41 research outputs found
The CAITLIN Auralization System: Hierarchical Leitmotif Design as a Clue to Program Comprehension
Early experiments have suggested that program auralization can convey information about program structure [8].
Languages like Pascal contain classes of construct that are similar in nature allowing hierarchical classification of their features. This taxonomy can be reflected in the design of musical signatures which are used within the CAITLIN program auralization system. Experiments using these hierarchical leitmotifs indicate whether or not their similarities can be put to good use in communicating information about program structure and state
Musical Program Auralisation: Empirical Studies
Program auralisation aims to communicate information about program state, data, and behaviour using audio. We have argued that music offers many advantages as a communication medium [1]. The CAITLIN system [4, 16, 17, 18] was constructed to provide auralisations within a formal structured musical framework. Pilot studies [4, 16] showed that programmers could infer program structure from auralisations alone. A study was conducted using twenty-two novice programmers to assess a) whether novices could understand the musical auralisations and b) whether the musical experience and knowledge of subjects affected their performance. The results show that novices could interpret the auralisations (with accuracy varying across different levels of abstraction) and that musical knowledge had no significant effect on performance. A second experiment was conducted with another twenty-two novice programmers to study the effects of musical program auralisation on debugging tasks. The experiment aimed to determine whether auralisations would lead to higher bug detection rates. The results indicate that, in certain circumstances, musical auralisations can be used to help locate bugs in programs and that musical skill does not affect the ability to make use of the auralisations. In addition, it the experiment showed that subjective workload increased when the musical auralisations were used
CAITLIN: A Musical Program Auralisation Tool to Assist Novice Programmers with Debugging
Early experiments have suggested that program auralization can
convey information about program structure [5]. Languages like
Pascal contain classes of construct that are similar in nature
allowing hierarchical classification of their features. This
taxonomy can be reflected in the design of musical signatures
which are used within the CAITLIN program auralization
system. Experiments using these hierarchical leitmotifs should
(see note in EXPERIMENT section) indicate that their
similarities can be put to good use in communicating
information about program structure and state
Music and Speech in Auditory Interfaces: When is One Mode More Appropriate Than the Other?
A number of experiments, which have been carried out using non-speech auditory interfaces, are reviewed and the advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed. The possible advantages of using non-speech audio media such as music are discussed – richness of the representations possible, the aesthetic appeal, and the possibilities of such interfaces being able to handle abstraction and consistency across the interface
Dual coding theory and computer education: some media experiments to examine the effects of different media on learning
Dual Coding Theory has quite specific predictions about how information in different media
is stored, manipulated and recalled. Different combinations of media are expected to have significant
effects upon the recall and retention of information. This obviously may have important consequences
in the design of computer-based programmes. The paper describes an experimental approach which
has been developed using the Statistical domain in which the presentation media have been varied
(Text only, Text and Diagrams and Diagrams with Voice-over). The results are compared with Dual
Coding theory predictions and the effects of Student Learning Style explored
Can we use music in computer-human communication?
The audio channel has been somewhat neglected in Human Computer Interface
Design. It is a powerful channel which offers processing options often of a
complementary nature to the visual channel. Music makes the most complex and
sophisticated use of this channel and has well-organised techniques and structures
for disambiguating parallel time-dependent events. This paper examines the
contribution music might make to interface design and reports on some
preliminary investigations, which indicate that there does seem to be a prima facie
case for examining the subject further
Multi-media and process control interfaces : signals or noise?
Multimedia interfaces are examined and the nature of current input and output media identified. A
number of design objectives for multimedia interfaces are suggested – improving efficiency, learning and
providing a stimulating problem solving environment. The key problem of how to choose an appropriate
medium for a particular interface situation is analysed and the concept of a Signal to Noise ratio for measuring
media expressiveness is tentatively postulated. Some recent work in process control is then examined and the
results interpreted from the Signal-to-Noise ratio viewpoint. These are then related to the concept of media
expressivenes
Communicating graphical information to blind users using music : the role of context
We describe the design and use of AUDIOGRAPH - a tool
for investigating the use of music in the communication of
graphical information to blind and partially sighted users.
This paper examines the use of the system to communicate
complex diagrams and gives some examples of user output.
Performance is not as good as expected and it is postulated
that context will play an important part in the perception of
diagrams communicated using music. A set of experiments
are reported which indicate that context does indeed seem
to play an important role in assisting meaningful
understanding of the diagrams communicated. The
implications for using music in auditory interface design
are discussed
When humans form media and media form humans: an experimental study examining the effects different digital media have on the learning outcomes of students who have different learning styles
A set of computer-based experiments are reported that investigate the
understanding achieved by learners when studying a complex domain (statistics) in a real
E-learning environment using three different media combinations – Text only, Text and
Diagrams and Spoken Text and Diagrams, and the results agree with earlier work carried
out on more limited domains. The work is then extended to examine how student
interaction and student learning styles affect the learning outcomes. Different responses
to the media combinations are observed and significant differences occur between
learners classified as Sensing and Reflective learners. The experiment also identified
some important differences in performance with the different media combinations by
students registered as Dyslexic. The experiment was therefore repeated with a much
larger sample of Dyslexic learners and the earlier effects were found to be significant.
The results were surprising and may provide useful guidance for the design of material
for Dyslexic students