Formal features as a design factor of video segments in interactive video programmes

Video segments may be characterized by formal design features with respect to factors such as complexity of narration, mutual influence of picture and sound, use of superimposed texts, information load due to technical terms, and animation. The paper suggests ways to operationalize these factors and reports about an experiment in which the influence of these formal features was studied with respect to perceived information load of video segments by learners. The length of a segment was thereby counted as the number of information elements it contains. An information element is defined as one uninterrupted statement of the narrator about which one factual question can be presented. The experiment was carried out by using an experimental videodisc programme about cheesemaking that contains 252 information elements which form a connected discourse of 36 min if the programme is played linearly without stopping. Subjects had the task to divide this programme into segments by deciding for themselves how often they would stop before completing the programme. At every stopping place, the subjects were questioned about the content of the just completed segment.\ud \ud The results of the experiment suggest that: (a) subjects tend to perceive narrated sentences as one whole, regardless of the number of facts implied, (b) content-related technical terms seem not to determine difficulty level, (c) superimposed texts show a trend to help subjects who prefer short segments to choose longer segments and subjects who prefer long segments to choose shorter segments, (d) animation is positively (but moderately) correlated with mean self-chosen segment length

Video outside versus video inside the web: do media setting and image size have an impact on the emotion-evoking potential of video?

To explore the educational potential of video-evoked affective responses in a Web-based environment, the question was raised whether video in a Web-based environment is experienced differently from video in a traditional context. An experiment was conducted that studied the affect-evoking power of video segments in a window on a computer screen compared to presenting the same video materials on a television monitor. The study first demonstrates that affect-evoking power of video exists. Although not always significant, the results who that selected positive and negative video clips induce positive or negative affective responses and mood changes in participants, in a Web-based environment as well as in a television environment. Smaller window sizes, however, may do less well

Can mood-inducing videos affect problem-solving activities in a web-based environment?

The purpose of this study was to examine whether a video-induced positive and negative mood has a differential effect on subsequent problem-solving activities in a web-based environment. The study also examined whether task conditions (task demands) moderated the mood effect. As in traditional experimental mood-effect studies, the affective video materials were not related to the tasks. The results show that affective video clips did impact performance on an insight task but not on a divergent-thinking task. This provides evidence that in some cases affective video has an effect on the performance of unrelated tasks in a web-based environment.\ud \u

Present it like it is here: Creating local presence to improve online product experiences

Advanced online product presentation technologies such as virtual mirrors enable consumers to experience products like they are actually present with them in the real world. This study is one of the first to address the mechanism underlying this phenomenon. Inspired by literature on media technology the concept of local presence is put forward and applied to the online consumer behavior domain. A key objective of this paper is to examine whether local presence adds to our understanding of how emerging product presentation formats influence online product experiences. To this end, a laboratory experiment (N = 366) was conducted with product presentation format as a three level (pictures, 360-spin rotation, and virtual mirror) independent variable, allowing for a comparison of the effectiveness of different presentation formats in creating perceptions of local presence. As a second objective, the influence of local presence on perceptions of product tangibility and product likability, two key facets of the online product experience, were assessed. The results, obtained with the use of analysis of variance and partial least squares modeling, show the superiority of the virtual mirror in creating local presence, and demonstrate that local presence is highly predictive of product tangibility and product likability. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed

Video Content Foraging

With information systems, the real design problem is not increased access to information, but greater efficiency in finding useful information. In our approach to video content browsing, we try to match the browsing environment with human information processing structures by applying ideas from information foraging theory. In our prototype, video content is divided into video patches, which are collections of video fragments sharing a certain attribute. Browsing within a patch increases efficient interaction as other video content can be (temporarily) ignored. Links to other patches (browsing cues) are constantly provided, facilitating users to switch to other patches or to combine patches. When a browsing cue matches a users goals or interests, this cue carries a scent for that user. It is stated that people browse video material by following scent. The prototype is now sufficiently developed for subsequent research on this and other principles of information foraging theory

Single molecule molecular inversion probes for high throughput germline screenings in dystonia

Background: This study's aim was to investigate a large cohort of dystonia patients for pathogenic and rare variants in the ATM gene, making use of a new, cost-efficient enrichment technology for NGS-based screening. Methods: Single molecule Molecular Inversion Probes (smMIPs) were used for targeted enrichment and sequencing of all protein coding exons and exon-intron boundaries of the ATM gene in 373 dystonia patients and six positive controls with known ATM variants. Additionally, a rare-variant association study was performed. Results: One patient (0.3%) was compound heterozygous and 21 others were carriers of variants of unknown significance (VUS) in the ATM gene. Although mutations in sporadic dystonia patients are not common, exclusion of pathogenic variants is crucial to recognize a potential tumor predisposition syndrome. SmMIPs produced similar results as routinely used NGS-based approaches. Conclusion: Our results underline the importance of implementing ATM in the routine genetic testing of dystonia patients and confirm the reliability of smMIPs and their usability for germline screenings in rare neurodegenerative conditions