Context-Neutral E-Learning Objects: a tale of Two Projects

We discuss two European projects: eDILEMA, which ended in September 2003 and REPLIKA, which started in October 2003. The primary focus of both projects is e-learning objects. eDILEMA, led by colleagues at Hradec Kralove in the Czech Republic, focused on developing a multi-lingual repository for reusable learning objects, and included initial work on a pattern language to capture good practice in the design and use of learning objects. REPLIKA, led by Trans HEurope, starts with a repository, and focuses on the development of content, particularly in the areas of multimedia and entrepreneurship. We will explore possible HCI learning objects that might be included, such as model or interface simulations, case studies or process models. The project will also explore the use of patterns as a way of capturing our knowledge of successful examples of learning objects in HCI and other areas

Using pattern languages in participatory design

In this paper, we examine the contribution that pattern languages could make to user participation in the design of interactive systems, and we report on our experiences of using pattern languages in this way. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the use of patterns and pattern languages in the design of interactive systems. Pattern languages were originally developed by the architect, Christopher Alexander, both as a way of understanding the nature of building designs that promote a ‘humane’ or living built environment; and as a practical tool to aid in participatory design of buildings. Our experience suggests that pattern languages do have considerable potential to support participatory design in HCI, but that many pragmatic issues remain to be resolved.</p

Early childhood online education in the COVID-19 context. Behavioral Patterns for User Interface Design

The outcomes from the lived experience descriptions show that tested indicators for the evaluation of both MOOCs and preschool education are insufficient or inexact for the assessment of our current condition. Most of the main online platforms, based on universities or as products of local entrepreneurships have ignored the preschool group. The already proposed generic solutions do not meet preschool education's needs. Considering Behavioral Patterns we propose a model useful for both the evaluation of ongoing experiences and the organization of new content

Using Pattern Languages in Participatory Design

In this paper, we examine the contribution that pattern languages could make to user participation in the design of interactive systems, and we report on our experiences of using pattern languages in this way. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the use of patterns and pattern languages in the design of interactive systems. Pattern languages were originally developed by the architect, Christopher Alexander, both as a way of understanding the nature of building designs that promote a ‘humane’ or living built environment; and as a practical tool to aid in participatory design of buildings. Our experience suggests that pattern languages do have considerable potential to support participatory design in HCI, but that many pragmatic issues remain to be resolved

Novice Assistance Tool and Methodology: Design Decision and Task-Pattern Mapping

We present a possible method and tool to supportthe novice designers in the design tasks. Although in literaturestated that practitioners depend on memory and experiences,novice designers would take time to learn to acquire sufficient experience. The purpose of this research is to help novicedesigners to fulfill the usability goals that have determined by theexpert in designing a system. The proposed methodology and toolcan be considered as an assistance tool for novice designer indecision making in regards to prototype selection as well as thetask-pattern mapping template for pattern selection in fulfillingthe usability goal targeted. The tool was designed to manage thedecisions information and to recommend the chosen prototypebased on the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) technique. Inoverall, about 87% of expert evaluators and prospective userswere agreed with the suggestion of prototype selection from theproposed tool. The findings from this study revealed that thecooperation from industry experts was valuable in determinedthe usability goal and direction and getting accumulativefeedbacks both from users and experts

A Systematic Design towards Usability for Novice Designers

Dependence on intuitive and experiences would add more complexity in the design process. Novice designers would follow the design of any existing systems without direction. This paper proposed a systematic design approach that provides guidance for novice designers in achieving the targeted usability goal using patterns, and evaluating the prototypes in achieving the determined usability goals. The proposed approach involved the cooperation of experts in providing direction to the novice designers in achieving usability goal in the system design. A collective decision both from users and experts would be gather to give a clear decision of a chosen prototype. Two experiments that followed the proposed approach were conducted with 7 groups or 33 undergraduate students. Ten industry experts, 10 field experts and 29 prospective users were involved in evaluating the appropriate use of the tool to assist them in making decision during comparative prototype evaluation. The result from both experiments concluded the systematic approach could help the novice designers to emphasize usability along the design process. It was observed that the achievement of important goals in their designed prototype could be easily done if pattern selection was provided to the novice designers. The designed tool to assist novice designers has high reliability and high acceptance level of appropriate of use in making decision for the preferred prototype

Pattern languages in HCI: A critical review

This article presents a critical review of patterns and pattern languages in human-computer interaction (HCI). In recent years, patterns and pattern languages have received considerable attention in HCI for their potential as a means for developing and communicating information and knowledge to support good design. This review examines the background to patterns and pattern languages in HCI, and seeks to locate pattern languages in relation to other approaches to interaction design. The review explores four key issues: What is a pattern? What is a pattern language? How are patterns and pattern languages used? and How are values reflected in the pattern-based approach to design? Following on from the review, a future research agenda is proposed for patterns and pattern languages in HCI

Challenging the Need for Transparency, Controllability, and Consistency in Usable Adaptation Design

Adaptive applications constitute the basis for many ubiquitous computing scenarios as they can dynamically adapt to changing contexts. The usability design principles transparency, controllability, and consistency have been recommended for the design of adaptive interfaces. However, designing self-adaptive applications that may act completely autonomous is still a challenging task because there is no set of usability design guidelines. Applying the three principles in the design of the five different adaptations of the mobile adaptive application Meet-U revealed as difficult. Based on an analysis of the design problem space, we elaborate an approach for the design of usable adaptations. Our approach is based on a notification design concept which calculates the attention costs and utility benefits of notified adaptations by varying the design aspects transparency and controllability. We present several designs for the adaptations of Meet‑U. The results of a user study shows that the notification design approach is beneficial for the design of adaptations. Varying transparency and controllability is necessary to adjust an adaptation’s design to the particular context of use. This leads to a partially inconsistent design for adaptations within an application

XPL the Extensible Presentation Language

The last decade has witnessed a growing interest in the development of web interfaces enabling both multiple ways to access contents and, at the same time, fruition by multiple modalities of interaction (point-and-click, contents reading, voice commands, gestures, etc.). In this paper we describe a framework aimed at streamlining the design process of multi-channel, multimodal interfaces enabling full reuse of software components. This framework is called the eXtensible Presentation architecture and Language (XPL), a presentation language based on design pattern paradigm that keeps separated the presentation layer from the underlying programming logic. The language supplies a methodology to expedite multimodal interface development and to reduce the effort to implement interfaces for multiple access devices, by means of using the same code. This paper describes a methodology approach based on Visual Design Pattern (ViDP) and Verbal Design Pattern (VeDP), offering examples of multimodal and multichannel interfaces created with the XPL Editor

Blueprints:Systematizing Behavior Change Designs-The Case of Social Comparison Theory

To improve people's lives, human-computer interaction researchers are increasingly designing technological solutions based on behavior change theory, such as social comparison theory (SCT). However, how researchers operationalize such a theory as a design remains largely unclear. One way to clarify this methodological step is to clearly state which functional elements of a design are aimed at operationalizing a specific behavior change theory construct to evaluate if such aims were successful. In this article, we investigate how the operationalization of functional elements of theories and designs can be more easily conveyed. First, we present a scoping review of the literature to determine the state of operationalizations of SCT as behavior change designs. Second, we introduce a new tool to facilitate the operationalization process. We term the tool blueprints. A blueprint explicates essential functional elements of a behavior change theory by describing it in relation to necessary and sufficient building blocks incorporated in a design. We describe the process of developing a blueprint for SCT. Last, we illustrate how the blueprint can be used during the design refinement and reflection process.</p