Generating Dashboards Using Fine-Grained Components: A Case Study for a PhD Programme

Developing dashboards is a complex domain, especially when several stakeholders are involved; while some users could demand certain indicators, other users could demand specific visualizations or design features. Creating individual dashboards for each potential need would consume several resources and time, being an unfeasible approach. Also, user requirements must be thoroughly analyzed to understand their goals regarding the data to be explored, and other characteristics that could affect their user experience. All these necessities ask for a paradigm to foster reusability not only at development level but also at knowledge level. Some methodologies, like the Software Product Line paradigm, leverage domain knowledge and apply it to create a series of assets that can be composed, parameterized, or combined to obtain fully functional systems. This work presents an application of the SPL paradigm to the domain of information dashboards, with the goal of reducing their development time and increasing their effectiveness and user experience. Different dashboard configurations have been suggested to test the proposed approach in the context of the Education in the Knowledge Society PhD programme of the University of Salamanca

Augmenting foodservice experiences through cultural eatertainment at tourist destinations

As rivalry in the foodservice industry becomes more cut-throat, restaurateurs have to constantly seek new sources of competitive advantage. Cultural “eatertainment” offers them an opportunity for creating a sense of local culture that can differentiate their products from those of competitors. In this article the author discusses how foodservice experiences at tourist destinations can be augmented with aspects of indigenous culture. The discussion engages authenticity, commodification, and cultural authorization discourses to position foodservice and cultural eatertainment within the broader context of tourism experience. To illustrate how cultural augmentations can be implemented, the author refers to the case of hotel restaurants in the town of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. These restaurants strive to provide a Zimbabwean/African experience for tourists from around the world. Finally, recognizing that cultural eatertainment is an under-researched area, the author makes suggestions for future research directions