Exploring the use of conversational agents to improve cyber situational awareness in the Internet of Things (IoT).

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging paradigm, which aims to extend the power of the Internet beyond computers and smartphones to a vast and growing range of "things" - devices, processes and environments. The result is an interconnected world where humans and devices interact with each other, establishing a smart environment for the continuous exchange of information and services. Billions of everyday devices such as home appliances, surveillance cameras, wearables and doorbells, enriched with computational and networking capabilities, have already been connected to the Internet. However, as the IoT has grown, the demand for low-cost, easy-to-deploy devices has also increased, leading to the production of millions of insecure Internet-connected smart devices. Many of these devices can be easily exploited and leveraged to perform large-scale attacks on the Internet, such as the recently witnessed botnet attacks. Since these attacks often target consumer-level products, which commonly lack a screen or user interface, it can be difficult for users to identify signs of infection and be aware of devices that have been compromised. This thesis presents four studies which collectively explored how user awareness of threats in consumer IoT networks could be improved. Maintaining situational awareness of what is happening within a home network is challenging, not least because malicious activity often occurs in devices which are not easily monitored. This thesis evaluated the effectiveness of conversational agents to improve Cyber Situational Awareness. In doing so, it presented the first study to investigate their ability to help users improve their perception of smart device activity, comprehend this in the context of their home environment, and project this knowledge to determine if a threat had occurred or may occur in the future. The research demonstrated how a BLSTMRNN with word embedding could be used to extract semantic meaning from packets to perform deep packet inspection and detect IoT botnet activity. Specifically, how the models use of contextual information from both the past and future enabled better predictions to be made about the current state (packet) due to the sequential nature of the network traffic. In addition, a cross-sectional study examined users' awareness and perception of threats and found that, although users value security and privacy, they found it difficult to identify threats and infected devices. Finally, novel cross-sectional and longitudinal studies evaluated the use of conversational agents, and demonstrated them to be an effective and efficient method of improving Cyber Situational Awareness. In particular, this was shown to be true when using a multi-modal approach and combining aural, verbal and visual modalities

The Impact of Visual Elements on Rational Decision Making During Risk Elicitation Tasks

Understanding an individual’s risk propensity may provide insight into decision-making processes involving risk, and predict behaviour under various policy interventions. There are different ways to measure risk propensity. One of the principal methods is through risk lottery elicitation tasks where validity issues may be caused by participants’ irrational choices. Participants’ irrational choices are due to misunderstanding of the lotteries in these risk elicitation tasks which are presented as numerical probabilities. Such choices produce a high inconsistency rate as well as invalid predictions of individuals’ risk propensity. This thesis aims to help people understand the lotteries of such risk lottery elicitation tasks and assist in their rational decision making with the use of interactive approaches. To achieve this, the thesis shows the results of three quantitative empirical studies based on the overarching research question: “Can incorporating visual elements and interactive approaches with graphs in a risk elicitation task influence rational decision making?”. The first study investigated whether by introducing gamified elements into a risk lottery elicitation task, participants would be influenced to choose rationally. The second study explored the underlying factors, which influence participants’ rational choices in options of a risk lottery elicitation task. The third study examined whether using interactive visual media would influence rational choices in a risk lottery elicitation task. Results from the first experiment with 32 participants showed that, despite an acceptable level of the game’s usability, (as revealed from a validated usability satisfaction questionnaire, M = 6.86 of maximum 10 and SD= 0.62), there was no observable correlation between participant’ choices in the game and the standardised task, r (32) = .120, p < .511. Results from the second experiment with 60 participants, showed that participants who scored higher in a validated numeracy scale were more likely to answer rationally in the lottery options of a risk elicitation task, X2 (1, N= 60) = 4.176, p = .041. Similarly, participants who scored higher in a validated cognitive reflection task had greater chance of choosing rationally in the Holt and Laury task, p < 0.05. Furthermore, when participants used graphs to reason their choices in the task, they were more likely to choose rationally in the task, p < .020. Results from the third experiment with 225 participants, yielded significant evidence that both people who scored lower in the validated numeracy assessment scale and higher, chose more consistently when they interacted with pie charts that presented the lotteries than when they were presented with lotteries as numerical probabilities or passive pie charts, p < .00. The first experiment demonstrates high variance arising from inconsistency in the choices in both tasks. The results highlight the issues with irrational choices in risk lottery elicitation tasks and show that, despite evidenced usability the inconsistency of participants’ choices persisted in a gamified context similar to the standard Holt and Laury task. The second experiment results demonstrate that the use of visual methods, which may extend to game, is more likely to result in rational and therefore consistent choices for people with numerical difficulties or impulsive thinking. The third experiment results demonstrate that the use of interactive visual media has potential to increase consistency of choices in risk lottery elicitation tasks especially for people with numerical difficulties. These findings have implications for the future implementation of risk elicitation tasks that involve lotteries to convey risky situations particularly for audiences with score lower in validated numeracy and cognitive reflection tasks. The evidence provided by this thesis supports the assertion that by providing an interactive graphical presentational way of the lotteries in the task, the consistency of results can be increased. Interactive approaches with visual media were shown to assist on rational decision making for people who scored lower in the validated metrics of numeracy and impulsive thinking confirming empirical evidence which suggested the use of external representations to understand probability problems. Thus, these experiments’ results extended the theories supporting the use of external representations to solve probability problems by using specifically pie charts as external representations that assist the rational choice in the Holt and Laury task. This interactive approach, which could be extended through games, may reduce individuals’ irrational choices in risk lottery elicitation task and thus allow the accurate estimations of their risk propensity. The latter would help to provide more accurate predictions of individuals’ behaviour under various policies, in the context of financial investments

Development and evaluation of computer-based techniques for assessing children in educational settings

This thesis reports and discusses an integrated programme of research on computerised assessment in education, focussing on two themes. The aim of the first study was to develop and evaluate a computerised baseline assessment system for four to five year olds (CoPS Baseline). The aim of the second study was to develop and evaluate a computerised dyslexia screening system for the secondary school age group (LASS Secondary).CoPS Baseline was shown to be a reliable and valid assessment of pupils' skills in literacy, mathematics, communication and personal and social development on entry to school at age four or five. It was also found to be predictive of children's later reading, spelling, writing and mathematics ability up to three years after the initial testing.LASS Secondary was shown to be a reliable and valid assessment of students' reading, spelling, reasoning, auditory memory, visual memory, phonological processing and phonic skills from the ages of 11 to 15. It was also seen to be a good indicator of dyslexia, with significant differences between the scores of dyslexic students and non-SEN students on the sentence reading, spelling, auditory memory, non-word reading and syllable segmentation tests.CoPS Baseline and LASS Secondary were also found to be more objective than conventional assessment administered by a person, time-saving in their test administration and scoring, and more enjoyable and motivating for children, particularly children who have specific difficulties.Computer-based techniques have been shown to be beneficial in the assessment of children in educational settings. However, further research is proposed in the areas of: gender and ethnic differences in computerised versus conventional assessment; the addition of reading comprehension, verbal intelligence, mathematics and motor skills tests to the LASS Secondary system; follow-up tests of students assessed on LASS Secondary to provide information about teaching outcomes; and the development of tests suitable for use with deaf / hearing-impaired individuals in order to assess literacy skills and identify dyslexia

Evaluating performance for procurement: A structured method for assessing the usability of future speech interfaces

Procurement is a process by which organizations acquire equipment to enhance the effectiveness of their operations. Equipment will only enhance effectiveness if it is usable for its purpose in the work environment, i.e. if it enables tasks to be performed to the desired quality with acceptable costs to those who operate it. Procurement presents a requirement, then, for evaluations of the performance of human-machine work systems. This thesis is concerned with the provision of information to support procurers in performing such evaluations. The Ministry of Defence (an equipment procurer) has presented a particular requirement for a means of assessing the usability of speech interfaces in the establishment of the feasibility of computerized battlefield work systems. A structured method was developed to meet this requirement, the scope, notation and process of which sought to be explicit and proceduralized. The scope was specified in terms of a conceptualization of human-computer interaction: the method supported the development of representations of the task, device and user, which could be implemented as simulations and used in empirical evaluations of system performance. Notations for representations were proposed, and procedures enabling the use of the notations. The specification and implementation of the four sub-methods is described, and subsequent enhancement in the context of evaluations of speech interfaces for battlefield observation tasks. The complete method is presented. An evaluation of the method was finally performed with respect to the quality of the assessment output and costs to the assessor. The results suggested that the method facilitated systematic assessment, although some inadequacies were identified in the expression of diagnostic information which was recruited by the procedures, and in some of the procedures themselves. The research offers support for the use of structured human factors evaluation methods in procurement. Qualifications relate to the appropriate expression of knowledge of device-user interaction, and to the conflict between requirements for flexibility and low-level proceduralization

First Annual Workshop on Space Operations Automation and Robotics (SOAR 87)

Several topics relative to automation and robotics technology are discussed. Automation of checkout, ground support, and logistics; automated software development; man-machine interfaces; neural networks; systems engineering and distributed/parallel processing architectures; and artificial intelligence/expert systems are among the topics covered

Aeronautical Engineering: A continuing bibliography (supplement 158)

This bibliography lists 499 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in January 1983

Intelligent Sensors for Human Motion Analysis

The book, "Intelligent Sensors for Human Motion Analysis," contains 17 articles published in the Special Issue of the Sensors journal. These articles deal with many aspects related to the analysis of human movement. New techniques and methods for pose estimation, gait recognition, and fall detection have been proposed and verified. Some of them will trigger further research, and some may become the backbone of commercial systems

Exploring the use of robotics in the learning of programming.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Computer Programming is seen as a valuable skill in the digital era that we presently live in. However, for the novice programmer, it is often accompanied with difficulties resulting in negative reactions. The dawning of the Fourth Industrial Revolution has catapulted many initiatives local and global to promote Computer Programming and Robotics. A major initiative by the South African government is the planning and implementing of a new subject in school to raise the awareness of coding at an early age. The lack of coding exposure and awareness leads to little or no interest in Computer Programming related courses after schooling years. This study focuses on exploring the learning of coding through the use of Robotics among computer registered students with no prior coding knowledge at a University in South Africa. Unlike the traditional use of block-based programming to introduce Computer Programming, which is limited to screen output, the study opted to use a physical manipulative by using a robotic element through prototype building using text-based programming, resulting in live autonomous output of code. The Arduino kit was used as the robot element to acquire knowledge development to the fundamental concepts of Computer Programming using the Python programming language. Participants' coding knowledge was assessed through a series of hands-on online activities. Design Based Research was adopted with the integration of Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle, framed within the second-generation Activity Theory. Mix methods were supported as it is in accordance with the pragmatic paradigm favoured by Design Based Research. All data collection took place online through workshops, surveys, questionnaires and a focus group interview. The sample size was 75 achieving a significant partial least squares structural equation model as a minimum of 50 participants was needed based on the ten times rule. The results show that students acquiring a direct learning experience with text-based code with the aid of the robotic element proved to be successful. The robot coding simplified the assimilation of text-based coding as participants could see the execution of their code on the prototype in reality. The eradication of the abstract nature of Computer Programming through Robotics as a physical manipulative solidified the understanding of coding structures. Furthermore, students' belief, interest, motivation, confidence, and Mathematics skill set were found to contribute success in Computer Programming. It was revealed that learning to code in a text-based environment can be made fun. In addition, learning programming with the use of the robot is effective for first time learning of text-based code. The researcher proposes that the introduction of learning programming integrated through the building of prototypes and coding resulting in autonomous robots enhances the learning experience of text-based code

The Impact of the Internationalisation of Higher Education on Scientists’ Multimodal Communication: A case study from Catalonia

Les universitats de tot el món són instades a participar en el procés d' ‘internacionalització’ com a distintiu de qualitat i com a reclam per atraure estudiants. Aquest estudi aborda aquesta qüestió des del context de les institucions catalanes d’educació superior, que afronten el dilema de donar suport a la/les llengua/gües local/s i, alhora, abraçar el multilingüisme i, sobretot, l’anglès. L'objectiu principal d'aquest estudi és examinar l'impacte de la internacionalització de l'educació superior en la comunicació diària dels científics. Les dades etnogràfiques s’han recopilat al llarg d’un període d’11 mesos d’observació de dos grups de recerca (RGs) multinacionals amb seu en una universitat catalana, i s’han contrastat amb dades extretes d’un RG amb seu a Alemanya i amb idees inspirades en les pràctiques del RG de la pròpia investigadora. De l'objectiu empíric n’ha derivat un objectiu teòric, que consisteix a dissenyar i provar un marc teòric adequat per estudiar el fenomen proposat de manera integral. Aquest estudi té l’objectiu de contribuir a la limitada literatura que descriu aquelles pràctiques comunicatives "informals" i inèdites dels científics, així com a la literatura sobre la internacionalització de l’ensenyament superior. A nivell pràctic, aquest treball pretén contribuir a la millora de les polítiques d’internacionalització de les institucions d’ensenyament superior de Catalunya, d’Europa i potencialment d’altres contextos arreu del món.Las universidades de todo el mundo son instadas a participar en el proceso de ‘internacionalización’ como distintivo de calidad y como reclamo para atraer estudiantes. Este estudio aborda esta cuestión desde el contexto de las instituciones catalanas de educación superior, que afrontan el dilema de apoyar la/s lengua/s local/es y, a la vez, abrazar el multilingüismo y, sobre todo, el inglés. El objetivo principal de este estudio es examinar el impacto de la internacionalización de la educación superior en la comunicación diaria de los científicos. Los datos etnográficos se han recopilado a lo largo de un período de 11 meses de observación de dos grupos de investigación (RGs) multinacionales con sede en una universidad catalana, y se han contrastado con datos extraídos de un RG con sede en Alemania y con ideas inspiradas en las prácticas del RG de la propia investigadora. Del objetivo empírico ha derivado un objetivo teórico, que consiste en diseñar y probar un marco teórico adecuado para estudiar el fenómeno propuesto de manera integral. Este estudio tiene el objetivo de contribuir a la limitada literatura que describe aquellas prácticas comunicativas "informales" e inéditas de los científicos, así como a la literatura sobre la internacionalización de la enseñanza superior. A nivel práctico, este trabajo pretende contribuir a la mejora de las políticas de internacionalización de las instituciones de enseñanza superior de Cataluña, de Europa y potencialmente de otros contextos en todo el mundo.Universities worldwide are urged to engage in the process of ‘internationalisation’ as a hallmark of quality and as a lure to attract students. The current study approaches this issue from the context of Catalan higher education institutions, which deal with the dilemma of supporting the local language(s) and at the same time embracing multilingualism and especially English. The main aim of this study is to examine the impact of the internationalisation of higher education on the daily communication of scientists. Ethnographic data have been collected throughout a period of 11 months from two multinational research groups (RGs) based in a Catalan state university, and contrasted with data taken from a RG based in Germany and with insights from the researcher’s own RG. From the empirical objective has derived a theoretical objective, consisting in designing and proving a suitable theoretical framework to study the phenomenon holistically. This study aims to contribute to the limited body of research describing scientists’ "informal" and unpublished communicative practices, as well as to the literature on the internationalisation of higher education. On a practical level, this work is intended to aid in the improvement of internationalisation policies of higher education institutions in Catalonia, in Europe and potentially in other contexts worldwide