Complexity, design and culture: convergences for digital experiences

The design of digital experiences and sociotechnical solutions in the contemporary society is characterized by increasing complexity. More and more variables are present and unpredictable effects are observed. The complexity of systems calls for increased awareness and problem-solving abilities. In this survey, design in general, and design of the user experience in particular, is positioned in the scope of complexity. Moreover, the design reasoning and methods are framed by culturally determined factors and cognitive styles. This survey aims to converge complexity and complex problem solving, design of the user experience, and cultural variations, reviewing bodies of work to inspire and map interdependencies that shape future challenges in systems and experience design.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Investigating the effects of odour integration in reading and learning experiences

Books are the tools used for reading novels and stories, but also for educational purposes. Conventional books have undergone a radical transformation in recent years due to the use of new technologies. However, even today the technological devices used for reading e-books are still poorly exploited, despite the fact that they represent a fundamental tool to make the reading experience more immersive by using a complete multisensory approach. In this perspective, one sense that represents an important element of human perception is the sense of smell. Consequently, authors make the hypothesis that the introduction of odours during reading sessions could increase the user experience and the learning performances. In order to demonstrate these hypotheses, the authors have defined and carried out several experimental testing sessions. The analysis of the collected data proved that the introduction of odour does not disturb the reader during reading activities but, on the contrary, can actually make the experience more immersive. Similarly, odours do not disturb studying activities, but they can instead increase the level of concentration and people's learning performance

Attention in Urban Foraging

This position paper argues how there has to be much more to smart city learning than just wayshowing, and something better as augmented reality than covering the world with instructions. Attention has become something for many people to know better in an age of information superabundance. Embodied cognition explains how the work-ings of attention are not solely a foreground task, as if attention is something to pay. As digital media appear in ever more formats and contexts, their hybrids with physical form increasing influence how habitual engagement with persistent situations creates learning. Ambient information can just add to the distraction by multitasking, or it can support more favorable processes of shifting among different kinds of information with a particular intent. As one word for this latter process, foraging deserves more consideration in smart city learnin

Teaching Energy Efficiency: A Cross-Border Public Class and Lesson Study in STEM

As part of an APEC educational project on the cross-cutting concept of energy, researchers and teachers from 6 countries spent 8 months designing, testing and implementing a pilot STEM public class with two schools from Chile and one from the US. One of the researchers taught a lesson from a school in Chile, with a live transmission to the other two schools via Skype. At the same time, the lesson was also broadcasted via video streaming. In addition to live questions and answers, students used individual devices to answer four open-ended questions that were commented on by the researcher as he received them. The experience demonstrated that Cross-Border Public Classes boost student engagement and represent a promising strategy for introducing a key 21st century skill: synchronous learning involving multiple teams across the world. It also revealed how Lesson Study and Public Classes integrated with ICT network technology can form a powerful learning ecosystem for regional development and social innovation

Investigating the effects of odour integration in reading and learning experiences

Books are the tools used for reading novels and stories, but also for educational purposes. Conventional books have undergone a radical transformation in recent years due to the use of new technologies. However, even today the technological devices used for reading e-books are still poorly exploited, despite the fact that they represent a fundamental tool to make the reading experience more immersive by using a complete multisensory approach. In this perspective, one sense that represents an important element of human perception is the sense of smell. Consequently, authors make the hypothesis that the introduction of odours during reading sessions could increase the user experience and the learning performances. In order to demonstrate these hypotheses, the authors have defined and carried out several experimental testing sessions. The analysis of the collected data proved that the introduction of odour does not disturb the reader during reading activities but, on the contrary, can actually make the experience more immersive. Similarly, odours do not disturb studying activities, but they can instead increase the level of concentration and people's learning performance

A Consensus on the Definition and Knowledge Base for Computer Graphics

Despite several decades of historical innovation, measurable impacts, and multiple specializations the existing knowledge base for Computer Graphics (CG) lacks consensus, and numerous definitions for it have been published based on distinct contexts. Disagreement among post-secondary academics has divided CG programs into three contextual areas that emphasize different topics. This division has resulted in the decontextualization of CG education, and CG programs now face several challenges in meeting the needs of industry. Employing the Delphi Method, this investigation explored the perceptions among post-secondary educators and industry professionals about the definition of CG and how it is identified in terms of characteristics and context. The outcomes of this investigation identified CG in the technological paradigm, and provided a road map towards a true definition and distinct knowledge base necessary for establishing CG as a formal computing discipline

Moving learning into a smart urban park: students' perceptions of the Augmented Reality EduPARK mobile game

The EduPARK game is developed under a game-based learning methodology. It is designed for outdoor learning settings by employing geocaching principles and mobile Augmented Reality technologies. The game aims to develop users’ authentic and autonomous learning about diverse interdisciplinary themes in a smart urban park. It integrates learning guides for different target groups of basic education. The purpose of this paper is to present the game prototype development, and its first cycle of refinement, as the study followed a design-based research approach. The game evaluation involved 74 students from two school levels (aged 9-10 and 13-14). They explored and evaluated the game. Participant observation and focus groups were conducted. The evaluation allowed identifying positive characteristics of the game, such as immediate feedback and collaborative dynamics. Some questions included in the learning guides were perceived as difficult to understand and also some features came out to be considered for future improvements.publishe

Dyslexic children’s reading application: Design for affection

This article presents an interaction design model which considers the affective dimension for a reading application for dyslexic children.The research on the design model for the reading tutor was motivated by the need to offer dyslexic children with an effective and fun learning process. It acknowledges the challenge in designing an acceptable interaction design (IxD) model considering the differences in reading style, preference, and habits of dyslexics.The model was developed based on existing theoretical models combined with the findings from observations and unstructured interviews conducted involving 28, 7 to 14 year old, dyslexic children.A goal-directed design is adopted as the methodology to design such a model. The model’s effectiveness and usefulness is now being tested in a special class for dyslexic children.It is hoped that the outcome could be used to further develop guidelines and standards in designing applications for users with specific impairments

Design of Product-Service Systems for Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care

Over the last decades, the Finnish education system has often reached the top position in international rankings, backed-up by the results of well-established international evaluations such as PISA. Along with the good reputation, there has been a surge in educational tourism and an increased interest in bringing Finnish education into other countries. This thesis aims to provide a deeper insight on the composition of the Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services and how their packaging, export, distribution, adaptation and execution can be improved with the help of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT). This exploratory study follows an abductive approach, combining theoretical and empirical evidence t o determine qualitative and distinctive attributes of Finnish ECEC. It starts with an overview of the national education system, its welfare context, operational characteristics and pedagogical principles. It continues with the analysis of previous academic research related to the productization and export of Finnish education, distinguishing common characteristics and models applicable to the ECEC level. The background research finalizes with a detailed description of existing service theories and their evolution over time, leading into the field of Service Design (SD). This discipline and its key concepts are presented as a holistic and comprehensive approach to model complex product-service combinations, such as the ones found in Finnish ECEC. The second half of the thesis is the exploratory case study of a Finnish start-up that wants to sell an ECEC franchise. The author’s own observations while working inside the company are validated through SD workshops to determine the key process areas and stakeholders involved in the current business strategy. Based on the case study and the theoretical framework, the author proposes recommendations for the company and other practitioners, aiming to clarify their offerings and devise an efficient use of various technological solutions that facilitate the export of Finnish ECEC products and services

Integrating contextmapping and interaction design: designing with and for small-scale urban farmers in Soweto

This thesis describes and reflects on the effectiveness of integrating contextmapping as both a methodology and interaction design practice in order to co-­design digital products with and for developing communities. A Design as research methodology is applied in this study within the specific contexts of a co-design project involving small-­scale urban farmers in Soweto. The final design outcomes of the project are the interaction design documents reflecting the design requirements of a mobile application as well as a low-level prototype demonstrating a number of the identified requirements contained in the documentation. The study assumes a human-centred design ethos that positions problems facing users as contextual, complex and indeterminate and requiring a degree of consideration and understanding by the designer before they can be resolved. The design process applied in this study therefore focused on gaining an understanding of the farmers' life experiences in order to design effective and empathetic technological solutions that will be meaningful and useful to the farmers. For this purpose, contextmapping and interaction design theory, methods and tools were integrated. Examples of this integration include the application of Hassenzahl's Three Level Hierarchy of Needs model to guide the exploration of the farmers' experiences and contexts, the use of contextmapping's Sensitization Phase and generative tools to generate user research data and lastly, contemporary interaction design tools such as problem-­ecology maps, personas and user-journey diagrams to develop and communicate design concepts to the farmers. The study concludes that this integration of contextmapping and interaction design is effective, in particular through its enablement of community participation in contributing meaningfully to the co-­design process while further ensuring that contributions made by the participants are relevant and actionable to the interaction design