Towards a Time Series Approach for the Classification and Evaluation of Collaborative Activities

The analysis and evaluation of computer-supported collaborative activities is a complex and tedious task. However, it is necessary in order to support collaborative scenarios, to scaffold the collaborative knowledge building and to evaluate the learning outcome. Various automated techniques have been proposed to minimize the workload of human evaluators and speed up the process. In this study, we propose a memory based learning model for the analysis, classification and evaluation of collaborative activities that makes use of time series techniques along with logfile analysis. We argue that the classification of collaborative sessions, with respect to their time series attributes, may be related to their qualitative aspects. Based on this rationale, we explore the use of the model under various settings. The results of the model are compared to assessments made by expert evaluators using a rating scheme. Correlation and error analyses are further conducted

The application of Preference Mapping in aesthetic website evaluation

Abstract. The objective of this study was to apply a technique called preference mapping to the context of aesthetic website evaluation. Preference mapping is a method in which evaluators and stimuli are simultaneously represented in the same multidimensional space. User segmentations and drivers of preference can easily be identified. We argue that this technique is particularly suited for website design evaluation especially for alternative prototype comparisons. The application of this method to an actual dataset resulted in a better understanding of participant preferences that could not be reached through simple comparison of average ratings

A Human-Cognitive Perspective of Users’ Password Choices in Recognition-Based Graphical Authentication

Graphical password composition is an important part of graphical user authentication which affects the strength of the chosen password. Considering that graphical authentication is associated with visual search, perception, and information retrieval, in this paper we report on an eye-tracking study (N = 109) that aimed to investigate the effects of users’ cognitive styles toward the strength of the created passwords and shed light into whether and how the visual strategy of the users during graphical password composition is associated with the passwords’ strength. For doing so, we adopted Witkin’s Field Dependence-Independence theory, which underpins individual differences in visual information and cognitive processing, as graphical password composition tasks are associated with visual search. The analysis revealed that users with different cognitive processing characteristics followed different patterns of visual behavior during password composition which affected the strength of the created passwords. The findings underpin the need of considering human-cognitive characteristics as a design factor in graphical password schemes. The paper concludes by discussing implications for improving recognition-based graphical passwords through adaptation and personalization techniques based on individual cognitive characteristics

Validation of pre-operational access phase to selected SERIES datasets

This deliverable is written within the framework of the project “Seismology and Earthquake Engineering Research Infrastructure Alliance for Europe – SERA” (Project no: 730900), funded by the Horison2020, INFRAIA-01-2016-2017 Programme. Main objective of this deliverable is to describe the pre-operational access phase of selected SERIES datasets through the existing EPOS service as a new Thematic Core Service (TCS).JRC.E.4-Safety and Security of Building

Maintenance of the SERIES database

This deliverable is written within the framework of the project “Seismology and Earthquake Engineering Research Infrastructure Alliance for Europe – SERA” (Project no: 730900), funded by the Horison2020, INFRAIA-01-2016-2017 Programme. Main objective of this deliverable is the maintenance of the SERIES databases and the update of user interface of the SERIES Data Access Portal.JRC.E.4-Safety and Security of Building

Review of current SERIES and EPOS Databases

In a world-wide scale, collaborations in earthquake engineering lack a common interoperability framework, resulting in tedious and complex procedures to integrate data and results. Up to now, the most significant effort in Europe towards the interoperability of earthquake engineering experimental data was the SERIES project (Seismic Engineering Research Infrastructures for European Synergies) in the period 2009 - 2013. Global sharing of seismological data has been a long-lasting tradition tracing back to the beginning of the previous century. Recently, the ESFRI (European Strategic Forum for Research Infrastructures) initiative and the EPOS project (European Plate Observing System), provided a larger framework for the integration of all solid Earth science data into a single Pan-European e-infrastructure. Up to now, the two adjacent scientific disciplines, i.e. the earthquake engineering and seismology, have not interfaced their data structures, lacking an interoperable data-sharing structure. However, there is need to increase the interaction of the earthquake engineering and seismology communities by integrating the most important databanks and related informatics services in Europe, i.e. SERIES and EPOS. This deliverable presents a review of the current SERIES and EPOS systems: the main features of the two are discussed, focusing on their architecture, content, databases, functionality and access portals. It is noted that aiming to a better knowledge of the EPOS and SERIES projects, the deliverable needed to review also two approaches for data sharing and integration (governance, architecture, collaboration), and not be only limited to a review of current SERIES and EPOS databases. The review presented in the deliverable will serve as the basis for the future roadmap for integration of earthquake engineering and seismological data and informatics services that will support the needs of the two research communities and beyond.JRC.E.4-Safety and Security of Building