Web navigation for individuals with dyslexia: An exploratory study

In this paper, we present an exploratory study of the web navigation experiences of dyslexic users. Findings indicate that dyslexics exhibit distinctive web navigation behaviour and preferences. We believe that the outcomes of this study add to our understanding of the particular needs of this web user population and have implications for the design of effective navigation structures

Automated construction and analysis of political networks via open government and media sources

We present a tool to generate real world political networks from user provided lists of politicians and news sites. Additional output includes visualizations, interactive tools and maps that allow a user to better understand the politicians and their surrounding environments as portrayed by the media. As a case study, we construct a comprehensive list of current Texas politicians, select news sites that convey a spectrum of political viewpoints covering Texas politics, and examine the results. We propose a ”Combined” co-occurrence distance metric to better reflect the relationship between two entities. A topic modeling technique is also proposed as a novel, automated way of labeling communities that exist within a politician’s ”extended” network.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Visual and interactive exploration of point data

Point data, such as Unit Postcodes (UPC), can provide very detailed information at fine scales of resolution. For instance, socio-economic attributes are commonly assigned to UPC. Hence, they can be represented as points and observable at the postcode level. Using UPC as a common field allows the concatenation of variables from disparate data sources that can potentially support sophisticated spatial analysis. However, visualising UPC in urban areas has at least three limitations. First, at small scales UPC occurrences can be very dense making their visualisation as points difficult. On the other hand, patterns in the associated attribute values are often hardly recognisable at large scales. Secondly, UPC can be used as a common field to allow the concatenation of highly multivariate data sets with an associated postcode. Finally, socio-economic variables assigned to UPC (such as the ones used here) can be non-Normal in their distributions as a result of a large presence of zero values and high variances which constrain their analysis using traditional statistics. This paper discusses a Point Visualisation Tool (PVT), a proof-of-concept system developed to visually explore point data. Various well-known visualisation techniques were implemented to enable their interactive and dynamic interrogation. PVT provides multiple representations of point data to facilitate the understanding of the relations between attributes or variables as well as their spatial characteristics. Brushing between alternative views is used to link several representations of a single attribute, as well as to simultaneously explore more than one variable. PVT’s functionality shows how the use of visual techniques embedded in an interactive environment enable the exploration of large amounts of multivariate point data

Production of semi real time media-GIS contents using MODIS imagery

[Abstract]: Delivering environmental disaster information, swiftly, attractively, meaningfully, and accurately, to public is becoming a competitive task among spatial data visualizing experts. Basically, the data visualization process has to follow basics of spatial data visualization to maintain the academic quality and the spatial accuracy of the content. Here, “Media-GIS”, can be promoted as a one of the latest sub-forms of GIS, which targets mass media. Under Media-GIS, “Present” or the fist component of three roles of data visualization takes the major workload compare to other two, “Analysis” and “Explore”. When present contents, optimizing the main graphical variables like, size, value, texture, hue, orientation, and shape, is vital with regard to the target market (age group, social group) and the medium (print, TV, WEB, mobile). This study emphasizes on application of freely available MODIS true colour images to produce near real time contents on environmental disasters, while minimizing the production cost. With the brake of first news of a significant environmental disaster, relevant MODIS (250m) images can be extracted in GeoTIFF and KLM (Keyhole Markup Language) formats from MODIS website. This original KML file can be overlayed on Google Earth, to collect more spatial information of the disaster site. Then, in ArcGIS environment, GeoTIFF file can be transferred into Photoshop for production of the graphics of the target spot. This media-friendly Photoshop file can be used as an independent content without geo-references or imported into ArcGIS to convert into KLM format, which has geo-references. The KLM file, which is graphically enhanced content with extra information on environmental disaster, can be used in TV and WEB through Google Earth. Also, sub productions can be directed into print and mobile contents. If the data processing can be automated, system will be able to produce media contents in a faster manner. A case study on the recent undersea oil spill occurred in Gulf of Mexico included in the report to highlight main aspects discussed in the methodology

Visual Event Cueing in Linked Spatiotemporal Data

abstract: The media disperses a large amount of information daily pertaining to political events social movements, and societal conflicts. Media pertaining to these topics, no matter the format of publication used, are framed a particular way. Framing is used not for just guiding audiences to desired beliefs, but also to fuel societal change or legitimize/delegitimize social movements. For this reason, tools that can help to clarify when changes in social discourse occur and identify their causes are of great use. This thesis presents a visual analytics framework that allows for the exploration and visualization of changes that occur in social climate with respect to space and time. Focusing on the links between data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) and a streaming RSS news data set, users can be cued into interesting events enabling them to form and explore hypothesis. This visual analytics framework also focuses on improving intervention detection, allowing users to hypothesize about correlations between events and happiness levels, and supports collaborative analysis.Dissertation/ThesisMasters Thesis Computer Science 201

Horizon Report 2009

El informe anual Horizon investiga, identifica y clasifica las tecnologías emergentes que los expertos que lo elaboran prevén tendrán un impacto en la enseñanza aprendizaje, la investigación y la producción creativa en el contexto educativo de la enseñanza superior. También estudia las tendencias clave que permiten prever el uso que se hará de las mismas y los retos que ellos suponen para las aulas. Cada edición identifica seis tecnologías o prácticas. Dos cuyo uso se prevé emergerá en un futuro inmediato (un año o menos) dos que emergerán a medio plazo (en dos o tres años) y dos previstas a más largo plazo (5 años)

Include 2011 : The role of inclusive design in making social innovation happen.

Include is the biennial conference held at the RCA and hosted by the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design. The event is directed by Jo-Anne Bichard and attracts an international delegation

Issues in Evaluating Health Department Web-Based Data Query Systems: Working Papers

Compiles papers on conceptual and methodological topics to consider in evaluating state health department systems that provide aggregate data online, such as taxonomy, logic models, indicators, and design. Includes surveys and examples of evaluations