective to frame the analysis of the interlink between internet self-efficacy and inclusive learning experiences. In recognition of the importance of active participation in the ubiquitous learning environment, the argument focused on the development of a CoI as an intellectual community that provides a structure for educators to implement digital education. Central to this article is the development of the various presences to sustain interaction and reflection in a socio-epistemological orientation approach. Notwithstanding the widely recognised affordances of digital technologies to connect people, this study was conducted to elicit relevant evidence on digital education, to gain insights into the practicality of digital education, to articulate several important research questions within each of the identified affordances, and to provide suggestions for institutions pursuing digital education. Furthermore, there is clear evidence that digital education is intertwined with digital capital and digital inclusion