Papers/Notes :
Call Centers ---
04/12/10 02:30:00 PM
Ontology Models for Interaction Design: Case Study of Online Support
Ontology Models for Interaction Design: Case Study of Online Support
Papers/Notes :
Driving, Interrupted ---
04/13/10 04:30:00 PM
Studying Driver Attention and Behaviour for Three Configurations of GPS Navigation in Real Traffic Driving
Studying Driver Attention and Behaviour for Three Configurations of GPS Navigation in Real Traffic Driving
Abstract » Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation systems were amongst the top selling consumer technologies in 2008 and research has indicated that such technologies could affect driving behaviour. In this paper, we study how different output configurations (audio, visual and audio-visual) of a GPS system affect driving behaviour and performance. We conducted field experiments in real traffic with 30 subjects. Our results illustrated that visual output not only causes a substantial amount of eye glances, but also led to a decrease in driving performance. Adding audio output decreased the number of eye glances, but we found no significant effects on driving performance. Although the audio configuration implied much fewer eye glances and improved driving performance, several participants expressed preference for the audio/visual output.
ToCHI :
Studying and Prototyping ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
Out on the town: a socio-physical approach to the design of a context aware urban guide
Out on the town: a socio-physical approach to the design of a context aware urban guide
Abstract » As urban environments become increasingly hybridized, mixing the social, built and digital in interesting ways, designing for computing in the city presents new challenges. Here we synthesize earlier work in human-computer interaction, sociology and architecture in order to deliberately influence the design of digital systems. We propose, illustrate and evaluate a multi-disciplinary approach combining rapid ethnography, architectural analysis, design sketching and paper prototyping. Following the approach we provide empirically grounded representations of the socio-physical context of use. We then use this understanding to influence the design of a context aware system to be used whilst out on the town.
Papers/Notes :
Public Displays ---
04/15/10 09:00:00 AM
Designing Urban Media Façades: Cases and Challenges
Designing Urban Media Façades: Cases and Challenges
Abstract » Media façades comprise a category of urban computing concerned with the integration of displays into the built environment, including buildings and street furniture. This paper identifies and discusses eight challenges faced when designing urban media façades. The challenges concern a broad range of issues: interfaces, physical integration, robustness, content, stakeholders, situation, social relations, and emerging use. The challenges reflect the fact that the urban setting as a domain for interaction design is characterized by a number of circumstances and socio-cultural practices that differ from those of other domains. In order to exemplify the challenges and discuss how they may be addressed, we draw on our experiences from five experimental design cases, ranging from a 180 m2 interactive building façade to displays integrated into bus shelters.
Papers/Notes :
End-User Programming I ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
Example-Centric Programming: Integrating Web Search into the Development Environment
Example-Centric Programming: Integrating Web Search into the Development Environment
Abstract » The ready availability of online source-code examples has fundamentally changed programming practices. However, current search tools are not designed to assist with programming tasks and are wholly separate from editing tools. This paper proposes that embedding a task-specific search engine in the development environment can significantly reduce the cost of finding information and thus enable programmers to write better code more easily. This paper describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of Blueprint, a Web search interface integrated into the Adobe Flex Builder development environment that helps users locate example code. Blueprint automatically augments queries with code context, presents a code-centric view of search results, embeds the search experience into the editor, and retains a link between copied code and its source. A comparative laboratory study found that Blueprint enables participants to write significantly better code and find example code significantly faster than with a standard Web browser. Analysis of three months of usage logs with 2,024 users suggests that task-specific search interfaces can significantly change how and when people search the Web.
alt.chi :
Monsters Attack! ---
04/13/10 11:30:00 AM
Sequential Art for Science and CHI
Sequential Art for Science and CHI
Abstract » This paper illustrates our preliminary studies of new interactive tools that support the generation of sequential art for entertainment, learning and scientific discourse. In the first of two examples, primary school students document a practical science session through the creation of a photostory. In the second, participants in a study on the biological nature of thrill create a souvenir photostory by selecting images from a DVD. The paper is written in a comic-book format to further explore and highlight the communicative capabilities of the medium, one that can be visually attractive and facilitate rapid dissemination to a wide audience.
Panel :
What Makes a Good Design Critic? Food Design vs. Product Design Criticism ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
What Makes a Good Design Critic? Food Design vs. Product Design Criticism
What Makes a Good Design Critic? Food Design vs. Product Design Criticism
Abstract » This panel will bring together leading food design and product design critics. The panelists will include: a leading Atlanta-based food critic and writer, a food stylist, a restaurant architect & designer, and a well-known product design critic familiar with the field of user experience. Together, the panel will compare and contrast how design experts from these two disciplines provide design criticism, and whether there are any novel learning points from each perspective.
Papers/Notes :
Looking with Video ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
ToolClips: An Investigation of Contextual Video Assistance for Functionality Understanding
ToolClips: An Investigation of Contextual Video Assistance for Functionality Understanding
Abstract » We investigate the use of on-line contextual video assistance to improve the learnability of software functionality. After discussing motivations and design goals for such forms of assistance, we present our new technique, ToolClips. ToolClips augment traditional tooltips to provide users with quick and contextual access to both textual and video assistance. In an initial study we found that users successfully integrated ToolClip usage into the flow of their primary tasks to overcome learnability difficulties. In a second study, we found that with ToolClips, users successfully completed 7 times as many unfamiliar tasks, in comparison to using a commercial professionally developed on-line help system. Users also retained the information obtained from ToolClips, performing tasks significantly faster one week later.
Papers/Notes :
Displays Where You Least Expect Them ---
04/15/10 11:30:00 AM
MouseLight: Bimanual Interaction on Digital Paper using a Pen and a Spatially-Aware Mobile Projector
MouseLight: Bimanual Interaction on Digital Paper using a Pen and a Spatially-Aware Mobile Projector
Abstract » MouseLight is a spatially-aware standalone mobile projector with the form factor of a mouse that can be used in combination with digital pens on paper. By interacting with the projector and the pen bimanually, users can visualize and modify the virtually augmented contents on top of the paper, and seamlessly transition between virtual and physical information. We present a high fidelity hardware prototype of the system and demonstrate a set of novel interactions specifically tailored to the unique properties of MouseLight. MouseLight differentiates itself from related systems such as PenLight in two aspects. First, MouseLight presents a rich set of bimanual interactions inspired by the ToolGlass interaction metaphor, but applied to physical paper. Secondly, our system explores novel displaced interactions, that takes advantage of the independent input and output that is spatially aware of the underneath paper. These properties enable users to issue remote commands such as copy and paste or search. We also report on a preliminary evaluation of the system, which produced encouraging observations and feedback.
Papers/Notes :
Multitouch ---
04/15/10 09:00:00 AM
The Design and Evaluation of Multitouch Marking Menus
The Design and Evaluation of Multitouch Marking Menus
Abstract » Despite the considerable quantity of research directed towards multitouch technologies, a set of standardized UI components have not been developed. Menu systems provide a particular challenge, as traditional GUI menus require a level of pointing precision inappropriate for direct finger input. Marking menus are a promising alternative, but have yet to be investigated or adapted for use within multitouch systems. In this paper, we first investigate the human capabilities for performing directional chording gestures, to assess the feasibility of multitouch marking menus. Based on the positive results collected from this study, and in particular, high angular accuracy, we discuss our new multitouch marking menu design, which can increase the number of items in a menu, and eliminate a level of depth. A second experiment showed that multitouch marking menus perform significantly faster than traditional hierarchal marking menus, reducing acquisition times in both novice and expert usage modalities.
Papers/Notes :
Tagging ---
04/13/10 11:30:00 AM
Some Observations on the Live Collaborative Tagging of Audio Conferences in the Enterprise
Some Observations on the Live Collaborative Tagging of Audio Conferences in the Enterprise
Abstract » This paper describes preliminary findings related to a system for live collaborative tagging of enterprise meetings taking place on an audio bridge between distributed participants. Participants can apply tags to different points of the interaction as it is ongoing and can see, in near real-time, the flow of tags as they are being contributed. Two novel types of tags are proposed: deep tags that apply to a portion of the interaction and instant tags that apply to an instant of the interaction. Our system is being used by enterprise users and we analyze a corpus of 737 live-tags collected from 16 conversations that took place over several months. We found that the live-tags for audio have slightly different characteristics from Web 2.0 tags: they are longer and confer affordances on the audio like description and summarization. Some observations on the cognitive cost of live-tagging are offered.
Papers/Notes :
Sense and Sustainability ---
04/13/10 11:30:00 AM
Small Business Applications of Sourcemap: A Web Tool for Sustainable Design and Supply Chain Transparency
Small Business Applications of Sourcemap: A Web Tool for Sustainable Design and Supply Chain Transparency
Abstract » This paper introduces sustainable design applications for small businesses through the Life Cycle Assessment and supply chain publishing platform Sourcemap.org. This web-based tool was developed through a year-long participatory design process with five small businesses in Scotland and in New England. Sourcemap was used as a diagnostic tool for carbon accounting, design and supply chain management. It offers a number of ways to market sustainable practices through embedded and printed visualizations. Our experiences confirm the potential of web sustainability tools and social media to expand the discourse and to negotiate the diverse goals inherent in social and environmental sustainability.
Papers/Notes :
Bang a Table ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
G-nome Surfer: a Tabletop Interface for Collaborative Exploration of Genomic Data
G-nome Surfer: a Tabletop Interface for Collaborative Exploration of Genomic Data
Abstract » Molecular and computational biologists develop new insights by gathering heterogeneous data from genomic databases and leveraging bioinformatics tools. Through a qualitative study with 17 participants, we found that molecular and computational biologists experience difficulties interpreting, comparing, annotating, sharing, and relating this vast amount of biological information. We further observed that such interactions are critical for forming new scientific hypotheses. These observations motivated the creation of G-nome Surfer, a tabletop interface for collaborative exploration of genomic data that implements multi-touch and tangible interaction techniques. G-nome Surfer was developed in close collaboration with domain scientists and is aimed at lowering the threshold for using bioinformatics tools. A first-use study with 16 participants found that G-nome Surfer enables users to gain biological insights that are based on multiple forms of evidence with minimal overhead.
Papers/Notes :
Games and Players ---
04/12/10 02:30:00 PM
Understanding and Evaluating Cooperative Games
Understanding and Evaluating Cooperative Games
Abstract » Cooperative design has been an integral part of many games. With the success of games like Left4Dead, many game designers and producers are currently exploring the addition of cooperative patterns within their games. Unfortunately, very little research investigated cooperative patterns or methods to evaluate them. In this paper, we present a set of cooperative patterns identified based on analysis of fourteen cooperative games. Additionally, we propose Cooperative Performance Metrics (CPM). To evaluate the use of these CPMs, we ran a study with a total of 60 participants, grouped in 2-3 participants per session. Participants were asked to play four cooperative games (Rock Band 2, Lego Star Wars, Kameo, and Little Big Planet). Videos of the play sessions were annotated using the CPMs, which were then mapped to cooperative patterns that caused them. Results, validated through inter-rater agreement, identify several effective cooperative patterns and lessons for future cooperative game designs.
Papers/Notes :
Working with Medical Records ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Supporting Coordination in Surgical Suites: Physical Aspects of Common Information Spaces
Supporting Coordination in Surgical Suites: Physical Aspects of Common Information Spaces
Abstract » To accommodate frequent emergencies, interruptions, and delays, hospital staff continually make and coordinate changes to the surgery schedule. The technical and social aspects of coordination in surgical suites have been described by prior studies. This paper addresses an understudied aspect of coordination: the physical environment. Based on a field study of four surgical suites in two large academic centers, we show how the physical layout of hallways and rooms, and barriers and spaces around displays and key coordinators, support or fail to support the common information spaces used for coordination. We use the concept information hotspots to represent how physical places and their characteristics facilitate coordination. We developed design principles based on the concept of information hotspots that should guide architectural considerations for coordination in dynamic environments such as hospitals.
ToCHI :
Data Mining for Understanding User Needs ---
04/15/10 02:30:00 PM
Brief encounters: sensing, modelling and visualizing urban mobility and copresence networks
Brief encounters: sensing, modelling and visualizing urban mobility and copresence networks
Abstract » Moving human-computer interaction off the desktop and into our cities requires new approaches to understanding people and technologies in the built environment. We approach the city as a system, with human, physical and digital components and behaviours. In creating effective and usable urban pervasive computing systems, we need to take into account the patterns of movement and encounter amongst people, locations, and mobile and fixed devices in the city. Advances in mobile and wireless communications have enabled us to detect and record the presence and movement of devices through cities. This paper makes a number of methodological and empirical contributions. We present a toolkit of algorithms and visualisation techniques that we have developed to model and make sense of spatial and temporal patterns of mobility, presence and encounter. Applying this toolkit, we provide an analysis of urban Bluetooth data based on a longitudinal dataset containing millions of records associated with more than 70000 unique devices in the city of Bath, UK. Through a novel application of established complex network analysis techniques, we demonstrate a significant finding on the relationship between temporal factors and network structure. Finally, we suggest how our understanding and exploitation of these data may begin to inform the design and use of urban pervasive systems.
SIG :
Automotive User Interfaces: Human Computer Interaction in the Car ---
04/15/10 02:30:00 PM
Automotive User Interfaces: Human Computer Interaction in the Car
Automotive User Interfaces: Human Computer Interaction in the Car
Papers/Notes :
Software Understanding and Maintenance ---
04/15/10 11:30:00 AM
Code Bubbles: A Working Set-based Interface for Code Understanding and Maintenance
Code Bubbles: A Working Set-based Interface for Code Understanding and Maintenance
Abstract » Developers spend significant time reading and navigating code fragments spread across multiple locations. The file-based nature of contemporary IDEs makes it prohibitively difficult to create and maintain a simultaneous view of such fragments. We propose a novel user interface metaphor for code understanding based on collections of lightweight, editable fragments called bubbles, which form concurrently visible working sets. We present the results of a qualitative usability evaluation, and the results of a quantitative study which indicates Code Bubbles significantly improved code understanding time, while reducing navigation interactions over a widely-used IDE, for two controlled tasks.
Papers/Notes :
Looking with Video ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
Temporal hybridity: Mixing live video footage with instant replay in real time
Temporal hybridity: Mixing live video footage with instant replay in real time
Abstract » In this paper we explore the production of streaming media that involves live and recorded content. To examine this, we report on how the production practices and process are conducted through an empirical study of the production of live television, involving the use of live and non-live media under highly time critical conditions. In explaining how this process is managed both as an individual and collective activity, we develop the concept of temporal hybridity to explain the properties of these kinds of production system and show how temporally separated media are used, understood and coordinated. Our analysis is examined in the light of recent developments in computing technology and we present some design implications to support amateur video production.
SIG :
Branding the Changing Enterprise - Impact of Mergers & Acquisitions on User Experience Organizations ---
04/13/10 11:30:00 AM
SIG: Branding the Changing Enterprise - Impact of Mergers & Acquisitions on User Experience Organizations
SIG: Branding the Changing Enterprise - Impact of Mergers & Acquisitions on User Experience Organizations
SIG :
How to bring HCI Research and Practice Closer Together ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
How to bring HCI Research and Practice Closer Together
How to bring HCI Research and Practice Closer Together
Papers/Notes :
Input, Security, and Privacy Policies ---
04/13/10 02:30:00 PM
Shoulder-Surfing Resistance with Eye-Gaze Entry in Click-Based Graphical Passwords
Shoulder-Surfing Resistance with Eye-Gaze Entry in Click-Based Graphical Passwords
Abstract » We present Cued Gaze-Points (CGP) as a shoulder-surfing resistant cued-recall graphical password scheme where users gaze instead of mouse-click. This approach has several advantages over similar eye-gaze systems, including a larger password space and its cued-recall nature that can help users remember multiple distinct passwords. Our 45-participant lab study is the first evaluation of gaze-based password entry via user-selected points on images. CGP's usability is potentially acceptable, warranting further refinement and study.
Papers/Notes :
Domestic Life ---
04/15/10 11:30:00 AM
How Routine Learners can Support Family Coordination
How Routine Learners can Support Family Coordination
Abstract » Researchers have detailed the importance of routines in how people live and work, while also cautioning system designers about the importance of people's idiosyncratic behavior patterns and the challenges they would present to learning systems. We wish to take up their challenge, and offer a vision of how simple sensing technology could capture and model idiosyncratic routines, enabling applications to solve many real world problems. To identify how a simple routine learner can demonstrate this in support of family coordination, we conducted six months of nightly interviews with six families, focusing on how they make and execute plans. Our data reveals that only about 40% of events unfold in a routine manner. When deviations do occur, family members often need but do not have access to accurate information about their routines. With about 90% of their content concerning deviations, not routines, families do not rely on calendars to support them during these moments. We discuss how coordination tools, like calendars and reminder systems, would improve coordination and reduce stress when augmented with routine information, and how commercial mobile phones can support the automatic creation of routine models.
Papers/Notes :
Storytelling ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
Let's Play Chinese Characters - Mobile Learning Approaches via Culturally Inspired Group Games
Let's Play Chinese Characters - Mobile Learning Approaches via Culturally Inspired Group Games
Abstract » In many developing countries such as India and China, low educational levels often hinder economic empowerment. In this paper, we argue that mobile learning games can play an important role in the Chinese literacy acquisition process. We report on the unique challenges in the learning Chinese language, especially its logographic writing system. Based on an analysis of 25 traditional Chinese games currently played by children in China, we present the design and implementation of two culturally inspired mobile group learning games, Multimedia Word and Drumming Strokes. These two mobile games are designed to match Chinese children's understanding of everyday games. An informal evaluation reveals that these two games have the potential to enhance the intuitiveness and engagement of traditional games, and children may improve their knowledge of Chinese characters through group learning activities such as controversy, judgments and self-correction during the game play.
Papers/Notes :
Software Understanding and Maintenance ---
04/15/10 11:30:00 AM
How to Support Designers in Getting Hold of the Immaterial Material of Software
How to Support Designers in Getting Hold of the Immaterial Material of Software
Abstract » When designing novel interactive controls for software interfaces, interaction designers are challenged by the immaterial' materiality of the digital domain and lack of tools to support conceiving, refining, and communicating these controls. In order to address these two issues and investigate the creative processes of designing interactive controls, we conducted two participatory design workshops. In the first workshop, which focused on conceiving, we identified that participants designed controls by exploring gestures, context, and examples. In the second workshop, on refining and communicating, participants proposed tools capturing gestures, deriving and manipulating properties from examples, and generating scenarios and code illustrating contexts. We discovered the underlying need to create more effective boundary objects. Participants while reflecting in and on action redefined such boundary objects as dynamic processes rather than static representations; the processes were an ongoing conversation between the designer and the material in which developer acts as a media-tor between designer and the software material.
Papers/Notes :
Bikes and Buses ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Understanding the space for co-design in riders' interactions with a transit service
Understanding the space for co-design in riders' interactions with a transit service
Abstract » The recent advances in web 2.0 technologies and the rapid adoption of smart phones raises many opportunities for public services to improve their services by engaging their users (who are also owners of the service) in co-design: a dialog where users help design the services they use. To investigate this opportunity, we began a service design project investigating how to create repeated information exchanges between riders and a transit agency in order to create a virtual place from which the dialog on services could take place. Through interviews with riders, a workshop with a transit agency, and speed dating of design concepts, we have developed a design direction. Specifically, we propose a service that combines vehicle location and fullness ratings provided by riders with dynamic route change information from the transit agency as a foundation for a dialog around riders conveying input for continuous service improvement.
Papers/Notes :
End-User Programming II ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Here's What I Did: Sharing and Reusing Web Activity with ActionShot
Here's What I Did: Sharing and Reusing Web Activity with ActionShot
Abstract » ActionShot is an integrated web browser tool that creates a fine-grained history of users' browsing activities by continually recording their browsing actions at the level of interactions, such as button clicks and entries into form fields. ActionShot provides interfaces to facilitate browsing and searching through this history, sharing portions of the history through established social networking tools such as Facebook, and creating scripts that can be used to repeat previous interactions at a later time. ActionShot can also create short textual summaries for sequences of interactions. In this paper, we describe the ActionShot and our initial explorations of the tool through field deployments within our organization and a lab study. Overall, we found that ActionShot's history features provide value beyond typical browser history interfaces.
Papers/Notes :
Software Understanding and Maintenance ---
04/15/10 11:30:00 AM
How to Support Designers in Getting Hold of the Immaterial Material of Software
How to Support Designers in Getting Hold of the Immaterial Material of Software
Abstract » When designing novel interactive controls for software interfaces, interaction designers are challenged by the immaterial' materiality of the digital domain and lack of tools to support conceiving, refining, and communicating these controls. In order to address these two issues and investigate the creative processes of designing interactive controls, we conducted two participatory design workshops. In the first workshop, which focused on conceiving, we identified that participants designed controls by exploring gestures, context, and examples. In the second workshop, on refining and communicating, participants proposed tools capturing gestures, deriving and manipulating properties from examples, and generating scenarios and code illustrating contexts. We discovered the underlying need to create more effective boundary objects. Participants while reflecting in and on action redefined such boundary objects as dynamic processes rather than static representations; the processes were an ongoing conversation between the designer and the material in which developer acts as a media-tor between designer and the software material.
Papers/Notes :
1001 Users ---
04/15/10 11:30:00 AM
Are your participants gaming the system? Screening Mechanical Turk Workers
Are your participants gaming the system? Screening Mechanical Turk Workers
Abstract » In this paper we discuss a screening process used in conjunction with a survey administered via Amazon.com's Mechanical Turk. We sought an easily implementable method to disqualify those people who participate but don't take the study tasks seriously. By using two previously pilot tested screening questions, we identified 764 of 1,962 people who did not answer conscientiously. Young men seem to be most likely to fail the qualification task. Those that are professionals, students, and non-workers seem to be more likely to take the task seriously than financial workers, hourly workers, and other workers. Men over 30 and women were more likely to answer seriously.
Papers/Notes :
Privacy Behaviors ---
04/12/10 02:30:00 PM
Who Falls for Phish? A Demographic Analysis of Phishing Susceptibility and Effectiveness of Interventions
Who Falls for Phish? A Demographic Analysis of Phishing Susceptibility and Effectiveness of Interventions
Abstract » In this paper we present the results of a roleplay survey instrument administered to 1001 online survey respondents to study both the relationship between demographics and phishing susceptibility and the effectiveness of several anti-phishing educational materials. Our results suggest that women are more susceptible than men to phishing and participants between the ages of 18 and 25 are more susceptible to phishing than other age groups. We explain these demographic factors through a mediation analysis. Educational materials reduced users' tendency to enter information into phishing webpages by 40% percent; however, some of the educational materials we tested also slightly decreased participants' tendency to click on legitimate links.
Papers/Notes :
Earth, Wind, and Flyer ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
inAir: Sharing Indoor Air Quality Measurements and Visualizations
inAir: Sharing Indoor Air Quality Measurements and Visualizations
Abstract » This paper describes inAir, a tool for sharing measurements and visualizations of indoor air quality within ones social network. Poor indoor air quality is difficult for humans to detect through sight and smell alone and can contribute to the development of chronic diseases. Through a four-week long study of fourteen households as six groups, we found that inAir (1) increased awareness of, and reflection on air quality, (2) promoted behavioral changes that resulted in improved indoor air quality, and (3) demonstrated the persuasive power of sharing for furthering improvements to indoor air quality in terms of fostering new social awareness and behavior changes as well as strengthening social bonds and prompting collaborative efforts across social networks to improve human health and well being.
Papers/Notes :
Sharing in Social Media ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Fitting an Activity-Centric System into an Ecology of Workplace Tools
Fitting an Activity-Centric System into an Ecology of Workplace Tools
Abstract » Knowledge workers expend considerable effort managing fragmentation, characterized by constant switching among digital artifacts, when executing work activities. Activity-centric computing (ACC) systems attempt to address this problem by organizing activity-related artifacts together. But are ACC systems effective at reducing fragmentation? In this paper, we present a two-part study of workers using Lotus Activities, an ACC system deployed for over two years in a large company. First, we surveyed workers to understand the ecology of workplace tools they use for various tasks. Second, we interviewed 22 Lotus Activities users to investigate how this ACC tool fits amongst their ecology of existing collaboration tools and affects work fragmentation. Our results indicate that Lotus Activities works in concert with certain other tools to successfully ease fragmentation for a specific type of activity. We identify design characteristics that contribute to this result.
Panel :
Computing Technology in International Development: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How? ---
04/13/10 11:30:00 AM
Computing Technology in International Development: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How?
Computing Technology in International Development: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How?
Abstract » Building on the successes of prior workshops at CHI and other HCI conferences on computing in international development, we propose a panel to engage with the broader CHI community. Topics to be discussed include why international development is important to HCI as a discipline, and how CHI researchers and practitioners who are not already involved in international development can contribute.
Papers/Notes :
Driving, Interrupted ---
04/13/10 04:30:00 PM
Where Should I Turn? Moving from Individual to Collaborative Navigation Strategies to Inform the Interaction Design of Future Navigation Systems
Where Should I Turn? Moving from Individual to Collaborative Navigation Strategies to Inform the Interaction Design of Future Navigation Systems
Abstract » The design of in-vehicle navigation systems fails to take into account the social nature of driving and automobile navigation. In this paper, we consider navigation as a social activity among drivers and navigators to improve design of such systems. We explore the implications of moving from a map-centered, individually-focused design paradigm to one based upon collaborative human interaction during the navigation task. We conducted a qualitative interaction design study of navigation among three types of teams: parents and their teenage children, couples, and unacquainted individuals. We found that collaboration varied among these different teams, and was influenced by social role, as well as the task role of driver or navigator. We also found that patterns of prompts, maneuvers, and confirmations varied among the three teams. We identify overarching practices that differ greatly from the literature on individual navigation. From these discoveries, we present design implications that can be used to inform future navigation systems.
Papers/Notes :
Cooking, Classrooms, and Craft ---
04/15/10 11:30:00 AM
Designing a Pen-based Flashcard Application to Support Classroom Learning Environment
Designing a Pen-based Flashcard Application to Support Classroom Learning Environment
Abstract » Pen-based Flash Cards Application (application) offers the flexibility of handwritten input while benefiting a wide set of users to increase their memory retention. It is particularly useful in learning mathematics where typing the material using a keyboard can be difficult. In this study, we describe the observations and major findings in a two-year case study in an eighth-grade geometry class. We found that this application may enhance teacher-student interaction, increase autonomy in students for self-guided learning, and encourage collaborative learning.
Papers/Notes :
Classroom Technologies ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
vSked: Evaluation of a System to Support Classroom Activities for Children with Autism
vSked: Evaluation of a System to Support Classroom Activities for Children with Autism
Abstract » Visual schedulesthe use of symbols to represent a series of activities or stepshave been successfully used by caregivers to help children with autism to understand, structure, and predict activities in their daily lives. Building from in-depth fieldwork and participatory design sessions, we developed vSked, an interactive and collaborative visual scheduling system designed for elementary school classrooms. We evaluated vSked in situ in one autism-specific classroom over three weeks. In this paper, we present the design principles, technical solution, and results from this successful deployment. Use of vSked resulted in reductions in staff effort required to use visual supports. vSked also resulted in improvements in the perceived quality and quantity of communication and social interactions in the classroom.
Papers/Notes :
Computing on the Body ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
Skinput: Appropriating the Body as an Input Surface
Skinput: Appropriating the Body as an Input Surface
Abstract » We present Skinput, a technology that appropriates the human body for acoustic transmission, allowing the skin to be used as an input surface. In particular, we resolve the location of finger taps on the arm and hand by analyzing mechanical vibrations that propagate through the body. We collect these signals using a novel array of sensors worn as an armband. This approach provides an always available, naturally portable, and on-body finger input system. We assess the capabilities, accuracy and limitations of our technique through a two-part, twenty-participant user study. To further illustrate the utility of our approach, we conclude with several proof-of-concept applications we developed.
SIG :
End User Software Engineering: CHI 2010 Special Interest Group Meeting ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
End User Software Engineering: CHI 2010 Special Interest Group Meeting
End User Software Engineering: CHI 2010 Special Interest Group Meeting
Papers/Notes :
At Home With Computing ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Access Control for Home Data Sharing: Attitudes, Needs and Practices
Access Control for Home Data Sharing: Attitudes, Needs and Practices
Abstract » As digital content becomes more prevalent in the home, non-technical users are increasingly interested in sharing that content with others and accessing it from multiple devices. Not much is known about how these users think about controlling access to this data. To better understand this, we conducted semi-structured, in-situ interviews with 33 users in 15 households. We found that users create ad-hoc access-control mechanisms that do not always work; that their ideal policies are complex and multi-dimensional; that a priori policy specification is often insufficient; and that people's mental models of access control and security are often misaligned with current systems. We detail these findings and present a set of associated guidelines for designing usable access-control systems for the home environment.
Papers/Notes :
Devising Input ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Cord Input: An Intuitive, High-Accuracy, Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Input Method for Mobile Devices
Cord Input: An Intuitive, High-Accuracy, Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Input Method for Mobile Devices
Abstract » A cord, although simple in form, has many interesting physical affordances that make it powerful as an input device. Not only can a length of cord be grasped in different locations, but also pulled, twisted, and bentfour distinct and expressive dimensions that could potentially act in concert. Such an input mechanism could be readily integrated into headphones, backpacks, and clothing. Once grasped in the hand, a cord can be used in an eyes-free manner to control mobile devices, which often feature small screens and cramped buttons. In this note, we describe a proof-of-concept cord-based sensor, which senses three of the four input dimensions we propose. In addition to a discussion of potential uses, we also present results from our preliminary user study. The latter sought to compare the targeting performance and selection accuracy of different cord-based input modalities. We conclude with brief set of design recommendations drawn upon results from our study.
Papers/Notes :
Market Models for Q&A Services ---
04/12/10 02:30:00 PM
Why Pay?: Exploring How Financial Incentives are Used for Question & Answer
Why Pay?: Exploring How Financial Incentives are Used for Question & Answer
Abstract » Electronic commerce has enabled a number of online pay-for-answer services. However, despite commercial interest, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of how financial incentives support question asking and answering. Using 800 questions randomly selected from a pay-for-answer site, along with site usage statistics, we examined what factors impact askers' decisions to pay. We also explored how financial rewards affect answers, and if question pricing can help organize Q&A exchanges for archival purposes. We found that askers' decisions are two-partwhether or not to pay and how much to pay. Askers are more likely to pay when requesting facts and will pay more when questions are more difficult. On the answer side, our results support prior findings that paying more may elicit a higher number of answers and answers that are longer, but may not elicit higher quality answers (as rated by the askers). Finally, we present evidence that questions with higher rewards have higher archival value, which suggests that pricing can be used to support archival use.
Papers/Notes :
Interaction Techniques ---
04/13/10 04:30:00 PM
Apatite: A New Interface for Exploring APIs
Apatite: A New Interface for Exploring APIs
Abstract » We present Apatite, a new tool that aids users in learning and understanding a complex API by visualizing the common associations between its various components. Current object-oriented API documentation is usually navigated in a fixed tree structure, starting with a package and then filtering by a specific class. For large APIs, this scheme is overly restrictive, because it prevents users from locating a particular action without first knowing which class it belongs to. Apatite's design instead enables users to search across any level of an API's hierarchy. This is made possible by the introduction of a novel interaction technique that presents popular items from multiple categories simultaneously, determining their relevance by approximating the strength of their association using search engine data. The design of Apatite was refined through iterative usability testing, and it has been released publicly as a web application.
Papers/Notes :
Earth, Wind, and Flyer ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
UpStream: Motivating Water Conservation with Low-Cost Water Flow Sensing and Persuasive Displays
UpStream: Motivating Water Conservation with Low-Cost Water Flow Sensing and Persuasive Displays
Abstract » Water is our most precious and most rapidly declining natural resource. We explore pervasive technology as an approach for promoting water conservation in public and private spaces. We hope to motivate immediate reduction in water use as well as higher-order behaviors (seeking new information, etc) through unobtrusive low-cost water flow sensing and several persuasive displays. Early prototypes were installed at public faucets and a private (shared) shower, logging water usage first without and then with ambient displays. This pilot study led to design iterations, culminating in long-term deployment of sensors in four private showers over the course of three weeks. Sensors first logged baseline water usage without visualization. Then, two display styles, ambient and numeric, were deployed in random order, each showing individual and average water consumption. Quantitative data along with participants feedback contrast the effectiveness of numeric displays against abstract visualization in this very important domain of water conservation and public health.
ToCHI :
Data Mining for Understanding User Needs ---
04/15/10 02:30:00 PM
Creating a Lightweight UIDL: An Overview and Analysis of the Personal Universal Controller Project
Creating a Lightweight UIDL: An Overview and Analysis of the Personal Universal Controller Project
Abstract » Over six years, we iterated on the design of a language for describing the functionality of appliances, such as televisions, telephones, VCRs, and copiers. This language has been used to describe more than thirty diverse appliances, and those descriptions have been used to automatically generate both graphical and speech user interfaces on handheld computers, mobile phones, and desktop computers. In this paper, we describe the final design of our language and analyze the key design choices that led to this design. Through this analysis, we hope to provide a useful guide for the designers of future user interface description languages.
Papers/Notes :
Performance, Stagecraft, and Magic ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
A Stage-Based Model of Personal Informatics Systems
A Stage-Based Model of Personal Informatics Systems
Abstract » People strive to obtain self-knowledge. A class of systems called personal informatics is appearing that help people collect and reflect on personal information. However, there is no comprehensive list of problems that users experience using these systems, and no guidance for making these systems more effective. To address this, we conducted surveys and interviews with people who collect and reflect on personal information. We derived a stage-based model of personal informatics systems composed of five stages (preparation, collection, integration, reflection, and action) and identified barriers in each of the stages. These stages have four essential properties: barriers cascade to later stages; they are iterative; they are user-driven and/or system-driven; and they are uni-faceted or multi-faceted. From these properties, we recommend that personal informatics systems should 1) be designed in a holistic manner across the stages; 2) allow iteration between stages; 3) apply an appropriate balance of automated technology and user control within each stage to facilitate the user experience; and 4) provide support for associating multiple facets of people's lives, to enrich the value of systems.
Papers/Notes :
Social Media Users ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Social Network Activity and Social Well-Being
Social Network Activity and Social Well-Being
Abstract » Previous research has shown a relationship between use of social networking sites and feelings of social capital. However, most studies have relied on self-reports by college students. The goals of the current study are to (1) validate the common self-report scale using empirical data from Facebook, (2) test whether previous findings generalize to older and international populations, and (3) delve into the specific activities linked to feelings of social capital and loneliness. In particular, we investigate the role of directed interaction between pairssuch as wall posts, comments, and likesand consumption of friends' content, including status updates, photos, and friends' conversations with other friends. We find that directed communication is associated with greater feelings of bonding social capital and lower loneliness, but has only a modest relationship with bridging social capital, which is primarily related to overall friend network size. Surprisingly, users who consume greater levels of content report reduced bridging and bonding social capital and increased loneliness. Implications for designs to support well-being are discussed.
Papers/Notes :
HCI and India ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
An Exploratory Study of Unsupervised Mobile Learning in Rural India
An Exploratory Study of Unsupervised Mobile Learning in Rural India
Abstract » Cellphones have the potential to improve education for the millions of underprivileged users in the developing world. However, mobile learning in developing countries remains under-studied. In this paper, we argue that cellphones are a perfect vehicle for making educational opportunities accessible to rural children in places and times that are more convenient than formal schooling. We carried out participant observations to identify the opportunities in their everyday lives for mobile learning. We next conducted a 26-week study to investigate the extent to which rural children will voluntarily make use of cellphones to access educational content. Our results show a reasonable level of academic learning and motivation. We also report on the social context around these results. Our goal is to examine the feasibility of mobile learning in out-of-school settings in rural, underdeveloped areas, and to help more researchers learn how to undertake similarly difficult studies around mobile computing in the developing world.
Papers/Notes :
Bang a Table ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
G-nome Surfer: a Tabletop Interface for Collaborative Exploration of Genomic Data
G-nome Surfer: a Tabletop Interface for Collaborative Exploration of Genomic Data
Abstract » Molecular and computational biologists develop new insights by gathering heterogeneous data from genomic databases and leveraging bioinformatics tools. Through a qualitative study with 17 participants, we found that molecular and computational biologists experience difficulties interpreting, comparing, annotating, sharing, and relating this vast amount of biological information. We further observed that such interactions are critical for forming new scientific hypotheses. These observations motivated the creation of G-nome Surfer, a tabletop interface for collaborative exploration of genomic data that implements multi-touch and tangible interaction techniques. G-nome Surfer was developed in close collaboration with domain scientists and is aimed at lowering the threshold for using bioinformatics tools. A first-use study with 16 participants found that G-nome Surfer enables users to gain biological insights that are based on multiple forms of evidence with minimal overhead.
Papers/Notes :
Death and Fear ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Passing On & Putting To Rest: Understanding Bereavement in the Context of Interactive Technologies
Passing On & Putting To Rest: Understanding Bereavement in the Context of Interactive Technologies
Abstract » While it can be a delicate and emotionally-laden topic, new technological trends compel us to confront a range of problems and issues about death and bereavement. This area presents complex challenges and the associated literature is extensive. In this paper we offer a way of slicing through several perspectives in the social sciences to see clearly a set of salient issues related to bereavement. Following this, we present a theoretical lens to provide a way of conceptualizing how the HCI community could begin to approach such issues. We then report field evidence from 11 in-depth interviews conducted with bereaved participants and apply the proposed lens to unpack key emergent problems and tensions. We conclude with a discussion on how the HCI design space might be sensitized to better support the social processes that unfold when bereavement occurs.
Papers/Notes :
Going to the Mall: Shopping and Product Design ---
04/15/10 02:30:00 PM
Investigating the Opportunity for a Smart Activity Bag
Investigating the Opportunity for a Smart Activity Bag
Abstract » As long as people have traveled, they have constructed bags to help them carry more items than their hands will hold. While quite effective at keeping things together, bags do a poor job of communicating when something is missing. We propose that there exists an opportunity for the HCI community to improve the quality of people's lives by creating bags that have knowledge of people's schedules and equipment needs, can sense their contents, and can communicate when something has been forgotten. To investigate this opportunity, we conducted a field study with six dual-income families. Through interviews and observations we investigated their experiences using bags to organize equipment needed for children's enrichment activities. Based on the findings we generated 100 concepts and conducted a needs validation session to better understand the best opportunity to improve people's lives with technical intervention. This paper reports on our field study and needs validation session, and shares insights on the opportunities and implications of a smart activity bag.
Papers/Notes :
Privacy ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
Standardizing Privacy Notices: An Online Study of the Nutrition Label Approach
Standardizing Privacy Notices: An Online Study of the Nutrition Label Approach
Abstract » Earlier work has shown that consumers cannot effectively find information in privacy policies and that they do not enjoy using them. In our previous research we developed a standardized-table format for privacy policies. We compared this standardized format, and two short variants (one tabular, one text) with the current status quo: full-text natural-language policies and layered policies. We conducted an online user study of 764 participants to test if these three more-intentionally designed, standardized privacy policy formats, assisted by consumer education, can benefit consumers. Our results show that standardized privacy policy presentations can have significant positive effects on accuracy and speed of information finding and on reader enjoyment of privacy policies.
Papers/Notes :
Working with Medical Records ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Supporting Coordination in Surgical Suites: Physical Aspects of Common Information Spaces
Supporting Coordination in Surgical Suites: Physical Aspects of Common Information Spaces
Abstract » To accommodate frequent emergencies, interruptions, and delays, hospital staff continually make and coordinate changes to the surgery schedule. The technical and social aspects of coordination in surgical suites have been described by prior studies. This paper addresses an understudied aspect of coordination: the physical environment. Based on a field study of four surgical suites in two large academic centers, we show how the physical layout of hallways and rooms, and barriers and spaces around displays and key coordinators, support or fail to support the common information spaces used for coordination. We use the concept information hotspots to represent how physical places and their characteristics facilitate coordination. We developed design principles based on the concept of information hotspots that should guide architectural considerations for coordination in dynamic environments such as hospitals.
Papers/Notes :
Brains and Brawn ---
04/13/10 11:30:00 AM
The Influence of Implicit and Explicit Biofeedback in First-Person Shooter Games
The Influence of Implicit and Explicit Biofeedback in First-Person Shooter Games
Abstract » To understand how implicit and explicit biofeedback work in games, we developed a first-person shooter (FPS) game to experiment with different biofeedback techniques. While this area has seen plenty of discussion, there is little rigorous experimentation addressing how biofeedback can enhance human-computer interaction. In our two-part study, (N=36) subjects first played eight different game stages with two implicit biofeedback conditions, with two simulation-based comparison and repetition rounds, then repeated the two biofeedback stages when given explicit information on the biofeedback. The biofeedback conditions were respiration and skin-conductance (EDA) adaptations. Adaptation targets were four balanced player avatar attributes. We collected data with psycho¬physiological measures (electromyography, respiration, and EDA), a game experience questionnaire, and game-play measures. According to our experiment, implicit biofeedback does not produce significant effects in player experience in an FPS game. In the explicit biofeedback conditions, players were more immersed and positively affected, and they were able to manipulate the game play with the biosignal interface. We recommend exploring the possibilities of using explicit biofeedback interaction in commercial games.
Papers/Notes :
Caring for Ourselves ---
04/13/10 04:30:00 PM
Negotiating Boundaries: Managing Disease at Home
Negotiating Boundaries: Managing Disease at Home
Abstract » To move treatment successfully from the hospital to that of technology assisted self-care at home, it is vital in the design of such technologies to understand the setting in which the health IT should be used. Based on qualitative studies we find that people engage in elaborate boundary work to maintain the order of the home when managing disease and adopting new healthcare technology. In our analysis we relate this boundary work to two continuums of visibility-invisibility and integration-segmentation in disease management. We explore five factors that affect the boundary work: objects, activities, places, character of disease, and collaboration. Furthermore, the processes are explored of how boundary objects move between social worlds pushing and shaping boundaries. From this we discuss design implications for future healthcare technologies for the home.
Papers/Notes :
Caring for Ourselves ---
04/13/10 04:30:00 PM
Negotiating Boundaries: Managing Disease at Home
Negotiating Boundaries: Managing Disease at Home
Abstract » To move treatment successfully from the hospital to that of technology assisted self-care at home, it is vital in the design of such technologies to understand the setting in which the health IT should be used. Based on qualitative studies we find that people engage in elaborate boundary work to maintain the order of the home when managing disease and adopting new healthcare technology. In our analysis we relate this boundary work to two continuums of visibility-invisibility and integration-segmentation in disease management. We explore five factors that affect the boundary work: objects, activities, places, character of disease, and collaboration. Furthermore, the processes are explored of how boundary objects move between social worlds pushing and shaping boundaries. From this we discuss design implications for future healthcare technologies for the home.
Papers/Notes :
Dance, Dust, and Drama: Designing Design ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
The case of the disappearing ox: seeing through digital images to an analysis of ancient texts
The case of the disappearing ox: seeing through digital images to an analysis of ancient texts
Abstract » There are numerous settings where people examine, scrutinize and discuss the details of images in the course of their work. In most medical domains, scans and x-rays are used in the diagnosis of cases; in most areas of science, methods of visualization have been adopted to assist in the analysis of data; and images of different kinds are critical for many research fields in the social sciences and humanities. It is not surprising that recently technologies have been proposed to assist with the analysis and examination of images. In this paper, we consider requirements for technologies in a rather distinctive domain of research, the classics. Drawing upon an analysis of the detailed ways in which classicists work with digital images, we discuss the requirements for systems to support researchers in this domain, and also provide further considerations on the general development of image processing technologies and visualization techniques.
SIG :
CHI 2010 Engineering Community SIG: the role of engineering work in CHI ---
04/13/10 02:30:00 PM
CHI 2010 Engineering Community SIG: the role of engineering work in CHI
CHI 2010 Engineering Community SIG: the role of engineering work in CHI
Papers/Notes :
Sound and Speech ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Effects of Automated Transcription Quality on Non-native Speakers' Comprehension in Real-time Computer-mediated Communication
Effects of Automated Transcription Quality on Non-native Speakers' Comprehension in Real-time Computer-mediated Communication
Abstract » Real-time transcription has been shown to be valuable in facilitating non-native speakers' comprehension in real-time communication. Automated speech recognition (ASR) technology is a critical ingredient for its practical deployment. This paper presents a series of studies investigating how the quality of transcripts generated by an ASR system impacts user comprehension and subjective evaluation. Experiments are first presented comparing performance across three different transcription conditions: no transcript, a perfect transcript, and a transcript with Word Error Rate (WER) =20%. We found 20% WER was the most likely critical point for transcripts to be just acceptable and useful. Then we further examined a lower WER of 10% (a lower bound for today's state-of-the-art systems) employing the same experimental design. The results indicated that at 10% WER comprehension performance was significantly improved compared to the no-transcript condition. Finally, implications for further system development and design are discussed.
Panel :
Managing User Experience...Managing Change ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
Managing User Experience... Managing Change
Managing User Experience... Managing Change
Papers/Notes :
Call Centers ---
04/12/10 02:30:00 PM
Using "Rapid Experimentation" to Inform Customer Service Experience Design
Using "Rapid Experimentation" to Inform Customer Service Experience Design
Abstract » This case study describes how Cisco followed a Rapid Experimentation methodology in conducting iterative, high velocity pilot studies to inform a large global customer service experience design project. The research findings described in this case study informed the design of a better mechanism for customers to select their expected outcomes, so Cisco can provide a personalized service experience. This improved accuracy moves us closer to our goal of eliminating at least 5% of all re-routing of service requests. In addition, customer satisfaction improves as we approach our target of reducing average Time-To- Resolution by at least 5%, which also saves on the Cost-Per-Call for Cisco. The case study explains how these studies improved the direction of the design concept and narrowed the research focus to answer more specific design questions. It summarizes how this approach was successfully applied in the customer service experience design situation to achieve the same experience design goal in 8 weeks, 4 weeks ahead of the 12-week schedule. We also describe lessons learned in applying the Rapid Experimentation methodology.
SIG :
Best Practices in Longitudinal Research ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Best Practices in Longitudinal Research
Best Practices in Longitudinal Research
Papers/Notes :
Pointing and Selecting ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Bias towards Regular Configuration in 2D Pointing
Bias towards Regular Configuration in 2D Pointing
Abstract » Extending Fitts' law to more than one dimension has been recognized as having important implications for HCI. In spite of the progress made over the years, however, it is still far from a resolved issue. Our work approaches this problem from the viewpoint of a configuration space, which has served as a useful conceptual framework for understanding human preference in perception. Notably, human are found to be biased towards regular configurations. In this work, we extended the configuration space framework to the domain of motor behavior, analyzed 2D pointing, and developed five models to account for the performance. An extensive experiment was conducted to measure the fit of the derived models and that of three previous models. Consistent with our hypothesis, the model reflecting a bias towards regular configuration was found to have the most satisfactory fit with the data. The paper concludes with discussions on improving understanding of Fitts' law and the implications for HCI.
SIG :
Automotive User Interfaces: Human Computer Interaction in the Car ---
04/15/10 02:30:00 PM
Automotive User Interfaces: Human Computer Interaction in the Car
Automotive User Interfaces: Human Computer Interaction in the Car
Papers/Notes :
Therapy and Rehabilitation ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
Designing Patient-Centric Information Displays for Hospitals
Designing Patient-Centric Information Displays for Hospitals
Abstract » Electronic medical records are increasingly comprehensive, and this vast repository of information has already contri-buted to medical efficiency and hospital procedure. However, this information is not typically accessible to patients, who are frequently under-informed and unclear about their own hospital courses. In this paper, we propose a design for in-room, patient-centric information displays, based on iterative design with physicians. We use this as the basis for a Wizard-of-Oz study in an emergency department, to assess patient and provider responses to in-room information displays. 18 patients were presented with real-time information displays based on their medical records. Semi-structured interviews with patients, family members, and hospital staff reveal that subjective response to in-room displays was overwhelmingly positive, and through these interviews we elicited guidelines regarding specific information types, privacy, use cases, and information presentation techniques. We describe these findings, and we discuss the feasibility of a fully-automatic implementation of our design.
Papers/Notes :
Medical Data ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Physician-Driven Management of Patient Progress Notes in an Intensive Care Unit
Physician-Driven Management of Patient Progress Notes in an Intensive Care Unit
Abstract » We describe fieldwork in which we studied hospital ICU physicians and their strategies and documentation aids for composing patient progress notes. We then present a clini-cal documentation prototype, activeNotes, that supports the creation of these notes, using techniques designed based on our fieldwork. ActiveNotes integrates automated, context-sensitive patient data retrieval, and user control of automated data updates and alerts via tagging, into the documentation process. We performed a qualitative study of activeNotes with 15 physicians at the hospital to explore the utility of our information retrieval and tagging tech-niques. The physicians indicated their desire to use tags for a number of purposes, some of them extensions to what we intended, and others new to us and unexplored in other systems of which we are aware. We discuss the physicians' responses to our prototype and distill several of their pro-posed uses of tags: to assist in note content management, communication with other clinicians, and care delivery.
Papers/Notes :
Caring for Ourselves ---
04/13/10 04:30:00 PM
Constructing Identities through Storytelling in Diabetes Management
Constructing Identities through Storytelling in Diabetes Management
Abstract » The continuing epidemics of diabetes and obesity create much need for information technologies that can help individuals engage in proactive health management. Yet many of these technologies focus on such pragmatic issues as collecting and presenting health information and modifying individuals' behavior. At the same time, researchers in clinical community argue that individuals' perception of their identity has dramatic consequences for their health behaviors. In this paper we discuss results of a deployment study of a mobile health monitoring application. We show how individuals with considerable diabetes experience found a unique way to adopt this health-monitoring application to construct and negotiate their identities as persons with a chronic disease. We argue that viewing health management from identity construction perspective opens new opportunities for research and design in technologies for health.
Papers/Notes :
Medical Data ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Physician-Driven Management of Patient Progress Notes in an Intensive Care Unit
Physician-Driven Management of Patient Progress Notes in an Intensive Care Unit
Abstract » We describe fieldwork in which we studied hospital ICU physicians and their strategies and documentation aids for composing patient progress notes. We then present a clini-cal documentation prototype, activeNotes, that supports the creation of these notes, using techniques designed based on our fieldwork. ActiveNotes integrates automated, context-sensitive patient data retrieval, and user control of automated data updates and alerts via tagging, into the documentation process. We performed a qualitative study of activeNotes with 15 physicians at the hospital to explore the utility of our information retrieval and tagging tech-niques. The physicians indicated their desire to use tags for a number of purposes, some of them extensions to what we intended, and others new to us and unexplored in other systems of which we are aware. We discuss the physicians' responses to our prototype and distill several of their pro-posed uses of tags: to assist in note content management, communication with other clinicians, and care delivery.
alt.chi :
I Need Your Input ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Planz to put our digital information in its place
Planz to put our digital information in its place
Abstract » Planz provides a single, integrative document-like overlay to a folder hierarchy through a dynamic, on-demand assembly of XML fragments. This overlay provides a context in which to create or reference not only files but also email messages and web pages. This paper describes an evaluation of Planz over a period of several days during which participants compared their experiences on two projects one involving status quo methods, a second project involving Planz.
Papers/Notes :
Home Eco Behavior ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
Home, Habits, and Energy: Examining Domestic Interactions and Energy Consumption
Home, Habits, and Energy: Examining Domestic Interactions and Energy Consumption
Abstract » This paper presents findings from a qualitative study of people's everyday interactions with energy-consuming products and systems in the home. Initial results from a large online survey are also considered. This research focuses not only on conservation behavior but importantly investigates interactions with technology that may be characterized as normal consumption or over-consumption. A novel vocabulary for analyzing and designing energy-conserving interactions is proposed based on our findings, including: cutting, trimming, switching, upgrading, and shifting. Using the proposed vocabulary, and informed by theoretical developments from various literatures, this paper demonstrates ways in which everyday interactions with technology in the home are performed without conscious consideration of energy consumption but rather are unconscious, habitual, and irrational. Implications for the design of energy-conserving interactions with technology and broader challenges for HCI research are proposed.
Papers/Notes :
Dance, Dust, and Drama: Designing Design ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
The case of the disappearing ox: seeing through digital images to an analysis of ancient texts
The case of the disappearing ox: seeing through digital images to an analysis of ancient texts
Abstract » There are numerous settings where people examine, scrutinize and discuss the details of images in the course of their work. In most medical domains, scans and x-rays are used in the diagnosis of cases; in most areas of science, methods of visualization have been adopted to assist in the analysis of data; and images of different kinds are critical for many research fields in the social sciences and humanities. It is not surprising that recently technologies have been proposed to assist with the analysis and examination of images. In this paper, we consider requirements for technologies in a rather distinctive domain of research, the classics. Drawing upon an analysis of the detailed ways in which classicists work with digital images, we discuss the requirements for systems to support researchers in this domain, and also provide further considerations on the general development of image processing technologies and visualization techniques.
alt.chi :
alt.ernative Methods ---
04/13/10 02:30:00 PM
Theres Methodology in the Madness: Toward Critical HCI Ethnography
Theres Methodology in the Madness: Toward Critical HCI Ethnography
Abstract » We examine the expansion of topic areas for qualitative research in HCI publications, focusing on representations of users and field sites. We examine further developments in anthropological methodologies during a critical period of the late 1980s and 90s. We identify concerns shared by both research communities, in particular, the relationships between researcher and informant, and the construction of bounded settings for field work. We then argue that ethnographic approaches and theoretical commitments which came to the fore after Anthropologys critical turn can be usefully applied, in ways that can inspire design, to investigations of social practice and technology appropriation.
Papers/Notes :
Remember and Reflect ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
Pensieve: Supporting Everyday Reminiscence
Pensieve: Supporting Everyday Reminiscence
Abstract » Reminiscing is a valuable activity that people of all ages spontaneously and informally partake in as part of their everyday lives. This paper discusses the design and use of Pensieve, a system that supports everyday reminiscence by emailing memory triggers to people that contain either social media content they previously created on third-party websites or text prompts about common life experiences. We discuss how the literature on reminiscence informed Pensieve's design, then analyze data from 91 users over five months. We find that people value spontaneous reminders to reminisce as well as the ability to write about their reminiscing. Shorter, more general triggers draw more responses, as do triggers containing people's own photosalthough responses to photos tended to contain more metadata elements than storytelling elements. We compare these results to data from a second, Pensieve-like system developed for Facebook, and suggest a number of important aspects to consider for both designers and researchers around technology and reminiscence.
ToCHI :
Input and Direct Manipulation ---
04/13/10 04:30:00 PM
ModelCraft: Capturing Freehand Annotations and Edits on 3D Models using a Digital Pen
ModelCraft: Capturing Freehand Annotations and Edits on 3D Models using a Digital Pen
Abstract » Physical models in earlier stages of design can easily be annotated to capture comments, edits and user feedbacks, but these annotations remain in the physical world and cannot easily be transferred back to the digital world. ModelCraft addresses this problem by augmenting the surface of a model with a traceable pattern. Using a digital pen, any sketch drawn on the surface of the model is recovered as part of digital representation. Sketches can also be interpreted as operations on the original CAD model. ModelCraft system was proved useful from several interviews and a formal study of the potential users.
Paper + Panel :
Mapping the Landscape of Sustainable HCI ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Mapping the Landscape of Sustainable HCI
Mapping the Landscape of Sustainable HCI
Abstract » With the recent growth in sustainable HCI, now is a good time to map out the approaches being taken and the intellectual commitments that underlie the area, to allow for community discussion about where the field should go. Here, we provide an empirical analysis of how sustainable HCI is defining itself as a research field. Based on a corpus of published works, we identify (1) established genres in the area, (2) key unrecognized intellectual differences, and (3) emerging issues, including urgent avenues for further exploration, opportunities for interdisciplinary engagement, and key topics for debate.
Papers/Notes :
Using Your Social Network ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Affirming the self through online profiles: Beneficial effects of social networking websites
Affirming the self through online profiles: Beneficial effects of social networking websites
Abstract » Self-affirmation is the process of bringing to awareness important aspects of the self, such as values, goals, and treasured characteristics. When affirmed, individuals are more open-minded and less defensive. This study examines whether social networking tools, such as Facebook, have self-affirming value. Participants were asked to either spend time on their own Facebook profiles, or on a stranger's profile. Afterwards, they were given negative feedback on a task. Participants who spent time on their own profiles were more accepting of the feedback, and less likely to engage in ego-protective mechanisms, such as derogating the task or the evaluator. In fact, they behaved identically to participants who completed a classic self-affirmation manipulation. The theoretical contributions of this paper include (1) identifying intrapersonal effects of online self-presentation and (2) extending self-affirmation theory to include social media use.
Papers/Notes :
Expertise ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
What Do You Know? Experts, Novices and Territoriality in Collaborative Systems
What Do You Know? Experts, Novices and Territoriality in Collaborative Systems
Abstract » When experts participate in collaborative systems, tension may arise between them and novice contributors. In particular, when experts perceive novices as a bother or a threat, the experts may express territoriality: behaviors communicating ownership of a target of interest. In this paper, we describe the results of a user study of a mobile social tagging system deployed within a museum gallery to a group of novices and experts collaboratively tagging part of the collection. We observed that experts express greater feelings of ownership towards their contributions to the system and the museum in general. Experts were more likely than novices to participate at higher rates and to negatively evaluate contributions made by others. We suggest a number of design strategies to balance experts' expressions of territoriality so as to motivate their participation while discouraging exclusionary behaviors.
Papers/Notes :
Subtle Expressions Through Sound and Text ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Motivating Expressive Writing with a Text-to-Sound Application
Motivating Expressive Writing with a Text-to-Sound Application
Abstract » Writing about emotional experiences has been shown to have long-term physical and mental health benefits, but it also creates short-term discomfort. There is currently no research on how to motivate people to participate in expressive writing. We designed a system to motivate expressive writing by enhancing enjoyment and pleasure. Using automated language analysis techniques, we designed a system that maps sound onto categories of language resulting in a musical interpretation of expressive writing texts. An experimental design compared the experience of 126 participants across musical and non-musical writing platforms Participants found the musical system to be more pleasurable. Despite reports of enjoying the system more, participants that received musical feedback reported greater negative affect following the exercise. This suggests that the music may have enhanced the effectiveness of the expressive writing paradigm in improving health.
Papers/Notes :
Machine Learning and Web Interactions ---
04/13/10 04:30:00 PM
Signed networks in social media
Signed networks in social media
Abstract » Relations between users on social media sites often reflect a mixture of positive (friendly) and negative (antagonistic) interactions. In contrast to the bulk of research on social networks that has focused almost exclusively on positive interpretations of links between people, we study how the interplay between positive and negative relationships affects the structure of on-line social networks. We connect our analyses to theories of signed networks from social psychology. We find that the classical theory of structural balance tends to capture certain common patterns of interaction, but that it is also at odds with some of the fundamental phenomena we observe --- particularly related to the evolving, directed nature of these on-line networks. We then develop an alternate theory of status that better explains the observed edge signs and provides insights into the underlying social mechanisms. Our work provides one of the first large-scale evaluations of theories of signed networks using on-line datasets, as well as providing a perspective for reasoning about social media sites.
Papers/Notes :
Displays Where You Least Expect Them ---
04/15/10 11:30:00 AM
MouseLight: Bimanual Interaction on Digital Paper using a Pen and a Spatially-Aware Mobile Projector
MouseLight: Bimanual Interaction on Digital Paper using a Pen and a Spatially-Aware Mobile Projector
Abstract » MouseLight is a spatially-aware standalone mobile projector with the form factor of a mouse that can be used in combination with digital pens on paper. By interacting with the projector and the pen bimanually, users can visualize and modify the virtually augmented contents on top of the paper, and seamlessly transition between virtual and physical information. We present a high fidelity hardware prototype of the system and demonstrate a set of novel interactions specifically tailored to the unique properties of MouseLight. MouseLight differentiates itself from related systems such as PenLight in two aspects. First, MouseLight presents a rich set of bimanual interactions inspired by the ToolGlass interaction metaphor, but applied to physical paper. Secondly, our system explores novel displaced interactions, that takes advantage of the independent input and output that is spatially aware of the underneath paper. These properties enable users to issue remote commands such as copy and paste or search. We also report on a preliminary evaluation of the system, which produced encouraging observations and feedback.
Papers/Notes :
Privacy Awareness and Attitudes ---
04/12/10 11:30:00 AM
Independence and Interaction: Understanding Seniors' Privacy and Awareness Needs For Aging in Place
Independence and Interaction: Understanding Seniors' Privacy and Awareness Needs For Aging in Place
Abstract » As America's baby boom population gets older, aging in place the idea that seniors can remain independent in a comfortable home environment while being monitored and receiving care from family and caregivers living elsewhere has received significant attention. Fostering a sense of independence while simultaneously enabling monitoring and frequent interaction can seem paradoxical, however. This raises questions of how we can design technologies that help seniors retain their independence and a sense of comfort, while still interacting with and being monitored regularly by others. We present results from an interview study of 30 seniors, caregivers and relatives in which we sought to understand how they managed their interactions, availability, privacy and independence. Results suggest that they rely on attributes of the physical environment, temporal structures such as routine conversations and activities, and technological mediation.
Papers/Notes :
Language 2.0 ---
04/12/10 02:30:00 PM
Visualizing Language Use in Team Conversations: Designing Through Theory, Experiments, and Iterations
Visualizing Language Use in Team Conversations: Designing Through Theory, Experiments, and Iterations
Abstract » One way to potentially help people develop effective teamwork skills is to visualize elements of their language use during team conversations. There are several challenges in designing such visualizations, such as how to balance attention between the conversation and the visualization and how much guidance to offer about appropriate behaviors. We discuss the design space around these questions in the context of GroupMeter, a chatroom augmented with visualizations of language use. We generate and critique potential answers to these questions using prior theoretical and empirical work, then describe how the interface evolved and how our answers changed over a series of prototypes we deployed in experimental studies. We conclude with the lessons from our experience that could be used by designers of collaboration-enhancing systems.
Papers/Notes :
Working with Medical Records ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Supporting Coordination in Surgical Suites: Physical Aspects of Common Information Spaces
Supporting Coordination in Surgical Suites: Physical Aspects of Common Information Spaces
Abstract » To accommodate frequent emergencies, interruptions, and delays, hospital staff continually make and coordinate changes to the surgery schedule. The technical and social aspects of coordination in surgical suites have been described by prior studies. This paper addresses an understudied aspect of coordination: the physical environment. Based on a field study of four surgical suites in two large academic centers, we show how the physical layout of hallways and rooms, and barriers and spaces around displays and key coordinators, support or fail to support the common information spaces used for coordination. We use the concept information hotspots to represent how physical places and their characteristics facilitate coordination. We developed design principles based on the concept of information hotspots that should guide architectural considerations for coordination in dynamic environments such as hospitals.
Panel :
Making Food, Producing Sustainability ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Making Food, Producing Sustainability
Making Food, Producing Sustainability
Abstract » Many contemporary approaches to environmental sustainability focus on the end-consumer. In this panel, we explore lessons from small food producers for future development of HCI as an agency of sustainable ways of being. We argue that attention to the relationship small producers have to the environment and their experiences of interrelations between environmental, economic, and social sustainability suggest new foundational issues for sustainable HCI research.
Papers/Notes :
Privacy Awareness and Attitudes ---
04/12/10 11:30:00 AM
Independence and Interaction: Understanding Seniors' Privacy and Awareness Needs For Aging in Place
Independence and Interaction: Understanding Seniors' Privacy and Awareness Needs For Aging in Place
Abstract » As America's baby boom population gets older, aging in place the idea that seniors can remain independent in a comfortable home environment while being monitored and receiving care from family and caregivers living elsewhere has received significant attention. Fostering a sense of independence while simultaneously enabling monitoring and frequent interaction can seem paradoxical, however. This raises questions of how we can design technologies that help seniors retain their independence and a sense of comfort, while still interacting with and being monitored regularly by others. We present results from an interview study of 30 seniors, caregivers and relatives in which we sought to understand how they managed their interactions, availability, privacy and independence. Results suggest that they rely on attributes of the physical environment, temporal structures such as routine conversations and activities, and technological mediation.
Papers/Notes :
Games and Players ---
04/12/10 02:30:00 PM
Physical Activity Motivating Games: Virtual Rewards for Real Activity
Physical Activity Motivating Games: Virtual Rewards for Real Activity
Abstract » Contemporary lifestyle has become increasingly sedentary: little physical (sports, exercises) and much sedentary (TV, computers) activity. The nature of sedentary activity is self-reinforcing, such that increasing physical and decreasing sedentary activity is difficult. We present a novel approach aimed at combating this problem in the context of computer games. Rather than explicitly changing the amount of physical and sedentary activity a person sets out to perform, we propose a new game design that leverages user engagement to generate out of game motivation to perform physical activity while playing. In our design, players gain virtual game rewards in return for real physical activity performed. Here we present and evaluate an application of our design to the game Neverball. We adapted Neverball by reducing the time allocated to accomplish the game tasks and motivated players to perform physical activity by offering time based rewards. An empirical evaluation involving 180 participants shows that the participants performed more physical activity, decreased the amount of sedentary playing time, and did not report a decrease in perceived enjoyment of playing the activity motivating version of Neverball.
Papers/Notes :
Remember and Reflect ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
Designing Games for Learning: Insights from Conversations with Designers
Designing Games for Learning: Insights from Conversations with Designers
Abstract » This paper presents insights about design practices that can lead to effective and fun games for learning, gleaned from interviews with experienced game developers. We based our approach on Schön's notion of practitioners evolving shared appreciation systems' for discussing and critiquing work, and aimed to gather and share some of game designers' appreciation system' for games and learning. The resulting insights provide valuable pointers to other designers in the CHI community crafting game-like experiences.
Papers/Notes :
Avatars and Virtual Environments ---
04/13/10 02:30:00 PM
Lie Tracking: Social Presence, Truth and Deception in Avatar-Mediated Telecommunication
Lie Tracking: Social Presence, Truth and Deception in Avatar-Mediated Telecommunication
Abstract » The success of visual telecommunication systems depends on their ability to transmit and display users' natural nonverbal behavior. While video-mediated communication (VMC) is the most widely used form of interpersonal remote interaction, avatar-mediated communication (AMC) in shared virtual environments is increasingly common. This paper presents two experiments investigating eye tracking in AMC. The first experiment compares the degree of social presence experienced in AMC and VMC during truthful and deceptive discourse. Eye tracking data (gaze, blinking, and pupil size) demonstrates that oculesic behavior is similar in both mediation types, and uncovers systematic differences between truth telling and lying. Subjective measures show users' psychological arousal to be greater in VMC than AMC. The second experiment demonstrates that observers of AMC can more accurately detect truth and deception when viewing avatars with added oculesic behavior driven by eye tracking. We discuss implications for the design of future visual telecommunication media interfaces.
Papers/Notes :
Sharing in Specific Communities ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
What's Your Idea? A Case Study of a Grassroots Innovation Pipeline within a Large Software Company
What's Your Idea? A Case Study of a Grassroots Innovation Pipeline within a Large Software Company
Abstract » Establishing a grassroots innovation pipeline has come to the fore as strategy for nurturing innovation within large organizations. A key element of such pipelines is the use of an idea management system that enables and encourages community ideation on defined business problems. The value of these systems can be highly sensitive to design choices, as different designs may influence participation. We report the results of a case study examining the use of one particular idea management system and pipeline. We analyzed the content, interaction, and participation from three creativity challenges organized via the pipeline and conducted interviews with users to uncover motivations for participating and perceptions of the outcomes. Additional interviews were conducted with senior managers to learn about the objectives, successes, and unique nature of the pipeline. From the results, we formulate recommendations for improving the design of idea management systems and execution of the pipelines within organizations.
Papers/Notes :
Privacy Awareness and Attitudes ---
04/12/10 11:30:00 AM
ContraVision: Exploring Users' Reactions to FuturisticTechnology
ContraVision: Exploring Users' Reactions to FuturisticTechnology
Abstract » How can we best explore the range of users' reactions when developing future technologies that maybe controversial, such as personal healthcare systems? Our approach -Contravision - uses futuristic videos, or other narrative forms, that convey either negative or positive aspects of the proposed technology for the same scenarios. We conducted a users study to investigate what range of responses the different versions elicited. Our findings show that the use of two systematically comparable representations of the same technology can elicit a wider spectrum of reactions than a single representation can. We discuss why this is so and the value of obtaining breadth in user feedback for potentially controversial technologies.
Papers/Notes :
Privacy Awareness and Attitudes ---
04/12/10 11:30:00 AM
ContraVision: Exploring Users' Reactions to FuturisticTechnology
ContraVision: Exploring Users' Reactions to FuturisticTechnology
Abstract » How can we best explore the range of users' reactions when developing future technologies that maybe controversial, such as personal healthcare systems? Our approach -Contravision - uses futuristic videos, or other narrative forms, that convey either negative or positive aspects of the proposed technology for the same scenarios. We conducted a users study to investigate what range of responses the different versions elicited. Our findings show that the use of two systematically comparable representations of the same technology can elicit a wider spectrum of reactions than a single representation can. We discuss why this is so and the value of obtaining breadth in user feedback for potentially controversial technologies.
Papers/Notes :
Privacy Awareness and Attitudes ---
04/12/10 11:30:00 AM
ContraVision: Exploring Users' Reactions to FuturisticTechnology
ContraVision: Exploring Users' Reactions to FuturisticTechnology
Abstract » How can we best explore the range of users' reactions when developing future technologies that maybe controversial, such as personal healthcare systems? Our approach -Contravision - uses futuristic videos, or other narrative forms, that convey either negative or positive aspects of the proposed technology for the same scenarios. We conducted a users study to investigate what range of responses the different versions elicited. Our findings show that the use of two systematically comparable representations of the same technology can elicit a wider spectrum of reactions than a single representation can. We discuss why this is so and the value of obtaining breadth in user feedback for potentially controversial technologies.
Papers/Notes :
Finding Your Mojo and Doing Some Good ---
04/15/10 11:30:00 AM
A Novel Way to Conduct Human Studies and Do Some Good
A Novel Way to Conduct Human Studies and Do Some Good
Abstract » In this paper the authors describe a novel way to conduct large-scale human studies achieving the maximum outreach and impact with the minimum cost. An iPhone health application, `Walk n Play, was developed and released for free in the App Store. The application measures calories spent due to walking activities through the iPhones accelerometer. It is a real-time awareness tool that helps people to keep their sedentariness in check. Furthermore, it uses motivational mechanisms based on buddy support/competition and social networking to increase daily physical activity. The anonymous data gathered from thousands of users around the world, reveal patterns of human behavior at a resolution and scale not feasible before.
Papers/Notes :
Tactile Interaction ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Characteristics of Pressure-Based Input for Mobile Devices
Characteristics of Pressure-Based Input for Mobile Devices
Abstract » We conducted a series of user studies to understand and clarify the fundamental characteristics of pressure in user interfaces for mobile devices. We seek to provide insight to clarify a longstanding discussion on mapping functions for pressure input. Previous literature is conflicted about the correct transfer function to optimize user performance. Our study results suggest that the discrepancy can be explained by different signal conditioning circuitry and with improved signal conditioning the user-performed precision relationship is linear. We also explore the effects of hand pose when applying pressure to a mobile device from the front, the back, or simultaneously from both sides in a pinching movement. Our results indicate that grasping type input outperforms single-sided input and is competitive with pressure input against solid surfaces. Finally we provide an initial exploration of non-visual multimodal feedback, motivated by the desire for eyes-free use of mobile devices. The findings suggest that non-visual pressure input can be executed without degradation in selection time but suffers from accuracy problems.
Papers/Notes :
HCI and India ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Avaaj Otalo A Field Study of an Interactive Voice Forum for Small Farmers in Rural India
Avaaj Otalo A Field Study of an Interactive Voice Forum for Small Farmers in Rural India
Abstract » In this paper we present the results of a eld study of Avaaj Otalo (literally, voice stoop"), an interactive voice application for small-scale farmers in Gujarat, In- dia. Through usage data and interviews, we describe how 51 farmers used the system over a seven month pilot deployment. The most popular feature of Avaaj Otalo was a forum for asking questions and browsing others' questions and responses on a range of agricul- tural topics. The forum developed into a lively social space with the emergence of norms, persistent modera- tion, and a desire for both structured interaction with institutionally sanctioned authorities and open discus- sion with peers. For all 51 users this was the rst ex- perience participating in an online community of any sort. In terms of usability, simple menu-based naviga- tion was readily learned, with users preferring numeric input over speech. We conclude by discussing implica- tions of our ndings for designing voice-based social me- dia serving rural communities in India and elsewhere.
Papers/Notes :
Medical Data ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Mobile-izing Health Workers in Rural India
Mobile-izing Health Workers in Rural India
Abstract » Researchers have long been interested in the potential of ICTs to enable positive change in developing regions communities. In these environments, ICT interventions often fail because political, social and cultural forces work against the changes ICTs entail. We argue that familiar uses of ICTs for information services in these contexts are less potent than their use for persuasion and motivation in order to facilitate change. We focus on India's rural maternal health system where health workers are employed in villages to persuade pregnant women to utilize health services. Health workers face challenges due to resistance to change in the village, and because of their limited education, training and status. These factors appear to reduce the motivation of health workers and impair their performance. For two months, we deployed short videos on mobile phones designed to persuade village women and motivate health workers. We also asked health workers to record their own videos. While our results are preliminary, they show evidence that the creation and use of videos did help (1) engage village women in dialogue, (2) show positive effects toward health worker motivation and learning, and (3) motivate key community influencers to participate in promoting the health workers.
Papers/Notes :
Interaction Techniques ---
04/13/10 04:30:00 PM
Integrating Text with Video and 3D Graphics: The Effects of Text Drawing Styles on Text Readability
Integrating Text with Video and 3D Graphics: The Effects of Text Drawing Styles on Text Readability
Abstract » There have been many studies of computer based text reading. However, only a few have considered text integrated with video and 3D graphics. This paper presents an investigation into the effects of varying (a) text drawing style (plain, billboard, Anti-Interference, shadow), (b) image polarity (positive and negative), and (c) background style (video and 3D) on text readability. Reading speed and accuracy were measured and subjective views of participants recorded. Results showed that: (a) there was little difference in reading performance for the video and 3D backgrounds; (b) the negative presentation outperformed the positive presentation; (c) the billboard drawing styles supported the best performance; subjective comments showed a preference for the billboard style. We therefore suggest, for reading tasks, that designers of interfaces for games, video, and augmented reality provide billboard style to maximize readability for the widest range of applications.
SIG :
How to bring HCI Research and Practice Closer Together ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
How to bring HCI Research and Practice Closer Together
How to bring HCI Research and Practice Closer Together
Panel :
Addressing Challenges in Doing International Field Research ---
04/12/10 11:30:00 AM
Addressing Challenges in Doing International Field Research
Addressing Challenges in Doing International Field Research
Abstract » This panel will discuss some of the key challenges in doing international field research including issues with planning, conducting, interpreting, and reporting on such research. Panelists will also share potential solutions and approaches they have used to try to deal with these challenges, and will discuss with the audience additional challenges that audience members have encountered, offering ideas on how to address these as appropriate.
Papers/Notes :
Users and Attention on the Web ---
04/15/10 11:30:00 AM
The Mystique of Numbers: Belief in Quantitative Approaches to Segmentation and Persona Development
The Mystique of Numbers: Belief in Quantitative Approaches to Segmentation and Persona Development
Abstract » Quantitative market research and qualitative user-centered design research have long had an uneasy and complex relationship. A trend toward increasingly complex statistical segmentations and associated personas will once again increase the urgency of addressing paradigm differences to allow the two disciplines to collaborate effectively. We present an instructive case in which qualitative field research helped contribute to abandoning a state of the art quantitative user segmentation that was used in an attempt to unify both marketing and user experience planning around a shared model of users. This case exposes risks in quantitative segmentation research, common fallacies in the evolving practice of segmentation and use of personas, and the dangers of excessive deference to quantitative research generally.
Panel :
Computing Technology in International Development: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How? ---
04/13/10 11:30:00 AM
Computing Technology in International Development: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How?
Computing Technology in International Development: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How?
Abstract » Building on the successes of prior workshops at CHI and other HCI conferences on computing in international development, we propose a panel to engage with the broader CHI community. Topics to be discussed include why international development is important to HCI as a discipline, and how CHI researchers and practitioners who are not already involved in international development can contribute.
Papers/Notes :
Multitasking ---
04/12/10 11:30:00 AM
On Reconstruction of Task Context after Interruption
On Reconstruction of Task Context after Interruption
Abstract » Theoretical accounts of task resumption after interruption have almost exclusively argued for resumption as a primarily memory-based process. In contrast, for many task domains, resumption can more accurately be represented in terms of a process of reconstruction -- perceptual re-encoding of the information necessary to perform the task. This paper discusses a theoretical, computational framework in which one can represent these reconstruction processes and account for aspects of performance, such as measures of resumption lag. The paper also describes computational models of two sample task domains that illustrate the sometimes complex relationship between reconstruction and more general human cognitive, perceptual, and motor processes.
ToCHI :
Studying and Prototyping ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
Rapid Prototyping and Evaluation of In-Vehicle Interfaces
Rapid Prototyping and Evaluation of In-Vehicle Interfaces
Abstract » As driver distraction from in-vehicle devices becomes an increasingly critical issue, researchers have aimed to establish better scientific understanding of distraction along with better engineering tools to build less distracting devices. This paper presents a new system, Distract-R, that allows designers to rapidly prototype and evaluate new in-vehicle interfaces. The core engine of the system relies on a rigorous cognitive model of driver behavior which, when integrated with models of task behavior on the prototyped interfaces, generate predictions of driver performance and distraction. Distract-R allows a designer to prototype basic interfaces, demonstrate possible tasks on these interfaces, specify relevant driver characteristics and driving scenarios, and finally simulate, visualize, and analyze the resulting behavior as generated by the cognitive model. The paper includes three modeling studies that demonstrate the systems ability to account for various aspects of driver performance for several types of in-vehicle interfaces. More generally, Distract-R illustrates how cognitive models can be used as internal simulation engines for design tools intended for non-modelers, with the ultimate goal of helping to understand and predict user behavior in multitasking environments.
Papers/Notes :
Multitasking ---
04/12/10 11:30:00 AM
Multitasking and Monotasking: The Effects of Mental Workload on Deferred Task Interruptions
Multitasking and Monotasking: The Effects of Mental Workload on Deferred Task Interruptions
Abstract » Recent research has found that forced interruptions at points of higher mental workload are more disruptive than at points of lower workload. This paper investigates a complementary idea: when users experience deferrable interruptions at points of higher workload, they may tend to defer processing of the interruption until times of lower workload. In an experiment, users performed a mail-browser primary task while being occasionally interrupted by a secondary chat task, evenly distributed between points of higher and lower workload. Analysis showed that 94% of the time, users switched to the interrupting task during periods of lower workload, versus only 6% during periods of higher workload. The results suggest that when interruptions can be deferred, users have a strong tendency to monotask until primary-task mental workload has been minimized.
SIG :
End User Software Engineering: CHI 2010 Special Interest Group Meeting ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
End User Software Engineering: CHI 2010 Special Interest Group Meeting
End User Software Engineering: CHI 2010 Special Interest Group Meeting
Papers/Notes :
Understanding and Supporting Programming ---
04/13/10 11:30:00 AM
End-User Mashup Programming: Through the Design Lens
End-User Mashup Programming: Through the Design Lens
Abstract » Programming has recently become more common among ordinary end users of computer systems. We believe that these end-user programmers are not just coders but also designers, in that they interlace making design decisions with coding rather than treating them as two separate phases. To better understand and provide support for the programming and design needs of end users, we propose a design theory-based approach to look at end-user programming. Toward this end, we conducted a think-aloud study with ten end users creating a web mashup. By analyzing users verbal and behavioral data using Schöns reflection-in-action design model and the notion of ideations from creativity literature, we discovered insights into end-user programmers problem-solving attempts, successes, and obstacles, with accompanying implications for the design of end-user programming environments for mashups. The contribution of our work is three-fold: 1) the methodology of using a design lens to view programming, 2) evidence, through insights gained, of the usefulness of this approach, and 3) the implications themselves.
Papers/Notes :
Domestic Life ---
04/15/10 11:30:00 AM
The Design and Evaluation of an End-User-Deployable, Whole House, Contactless Power Consumption Sensor
The Design and Evaluation of an End-User-Deployable, Whole House, Contactless Power Consumption Sensor
Abstract » We present the design, development, and evaluation of an end-user installable, whole house power consumption sensing system capable of gathering accurate real-time power use that does not require installing a current transformer around the electrical feeds in a home. Rather, our sensor system offers contactless operation by simply placing it on the outside of the breaker panel in a home. Although there are a number of existing commercial systems for gathering energy use in a home, almost none can easily and safely be installed by a homeowner (especially for homes in the U.S.). Our approach leverages advances in magnetoresistive materials and circuit design to allow contactless operation by reliably sensing the magnetic field induced by the 60 Hz current and a closed loop circuit allows us to precisely infer the power consumption in real-time. The contribution of this work is an enabling technology for researchers in the fields of Ubiquitous Computing and Human-Computer Interaction wanting to conduct practical large-scale deployments of end-user-deployable energy monitoring applications. We discuss the technical details, the iterative design, and end-user evaluations of our sensing approach.
Papers/Notes :
Browsing ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Using Text Animated Transitions to Support Navigation in Document Histories
Using Text Animated Transitions to Support Navigation in Document Histories
Abstract » This article examines the benefits of using text animated transitions for navigating in the revision history of textual documents. We propose an animation technique for smoothly transitioning between different text revisions, then present the Diffamation system. Diffamation supports rapid exploration of revision histories by combining text animated transitions with simple navigation and visualization tools. We finally describe a user study showing that smooth text animation allows users to track changes in the evolution of textual documents more effectively than flipping pages.
Papers/Notes :
Public Displays ---
04/15/10 09:00:00 AM
Worlds of Information: Designing for Engagement at a Public Multi-Touch Display
Worlds of Information: Designing for Engagement at a Public Multi-Touch Display
Abstract » In designing for engagement at a public multi-touch installation, we identified supporting multiple users and allowing for gradual discovery as challenges. In this paper, we present Worlds of Information, a multi-touch application featuring 3D Worlds, which provide access to different content. These 3D widgets gradually unfold and allow for temporal navigation of multimedia in parallel, while also providing a 2D plane where media can be shared. We report on a field trial at an exhibition using questionnaires and video ethnography. We studied engagement through questions adapted from Flow, Presence and Intrinsic Motivation questionnaires, which showed that users, overall, had a positive and social experience with the installation. The worlds effectively invited multiple users and provided for parallel interaction. While functionality was discovered gradually through social learning, the study demonstrates the challenges of designing multi-touch applications for walk-up-and-use displays.
Papers/Notes :
1001 Users ---
04/15/10 11:30:00 AM
Powerful and consistent analysis of Likert-type rating scales
Powerful and consistent analysis of Likert-type rating scales
Abstract » Likert-type scales are used extensively during usability evaluations, and more generally evaluations of interactive experiences, to obtain quantified data regarding attitudes, behaviors, and judgments of participants. Very often this data is analyzed using parametric statistics like the Student t-test or ANOVAs. These methods are chosen to ensure higher statistical power of the test (which is necessary in this field of research and practice where sample sizes are often small), or because of the lack of software to handle multi-factorial designs nonparametrically. With this paper we present to the HCI audience new developments from the field of medical statistics that enable analyzing multiple factor designs nonparametrically. We demonstrate the necessity of this approach by showing the errors in the parametric treatment of nonparametric data in experiments of the size typically reported in HCI research. We also provide a practical resource for researchers and practitioners who wish to use these new methods.
Papers/Notes :
Gesturing and Drawing ---
04/13/10 11:30:00 AM
Insight into Goal-Directed Movement Strategies
Insight into Goal-Directed Movement Strategies
Abstract » The current paper proposes a novel method of analyzing goal-directed movements by dividing them into distinct movement intervals. We demonstrate how the description of the first and second most prominent movement intervals in terms of duration and length can provide insight into the applied movement strategies under different conditions. This method, although demonstrated for goal-directed movements, has the potential to be generalized to other types of movements, such as steering movements.
Papers/Notes :
1001 Users ---
04/15/10 11:30:00 AM
Powerful and consistent analysis of Likert-type rating scales
Powerful and consistent analysis of Likert-type rating scales
Abstract » Likert-type scales are used extensively during usability evaluations, and more generally evaluations of interactive experiences, to obtain quantified data regarding attitudes, behaviors, and judgments of participants. Very often this data is analyzed using parametric statistics like the Student t-test or ANOVAs. These methods are chosen to ensure higher statistical power of the test (which is necessary in this field of research and practice where sample sizes are often small), or because of the lack of software to handle multi-factorial designs nonparametrically. With this paper we present to the HCI audience new developments from the field of medical statistics that enable analyzing multiple factor designs nonparametrically. We demonstrate the necessity of this approach by showing the errors in the parametric treatment of nonparametric data in experiments of the size typically reported in HCI research. We also provide a practical resource for researchers and practitioners who wish to use these new methods.
Papers/Notes :
Gesturing and Drawing ---
04/13/10 11:30:00 AM
Insight into Goal-Directed Movement Strategies
Insight into Goal-Directed Movement Strategies
Abstract » The current paper proposes a novel method of analyzing goal-directed movements by dividing them into distinct movement intervals. We demonstrate how the description of the first and second most prominent movement intervals in terms of duration and length can provide insight into the applied movement strategies under different conditions. This method, although demonstrated for goal-directed movements, has the potential to be generalized to other types of movements, such as steering movements.
Papers/Notes :
Classroom Technologies ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Expressive robots in education
Expressive robots in education
Abstract » Teaching is inherently a social interaction between teacher and student. Despite this knowledge, many educational tools, such as vocabulary training programs, still model the interaction in a tutoring scenario as unidirectional knowledge transfer rather than a social dialog. Therefore, ongoing research aims to develop virtual agents as more appropriate media in education. Virtual agents can induce the perception of a life-like social interaction partner that communicates through natural modalities such as speech, gestures and emotional expressions. This effect can be additionally enhanced with a physical robotic embodiment. This paper presents the development of social supportive behaviors for a robotic tutor to be used in a language learning application. The effect of these behaviors on the learning performance of students was evaluated. The results support that employing social supportive behavior increases learning efficiency of students.
Papers/Notes :
Graphs ---
04/15/10 02:30:00 PM
A Model of Symbol Size Discrimination in Scatterplots
A Model of Symbol Size Discrimination in Scatterplots
Abstract » Symbols are used in scatterplots to encode data in a way that is appropriate for perception through human visual channels. Symbol size is believed to be the second dominant channel after color. We study symbol size perception in scatterplots in the context of analytic tasks requiring size discrimination. More specifically, we performed an experiment to measure human performance in three visual analytic tasks. Circles are used as the representative symbol, with eight, linearly varying radii; 24 persons, divided across three groups, participated; and both objective and subjective measures were obtained. We propose a model to describe the results. The perception of size is assumed to be an early step in the complex cognitive process to mediate discrimination, and psychophysical laws are used to describe this perceptual mapping. Different mapping schemes are compared by regression on the experimental data. The results show that approximate homogeneity of size perception exists in our complex tasks and can be closely described by a power law transformation with an exponent of 0.4. This yields an optimal scale for symbol size discrimination.
alt.chi :
I Need Your Input ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Tangible Interfaces for Download: Initial Observations from Users' Everyday Environments
Tangible Interfaces for Download: Initial Observations from Users' Everyday Environments
Abstract » Tangible user interfaces (TUIs) have been promoted and discussed in the HCI community for 15 years. Most reported TUIs are research prototypes, available in laboratories or museums. This paper reports an attempt to understand the impact of TUIs in users' everyday environments through a low-cost, simple set-up tangible interface for music that can be freely downloaded from a website. The system requires only a regular computer, a webcam and a printer the physical parts of the interface can be folded out of ordinary paper. Logging interaction with the interfaces and analyzing content posted by users on the web we observed that the TUIs were accepted as normal: just interfaces to make music rather than esoteric systems.
alt.chi :
I Need Your Input ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Tangible Interfaces for Download: Initial Observations from Users' Everyday Environments
Tangible Interfaces for Download: Initial Observations from Users' Everyday Environments
Abstract » Tangible user interfaces (TUIs) have been promoted and discussed in the HCI community for 15 years. Most reported TUIs are research prototypes, available in laboratories or museums. This paper reports an attempt to understand the impact of TUIs in users' everyday environments through a low-cost, simple set-up tangible interface for music that can be freely downloaded from a website. The system requires only a regular computer, a webcam and a printer the physical parts of the interface can be folded out of ordinary paper. Logging interaction with the interfaces and analyzing content posted by users on the web we observed that the TUIs were accepted as normal: just interfaces to make music rather than esoteric systems.
alt.chi :
I Need Your Input ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Tangible Interfaces for Download: Initial Observations from Users' Everyday Environments
Tangible Interfaces for Download: Initial Observations from Users' Everyday Environments
Abstract » Tangible user interfaces (TUIs) have been promoted and discussed in the HCI community for 15 years. Most reported TUIs are research prototypes, available in laboratories or museums. This paper reports an attempt to understand the impact of TUIs in users' everyday environments through a low-cost, simple set-up tangible interface for music that can be freely downloaded from a website. The system requires only a regular computer, a webcam and a printer the physical parts of the interface can be folded out of ordinary paper. Logging interaction with the interfaces and analyzing content posted by users on the web we observed that the TUIs were accepted as normal: just interfaces to make music rather than esoteric systems.
alt.chi :
I Need Your Input ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Tangible Interfaces for Download: Initial Observations from Users' Everyday Environments
Tangible Interfaces for Download: Initial Observations from Users' Everyday Environments
Abstract » Tangible user interfaces (TUIs) have been promoted and discussed in the HCI community for 15 years. Most reported TUIs are research prototypes, available in laboratories or museums. This paper reports an attempt to understand the impact of TUIs in users' everyday environments through a low-cost, simple set-up tangible interface for music that can be freely downloaded from a website. The system requires only a regular computer, a webcam and a printer the physical parts of the interface can be folded out of ordinary paper. Logging interaction with the interfaces and analyzing content posted by users on the web we observed that the TUIs were accepted as normal: just interfaces to make music rather than esoteric systems.
Papers/Notes :
At Home With Computing ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Access Control for Home Data Sharing: Attitudes, Needs and Practices
Access Control for Home Data Sharing: Attitudes, Needs and Practices
Abstract » As digital content becomes more prevalent in the home, non-technical users are increasingly interested in sharing that content with others and accessing it from multiple devices. Not much is known about how these users think about controlling access to this data. To better understand this, we conducted semi-structured, in-situ interviews with 33 users in 15 households. We found that users create ad-hoc access-control mechanisms that do not always work; that their ideal policies are complex and multi-dimensional; that a priori policy specification is often insufficient; and that people's mental models of access control and security are often misaligned with current systems. We detail these findings and present a set of associated guidelines for designing usable access-control systems for the home environment.
Papers/Notes :
Social Media Users ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Social Network Activity and Social Well-Being
Social Network Activity and Social Well-Being
Abstract » Previous research has shown a relationship between use of social networking sites and feelings of social capital. However, most studies have relied on self-reports by college students. The goals of the current study are to (1) validate the common self-report scale using empirical data from Facebook, (2) test whether previous findings generalize to older and international populations, and (3) delve into the specific activities linked to feelings of social capital and loneliness. In particular, we investigate the role of directed interaction between pairssuch as wall posts, comments, and likesand consumption of friends' content, including status updates, photos, and friends' conversations with other friends. We find that directed communication is associated with greater feelings of bonding social capital and lower loneliness, but has only a modest relationship with bridging social capital, which is primarily related to overall friend network size. Surprisingly, users who consume greater levels of content report reduced bridging and bonding social capital and increased loneliness. Implications for designs to support well-being are discussed.
Papers/Notes :
Public Displays ---
04/15/10 09:00:00 AM
Worlds of Information: Designing for Engagement at a Public Multi-Touch Display
Worlds of Information: Designing for Engagement at a Public Multi-Touch Display
Abstract » In designing for engagement at a public multi-touch installation, we identified supporting multiple users and allowing for gradual discovery as challenges. In this paper, we present Worlds of Information, a multi-touch application featuring 3D Worlds, which provide access to different content. These 3D widgets gradually unfold and allow for temporal navigation of multimedia in parallel, while also providing a 2D plane where media can be shared. We report on a field trial at an exhibition using questionnaires and video ethnography. We studied engagement through questions adapted from Flow, Presence and Intrinsic Motivation questionnaires, which showed that users, overall, had a positive and social experience with the installation. The worlds effectively invited multiple users and provided for parallel interaction. While functionality was discovered gradually through social learning, the study demonstrates the challenges of designing multi-touch applications for walk-up-and-use displays.
Panel :
What Makes a Good Design Critic? Food Design vs. Product Design Criticism ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
What Makes a Good Design Critic? Food Design vs. Product Design Criticism
What Makes a Good Design Critic? Food Design vs. Product Design Criticism
Abstract » This panel will bring together leading food design and product design critics. The panelists will include: a leading Atlanta-based food critic and writer, a food stylist, a restaurant architect & designer, and a well-known product design critic familiar with the field of user experience. Together, the panel will compare and contrast how design experts from these two disciplines provide design criticism, and whether there are any novel learning points from each perspective.
Panel :
What Makes a Good Design Critic? Food Design vs. Product Design Criticism ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
What Makes a Good Design Critic? Food Design vs. Product Design Criticism
What Makes a Good Design Critic? Food Design vs. Product Design Criticism
Abstract » This panel will bring together leading food design and product design critics. The panelists will include: a leading Atlanta-based food critic and writer, a food stylist, a restaurant architect & designer, and a well-known product design critic familiar with the field of user experience. Together, the panel will compare and contrast how design experts from these two disciplines provide design criticism, and whether there are any novel learning points from each perspective.
Papers/Notes :
Call Centers ---
04/12/10 02:30:00 PM
The Fulfillment of User Needs and the Course of Time in Field Investigation
The Fulfillment of User Needs and the Course of Time in Field Investigation
Abstract » Business contexts represent a big challenge for software development, specifically in terms of finding a balance between business goals and users goals. This context determines the utility of an application, but good user experience (UX) with business applications is only achieved if the software supports the fulfillment of users goals and needs. This article presents the efforts realized in a call-center of a German telephone company aimed at enhancing UX and hence creating a positive influence on the emotional state of the users/employees. It describes a method applied for the elicitation of user needs as well as ideas for improving UX. Beyond that, the results indicate that software properties can influence the emotional state of the user if they support the fulfillment of human needs and thus positively affect the achievement of business goals.
Papers/Notes :
Making Meaning in Large Displays ---
04/12/10 11:30:00 AM
Let's go from the whiteboard: Supporting transitions in work through whiteboard capture and reuse
Let's go from the whiteboard: Supporting transitions in work through whiteboard capture and reuse
Abstract » The use of whiteboards is pervasive across a wide range of work domains. But some of the qualities that make them successfulan intuitive interface, physical working space, and easy erasureinherently make them poor tools for archival and reuse. If whiteboard content could be made available in times and spaces beyond those supported by the whiteboard alone, how might it be appropriated? We explore this question via ReBoard, a system that automatically captures whiteboard images and makes them accessible through a novel set of user-centered access tools. Through the lens of a seven week workplace field study, we found that by enabling new workflows, ReBoard increased the value of whiteboard content for collaboration.
Papers/Notes :
User Characteristics and Large-Scale Tracking ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Exploring the Workplace Communication Ecology
Exploring the Workplace Communication Ecology
Abstract » The modern workplace is inherently collaborative, and this collaboration relies on effective communication among co-workers. Many communication tools - email, blogs, wikis, Twitter, etc. - have become increasingly available and accepted in workplace communications. In this paper, we report on a study of communications technologies used over a one year period in a small US corporation. We found that participants used a large number of communication tools for different purposes, and that the introduction of new tools did not impact significantly the use of previously-adopted technologies. Further, we identified distinct classes of users based on patterns of tool use. This work has implications for the design of technology in the evolving ecology of communication tools.
Papers/Notes :
Displays Where You Least Expect Them ---
04/15/10 11:30:00 AM
PACER: Fine-grained Interactive Paper via Camera-touch Hybrid Gestures on a Cell Phone
PACER: Fine-grained Interactive Paper via Camera-touch Hybrid Gestures on a Cell Phone
Abstract » PACER is a gesture-based interactive paper system that supports fine-grained paper document content manipulation through the touch screen of a cameraphone. Using the phone's camera, PACER links a paper document to its digital version based on visual features. It adopts camera-based phone motion detection for embodied gestures (e.g. marquees, underlines and lassos), with which users can flexibly select and interact with document details (e.g. individual words, symbols and pixels). The touch input is incorporated to facilitate target selection at fine granularity, and to address some limitations of the embodied interaction, such as hand jitter and low input sampling rate. This hybrid interaction is coupled with other techniques such as semi-real time document tracking and loose physical-digital document registration, offering a gesture-based command system. We demonstrate the use of PACER in various scenarios including work-related reading, maps and music score playing. A preliminary user study on the design has produced encouraging user feedback, and suggested future research for better understanding of embodied vs. touch interaction and one vs. two handed interaction.
Papers/Notes :
Driving, Interrupted ---
04/13/10 04:30:00 PM
Where Should I Turn? Moving from Individual to Collaborative Navigation Strategies to Inform the Interaction Design of Future Navigation Systems
Where Should I Turn? Moving from Individual to Collaborative Navigation Strategies to Inform the Interaction Design of Future Navigation Systems
Abstract » The design of in-vehicle navigation systems fails to take into account the social nature of driving and automobile navigation. In this paper, we consider navigation as a social activity among drivers and navigators to improve design of such systems. We explore the implications of moving from a map-centered, individually-focused design paradigm to one based upon collaborative human interaction during the navigation task. We conducted a qualitative interaction design study of navigation among three types of teams: parents and their teenage children, couples, and unacquainted individuals. We found that collaboration varied among these different teams, and was influenced by social role, as well as the task role of driver or navigator. We also found that patterns of prompts, maneuvers, and confirmations varied among the three teams. We identify overarching practices that differ greatly from the literature on individual navigation. From these discoveries, we present design implications that can be used to inform future navigation systems.
Papers/Notes :
Software and Methods ---
04/13/10 02:30:00 PM
Needs Analysis: The Case of Flexible Constraints and Mutable Boundaries
Needs Analysis: The Case of Flexible Constraints and Mutable Boundaries
Abstract » Needs analysis is a prerequisite to effective design, but typically is difficult and time consuming. We applied and extended our methods and tools for needs analysis in a case study helping a mission control group for the International Space Station. This domain illustrates the challenges of information-system domains that lack rigid, immutable, physical constraints and boundaries. We report on the successes & challenges of our approach and characterize the types of situations where it should prove useful.
Papers/Notes :
At Home With Computing ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Who's Hogging the Bandwidth: The Consequences of Revealing the Invisible in the Home
Who's Hogging the Bandwidth: The Consequences of Revealing the Invisible in the Home
Abstract » As more technologies enter the home, householders are burdened with the task of digital housekeepingmanaging and sharing digital resources like bandwidth. In response to this, we created and evaluated a domestic tool for bandwidth management called Home Watcher. Our field trial showed that when resource contention amongst different household members is made visible, people's understanding of bandwidth changes and household politics are revealed. In this paper, we describe the consequences of showing real time resource usage in a home, and how this varies depending on the social make up of the household.
ToCHI :
Activities, Access Control & Networking ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
Experiences with Recombinant Computing: Exploring Ad Hoc Interoperability in Evolving Networks
Experiences with Recombinant Computing: Exploring Ad Hoc Interoperability in Evolving Networks
Abstract » We describe an infrastructure that supports evolution of networked systems while maintaining interoperability among those systems. Our approach uses mobile code to extend the behavior of peers at runtime. While this approach removes many constraints to interoperability, it limits the user experience of systems that use it: since devices may work with peers about which they have no detailed semantic knowledge, users must perform the arbitration necessary to determine how devices will be used together. We describe the motivation and details of our infrastructure, its user experience implications, and our experiences in using it over a period of several years.
alt.chi :
Imagine all the People ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Connect 2 Congress: Visual Analytics for Civic Oversight
Connect 2 Congress: Visual Analytics for Civic Oversight
Abstract » Strong representative democracies rely on educated, informed, and active citizenry to provide oversight of the government. We present Connect 2 Congress (C2C), a novel, high temporal-resolution and interactive visualization of legislative behavior. We present the results of focus group and domain expert interviews that demonstrate how different stakeholders use C2C for a variety of investigative activities. The evaluation provided evidence that users are able to support or reject claims made by candidates and conduct free-form, low-cost, exploratory analysis into the legislative behavior of representatives across time periods.
Papers/Notes :
HCI For All ---
04/13/10 04:30:00 PM
Postcolonial Computing: A Lens on Design and Development
Postcolonial Computing: A Lens on Design and Development
Abstract » As our technologies travel to new cultural contexts and our designs and methods engage new constituencies, both our design and analytical practices face significant challenges. We offer postcolonial computing as an analytical orientation to better understand these challenges. This analytic orientation inspires four key shifts in our approach to HCI4D efforts: generative models of culture, development as a historical program, uneven economic relations, and cultural epistemologies. Then, through reconsideration of the practices of engagement, articulation and translation in other contexts, we offer designers and researchers ways of understanding use and design practice to respond to global connectivity and movement.
Papers/Notes :
Multitasking ---
04/12/10 11:30:00 AM
Evaluating Cues for Resuming Interrupted Programming Tasks
Evaluating Cues for Resuming Interrupted Programming Tasks
Abstract » Developers, like all modern knowledge workers, are frequently interrupted and blocked in their tasks. In this paper we present a contextual inquiry into developers' current strategies for resuming interrupted tasks and investigate the effect of automated cues on improving task resumption. We surveyed 371 programmers on the nature of their tasks, interruptions, task suspension and resumption strategies and found that they rely heavily on note-taking across several types of media. We then ran a controlled lab study to compare the effects of two different automated cues to note taking when resuming interrupted programming tasks. The two cues differed in (1) whether activities were summarized in aggregate or presented chronologically and (2) whether activities were presented as program symbols or as code snippets. Both cues performed well: developers using either cue completed their tasks with twice the success rate as those using note-taking alone. Despite the similar performance of the cues, developers strongly preferred the cue that presents activities chronologically as code snippets.
ToCHI :
Activities, Access Control & Networking ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
The Ins and Outs of Home Networking: The Case for Useful and Usable Domestic Networking
The Ins and Outs of Home Networking: The Case for Useful and Usable Domestic Networking
Abstract » Home networks are increasingly being adopted as a solution to technical complexity in the home: multiple computers, devices, and users are driving the demand. Current network solutions are derived from the world of work and provide poor support for the needs of the home. We present the key findings to emerge from qualitative studies of home networks in the UK and US. The studies reveal two key kinds of work that effective home networking relies upon: one, the technical work of setting up and maintaining the home network, and the other, the collaborative and socially organized work of the home in which the network is embedded and supports. The two are thoroughly intertwined and rely upon one another for their realization, yet neither is adequately supported by current networking technologies and applications. Explication of the work to make the home network work opens up the design space for the continued integration of the home network in domestic life and elaboration of future support. Key issues for development include the development of networking facilities that do not require advanced networking knowledge, that are flexible and support the local social order of the home and the evolution of its routines, and which ultimately make the home network visible and accountable to household members.
Papers/Notes :
Computing on the Body ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
BuzzWear: Alert perception in Wearable Tactile Displays on the Wrist
BuzzWear: Alert perception in Wearable Tactile Displays on the Wrist
Abstract » We present two experiments to evaluate wrist-worn wearable tactile displays (WTDs) that provide easy to perceive alerts for on-the-go users. The first experiment (2304 trials, 12 participants) focuses on the perception sensitivity of tactile patterns and reveals that people discriminate our 24 tactile patterns with up to 99% accuracy after 40 minutes of training. Among the four parameters (intensity, starting point, temporal pattern, and direction) that vary in the 24 patterns, intensity is the most difficult parameter to distinguish and temporal pattern is the easiest. The second experiment (9900 trials, 15 participants) focuses on dual task performance, exploring users' abilities to perceive three incoming alerts from two mobile devices (WTD and mobile phone) with and without visual distraction. The second experiment reveals that, when visually distracted, users' reactions to incoming alerts become slower for the mobile phone but not for the WTD.
Papers/Notes :
Organizing and Organizations ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
Informal Interactions in Nonprofit Networks
Informal Interactions in Nonprofit Networks
Abstract » Nonprofit organizations often need to excel in coordinating with other organizations and must do so in a variety of contexts and levels from the informal to the formal. Their ability to accomplish their mission can critically depend on their efficacy in managing dependencies on others for tasks, accessing needed resources, raising their profile in the community, and achieving their goals. Although much research has been done to understand systems for supporting formal coordination between organizations, there is a gap in understanding how informal coordination can be supported by systems. As a first step towards addressing this gap, we conducted a field study of a network of nonprofit organizations, focusing specifically on informal interactions among them. Based on this study, we characterize informal coordination between organizations and the context for such interactions. Our findings point to a need to further explore a class of interorganizational interactions that may not be adequately explored or understood by our research community.
Papers/Notes :
End-User Programming II ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Learning on the Job: Characterizing the Programming Knowledge and Learning Strategies of Web Designers
Learning on the Job: Characterizing the Programming Knowledge and Learning Strategies of Web Designers
Abstract » This paper reports on a study of professional web designers and developers. We provide a detailed characterization of their knowledge of fundamental programming concepts elicited through card sorting. Additionally, we present qualitative findings regarding their motivation to learn new concepts and the learning strategies they employ. We find a high level of recognition of basic concepts, but we identify a number of concepts that they do not fully understand, consider difficult to learn, and use infrequently. We also note that their learning process is motivated by work projects and often follows a pattern of trial and error. We conclude with implications for end-user programming researchers.
Papers/Notes :
Dance, Dust, and Drama: Designing Design ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
The Implications of Improvisational Acting and Role-Playing on Design Methodologies
The Implications of Improvisational Acting and Role-Playing on Design Methodologies
Abstract » For decades designers have used theatre metaphors to describe design methodologies and have used performance techniques to enhance the design process, two of which are improvisational acting and role-playing. Unfortunately, most design literature does not differentiate between these two practices even while using them in combination with various design methods. This paper discusses how improvisation and role-playing have been employed during the design process and why they are distinct from one another. The authors draw upon their current research involving improvisational acting and compare it with other role-playing research which examines role-playing from both a serious and entertainment angle. They conclude through this comparison that both performance techniques have their place in the design process and that more informed definitions of each technique can aid designers in deciding which technique's properties will benefit them the most.
Papers/Notes :
Caring for Ourselves ---
04/13/10 04:30:00 PM
Constructing Identities through Storytelling in Diabetes Management
Constructing Identities through Storytelling in Diabetes Management
Abstract » The continuing epidemics of diabetes and obesity create much need for information technologies that can help individuals engage in proactive health management. Yet many of these technologies focus on such pragmatic issues as collecting and presenting health information and modifying individuals' behavior. At the same time, researchers in clinical community argue that individuals' perception of their identity has dramatic consequences for their health behaviors. In this paper we discuss results of a deployment study of a mobile health monitoring application. We show how individuals with considerable diabetes experience found a unique way to adopt this health-monitoring application to construct and negotiate their identities as persons with a chronic disease. We argue that viewing health management from identity construction perspective opens new opportunities for research and design in technologies for health.
Papers/Notes :
Communicating ---
04/13/10 04:30:00 PM
Video Playdate: Toward Free Play across Distance
Video Playdate: Toward Free Play across Distance
Abstract » We present an empirical investigation of video-mediated free play between 13 pairs of friends (ages 7 and 8). The pairs spent 10 minutes playing with each of four different prototypes we developed to support free play over videoconferencing. We coded each interaction for the types of play and the amount of social play observed. The children in our study were largely successful in playing together across videoconferencing, though challenges in managing visibility, attention, and intersubjectivity made it more difficult than face-to-face play. We also found that our prototypes supported some types of play to varying degrees. Our contribution lies in identifying these design tradeoffs and providing directions for future design of video-mediated communication systems for children.
Papers/Notes :
Performance, Stagecraft, and Magic ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
Eliza meets the Wizard-of-Oz: Blending Machine and Human Control of Embodied Characters
Eliza meets the Wizard-of-Oz: Blending Machine and Human Control of Embodied Characters
Abstract » What authoring possibilities arise by blending machine and human control of live embodied character experiences? This paper explores two different behind-the-scenes roles for human operators during a three-month gallery installation of an embodied character experience. In the Transcription role, human operators type players' spoken utterances; then, algorithms interpret the player's intention, choose from pre-authored dialogue based on local and global narrative contexts, and procedurally animate two embodied characters. In the Discourse role, human operators select from semantic categories to interpret player intention; algorithms use this discourse act to automate character dialogue and animation. We compare these two methods of blending control using game logs and interviews, and document how the amateur operators initially resisted having to learn the Discourse version, but eventually preferred having the authorial control it afforded. This paper also outlines a design space for blending machine and human control in live character experiences.
Panel :
HCI, Communities and Politics ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
HCI, Communities and Politics
HCI, Communities and Politics
Abstract » Working with communities around social change presents a challenge to common HCI methods, as politics often comes to the fore. In some cases, the politics of a community are explicit, for example, when working with activists or advocacy groups. In other cases, political aspects are less explicit but surface in considering the allocation of resources or in groups wherein issues of race, gender or class are of major importance. To address these dynamics, HCI researchers have to go beyond traditional HCI tools and metrics, which too often bracket out the political in an effort to focus on the instrumental issues and uses of technology. This panel juxtaposes several community-based HCI research projects in which politics have been a significant factor and asks How do we address the politics inherent in community-based HCI research?
Papers/Notes :
Tactile Interaction ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Mobile Music Touch: Mobile Tactile Stimulation For Passive Learning
Mobile Music Touch: Mobile Tactile Stimulation For Passive Learning
Abstract » Mobile Music Touch (MMT) helps teach users to play piano melodies while they perform other tasks. MMT is a lightweight, wireless haptic music instruction system consisting of fingerless gloves and a mobile Bluetooth enabled computing device, such as a mobile phone. Passages to be learned are loaded into the mobile phone and are played repeatedly while the user performs other tasks. As each note of the music plays, vibrators on each finger in the gloves activate, indicating which finger is used to play each note. We present two studies on the efficacy of MMT. The first measures 16 subjects' ability to play a passage after using MMT for 30 minutes while performing a reading comprehension test. The MMT system was significantly more effective than a control condition where the passage was played repeatedly but the subjects' fingers were not vibrated. The second study compares the amount of time required for 10 subjects to replay short, randomly generated passages using passive training versus active training. Participants with no piano experience could repeat the passages after passive training while subjects with piano experience often could not.
alt.chi :
Imagine all the People ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Edits & Credits: Exploring Integration and Attribution in Online Creative Collaboration
Edits & Credits: Exploring Integration and Attribution in Online Creative Collaboration
Abstract » Attribution allows online reputations to be formed and motivates many contributions to online creative collaboration. Yet, we know little about attribution practices in online creative collaboration and the technologies that shape them. This paper describes a study of online collaborative animation projects, focused on the practices surrounding integration and attribution. We found that both tasks are closely related and often completed by a single person, a process we call cr-editing." We also identify frustrations with existing practices and systems and propose design considerations for alleviating them. Our findings offer insights into the growing space of online remixing, mashups, and creativity.
Papers/Notes :
Organizations and Communities ---
04/12/10 11:30:00 AM
Across Boundaries of Influence and Accountability: The Multiple Scales of Public Sector Information Systems
Across Boundaries of Influence and Accountability: The Multiple Scales of Public Sector Information Systems
Abstract » The use of ICTs in the public sector has long been touted for its potential to transform the institutions that govern and pro- vide social services. The focus, however, has largely been on systems that are used within particular scales of the public sector, such as at the scale of state or national government, the scale of regional or municipal entity, or at the scale of local service providers. The work presented here takes aim at examining ICT use that crosses these scales of influence and accountability. We report on a year long ethnographic investigation conducted at a variety of social service outlets to understand how a shared information system crosses the boundaries of these very distinct organizations. We put for- ward that such systems are central to the work done in the public sector and represent a class of collaborative work that has gone understudied.
Papers/Notes :
Bang a Table ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
G-nome Surfer: a Tabletop Interface for Collaborative Exploration of Genomic Data
G-nome Surfer: a Tabletop Interface for Collaborative Exploration of Genomic Data
Abstract » Molecular and computational biologists develop new insights by gathering heterogeneous data from genomic databases and leveraging bioinformatics tools. Through a qualitative study with 17 participants, we found that molecular and computational biologists experience difficulties interpreting, comparing, annotating, sharing, and relating this vast amount of biological information. We further observed that such interactions are critical for forming new scientific hypotheses. These observations motivated the creation of G-nome Surfer, a tabletop interface for collaborative exploration of genomic data that implements multi-touch and tangible interaction techniques. G-nome Surfer was developed in close collaboration with domain scientists and is aimed at lowering the threshold for using bioinformatics tools. A first-use study with 16 participants found that G-nome Surfer enables users to gain biological insights that are based on multiple forms of evidence with minimal overhead.
Papers/Notes :
HCI and the Developing World ---
04/15/10 02:30:00 PM
Deliberate Interactions: Characterizing Technology Use in Nairobi, Kenya
Deliberate Interactions: Characterizing Technology Use in Nairobi, Kenya
Abstract » We present results from a qualitative study examining how professionals living and working in Nairobi, Kenya regularly use ICT in their everyday lives. There are two contributions of this work for the HCI community. First, we provide empirical evidence demonstrating constraints our participants encountered when using technology in an infrastructure-poor setting. These constraints are limited bandwidth, high costs, differing perceptions of responsiveness, and threats to physical and virtual security. Second, we use our findings to critically evaluate the access, anytime and anywhere construct shaping the design of future technologies. We present an alternative vision called deliberate interactionsa planned and purposeful interaction style that involves offline preparationand discuss ways ICT can support this online usage behavior.
Papers/Notes :
Organizations and Communities ---
04/12/10 11:30:00 AM
Across Boundaries of Influence and Accountability: The Multiple Scales of Public Sector Information Systems
Across Boundaries of Influence and Accountability: The Multiple Scales of Public Sector Information Systems
Abstract » The use of ICTs in the public sector has long been touted for its potential to transform the institutions that govern and pro- vide social services. The focus, however, has largely been on systems that are used within particular scales of the public sector, such as at the scale of state or national government, the scale of regional or municipal entity, or at the scale of local service providers. The work presented here takes aim at examining ICT use that crosses these scales of influence and accountability. We report on a year long ethnographic investigation conducted at a variety of social service outlets to understand how a shared information system crosses the boundaries of these very distinct organizations. We put for- ward that such systems are central to the work done in the public sector and represent a class of collaborative work that has gone understudied.
Paper + Panel :
Mapping the Landscape of Sustainable HCI ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Mapping the Landscape of Sustainable HCI
Mapping the Landscape of Sustainable HCI
Abstract » With the recent growth in sustainable HCI, now is a good time to map out the approaches being taken and the intellectual commitments that underlie the area, to allow for community discussion about where the field should go. Here, we provide an empirical analysis of how sustainable HCI is defining itself as a research field. Based on a corpus of published works, we identify (1) established genres in the area, (2) key unrecognized intellectual differences, and (3) emerging issues, including urgent avenues for further exploration, opportunities for interdisciplinary engagement, and key topics for debate.
Paper + Panel :
The Infrastructure Problem in HCI ---
04/12/10 02:30:00 PM
The Infrastructure Problem in HCI
The Infrastructure Problem in HCI
Abstract » HCI endeavors to create human-centered computer systems, but underlying technological infrastructures often stymie these efforts. We outline three specific classes of user experience difficulties caused by underlying technical infrastructures, which we term constrained possibilities, unmediated interaction, and interjected abstractions. We explore how prior approaches in HCI have addressed these issues, and discuss new approaches that will be required for future progress. We argue that the HCI community must become more deeply involved with the creation of technical infrastructures. Doing so, however, requires a substantial expansion to the methodological toolbox of HCI.
Papers/Notes :
Everyday Gestures ---
04/15/10 09:00:00 AM
MAGIC: A Motion Gesture Design Tool
MAGIC: A Motion Gesture Design Tool
Abstract » Devices capable of gestural interaction through motion sensing are increasingly becoming available to consumers; however, motion gesture control has yet to appear outside of game consoles. Interaction designers are frequently not expert in pattern recognition, which may be one reason for this lack of availability. Another issue is how to effectively test gestures to ensure that they are not unintentionally activated by a user's normal movements during everyday usage. We present MAGIC, a gesture design tool that addresses both of these issues, and detail the results of an evaluation.
Papers/Notes :
Everyday Gestures ---
04/15/10 09:00:00 AM
MAGIC: A Motion Gesture Design Tool
MAGIC: A Motion Gesture Design Tool
Abstract » Devices capable of gestural interaction through motion sensing are increasingly becoming available to consumers; however, motion gesture control has yet to appear outside of game consoles. Interaction designers are frequently not expert in pattern recognition, which may be one reason for this lack of availability. Another issue is how to effectively test gestures to ensure that they are not unintentionally activated by a user's normal movements during everyday usage. We present MAGIC, a gesture design tool that addresses both of these issues, and detail the results of an evaluation.
Papers/Notes :
On the Phone ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
Evaluation of Text Entry Methods for Korean Mobile Phones, a User Study
Evaluation of Text Entry Methods for Korean Mobile Phones, a User Study
Abstract » This paper reports the results of a user study designed to evaluate text entry methods for mobile phones used in Korea. At present the keypad layout for Korean mobile phones has not been standardized and different manufacturers produce phones with different layouts. Included in the evaluation are three of the dominant text entry methods: Chon-ji-in, EZ-Hangul, and SKY. The metrics used in the analysis are key strokes per character, words per minute, and total error rate. The results suggest that SKY offers a good balance between speed, effort, and accuracy. The paper also introduces a phrase set that has high correlation with the Korean language and could be used in other experiments on Korean text entry methods.
alt.chi :
Monsters Attack! ---
04/13/10 11:30:00 AM
Sequential Art for Science and CHI
Sequential Art for Science and CHI
Abstract » This paper illustrates our preliminary studies of new interactive tools that support the generation of sequential art for entertainment, learning and scientific discourse. In the first of two examples, primary school students document a practical science session through the creation of a photostory. In the second, participants in a study on the biological nature of thrill create a souvenir photostory by selecting images from a DVD. The paper is written in a comic-book format to further explore and highlight the communicative capabilities of the medium, one that can be visually attractive and facilitate rapid dissemination to a wide audience.
Papers/Notes :
Sharing in Specific Communities ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
The Prayer Companion: Openness and Specificity, Materiality and Spirituality
The Prayer Companion: Openness and Specificity, Materiality and Spirituality
Abstract » In this paper we describe the Prayer Companion, a device we developed as a resource for the spiritual activity of a group of cloistered nuns. The device displays a stream of information sourced from RSS news feeds and social networking sites to suggest possible topics for prayers. The nuns have engaged with the device enthusiastically over the first ten months of an ongoing deployment, and, notwithstanding some initial irritation with the balance of content, report that it plays a significant and continuing role in their prayer life. We discuss how we balanced specificity in the design with a degree of openness for interpretation to create a resource that the nuns could both understand and appropriate, describe the importance of materiality to the device's successful adoption, consider its implications as a design for older people, and reflect on the example it provides of how computation may serve spirituality.
Papers/Notes :
Sharing in Specific Communities ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
The Prayer Companion: Openness and Specificity, Materiality and Spirituality
The Prayer Companion: Openness and Specificity, Materiality and Spirituality
Abstract » In this paper we describe the Prayer Companion, a device we developed as a resource for the spiritual activity of a group of cloistered nuns. The device displays a stream of information sourced from RSS news feeds and social networking sites to suggest possible topics for prayers. The nuns have engaged with the device enthusiastically over the first ten months of an ongoing deployment, and, notwithstanding some initial irritation with the balance of content, report that it plays a significant and continuing role in their prayer life. We discuss how we balanced specificity in the design with a degree of openness for interpretation to create a resource that the nuns could both understand and appropriate, describe the importance of materiality to the device's successful adoption, consider its implications as a design for older people, and reflect on the example it provides of how computation may serve spirituality.
Papers/Notes :
Everyday Gestures ---
04/15/10 09:00:00 AM
Protractor: A Fast and Accurate Gesture Recognizer
Protractor: A Fast and Accurate Gesture Recognizer
Abstract » Protractor is a novel gesture recognizer that can be easily implemented and quickly customized for different users. Protractor uses a nearest neighbor approach, which recognizes an unknown gesture based on its similarity to each of the known gestures, e.g., training samples or examples given by a user. In particular, it employs a novel method to measure the similarity between gestures, by calculating a minimum angular distance between them with a closed-form solution. As a result, Protractor is more accurate, naturally covers more gesture variation, runs significantly faster and uses much less memory than its peers. This makes Protractor suitable for mobile computing, which is limited in processing power and memory. An evaluation on both a previously published gesture data set and a newly collected gesture data set indicates that Protractor outperforms its peers in many aspects.
Panel :
Addressing Challenges in Doing International Field Research ---
04/12/10 11:30:00 AM
Addressing Challenges in Doing International Field Research
Addressing Challenges in Doing International Field Research
Abstract » This panel will discuss some of the key challenges in doing international field research including issues with planning, conducting, interpreting, and reporting on such research. Panelists will also share potential solutions and approaches they have used to try to deal with these challenges, and will discuss with the audience additional challenges that audience members have encountered, offering ideas on how to address these as appropriate.
Papers/Notes :
Exploratory Search ---
04/12/10 11:30:00 AM
How does search behavior change as search becomes more difficult?
How does search behavior change as search becomes more difficult?
Abstract » Search engines make it easy to check facts online, but finding some specific kinds of information sometimes proves to be difficult. We studied the behavioral signals that suggest that a user is having trouble in a search task. First, we ran a lab study with 23 users to gain a preliminary understanding on how users' behavior changes when they struggle finding the information they're looking for. The observations were then tested with 179 participants who all completed an average of 22.3 tasks from a pool of 100 tasks. The large-scale study provided quantitative support for our qualitative observations from the lab study. When having difficulty in finding information, users start to formulate more diverse queries, they use advanced operators more, and they spend a longer time on the search result page as compared to the successful tasks. The results complement the existing body of research focusing on successful search strategies.
Papers/Notes :
Tagging ---
04/13/10 11:30:00 AM
Best of Both Worlds: Improving Gmail Labels with the Affordances of Folders
Best of Both Worlds: Improving Gmail Labels with the Affordances of Folders
Abstract » Gmails filing system for email conversations is based around labels, which are more flexible and powerful than folders. With its original user interface, many users did not discover labels, and wondered why Gmail had no folders. The Gmail team redesigned the user interface for labeling to make it more discoverable and understandable, and to add the most useful functionality of folders. The new design works for the simple use case (a conversation with only one label), while still making the more complex use case (multiple labels) easily available. It has been launched to millions of users worldwide and has resulted in much higher adoption of labels, especially by new users of Gmail.
Panel :
Managing User Experience...Managing Change ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
Managing User Experience... Managing Change
Managing User Experience... Managing Change
Papers/Notes :
1001 Users ---
04/15/10 11:30:00 AM
Measuring the User Experience on a Large Scale: User-Centered Metrics for Web Applications
Measuring the User Experience on a Large Scale: User-Centered Metrics for Web Applications
Abstract » More and more products and services are being deployed on the web, and this presents new challenges and opportunities for measurement of user experience on a large scale. There is a strong need for user-centered metrics for web applications, which can be used to measure progress towards key goals, and drive product decisions. In this note, we describe the HEART framework for user-centered metrics, as well as a process for mapping product goals to metrics. We include practical examples of how HEART metrics have helped product teams make decisions that are both data-driven and user-centered. The framework and process have generalized to enough of our company's own products that we are confident that teams in other organizations will be able to reuse or adapt them. We also hope to encourage more research into metrics based on large-scale behavioral data.
Papers/Notes :
The Age of Searching ---
04/12/10 02:30:00 PM
Children's Roles Using Keyword Search Interfaces at Home
Children's Roles Using Keyword Search Interfaces at Home
Abstract » Children want to find information about their world, but there are barriers to finding what they seek. Young people have varying abilities to formulate multi-step queries and comprehend search results. Challenges in understanding where to type, confusion about what tools are available, and frustration with how to parse the results page all have led to a lack of perceived search success for children 7-11 years old. In this paper, we describe seven search roles children display as information seekers using Internet keyword interfaces, based on a home study of 83 children ages 7, 9, and 11. These roles are defined not only by the children's search actions, but also by who influences their searching, their perceived success, and trends in age and gender. These roles suggest a need for new interfaces that expand the notion of keywords, scaffold results, and develop a search culture among children.
Papers/Notes :
Seniors Using Technologies ---
04/13/10 02:30:00 PM
Learning to text: An interaction analytic study of how seniors learn to enter text on mobile phones
Learning to text: An interaction analytic study of how seniors learn to enter text on mobile phones
Abstract » This paper is based on an interaction analysis of video recordings of seniors being instructed in the use of texting. Learning to text is a complex ordeal for the elderly, which not only involves grasping such complex phenomena as hierarchically organized menus and text prediction technology, but also more mundane and seemingly simple skills as pressing the keys. The latter is the primary focus of the analysis, as this is a common and taken for granted skill upon which many HCI systems rely. We show how the seniors struggle with learning to press in a sequence, embodying the timing and rhythm of key pressing, and orchestrating their vision and pressing. The study contributes to the general field of mobile phone design for the elderly, to our knowledge on how people appropriate and learn to use new technologies, as well as adds to models explaining novice users' mastering of text input.
Papers/Notes :
Remember and Reflect ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
Involving Reflective Users in Design
Involving Reflective Users in Design
Abstract » We draw on the idea of the reflective practitioner to consider how end users can directly contribute to user experience design discussions in open source projects. People with expertise in their own use context but without programming or user experience analysis and design skills can provide reflections on personal experiences.
Papers/Notes :
Cooking, Classrooms, and Craft ---
04/15/10 11:30:00 AM
Cooking with Robots: Designing a Household System Working in Open Environments
Cooking with Robots: Designing a Household System Working in Open Environments
Abstract » We propose a cooking system that operates in an open environment. The system cooks a meal by pouring various ingredients into a boiling pot on an induction heating cooker and adjusts the heating strength according to the user's instructions. We then describe how the system incorporates robotic and human elements interoperating in a shared workspace so as to achieve a rudimentary cooking capability. First, we use small mobile robots instead of built-in arms to save space, improve flexibility and increase safety. Second, we use detachable visual markers to allow the user to easily configure the real-world environment. Third, we provide a graphical user interface to display detailed cooking instructions to the user. We hope insights obtained in this experiment will be useful for the design of other household systems in the future.
Papers/Notes :
Interactions in the World ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
An Empirical Task Analysis of Warehouse Order Picking Using Head-Mounted Displays
An Empirical Task Analysis of Warehouse Order Picking Using Head-Mounted Displays
Abstract » Evaluations of task guidance systems often focus on evaluations of new technologies rather than comparing the nuances of interaction across the various systems. One common domain for task guidance systems is warehouse order picking. We present a method involving an easily reproducible ecologically motivated order picking environment for quantitative user studies designed to reveal differences in interactions. Using this environment, we perform a 12 participant within-subjects experiment demonstrating the advantages of a head-mounted display based picking chart over a traditional text-based pick list, a paper-based graphical pick chart, and a mobile pick-by-voice system. The test environment proved sufficiently sensitive, showing statistically significant results along several metrics with the head-mounted display system performing the best. We also provide a detailed analysis of the strategies adopted by our participants.
Papers/Notes :
Market Models for Q&A Services ---
04/12/10 02:30:00 PM
Hidden Markets: UI Design for a P2P Backup Application
Hidden Markets: UI Design for a P2P Backup Application
Abstract » The Internet has allowed market-based systems to become increasingly pervasive. In this paper we explore the role of user interface (UI) design for these markets. Different UIs induce different mental models which in turn determine how users understand and interact with a market. Thus, the intersection of UI design and economics is a novel and important research area. We make three contributions at this intersection. First, we present a novel design paradigm which we call "hidden markets". The primary goal of hidden markets is to hide as much of the market complexities as possible. Second, we explore this new design paradigm using one particular example: a P2P backup application. We explain the market underlying this system and provide a detailed description of the new UI we developed. Third, we present results from a formative usability study. Our findings indicate that a number of users could benefit from a market-based P2P backup system. Most users intuitively understood the give & take principle as well as the bundle constraints of the market. However, the pricing aspect was difficult to discover/understand for many users and thus needs further investigation. Overall, the results are encouraging and show promise for the hidden market paradigm.
Papers/Notes :
Sharing Content and Searches ---
04/13/10 11:30:00 AM
Share: A programming environment for loosely bound cooperation
Share: A programming environment for loosely bound cooperation
Abstract » We introduce a programming environment entitled Share that is designed to encourage loosely bound cooperation between individuals within communities of practice through the sharing of code. Loosely bound cooperation refers to the opportunity community members have to assist and share resources with one another while maintaining their autonomy and independent practice. We contrast this model with forms of collaboration that enable large numbers of distributed individuals to collaborate on large scale works where they are guided by a shared vision of what they are collectively trying to achieve. We hypothesize that providing fine-grained, publicly visible attribution of code sharing activity within a community can provide socially motivated encouragement for code sharing. We present an overview of the design of our tool and the objectives that guided its design and a discussion of a small-scale deployment of our prototype among members of a particular community of practice.
Papers/Notes :
Speech and Touch ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
The Generalized Perceived Input Point Model and How to Double Touch Accuracy by Extracting Fingerprints
The Generalized Perceived Input Point Model and How to Double Touch Accuracy by Extracting Fingerprints
Abstract » It is generally assumed that touch input cannot be accurate because of the fat finger problem, i.e., the softness of the fingertip combined with the occlusion of the target by the finger. In this paper, we show that this is not the case. We base our argument on a new model of touch inaccuracy. Our model is not based on the fat finger problem, but on the perceived input point model. In its published form, this model states that touch screens report touch location at an offset from the intended target. We generalize this model so that it represents offsets for individual finger postures and users. We thereby switch from the traditional 2D model of touch to a model that considers touch a phenomenon in 3-space. We report a user study, in which the generalized model explained 67% of the touch inaccuracy that was previously attributed to the fat finger problem. In the second half of this paper, we present two devices that exploit the new model in order to improve touch accuracy. Both model touch on per-posture and per-user basis in order to increase accuracy by applying respective offsets. Our RidgePad prototype extracts posture and user ID from the user's fingerprint during each touch interaction. In a user study, it achieved 1.8 times higher accuracy than a simulated capacitive baseline condition. A prototype based on optical tracking achieved even 3.3 times higher accuracy. The increase in accuracy can be used to make touch interfaces more reliable, to pack up to 3.3^2 > 10 times more controls into the same surface, or to bring touch input to very small mobile devices.
Papers/Notes :
Tangible UI ---
04/13/10 02:30:00 PM
Lumino: tangible blocks for tabletop computers based on glass fiber bundles
Lumino: tangible blocks for tabletop computers based on glass fiber bundles
Abstract » Tabletop computers based on diffuse illumination can track fiducial markers placed on the table's surface. In this paper, we demonstrate how to do the same with objects arranged in a three-dimensional structure without modifying the table. We present lumino, a system of building blocks. In addition to a marker, each block contains a glass fiber bundle. The bundle optically guides the light reflected off markers in the higher levels down to the table surface, where the table's built-in camera reads it. While guiding marker images down, the bundle optically scales and rearranges them. It thereby fits the images of an entire vertical arrangement of markers into the horizontal space usually occupied by a single 2D marker. We present three classes of blocks and matching marker designs, each of which is optimized for different requirements. We show three demo applications. One of them is a construction kit that logs and critiques constructions. The presented blocks are unpowered and maintenance-free, keeping larger numbers of blocks manageable.
Papers/Notes :
Public Displays ---
04/15/10 09:00:00 AM
Touch Projector: Mobile Interaction through Video
Touch Projector: Mobile Interaction through Video
Abstract » In 1992, Tani et al. proposed remotely operating machines in a factory by manipulating a live video image on a computer screen. In this paper we revisit this metaphor and investigate its suitability for mobile use. We present Touch Projector, a system that enables users to interact with remote screens through a live video image on their mobile device. The handheld device tracks itself with respect to the surrounding displays. Touch on the video image is "projected" onto the target display in view, as if it had occurred there. This literal adaptation of Tani's idea, however, fails because handheld video does not offer enough stability and control to enable precise manipulation. We address this with a series of improvements, including zooming and freezing the video image. In a user study, participants selected targets and dragged targets between displays using the literal and three improved versions. We found that participants achieved highest performance with automatic zooming and temporary image freezing.
Papers/Notes :
Home Eco Behavior ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
Home, Habits, and Energy: Examining Domestic Interactions and Energy Consumption
Home, Habits, and Energy: Examining Domestic Interactions and Energy Consumption
Abstract » This paper presents findings from a qualitative study of people's everyday interactions with energy-consuming products and systems in the home. Initial results from a large online survey are also considered. This research focuses not only on conservation behavior but importantly investigates interactions with technology that may be characterized as normal consumption or over-consumption. A novel vocabulary for analyzing and designing energy-conserving interactions is proposed based on our findings, including: cutting, trimming, switching, upgrading, and shifting. Using the proposed vocabulary, and informed by theoretical developments from various literatures, this paper demonstrates ways in which everyday interactions with technology in the home are performed without conscious consideration of energy consumption but rather are unconscious, habitual, and irrational. Implications for the design of energy-conserving interactions with technology and broader challenges for HCI research are proposed.
Papers/Notes :
Brains and Brawn ---
04/13/10 11:30:00 AM
The Influence of Implicit and Explicit Biofeedback in First-Person Shooter Games
The Influence of Implicit and Explicit Biofeedback in First-Person Shooter Games
Abstract » To understand how implicit and explicit biofeedback work in games, we developed a first-person shooter (FPS) game to experiment with different biofeedback techniques. While this area has seen plenty of discussion, there is little rigorous experimentation addressing how biofeedback can enhance human-computer interaction. In our two-part study, (N=36) subjects first played eight different game stages with two implicit biofeedback conditions, with two simulation-based comparison and repetition rounds, then repeated the two biofeedback stages when given explicit information on the biofeedback. The biofeedback conditions were respiration and skin-conductance (EDA) adaptations. Adaptation targets were four balanced player avatar attributes. We collected data with psycho¬physiological measures (electromyography, respiration, and EDA), a game experience questionnaire, and game-play measures. According to our experiment, implicit biofeedback does not produce significant effects in player experience in an FPS game. In the explicit biofeedback conditions, players were more immersed and positively affected, and they were able to manipulate the game play with the biosignal interface. We recommend exploring the possibilities of using explicit biofeedback interaction in commercial games.
Papers/Notes :
Humans and Sociability ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
A Simple Index for Multimodal Flexibility
A Simple Index for Multimodal Flexibility
Abstract » Most interactive tasks engage more than one of the user's exteroceptive senses and are therefore multimodal. In real world situations with multitasking and distractions, the key aspect of multimodality is not which modalities can be allocated to the interactive task but which are free to be allocated to something else. We present the multimodal flexibility index (MFI), calculated from changes in users' performance induced by blocking of sensory modalities. A high score indicates that the highest level of performance is achievable regardless of the modalities available and, conversely, a low score that performance will be severely hampered unless all modalities are allocated to the task. Various derivatives describe unimodal and bimodal effects. Results from a case study (mobile text entry) illustrate how an interface that is superior to others in absolute terms is the worst from the multimodal flexibility perspective. We discuss the suitability of MFI for evaluation of interactive prototypes.
Papers/Notes :
Public Displays ---
04/15/10 09:00:00 AM
Worlds of Information: Designing for Engagement at a Public Multi-Touch Display
Worlds of Information: Designing for Engagement at a Public Multi-Touch Display
Abstract » In designing for engagement at a public multi-touch installation, we identified supporting multiple users and allowing for gradual discovery as challenges. In this paper, we present Worlds of Information, a multi-touch application featuring 3D Worlds, which provide access to different content. These 3D widgets gradually unfold and allow for temporal navigation of multimedia in parallel, while also providing a 2D plane where media can be shared. We report on a field trial at an exhibition using questionnaires and video ethnography. We studied engagement through questions adapted from Flow, Presence and Intrinsic Motivation questionnaires, which showed that users, overall, had a positive and social experience with the installation. The worlds effectively invited multiple users and provided for parallel interaction. While functionality was discovered gradually through social learning, the study demonstrates the challenges of designing multi-touch applications for walk-up-and-use displays.
SIG :
Best Practices in Longitudinal Research ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Best Practices in Longitudinal Research
Best Practices in Longitudinal Research
Papers/Notes :
Going to the Mall: Shopping and Product Design ---
04/15/10 02:30:00 PM
Snap and Match: A Case Study of Virtual Cosmetics Color Consultation
Snap and Match: A Case Study of Virtual Cosmetics Color Consultation
Abstract » In this paper we describe an imaging based virtual color consultation system that automatically recommends cosmetics appropriate for users skin tone based on users photograph. This system is intended for commercial use to address the problem of color selection of cosmetic foundation. Based on surveys and semi-structured interviews we have verified that visual selection of color foundation cosmetics by consumers is error prone, and the results of our study indicate that both mobile and kiosk touch points are essential to cover the entire target population (women of all ages) since we identified technical vs. social comfort, accuracy vs. convenience and social vs. individual parameters that play a huge role in the usage and adoption of such personal services for women.
Papers/Notes :
Computing on the Body ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
i*CATch: A Scalable, Plug-n-Play Wearable Computing Framework for Novices and Children
i*CATch: A Scalable, Plug-n-Play Wearable Computing Framework for Novices and Children
Abstract » There has been much recent work in wearable computing that is directed at democratization of the field, to make it more accessible to the general public and more easily used by the hobbyist user. As the field becomes more diversified, there has also been a shift away from the highly specialized functionality of earlier applications towards aesthetics, creativity, design and self-expression, as well as a push towards using wearable computing as an outreach tool to broaden interest and exposure in engineering and computing. This paper presents the design and development of the i*CATch wearable computing framework, which was developed specifically for children and novices to the field. The i*CATch framework is based upon a bus-based architecture, and is more scalable than the current alternatives. It consists of a set of plug-and-play components, a construction platform with a standardized interface, and an easy-to-use hybrid text-graphical integrated development environment. We will also present results of the evaluation of the i*CATch framework in real teaching environments.
SIG :
How to bring HCI Research and Practice Closer Together ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
How to bring HCI Research and Practice Closer Together
How to bring HCI Research and Practice Closer Together
Papers/Notes :
Subtle Expressions Through Sound and Text ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Artificial Subtle Expressions: Intuitive Notification Methodology of Artifacts
Artificial Subtle Expressions: Intuitive Notification Methodology of Artifacts
Abstract » We describe artificial subtle expressions (ASEs) as intuitive notification methodology for artifacts' internal states for users. We prepared two types of audio ASEs; one was a flat artificial sound (flat ASE), and the other was a sound that decreased in pitch (decreasing ASE). These two ASEs were played after a robot made a suggestion to the users. Specifically, we expected that the decreasing ASE would inform users of the robot's lower level of confidence about the suggestions. We then conducted a simple experiment to observe whether the participants accepted or rejected the robot's suggestion in terms of the ASEs. The results showed that they accepted the robot's suggestion when the flat ASE was used, whereas they rejected it when the decreasing ASE was used. Therefore, we found that the ASEs succeeded in conveying the robot's internal state to the users accurately and intuitively.
Papers/Notes :
Devising Input ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Minput: Enabling Interaction on Small Mobile Devices with High-Precision, Low-Cost, Multipoint Optical Tracking
Minput: Enabling Interaction on Small Mobile Devices with High-Precision, Low-Cost, Multipoint Optical Tracking
Abstract » We present Minput, a sensing and input method that enables intuitive and accurate interaction on very small devices - ones too small for practical touch screen use and with limited space to accommodate physical buttons. We achieve this by incorporating two, inexpensive and high-precision optical sensors (like those found in optical mice) into the underside of the device. This allows the entire device to be used as an input mechanism, instead of the screen, avoiding occlusion by fingers. In addition to x/y translation, our system also captures twisting motion, enabling many interesting interaction opportunities typically found in larger and far more complex systems.
Papers/Notes :
Pixels and Perception ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
Faster Progress Bars: Manipulating Perceived Duration with Visual Augmentations
Faster Progress Bars: Manipulating Perceived Duration with Visual Augmentations
Abstract » Human perception of time is fluid, and can be manipulated in purposeful and productive ways. In this note, we propose and evaluate variations on two visual designs for progress bars that alter users' perception of time passing, and appear faster when in fact they are not. As a baseline, we use standard, solid-color progress bars, prevalent in many user interfaces. In a series of direct comparison tests, we are able to rank how these augmentations compare to one another. We then show that these designs yield statistically significantly shorter perceived durations than progress bars seen in many modern interfaces, including Mac OSX. Progress bars with animated ribbing that move backwards in a decelerating manner proved to have the strongest effect. In a final experiment, we measured the effect of this particular progress bar design and showed that it reduces the perceived duration among our participants by 11%.
Papers/Notes :
Pixels and Perception ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
Evaluation of Progressive Image Loading Schemes
Evaluation of Progressive Image Loading Schemes
Abstract » Although network bandwidth has increased dramatically, high-resolution images often take several seconds to load, and considerably longer on mobile devices over wireless connections. Progressive image loading techniques allow for some visual content to be displayed prior to the whole file being downloaded. In this note, we present an empirical evaluation of popular progressive image loading methods, and derive one novel technique from our findings. Results suggest a spiral variation of bilinear interlacing can yield an improvement in content recognition time.
alt.chi :
alt.ernative Methods ---
04/13/10 02:30:00 PM
Communicating Software Agreement Content Using Narrative Pictograms
Communicating Software Agreement Content Using Narrative Pictograms
Abstract » We present narrative pictograms, illustrative diagrams designed to convey the abstract concepts of software agreements. Narrative pictograms arose out of a need to create software agreements that are comprehensible without written language. We first present example diagrams designed to describe the data collection policies of research software, and the composition rules used to create them. We then present our design process and lessons learned during design. Finally, we present results from an evaluation based on the ISO 9186-1 test for graphical symbols.
Papers/Notes :
Communicating ---
04/13/10 04:30:00 PM
Layered Elaboration: A New Technique for Co-Design with Children
Layered Elaboration: A New Technique for Co-Design with Children
Abstract » As technology for children becomes more mobile, social, and distributed, our design methods and techniques must evolve to better explore these new directions. This paper reports on Layered Elaboration, a co-design technique created to support these evolving needs. .Layered Elaboration allows design teams to generate ideas through an iterative process in which each version leaves prior ideas intact while extending concepts. Layered Elaboration is a useful technique as it enables co-design to take place asynchronously and does not require much space or many resources. Our intergenerational team, including adults and children ages 7 - 11 years old, used the technique to design both a game about history and a prototype of an instructional game about energy conservation.
Papers/Notes :
Dance, Dust, and Drama: Designing Design ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
The case of the disappearing ox: seeing through digital images to an analysis of ancient texts
The case of the disappearing ox: seeing through digital images to an analysis of ancient texts
Abstract » There are numerous settings where people examine, scrutinize and discuss the details of images in the course of their work. In most medical domains, scans and x-rays are used in the diagnosis of cases; in most areas of science, methods of visualization have been adopted to assist in the analysis of data; and images of different kinds are critical for many research fields in the social sciences and humanities. It is not surprising that recently technologies have been proposed to assist with the analysis and examination of images. In this paper, we consider requirements for technologies in a rather distinctive domain of research, the classics. Drawing upon an analysis of the detailed ways in which classicists work with digital images, we discuss the requirements for systems to support researchers in this domain, and also provide further considerations on the general development of image processing technologies and visualization techniques.
Papers/Notes :
Usability Methods and New Domains ---
04/15/10 09:00:00 AM
Average Task Times in Usability Tests: What to Report?
Average Task Times in Usability Tests: What to Report?
Abstract » The distribution of task time data in usability studies is positively skewed. Practitioners who are aware of this positive skew tend to report the sample median. Monte Carlo simulations using data from 61 large-sample usability tasks showed that the sample median is a biased estimate of the population median. Using the geometric mean to estimate the center of the population will, on average, have 13% less error and 22% less bias than the sample median. Other estimates of the population center (trimmed, harmonic and Winsorized means) had worse performance than the sample median.
SIG :
How to bring HCI Research and Practice Closer Together ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
How to bring HCI Research and Practice Closer Together
How to bring HCI Research and Practice Closer Together
Papers/Notes :
Social Media Users ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Lurking? Cyclopaths? A Quantitative Lifecycle Analysis of User Behavior in a Geowiki
Lurking? Cyclopaths? A Quantitative Lifecycle Analysis of User Behavior in a Geowiki
Abstract » Online communities produce rich behavioral datasets, e.g., Usenet news conversations, Wikipedia edits, and Facebook friend networks. Analysis of such datasets yields important insights (like the long tail of user participation) and sug- gests novel design interventions (like targeting users with personalized opportunities and work requests). However, certain key user data typically are unavailable, specifically viewing, pre-registration, and non-logged-in activity. The absence of data makes some questions hard to answer; access to it can strengthen, extend, or cast doubt on previous results. We report on analysis of user behavior in Cyclopath, a geographic wiki and route-finder for bicyclists. With access to viewing and non-logged-in activity data, we were able to: (a) replicate and extend prior work on user lifecycles in Wikipedia, (b) bring to light some pre-registration activity, thus testing for the presence of educational lurking, and (c) demonstrate the locality of geographic activity and how editing and viewing are geographically correlated.
Papers/Notes :
EPIC #FAIL ---
04/12/10 11:30:00 AM
SHRIMP - Solving Collision and Out of Vocabulary Problems in Mobile Predictive Input with Motion Gesture
SHRIMP - Solving Collision and Out of Vocabulary Problems in Mobile Predictive Input with Motion Gesture
Abstract » Dictionary-based disambiguation (DBD) is a very popular solution for text entry on mobile phone keypads but suffers from two problems: 1. the resolution of encoding collision (two or more words sharing the same numeric key sequence) and 2. entering out-of-vocabulary (OOV) words. In this paper, we present SHRIMP, a system and method that addresses these two problems by integrating DBD with camera based motion sensing that enables the user to express preference through a tilting or movement gesture. SHRIMP (Small Handheld Rapid Input with Motion and Prediction) runs on camera phones equipped with a standard 12-key keypad. SHRIMP maintains the speed advantage of DBD driven predictive text input while enabling the user to overcome DBD collision and OOV problems seamlessly without even a mode switch. An initial empirical study demonstrates that SHRIMP can be learned very quickly, performed immediately faster than MultiTap and handled OOV words more efficiently than DBD.
Papers/Notes :
HCI and India ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Avaaj Otalo A Field Study of an Interactive Voice Forum for Small Farmers in Rural India
Avaaj Otalo A Field Study of an Interactive Voice Forum for Small Farmers in Rural India
Abstract » In this paper we present the results of a eld study of Avaaj Otalo (literally, voice stoop"), an interactive voice application for small-scale farmers in Gujarat, In- dia. Through usage data and interviews, we describe how 51 farmers used the system over a seven month pilot deployment. The most popular feature of Avaaj Otalo was a forum for asking questions and browsing others' questions and responses on a range of agricul- tural topics. The forum developed into a lively social space with the emergence of norms, persistent modera- tion, and a desire for both structured interaction with institutionally sanctioned authorities and open discus- sion with peers. For all 51 users this was the rst ex- perience participating in an online community of any sort. In terms of usability, simple menu-based naviga- tion was readily learned, with users preferring numeric input over speech. We conclude by discussing implica- tions of our ndings for designing voice-based social me- dia serving rural communities in India and elsewhere.
Papers/Notes :
Sound and Speech ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Effects of Automated Transcription Quality on Non-native Speakers' Comprehension in Real-time Computer-mediated Communication
Effects of Automated Transcription Quality on Non-native Speakers' Comprehension in Real-time Computer-mediated Communication
Abstract » Real-time transcription has been shown to be valuable in facilitating non-native speakers' comprehension in real-time communication. Automated speech recognition (ASR) technology is a critical ingredient for its practical deployment. This paper presents a series of studies investigating how the quality of transcripts generated by an ASR system impacts user comprehension and subjective evaluation. Experiments are first presented comparing performance across three different transcription conditions: no transcript, a perfect transcript, and a transcript with Word Error Rate (WER) =20%. We found 20% WER was the most likely critical point for transcripts to be just acceptable and useful. Then we further examined a lower WER of 10% (a lower bound for today's state-of-the-art systems) employing the same experimental design. The results indicated that at 10% WER comprehension performance was significantly improved compared to the no-transcript condition. Finally, implications for further system development and design are discussed.
Papers/Notes :
HCI in China ---
04/15/10 09:00:00 AM
Chinese Online Communities: Balancing Management Control and Individual Autonomy
Chinese Online Communities: Balancing Management Control and Individual Autonomy
Abstract » Existing studies of online social communities mainly focus on communities in the United States. Since Chinese social beliefs and behaviors largely differ from that of Americans, we hypothesize that Chinese online communities also greatly differ from their U.S. counterparts. In particular, we believe that Chinese online communities must balance management control and individual autonomy to accommodate both Chinese tradition and the social nature of online societies. In this paper, we present three studies to test our hypothesis. First, we use a structured observation (Study I) to examine community governance practices of 32 Chinese and American social sites. Based on the identified community governance practices, we use a cross-cultural survey of 208 Chinese and Americans (Study II) to learn about their behavior and attitude toward these practices. Finally, we interview 38 Chinese users (Study III) to help us further understand how Chinese online communities balance the needs of management and users. Not only do the studies confirm our hypothesis, but they also help us abstract two key design implications of social software to meet the needs of Chinese.
ToCHI :
Data Mining for Understanding User Needs ---
04/15/10 02:30:00 PM
Creating a Lightweight UIDL: An Overview and Analysis of the Personal Universal Controller Project
Creating a Lightweight UIDL: An Overview and Analysis of the Personal Universal Controller Project
Abstract » Over six years, we iterated on the design of a language for describing the functionality of appliances, such as televisions, telephones, VCRs, and copiers. This language has been used to describe more than thirty diverse appliances, and those descriptions have been used to automatically generate both graphical and speech user interfaces on handheld computers, mobile phones, and desktop computers. In this paper, we describe the final design of our language and analyze the key design choices that led to this design. Through this analysis, we hope to provide a useful guide for the designers of future user interface description languages.
Papers/Notes :
Exploratory Search ---
04/12/10 11:30:00 AM
Reactive Information Foraging for Evolving Goals
Reactive Information Foraging for Evolving Goals
Abstract » Information foraging models have predicted the navigation paths of people browsing the web and (more recently) of programmers while debugging, but these models do not explicitly model users' goals evolving over time. We present a new information foraging model called PFIS2 that does model information seeking with potentially evolving goals. We then evaluated variants of this model in a field study that analyzed programmers' daily navigations over a seven-month period. Our results were that PFIS2 predicted users' navigation remarkably well, even though the goals of navigation, and even the information landscape itself, were changing markedly during the pursuit of information.
Papers/Notes :
Sharing in Social Media ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Patterns of Usage in an Enterprise File-Sharing Service: Publicizing, Discovering, and Telling the News
Patterns of Usage in an Enterprise File-Sharing Service: Publicizing, Discovering, and Telling the News
Abstract » How do people use an enterprise file-sharing service? We describe patterns of usage in a social file-sharing service that was deployed in a large multinational enterprise. Factor analyses revealed four factors: Upload & Publicize (regarding one's own files); Annotate & Watch (add information to files and maintain awareness); Discover & Tell (find files uploaded by other users, and communicate to additional users about those files); and Refind (re-use one's own files). We explore the attributes of users who score highly on each of these factors, and we propose implications for design to encourage innovation in usage.
Papers/Notes :
Tools Affecting the Enterprise ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Detecting Professional versus Personal Closeness Using an Enterprise Social Network Site
Detecting Professional versus Personal Closeness Using an Enterprise Social Network Site
Abstract » In this work we analyze the behavior on a company-internal social network site to determine which interaction patterns signal closeness between colleagues. Regression analysis suggests that employee behavior on social network sites (SNSs) reveals information about both professional and personal closeness. While some factors are predictive of general closeness (e.g. content recommendations), other factors signal that employees feel personal closeness towards their colleagues, but not professional closeness (e.g. mutual profile commenting). This analysis contributes to our understanding of how SNS behavior reflects relationship multiplexity: the multiple facets of our relationships with SNS connections.
Papers/Notes :
Interfaces and Visualization ---
04/12/10 02:30:00 PM
Quasi-Qwerty Soft Keyboard Optimization
Quasi-Qwerty Soft Keyboard Optimization
Abstract » It has been well understood that optimized soft keyboard layouts improve motor movement efficiency over the standard Qwerty layouts, but have the drawback of long initial visual search time for novice users. To ease the initial searching time on optimized soft keyboards, we explored Quasi-Qwerty optimization so that the resulting layouts are close to Qwerty. Our results show that a middle ground between the optimized but new, and the familiar but inefficient (Qwerty) does exist. We show that by allowing letters to move at most one step (key) away from their original positions on Qwerty in an optimization process, one can achieve about half of what free optimization could gain in movement efficiency. An experiment shows that due to users' familiarity with Qwerty, a layout with quasi Qwerty optimization could significantly reduce novice users' visual search time to between those of Qwerty and a freely optimized layout. The results in this work provide designers with a new quantitative understanding of the soft keyboard design space.
Papers/Notes :
End-User Programming II ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Here's What I Did: Sharing and Reusing Web Activity with ActionShot
Here's What I Did: Sharing and Reusing Web Activity with ActionShot
Abstract » ActionShot is an integrated web browser tool that creates a fine-grained history of users' browsing activities by continually recording their browsing actions at the level of interactions, such as button clicks and entries into form fields. ActionShot provides interfaces to facilitate browsing and searching through this history, sharing portions of the history through established social networking tools such as Facebook, and creating scripts that can be used to repeat previous interactions at a later time. ActionShot can also create short textual summaries for sequences of interactions. In this paper, we describe the ActionShot and our initial explorations of the tool through field deployments within our organization and a lab study. Overall, we found that ActionShot's history features provide value beyond typical browser history interfaces.
Papers/Notes :
Pointing and Selecting ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Bias towards Regular Configuration in 2D Pointing
Bias towards Regular Configuration in 2D Pointing
Abstract » Extending Fitts' law to more than one dimension has been recognized as having important implications for HCI. In spite of the progress made over the years, however, it is still far from a resolved issue. Our work approaches this problem from the viewpoint of a configuration space, which has served as a useful conceptual framework for understanding human preference in perception. Notably, human are found to be biased towards regular configurations. In this work, we extended the configuration space framework to the domain of motor behavior, analyzed 2D pointing, and developed five models to account for the performance. An extensive experiment was conducted to measure the fit of the derived models and that of three previous models. Consistent with our hypothesis, the model reflecting a bias towards regular configuration was found to have the most satisfactory fit with the data. The paper concludes with discussions on improving understanding of Fitts' law and the implications for HCI.
Papers/Notes :
Sharing in Social Media ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Fitting an Activity-Centric System into an Ecology of Workplace Tools
Fitting an Activity-Centric System into an Ecology of Workplace Tools
Abstract » Knowledge workers expend considerable effort managing fragmentation, characterized by constant switching among digital artifacts, when executing work activities. Activity-centric computing (ACC) systems attempt to address this problem by organizing activity-related artifacts together. But are ACC systems effective at reducing fragmentation? In this paper, we present a two-part study of workers using Lotus Activities, an ACC system deployed for over two years in a large company. First, we surveyed workers to understand the ecology of workplace tools they use for various tasks. Second, we interviewed 22 Lotus Activities users to investigate how this ACC tool fits amongst their ecology of existing collaboration tools and affects work fragmentation. Our results indicate that Lotus Activities works in concert with certain other tools to successfully ease fragmentation for a specific type of activity. We identify design characteristics that contribute to this result.
Papers/Notes :
Sound and Speech ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Effects of Automated Transcription Quality on Non-native Speakers' Comprehension in Real-time Computer-mediated Communication
Effects of Automated Transcription Quality on Non-native Speakers' Comprehension in Real-time Computer-mediated Communication
Abstract » Real-time transcription has been shown to be valuable in facilitating non-native speakers' comprehension in real-time communication. Automated speech recognition (ASR) technology is a critical ingredient for its practical deployment. This paper presents a series of studies investigating how the quality of transcripts generated by an ASR system impacts user comprehension and subjective evaluation. Experiments are first presented comparing performance across three different transcription conditions: no transcript, a perfect transcript, and a transcript with Word Error Rate (WER) =20%. We found 20% WER was the most likely critical point for transcripts to be just acceptable and useful. Then we further examined a lower WER of 10% (a lower bound for today's state-of-the-art systems) employing the same experimental design. The results indicated that at 10% WER comprehension performance was significantly improved compared to the no-transcript condition. Finally, implications for further system development and design are discussed.
Papers/Notes :
Understanding Comments ---
04/13/10 02:30:00 PM
Dandelion: Supporting Coordinated Collaborative Authoring in Wikis
Dandelion: Supporting Coordinated Collaborative Authoring in Wikis
Abstract » Dandelion is a tool that extends wikis to support coordinated, collaborative authoring using a tag-based approach. Specifically, users can insert tags in a wiki page to specify various co-authoring tasks. These tags can then be executed to help drive and manage the collaboration workflow, and provide content-centric collaboration awareness for all the co-authors. Four successful pilot deployments and positive user feedback show the practical value of Dandelion, especially its value in supporting a structured, collaborative authoring process often seen in business settings.
Papers/Notes :
Sound and Speech ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Effects of Automated Transcription Quality on Non-native Speakers' Comprehension in Real-time Computer-mediated Communication
Effects of Automated Transcription Quality on Non-native Speakers' Comprehension in Real-time Computer-mediated Communication
Abstract » Real-time transcription has been shown to be valuable in facilitating non-native speakers' comprehension in real-time communication. Automated speech recognition (ASR) technology is a critical ingredient for its practical deployment. This paper presents a series of studies investigating how the quality of transcripts generated by an ASR system impacts user comprehension and subjective evaluation. Experiments are first presented comparing performance across three different transcription conditions: no transcript, a perfect transcript, and a transcript with Word Error Rate (WER) =20%. We found 20% WER was the most likely critical point for transcripts to be just acceptable and useful. Then we further examined a lower WER of 10% (a lower bound for today's state-of-the-art systems) employing the same experimental design. The results indicated that at 10% WER comprehension performance was significantly improved compared to the no-transcript condition. Finally, implications for further system development and design are discussed.
Papers/Notes :
Remember and Reflect ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
Now Let Me See Where I Was: Understanding How Lifelogs Mediate Memory
Now Let Me See Where I Was: Understanding How Lifelogs Mediate Memory
Abstract » Lifelogging technologies can capture both mundane and important experiences in our daily lives, resulting in a rich record of the places we visit and the things we see. This study moves beyond technology demonstrations, in aiming to better understand how and why different types of Lifelogs aid memory. Previous work has demonstrated that Lifelogs can aid recall, but that they do many other things too. They can help us look back at the past in new ways, or to reconstruct what we did in our lives, even if we don't recall exact details. Here we extend the notion of Lifelogging to include locational information. We augment streams of Lifelog images with geographic data to examine how different types of data (visual or locational) might affect memory. Our results show that visual cues promote detailed memories (akin to recollection). In contrast locational information supports inferential processes - allowing participants to reconstruct habits in their behaviour.
Papers/Notes :
Sound and Speech ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Effects of Automated Transcription Quality on Non-native Speakers' Comprehension in Real-time Computer-mediated Communication
Effects of Automated Transcription Quality on Non-native Speakers' Comprehension in Real-time Computer-mediated Communication
Abstract » Real-time transcription has been shown to be valuable in facilitating non-native speakers' comprehension in real-time communication. Automated speech recognition (ASR) technology is a critical ingredient for its practical deployment. This paper presents a series of studies investigating how the quality of transcripts generated by an ASR system impacts user comprehension and subjective evaluation. Experiments are first presented comparing performance across three different transcription conditions: no transcript, a perfect transcript, and a transcript with Word Error Rate (WER) =20%. We found 20% WER was the most likely critical point for transcripts to be just acceptable and useful. Then we further examined a lower WER of 10% (a lower bound for today's state-of-the-art systems) employing the same experimental design. The results indicated that at 10% WER comprehension performance was significantly improved compared to the no-transcript condition. Finally, implications for further system development and design are discussed.
Papers/Notes :
Tools Affecting the Enterprise ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Lessons Learned from Blog Muse: Audience-based Inspiration for Bloggers
Lessons Learned from Blog Muse: Audience-based Inspiration for Bloggers
Abstract » Blogging in the enterprise is increasingly popular and recent research has shown that there are numerous benefits for both individuals and the organization, e.g. developing reputation or sharing knowledge. However, participation is very low, blogs are often abandoned and few users realize those benefits. We have designed and implemented a novel system - called Blog Muse - whose goal is to inspire potential blog writers by connecting them with their audience through a topic-suggestion system. We describe our system design and report results from a 4-week study with 1004 users who installed our tool. Our data indicate that topics requested by users are effective at inspiring bloggers to write and lead to more social interactions around the resulting entries.
Papers/Notes :
Expertise ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
What Do You Know? Experts, Novices and Territoriality in Collaborative Systems
What Do You Know? Experts, Novices and Territoriality in Collaborative Systems
Abstract » When experts participate in collaborative systems, tension may arise between them and novice contributors. In particular, when experts perceive novices as a bother or a threat, the experts may express territoriality: behaviors communicating ownership of a target of interest. In this paper, we describe the results of a user study of a mobile social tagging system deployed within a museum gallery to a group of novices and experts collaboratively tagging part of the collection. We observed that experts express greater feelings of ownership towards their contributions to the system and the museum in general. Experts were more likely than novices to participate at higher rates and to negatively evaluate contributions made by others. We suggest a number of design strategies to balance experts' expressions of territoriality so as to motivate their participation while discouraging exclusionary behaviors.
Papers/Notes :
Medical Data ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Physician-Driven Management of Patient Progress Notes in an Intensive Care Unit
Physician-Driven Management of Patient Progress Notes in an Intensive Care Unit
Abstract » We describe fieldwork in which we studied hospital ICU physicians and their strategies and documentation aids for composing patient progress notes. We then present a clini-cal documentation prototype, activeNotes, that supports the creation of these notes, using techniques designed based on our fieldwork. ActiveNotes integrates automated, context-sensitive patient data retrieval, and user control of automated data updates and alerts via tagging, into the documentation process. We performed a qualitative study of activeNotes with 15 physicians at the hospital to explore the utility of our information retrieval and tagging tech-niques. The physicians indicated their desire to use tags for a number of purposes, some of them extensions to what we intended, and others new to us and unexplored in other systems of which we are aware. We discuss the physicians' responses to our prototype and distill several of their pro-posed uses of tags: to assist in note content management, communication with other clinicians, and care delivery.
Panel :
Addressing Challenges in Doing International Field Research ---
04/12/10 11:30:00 AM
Addressing Challenges in Doing International Field Research
Addressing Challenges in Doing International Field Research
Abstract » This panel will discuss some of the key challenges in doing international field research including issues with planning, conducting, interpreting, and reporting on such research. Panelists will also share potential solutions and approaches they have used to try to deal with these challenges, and will discuss with the audience additional challenges that audience members have encountered, offering ideas on how to address these as appropriate.
ToCHI :
User Interface Description Languages for Next Generation User Interfaces ---
04/13/10 02:30:00 PM
ICOs: a Model-Based User Interface Description Technique for Interactive Systems Engineering
ICOs: a Model-Based User Interface Description Technique for Interactive Systems Engineering
Abstract » The design of interactive systems calls for advanced software engineering models, methods and tools in order to go beyond usability and meet reliability requirements. Conventional empirical or semi-formal techniques, although very fruitful, do not provide sufficient insight on the reliability of the human-system cooperation. The aim of this paper is to present a user interface description language for the engineering and development of usable and reliable user interfaces for various types of applications. The CASE tool supporting the ICOs notation (called Petshop) is a Petri nets based tool for the design, specification, prototyping and validation of interactive software.
Panel :
Managing User Experience...Managing Change ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
Managing User Experience... Managing Change
Managing User Experience... Managing Change
SIG :
Can we all stand under our umbrella? The Arts and Design Research in HCI ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
Can we all stand under our umbrella? The Arts and Design Research in HCI
Can we all stand under our umbrella? The Arts and Design Research in HCI
Papers/Notes :
Games and Players ---
04/12/10 02:30:00 PM
The Rogue in the Lovely Black Dress: Intimacy in World of Warcraft
The Rogue in the Lovely Black Dress: Intimacy in World of Warcraft
Abstract » In this paper we present a critical analysis of player accounts of intimacy and intimate experiences in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft (WoW). Our analysis explores four characteristics that players articulated about their virtual intimate experiences: the permeability of intimacy across virtual and real worlds, the mundane as the origin of intimacy, the significance of reciprocity and exchange, and the formative role of temporality in shaping understandings and recollections of intimate experiences. We also consider the manifest ways that WoW's software features support and encourage these characteristics.
Papers/Notes :
HCI For All ---
04/13/10 04:30:00 PM
Feminist HCI: Taking Stock and Outlining an Agenda for Design
Feminist HCI: Taking Stock and Outlining an Agenda for Design
Abstract » Feminism is a natural ally to interaction design, due to its central commitments to issues such as agency, fulfillment, identity, equity, empowerment, and social justice. In this paper, I summarize the state of the art of feminism in HCI and propose ways to build on existing successes to more robustly integrate feminism into interaction design research and practice. I explore the productive role of feminism in analogous fields, such as industrial design, architecture, and game design. I introduce examples of feminist interaction design already in the field. Finally, I propose a set of femi-nist interaction design qualities intended to support design and evaluation processes directly as they unfold.
Panel :
Making Food, Producing Sustainability ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Making Food, Producing Sustainability
Making Food, Producing Sustainability
Abstract » Many contemporary approaches to environmental sustainability focus on the end-consumer. In this panel, we explore lessons from small food producers for future development of HCI as an agency of sustainable ways of being. We argue that attention to the relationship small producers have to the environment and their experiences of interrelations between environmental, economic, and social sustainability suggest new foundational issues for sustainable HCI research.
Papers/Notes :
Privacy Behaviors ---
04/12/10 02:30:00 PM
Who Falls for Phish? A Demographic Analysis of Phishing Susceptibility and Effectiveness of Interventions
Who Falls for Phish? A Demographic Analysis of Phishing Susceptibility and Effectiveness of Interventions
Abstract » In this paper we present the results of a roleplay survey instrument administered to 1001 online survey respondents to study both the relationship between demographics and phishing susceptibility and the effectiveness of several anti-phishing educational materials. Our results suggest that women are more susceptible than men to phishing and participants between the ages of 18 and 25 are more susceptible to phishing than other age groups. We explain these demographic factors through a mediation analysis. Educational materials reduced users' tendency to enter information into phishing webpages by 40% percent; however, some of the educational materials we tested also slightly decreased participants' tendency to click on legitimate links.
Papers/Notes :
Earth, Wind, and Flyer ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Exploring Sustainable Design with Reusable Paper
Exploring Sustainable Design with Reusable Paper
Abstract » This paper explores the need for sustainable design with paper: how people really print and how we can take advantage of novel, reusable paper technology. We conducted two studies to investigate user's printing behavior. A key finding of the first study was that users often need an intermediate state between the electronic and physical forms of their documents. The second study examined users' predictions of which types of documents required this intermediate state. We formulate these findings into design guidelines that take into account: examination phase, transitions, cognitive and emotional reasons, and task- and event-relevant documents. Finally, we discuss how the different physical characteristics of reusable paper affect the user interface and could effectively support sustainable design.
Papers/Notes :
Browsing ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Using Text Animated Transitions to Support Navigation in Document Histories
Using Text Animated Transitions to Support Navigation in Document Histories
Abstract » This article examines the benefits of using text animated transitions for navigating in the revision history of textual documents. We propose an animation technique for smoothly transitioning between different text revisions, then present the Diffamation system. Diffamation supports rapid exploration of revision histories by combining text animated transitions with simple navigation and visualization tools. We finally describe a user study showing that smooth text animation allows users to track changes in the evolution of textual documents more effectively than flipping pages.
Papers/Notes :
Interfaces and Visualization ---
04/12/10 02:30:00 PM
High-Precision Magnification Lenses
High-Precision Magnification Lenses
Abstract » Focus+context interfaces provide in-place magnification of a region of the display, smoothly integrating the focus of attention into its surroundings. Two representations of the data exist simultaneously at two different scales, providing an alternative to classical pan & zoom for navigating multi-scale interfaces. For many practical applications however, the magnification range of focus+context techniques is too limited. This paper addresses this limitation by exploring the quantization problem: the mismatch between visual and motor precision in the magnified region. We introduce three new interaction techniques that solve this problem by integrating fast navigation and high-precision interaction in the magnified region. Speed couples precision to navigation speed. Key and Ring use a discrete switch between precision levels, the former using a keyboard modifier, the latter by decoupling the cursor from the lens' center. We report on three experiments showing that our techniques make interacting with lenses easier while increasing the range of practical magnification factors, and that performance can be further improved by integrating speed-dependent visual behaviors.
Papers/Notes :
Storytelling ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
Let's Play Chinese Characters - Mobile Learning Approaches via Culturally Inspired Group Games
Let's Play Chinese Characters - Mobile Learning Approaches via Culturally Inspired Group Games
Abstract » In many developing countries such as India and China, low educational levels often hinder economic empowerment. In this paper, we argue that mobile learning games can play an important role in the Chinese literacy acquisition process. We report on the unique challenges in the learning Chinese language, especially its logographic writing system. Based on an analysis of 25 traditional Chinese games currently played by children in China, we present the design and implementation of two culturally inspired mobile group learning games, Multimedia Word and Drumming Strokes. These two mobile games are designed to match Chinese children's understanding of everyday games. An informal evaluation reveals that these two games have the potential to enhance the intuitiveness and engagement of traditional games, and children may improve their knowledge of Chinese characters through group learning activities such as controversy, judgments and self-correction during the game play.
Panel :
HCI, Communities and Politics ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
HCI, Communities and Politics
HCI, Communities and Politics
Abstract » Working with communities around social change presents a challenge to common HCI methods, as politics often comes to the fore. In some cases, the politics of a community are explicit, for example, when working with activists or advocacy groups. In other cases, political aspects are less explicit but surface in considering the allocation of resources or in groups wherein issues of race, gender or class are of major importance. To address these dynamics, HCI researchers have to go beyond traditional HCI tools and metrics, which too often bracket out the political in an effort to focus on the instrumental issues and uses of technology. This panel juxtaposes several community-based HCI research projects in which politics have been a significant factor and asks How do we address the politics inherent in community-based HCI research?
Papers/Notes :
Sharing in Social Media ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
The Life and Times of Files and Information: A Study of Desktop Provenance
The Life and Times of Files and Information: A Study of Desktop Provenance
Abstract » In the field of Human-Computer Interaction, provenance refers to the history and genealogy of a document or file. Provenance helps us to understand the evolution and relationships of files; how and when different versions of a document were created, or how different documents in a collection build on each other through copy-paste events. Though methods for tracking provenance and the subsequent use of this meta-data have been proposed and developed into tools, there have been no studies documenting the types and frequency of provenance events in typical computer use. This is knowledge essential for the design of efficient query methods and information displays. We conducted a longitudinal study of knowledge workers at Intel Corporation tracking provenance events in their computer use. We also interviewed knowledge workers to determine the effectiveness of provenance cues for document recall. Our data shows that provenance relationships are common, and provenance cues aid recall.
alt.chi :
Imagine all the People ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Cross Currents: Water Scarcity and Sustainable CHI
Cross Currents: Water Scarcity and Sustainable CHI
Abstract » Growing awareness of the threats posed by global freshwater shortages coupled with increased interest in environmental sustainability among CHI researchers make water management a ripe area for new CHI applications. This paper presents a qualitative study of practices and attitudes in a water-stressed region of the United States. We describe water conservation as a culturally-situated activity influenced by a variety of social factors, and show sustainability to be a complicated concept rife with competing, often incompatible interpretations and prescriptions. We discuss implications for designing interfaces that encourage personal conservation, and identify environmental policy making as an area ripe for new CHI activity. Finally, we suggest that sustainability has the potential to move from the periphery of CHI research and become a galvanizing force for the community at large.
Panel :
Making Food, Producing Sustainability ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Making Food, Producing Sustainability
Making Food, Producing Sustainability
Abstract » Many contemporary approaches to environmental sustainability focus on the end-consumer. In this panel, we explore lessons from small food producers for future development of HCI as an agency of sustainable ways of being. We argue that attention to the relationship small producers have to the environment and their experiences of interrelations between environmental, economic, and social sustainability suggest new foundational issues for sustainable HCI research.
Papers/Notes :
HCI and the Developing World ---
04/15/10 02:30:00 PM
Deliberate Interactions: Characterizing Technology Use in Nairobi, Kenya
Deliberate Interactions: Characterizing Technology Use in Nairobi, Kenya
Abstract » We present results from a qualitative study examining how professionals living and working in Nairobi, Kenya regularly use ICT in their everyday lives. There are two contributions of this work for the HCI community. First, we provide empirical evidence demonstrating constraints our participants encountered when using technology in an infrastructure-poor setting. These constraints are limited bandwidth, high costs, differing perceptions of responsiveness, and threats to physical and virtual security. Second, we use our findings to critically evaluate the access, anytime and anywhere construct shaping the design of future technologies. We present an alternative vision called deliberate interactionsa planned and purposeful interaction style that involves offline preparationand discuss ways ICT can support this online usage behavior.
Papers/Notes :
1001 Users ---
04/15/10 11:30:00 AM
Trained to Accept? A Field Experiment on Consent Dialogs
Trained to Accept? A Field Experiment on Consent Dialogs
Abstract » A typical consent dialog was shown in 2 x 2 x 3 experimental variations to 80,000 users of an online privacy tool. We find that polite requests and button texts pointing to a voluntary decision decrease the probability of consent---in contrast to findings in social psychology. Our data suggests that subtle positive effects of polite requests indeed exist, but stronger negative effects of heuristic processing dominate the aggregated results. Participants seem to be habituated to coercive interception dialogs---presumably due to ubiquitous EULAs---and blindly accept terms the more their presentation resembles a EULA. Response latency and consultation of online help were taken as indicators to distinguish more systematic from heuristic responses.
Papers/Notes :
Earth, Wind, and Flyer ---
04/14/10 02:30:00 PM
Exploring Sustainable Design with Reusable Paper
Exploring Sustainable Design with Reusable Paper
Abstract » This paper explores the need for sustainable design with paper: how people really print and how we can take advantage of novel, reusable paper technology. We conducted two studies to investigate user's printing behavior. A key finding of the first study was that users often need an intermediate state between the electronic and physical forms of their documents. The second study examined users' predictions of which types of documents required this intermediate state. We formulate these findings into design guidelines that take into account: examination phase, transitions, cognitive and emotional reasons, and task- and event-relevant documents. Finally, we discuss how the different physical characteristics of reusable paper affect the user interface and could effectively support sustainable design.
ToCHI :
User Interface Description Languages for Next Generation User Interfaces ---
04/13/10 02:30:00 PM
MARIA: A Universal Language for Service-Oriented Applications in Ubiquitous Environments
MARIA: A Universal Language for Service-Oriented Applications in Ubiquitous Environments
Abstract » One important evolution in software applications is the spread of service-oriented architectures in ubiquitous environments. Such environments are characterized by a wide set of interactive devices, with interactive applications that exploit a number of functionalities developed beforehand and encapsulated in Web services. In this paper, we discuss how a novel model-based UIDL can provide useful support both at design and run time for these types of applications. At run-time the language is exploited to support dynamic generation of user interfaces adapted to the different devices at hand during the user interface migration process.
Papers/Notes :
Using Your Social Network ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Improving Social Game Engagement on Facebook through Enhanced Socio-Contextual Information
Improving Social Game Engagement on Facebook through Enhanced Socio-Contextual Information
Abstract » In this paper we describe the results of a controlled study of a social game, Magpies, which was built on the Facebook Online Social Network (OSN) and enhanced with contextual social information in the form of a variety of social network indices. Through comparison with a concurrent control trial using an identical game without the enhanced social information, it was shown that the additional contextual data increased the frequency of social activity between players engaged in the game. Despite this increase in activity, there was little increase in growth of the player-base when compared to the control condition. These findings corroborate previous work that showed how socio-contextual enhancement can increase performance on task-driven games, whilst also suggesting that it can increase activity and engagement when provided as context for non task-driven game environments.
ToCHI :
Activities, Access Control & Networking ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
Activity-Based Computing for Medical Work in Hospitals
Activity-Based Computing for Medical Work in Hospitals
Abstract » The visions of the future ubiquitous computing are to have users transparently use a wide range of heterogeneous computing devices and services in their daily work and life. To meet this goal there is a need for moving the level of computational support from the level of files and applications to support human activities. In this paper we present the concept of Activity-Based Computing (ABC). ABC covers a set of design principles for an ubiquitous computing environment that helps users to arrange and adapt computational resource into support for carrying out parallel, alternating, cooperative activities while moving around in this computing environment. The paper presents our current Java-based implementation of such an activity-based ubiquitous computing environments, called the ABC Framework. The ABC Framework has, among other things, special support for Activity Roaming, enabling users to work nomadically while preserving computational support for their activities, and support for Activity Sharing, enabling users to seamlessly cooperate around an activity. The paper presents how the ABC Framework was evaluated by creating an ABC-aware electronic patient record (EPR) on top of the framework, and how this ABC EPR was evaluated during 15+ evaluation and design workshops. The paper discusses the outcome of these evaluation session, both concerning the usability of the ABC Framework as well as on a more conceptual level.
Papers/Notes :
Storytelling ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
Family Story Play: Reading with Young Children (and Elmo) Over a Distance
Family Story Play: Reading with Young Children (and Elmo) Over a Distance
Abstract » We introduce Family Story Play, a system that supports grandparents to read books together with their grandchildren over the Internet. Family Story Play is designed to improve communication across generations and over a distance, and to support parents and grandparents in fostering the literacy development of young children. The interface encourages active child participation in the book reading experience by combining a paper book, a sensor-enhanced frame, video conferencing technology, and video content of a Sesame Street Muppet (Elmo). Results with users indicate that Family Story Play improves child engagement in long-distance communication and increases the quality of interaction between young children and distant grandparents. Additionally, Family Story Play encourages dialogic reading styles that are linked with literacy development. Ultimately, reading with Family Story Play becomes a creative shared activity that suggests a new kind of collaborative story telling.
Papers/Notes :
Devising Input ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
How Users Manipulate Deformable Displays as Input Devices
How Users Manipulate Deformable Displays as Input Devices
Abstract » This study is aimed at understanding deformation-based user gestures by observing users interacting with artificial deformable displays with various levels of flexibility. We gained user-defined gestures that would help with the design and implementation of deformation-based interface, without considering current technical limitations. We found that when a display material gave more freedom from deformation, the level of consensus of gestures among the users as well as the intuitiveness and preferences were all enhanced. This study offers implications for deformation-based interaction which will be helpful for both designers and engineers who are trying to set the direction for future interface and technology development.
Papers/Notes :
Pointing and Selecting ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Why it's Quick to be Square: Modelling New and Existing Hierarchical Menu Designs
Why it's Quick to be Square: Modelling New and Existing Hierarchical Menu Designs
Abstract » We consider different hierarchical menu and toolbar-like interface designs from a theoretical perspective and show how a model based on visual search time, pointing time, decision time and expertise development can assist in understanding and predicting interaction performance. Three hierarchical menus designs are modelled - a traditional pull-down menu, a pie menu and a novel Square Menu with its items arranged in a grid - and the predictions are validated in an empirical study. The model correctly predicts the relative performance of the designs - both the eventual dominance of Square Menus compared to traditional and pie designs and a performance crossover as users gain experience. Our work shows the value of modelling in HCI design, provides new insights about performance with different hierarchical menu designs, and demonstrates a new high-performance menu type.
alt.chi :
Monsters Attack! ---
04/13/10 11:30:00 AM
Sequential Art for Science and CHI
Sequential Art for Science and CHI
Abstract » This paper illustrates our preliminary studies of new interactive tools that support the generation of sequential art for entertainment, learning and scientific discourse. In the first of two examples, primary school students document a practical science session through the creation of a photostory. In the second, participants in a study on the biological nature of thrill create a souvenir photostory by selecting images from a DVD. The paper is written in a comic-book format to further explore and highlight the communicative capabilities of the medium, one that can be visually attractive and facilitate rapid dissemination to a wide audience.
Papers/Notes :
Something Eye Catching ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
Modeling Dwell-Based Eye Pointing Target Acquisition
Modeling Dwell-Based Eye Pointing Target Acquisition
Abstract » We propose a quantitative model for dwell-based eye pointing tasks. Using the concepts of information theory to analogize eye pointing, we define an index of difficulty (IDeye) for the corresponding tasks in a similar manner to the definition that Fitts made for hand pointing. According to our validations in different situations, IDeye, which takes account of the distinct characteristics of rapid saccades and involuntary eye jitters, can accurately and meaningfully describe eye pointing tasks. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first successful attempt to model gaze interactions.
Papers/Notes :
At Home With Computing ---
04/13/10 09:00:00 AM
Sharing Conversation and Sharing Life: Video Conferencing in the Home
Sharing Conversation and Sharing Life: Video Conferencing in the Home
Abstract » Video conferencing is a technology that families and friends use to connect with each other over distance. However, even with such technology readily available, we still do not have a good understanding of how video conferencing systems are used by people as a part of their domestic communication practices. For this reason, we have conducted interviews with 21 adults in the United States to understand video conferencing routines in the home and to inform the design of future domestic communication technologies. Our findings illustrate the importance of discerning availability and willingness to video conference prior to calling, the need to share everyday life activities in addition to conversation, and a need for new privacy protecting strategies that focus on autonomy and solitude as opposed to confidentiality.
Papers/Notes :
We Are Family ---
04/15/10 09:00:00 AM
The Family Window: The Design and Evaluation of a Domestic Media Space
The Family Window: The Design and Evaluation of a Domestic Media Space
Abstract » Families have a strong need to connect with their loved ones over distance. However, most technologies do not provide the same feelings of connectedness that one feels from seeing remote family members. Hence our goal was to understand if a video connection, in the form of a media space, could help families feel more connected and what design factors would be critical for its success. To answer this, we designed a video media space called the Family Window and deployed it within the homes of two families for eight months and four families for five weeks. Our results show that always-on video can lead to an increase in feelings of connectedness by providing availability awareness and opportunities for sharing everyday life. However usage and value of such media spaces hinges on close-knit relationships and control over one's autonomy.
ToCHI :
Studying and Prototyping ---
04/12/10 04:30:00 PM
The Calendar is Crucial': Coordination and Awareness through the Family Calendar
The Calendar is Crucial': Coordination and Awareness through the Family Calendar
Abstract » Everyday family life involves a myriad of mundane activities that need to be planned and coordinated. We describe findings from studies of 44 different families' calendaring routines to understand how to best design technology to support them. We outline how a typology of calendars containing family activities is used by three different types of families-Monocentric, Pericentric, and Polycentric-which vary in the level of family involvement in the calendaring process. We describe these family types, the content of family calendars, the ways in which they are extended through annotations and augmentations, and the implications from these findings for design.
Papers/Notes :
Using Your Social Network ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
The Role of Community and Groupware in Geocache Creation and Maintenance
The Role of Community and Groupware in Geocache Creation and Maintenance
Abstract » Applications that provide location-based experiences are an increasingly viable design space given the proliferation of GPS-enabled mobile devices. However, these applications are in their infancy, and we do not yet know what design factors will contribute to their success. For this reason, we have studied the well-established location-based experience of geocaching. We report on the results of a survey of geocachers along with observations from our own in-depth geocaching activities. Our findings illustrate that geocaching permits users to create a range of experiences for others within a permeable yet restricted culture of norms. Once created, geocaches are maintained by the community of geocachers through a well-designed groupware system. Here maintenance acts can be performed in the small, given their lightweight and well-defined nature, and become less about maintenance and more about personal participation. These findings provide insight into how community and groupware can be leveraged to support applications for location-based experiences.
Papers/Notes :
On the Phone ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
An Adaptive Speed-Call List Algorithm and Its Evaluation with ESM
An Adaptive Speed-Call List Algorithm and Its Evaluation with ESM
Abstract » We designed an algorithm to build a speed-call list adaptively based on mobile phone call logs. Call logs provide the time-dependent calling patterns of mobile phone users, and therefore a speed-call list based on them will be more successful in recommending a desired number than a speed-call list based on recent calls only. This paper presents the design process of our algorithm for an adaptive speed-call list, its verification result with recorded call logs, and in-situ evaluation results of the algorithm using an Experience Sampling Method (ESM) system.
Papers/Notes :
Input, Security, and Privacy Policies ---
04/13/10 02:30:00 PM
The Secure Haptic Keypad: A Tactile Password System
The Secure Haptic Keypad: A Tactile Password System
Abstract » Authentication in public spaces poses significant security risks. Most significantly, passwords can be stolen, potentially leading to fraud. A common method to steal a PIN is through an observation attack, either using a camera or through direct observation (e.g. shoulder-surfing). This paper addresses this problem by presenting the design and implementation of a novel input keypad which uses tactile cues as means to compose a password. In this system, passwords are encoded as a sequence of randomized vibration patterns, making it visually impossible for an observer to detect which items are selected. An evaluation of this system shows it outperforms previous interfaces which have used tactile feedback to obfuscate passwords.
Papers/Notes :
Tangible UI ---
04/13/10 02:30:00 PM
Touch-Display Keyboards: Transforming Keyboards into Interactive Surfaces
Touch-Display Keyboards: Transforming Keyboards into Interactive Surfaces
Abstract » In spite of many advances in GUI workstations, the keyboard has remained limited to text entry and basic command invocation. In this work, we introduce the Touch-Display Keyboard (TDK), a novel keyboard that combines the physical-ergonomic qualities of the conventional keyboard with dynamic display and touch-sensing embedded in each key. The TDK effectively transforms the keyboard into an interactive surface that is seamlessly integrated with the interaction space of GUIs, extending graphical output, mouse interaction and three-state input to the keyboard. This gives rise to an entirely new design space of interaction across keyboard, mouse and screen, for which we provide a first systematic analysis in this paper. We illustrate the emerging design opportunities with a host of novel interaction concepts and techniques, and show how these contribute to expressiveness of GUIs, exploration and learning of keyboard interfaces, and interface customization across graphics display and physical keyboard.
Panel :
HCI, Communities and Politics ---
04/14/10 04:30:00 PM
HCI, Communities and Politics
HCI, Communities and Politics
Abstract » Working with communities around social change presents a challenge to common HCI methods, as politics often comes to the fore. In some cases, the politics of a community are explicit, for example, when working with activists or advocacy groups. In other cases, political aspects are less explicit but surface in considering the allocation of resources or in groups wherein issues of race, gender or class are of major importance. To address these dynamics, HCI researchers have to go beyond traditional HCI tools and metrics, which too often bracket out the political in an effort to focus on the instrumental issues and uses of technology. This panel juxtaposes several community-based HCI research projects in which politics have been a significant factor and asks How do we address the politics inherent in community-based HCI research?
Papers/Notes :
Interaction Techniques ---
04/13/10 04:30:00 PM
Push-and-Pull Switching: Window Switching based on Window Overlapping
Push-and-Pull Switching: Window Switching based on Window Overlapping
Abstract » We propose Push-and-Pull Switching, a window switching technique using window overlapping to implicitly define groups. Push-and-Pull Switching enables switching between groups and restacking the focused window to any position to change its group membership. The technique was evaluated in an experiment which found that Push-and-Pull Switching improves switching performance by more than 50% compared to other switching techniques in different scenarios. A longitudinal user study indicates that participants invoked this switching technique 15% of the time on single monitor displays and that they found it easy to understand and use.
Papers/Notes :
Looking with Video ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
Temporal hybridity: Mixing live video footage with instant replay in real time
Temporal hybridity: Mixing live video footage with instant replay in real time
Abstract » In this paper we explore the production of streaming media that involves live and recorded content. To examine this, we report on how the production practices and process are conducted through an empirical study of the production of live television, involving the use of live and non-live media under highly time critical conditions. In explaining how this process is managed both as an individual and collective activity, we develop the concept of temporal hybridity to explain the properties of these kinds of production system and show how temporally separated media are used, understood and coordinated. Our analysis is examined in the light of recent developments in computing technology and we present some design implications to support amateur video production.
Papers/Notes :
Classroom Technologies ---
04/14/10 11:30:00 AM
Exploring Affective Technologies for the Classroom with the Subtle Stone
Exploring Affective Technologies for the Classroom with the Subtle Stone
Abstract » Constructive emotional experiences are strongly related to effective learning. Yet, it is challenging for teachers, researchers and students alike to understand the emotions experienced in the classroom setting. Advances in wireless and sensor technologies open up possibilities for better supporting emotions. However, little work has explored how affective technologies in the classroom might operate. This paper describes a study where 15 high school students used the Subtle Stone: a tangible technology designed to support students' active emotional communication in the classroom. We report on how the students used and experienced this technology, and the values they demonstrated through this use: flexibility, privacy, agency, voice and reflection. We conclude by examining future possibilities for affective technologies in the classroom.
Papers/Notes :
Interfaces and Visualization ---
04/12/10 02:30:00 PM
High-Precision Magnification Lenses
High-Precision Magnification Lenses
Abstract » Focus+context interfaces provide in-place magnification of a region of the display, smoothly integrating the focus of attention into its surroundings. Two representations of the data exist simultaneously at two different scales, providing an alternative to classical pan & zoom for navigating multi-scale interfaces. For many practical applications however, the magnification range of focus+context techniques is too limited. This paper addresses this limitation by exploring the quantization problem: the mismatch between visual and motor precision in the magnified region. We introduce three new interaction techniques that solve this problem by integrating fast navigation and high-precision interaction in the magnified region. Speed couples precision to navigation speed. Key and Ring use a discrete switch between precision levels, the former using a keyboard modifier, the latter by decoupling the cursor from the lens' center. We report on three experiments showing that our techniques make interacting with lenses easier while increasing the range of practical magnification factors, and that performance can be further improved by integrating speed-dependent visual behaviors.
SIG :
How to bring HCI Research and Practice Closer Together ---
04/14/10 09:00:00 AM
How to bring HCI Research and Practice Closer Together
How to bring HCI Research and Practice Closer Together