ADDIE

We Begin the ADDIE process.

W4 Reading

The tangible user interface and its evolution

Ishii (2008) Rather than having an interface made with a mouse or a keyboard the interface with the computer is the physical objects being designed. In the case of buildings it would be scale models. Items such as sun and shadow, wind speeds, and materials variations in brick, glass, or other can be checked to see the influence in the space.

Conceptual versus procedural software training for Graphical User Interfaces: A longitudinal field experiment

Olfmman  (1994) studied which methods of training computer software over a four week period. This study was done just as windows was emerging and they were comparing the pros and cons of GUI versus Command Line interface for training and training costs. Training can be broke down into procedural or Conceptual. Conceptual training benefits the beginning computer user in being able to gain procedural information and then generalize solutions when they appear in different areas. One study proposed the conceptual training emphasis would reinforce procedural knowledge. This study was trying to confirm this. It did not find a significant difference as measured at the end of the longitudinal study. Part of the reason given is that trainers and users organize thei information differently depending on their own experience and needs.

A framework and an environment for collaborative analysis of user experiences

Young-Kyung & Rogers (2008) looked at pervasive technologies that now integrate with traditional PC computers in a physical environment and how designers can measure effective collaboration people can have using these technologies. They hoped to find meaningful ways to represent data in an area that seems under represented in a good means of gathering data. They used two groups to form the study. One group did the work and a second group came in and evaluated how the level and effectiveness of collaboration. Young-Kyung & Rogers set up the means of measuring and observing.

Metaphor’s role in the information behavior of humans interacting with computers.

Sease (2008) looked at metaphors in language, cognition, and in HCI. (Human-Computer Interaction) His study listed various origins of metaphors and explained that why one works well and another seems useless has no proof of why that happens. It was a great advance to incorporate GUI interface into computers because for the first time a user could easily have a computer do what they wanted it to do. The GUI interface relies heavily on the use of metaphor for its use. That being said metaphors have their limits in computer interfaces. In some cases the metaphor can cause more confusion than it stopped or hinder an understanding the complete system of a computer. The other thing that GUI metaphors can do is immediately make it obsolete because the user become tethered to a preconceived fixed notion of what can be done.

REFERENCES

Ishii, H. (2008). The tangible user interface and its evolution. Communications of the ACM, 51(6), 32-36. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database.

Olfman, L., & Mandviwalla, M. (1994). Conceptual versus procedural software training for graphical user interfaces: A longitudinal field experiment. MIS Quarterly, 18(4), 405-426. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database.

Youn-kyung, L., & Rogers, Y. (2008). A framework and an environment for collaborative analysis of user experience. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 24(6), 529-555. doi:10.1080/10447310801971204.

Sease, R. (2008). Metaphor's Role in the Information Behavior of Humans Interacting with Computers. Information Technology & Libraries, 27(4), 9-16. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

FV – Persuasive Message.

"Middle Schools and High Schools need to keep the elective type classes vital in our school systems."

   

PE6 (Part 3/6 of iMovie/Garage Band)

Maybe, finally a trick for a 
voice over and video in iMovie ...
(Not so sure.)

   I have tried multiple times to start with a narration or audio file in iMovie and then add video/movie images. I have always had to resort to using the "Cutaway" inserts. This always cancelled out the possibility of using transitions and created other hurdles along the way.

  This time what I did was leave the lens cap on and recorded the audio with basically a "Black" screen. This allowed me to import as a video and gave me a good starting point to add and subtract transitions and alternate video. First thing I did once I placed the clip/audio in iMovie was detach audio from the "EDIT" menu and I was on my way. 

   The only complication was when I added music the automatic "Duck" audio feature muted my music so I had to go through and detach audio for all the clips and delete the audio tracks. I felt that was easier than adjusting the volume for each clip. (Fewer overall mouse clicks.) It would have been smarter to delete the audio portions when I first inserted each clip before I split them multiple times. You live you learn.

   In the end I felt I had more control of edits, audio, and transitions than in previous videos. In reflections this method would not help me if I needed to sync audio with an individual(s) talking on screen. Argh, but for this video it made things streamlined.

PE5 (Part 2/5 of Garage Band/iMovie)

First time using loops in Garage Band...

   Used the opportunity of the final video assignment to finally try to loop music in Garage Band so I could use it in iMovie. I had looked at this section of Garage Band but had never really tried to make it work for a "real" video. I was quite surprised by several things. First it was quite easy, which should not come as a surprise from Apple. Second I was able to easily extend a 41 second loop to 2 1/2 minutes.

Selected "Loops"

Selected "Rock" & "Cheerful"

Placed the 1st loop in the sequence window.

Placed the 1st loop in the sequence window A SECOND TIME.

Then overlapped the end of the 1st loop with the beginning of the 2nd forcing the 1st loop to be shortened. (Moved the loop slowly in and listened carefully each time to hear that the music "worked.")

Then separated the clips by a large distance. Copied the clip being careful where the cursor was finally placed.

Then paste what was copied multiple times.

Quickly took a forty second loop up to more than 2 minutes quickly and easily.

PE4 (Part 1/4 - Flash)

Some improvements...

Reviewed the tutorial videos from Lynda.com again. Covered the area of making buttons and symbols. I cleared up some of my mistakes and was able to set up some mouse states at least with one area. (Mouse up, mouse over, and mouse down, as well as mouse hit area.)

The top shape and the right shape went into some type of loop where they would play thru each state over and over again, cycling rapidly thru a color sequence irregardless of where the mouse point was.

Bottom center mouseup

Bottom center mouseover

Bottom center mousedown

PE3 (Part 3 - Flash)

IT's not pretty, but it's mine...

Tried Flash just out on my own. Opened up the application and tried my hand. Imported a graphic and then drew some buttons, meant to have just one but lost them in layers… deleted and started again. Redrew buttons and explored the bezier curve capacity. (Slick interface to get that to work.) I made the outlines big so I could keep track of them as I moved them around the page and made alterations... tried to access the tools like the video for getting the mouse on, mouse in, etc... commands. Could not find them so back to the tutorials.

Not much better but the picture helps...

W3 Reading

Usability and interaction design – new challenges for the Scandinavian tradition

Bødker and Sundblad (2007) see user interfaces options are much wider today. They were part of the Utopia project 1981-85. Out of this project came an understanding of co-operative design methodology which meant when it came to designing software it gave users input of the beginning development of software. The benefit is it increases software quality. Scandanavia over the past thirty years has made a concerted effort in software and interface design to try to follow some of the concepts of the Utopia Project . They keep the end-user in mind and have them help when writing software or designing interfaces. Many software development methodologies have evolved and is approaching the “3rd wave” of change. In this one of the prime methodologies is to experiment with interface and design to come up with an aesthetic pleasing form; physically as well as virtually. Multiple users and multiple design checks during devlopment is standard course.

Designing Multimodal User-Interfaces for Effective E-Learning in the School Primary Stages Applied on Real Fractions

Odeh and Qaraeen (2009) studied the effectiveness of e-learning with elementary age children. The area that they focused on was the introduction of fractions. They noted that it was a confusing area of mathematics that many students have difficulties with. They wanted to compare traditional textbook learning and e-learning of fractions. They created software in Java so they could use any computer platform to run their experiments. The experiment alternated between traditional and e-learning. After each e-learning session the students were given a survey asking how it compared to the textbook and how well the computer helped them understand fractions. The survey had 12 -18 questions asking for a variety of information from interface to how well they liked it.

Ant Colony Metaphor Applied in User Interface Recommendation

Sobecki (2007) had 18 pages of research based on interface conventions using the model of an ant colony. The idea was to have a user profile developed by systematic gathering of user data on their selections on the web. Purchases, navigation, email, and a variety of other statistical projected data of choice. The idea he has is two fold. To create a set of choices for the user most like what they would chose and secondly even create an interface to the information most preferred by the user. The ant methaphor is stated like this: “The main idea of using ant colony metaphor is that living ants, despite their being almost blind, are able to find their way from the nest to food and back.” Comparing people to blind ants is an interesting choice of words that maybe indicates how users interact on the internet but the overall concept was to offer a straighter line to what the user is looking for via the interface and their personal preferences.

Alternate interface Technologies Emerge

Kroeker (2010) reported on several engineers working in the field of HCI. (Human-computer interaction.) They are looking for the next best way to use all the technologies around us in the optimum way. The engineers featured have also already made significant developments in the commercial world with design of products that are in use today. Several projects  in development were outlined but the most significant items on interface in this article comes in the form of quotes by Chris Harrison an HCI researcher from Carnegie Mellon University:

“…while computers have become orders of magnitude more powerful than they were a few decades ago, users continue to rely on the mouse and keyboard, technologies that are approximately 45 and 150 years old, respectively.”

“That’s analogous to driving your car with ropes and sails. It’s this huge disparity that gets me excited about input.”

The article finishes again with a very significant quote by Harrison that should serve as watch words for all computer users and designers:

“To advance to the next song on your portable music player, a simple button can be fantastically efficient. We have to be diligent in preserving what works, and investigate what doesn’t.”

REFERENCES

Bødker, S., & Sundblad, Y. (2008). Usability and interaction design - new challenges for the Scandinavian tradition. Behaviour & Information Technology, 27(4), 293-300. doi:10.1080/01449290701760682.

Odeh, S., & Qaraeen, O. (2009). Designing multimodal user-interfaces for effective e-learning in the school primary stages applied on real fractions. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 4(2), 39-47. doi:10.3991/ijet.v4i2.274.

Sobecki, J. (2008). Ant colony metaphor applied in user interface recommendation. New Generation Computing, 26(3), 277-293. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Kroeke, K. (2010). Alternate interface technologies emerge. Communications of the ACM, 53(2), 13-15. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database.

PE2 (Part 2 - Flash)

  

Spent some time on Lynda.com running the training by Paul Trani. Did the Welcome, web design, first flash file, etc... up to importing photoshop files. Also did a tutorial on flash file types and it reiterated that you find flash files in animations, online games, and advertisements. The video compression component being popular across the web aslo was restated. The gains in limiting size of files has made flash the standard for online tools.

The tutorial explained file types that are possible with Flash and explained what they did. Another element was the use of layers and grouping items on a paged based on that one common item. Doing that will significantly reduce the size of the files needed because Flash will reuse the common information to create 10 buttons rather than needing the code of 10 different buttons. Everything was the way in which it was set-up from the beginning.

BP12 OMM (SpicyNodes.com)

 

   
SpicyNodes.com
A mind map, a database, a visual aid.

PE1 (Part 1 - Flash)

     

I am choosing to investigate Flash.

I have started by seeing exactly what flash is by typing it into “Ask Jeeeves.” It seems to have created more questions than it has solved. The definition was: it is a compression scheme for video that Adobe owns and uses to service multiple computer platforms and mobile devices. YouTube, Hulu, a great deal of animations, games online, many advertisements are Flash. The software was previously owned and developed by two other companies Shockwave Flash and Macromedia Flash.

Flash is a vector and raster drawing based animation program that aides in creating small sized files. Some have used as a drawing program and have paired its use with Freehand or Illustrator to create significant works. Flash can capture user computer actions with mouse, keyboard, microphones, and cameras. The input can be uploaded and handle by the software to create an interactive interface. Advantages of the small file size and the way Flash uses CPU time is the reduced bandwith to deliver information over the internet.

A side issue to Flash is Flash Paper that is based on the same vector based coding of images to render files smaller and efficient in the online or any environment. This aspect is more similar to a PDF file rather than an animation file. Flash Paper also has some extra feature readily available for increasing or decreasing page size. Due to the nature of it’s graphics file sizes are even more improved over the size savings gained from PDF files while still having the same portability. Adobe discontinued Flash Paper in 2008 after a long fall in use over several years.

BP11 Comment to Jeri Kennedy

Headmagnet

Jeri has come up with a web site that has potential to help my students study for tests and drill skills that need reviewed and reinforced. It also is a powerful tool for me to use on some of my skills that need some review.

Follow this link to my comments on Jeri's blog.

BP10 Comment to Craig Swearingen

Ipadio

Craig found a great site that will take speech phoned in and will transcribe it into text as well as create a podcast automatically posting both to the Ipadio website.

Follow this link to my comments on Craig Swearingen's blog.

BP9 (LinoIt)

Name: LinoIt

Links: https://linoit.com/

How I would use this: This week we were to choose a Web 2.0 application that we would use for our action research project. The Web 2.0 application I chose is LinoIt. There are several features that are important to me in LinoIt.

Important features to Me:

(1) The four wonderful neon colored rectangles digital paper to help organize tasks and information.

(2) You can email your sticky note, but only if you become a paying premium user for $3.00 a month. I suppose digital paper is more expensive to produce on your own computer.

(3) Multiple background “canvas” selections possible. You can organize at another level by sort information into different boards.

Other Important features:

(4) Settable alarms/due dates with a nice dashboard type calendar.

(5) You can place images, videos, and files into your stickies. It is limited with free accounts

(6) Web 2.0 group connectivity is built into LinoIt.

An Aside: I suppose the name “Lino It” was chosen to avoid possible trademark or copyright infringement with 3M. Lino can be a reference to the grand old days of the linotype used in printing many newspapers in the last century.

Cost & Interface: LinoIt is FREE. There is a “Premium Subscription” service that is available for a monthly fee of $3.00. (The premier account has more features, storage, searches, no ads, email in English and Japanese…) The LinoIt interface is easy quickly but is a little confusing at first.

Why I chose it: The color organization of canvases and stickies plus the email feature is why I chose LinoIt. 

W2 Reading

Interacting with Groups of Computers 

Shell, Selker, and Vertegaal (2003) see the need to get computer devices to play well with each other on the interactive level; PDA’s, email programs, IM’s, and cell phones. This process of giving a device “an attention” priority in context of the users wishes is called AUI (Attentive User Interface). The example was email. When email comes generally will put a dialogue right in the middle to indicate receipt. AUI trys to sense the user’s proximity, available user focus, and possibility of communicating. Vertegaal’s GAZE interface is based on where someone is looking to give priority. Sensors on cameras, around people, in the floor give an indication of a focus on people or available for interaction with a device.

Impact of Computer-User Interface on Document  Quality

Kupier (1994) studied CUI and GUI interfaces and how they effected the quality of writing. Students in a business communications class worked on two kinds of computer interfaces and their writing was rated on content, structure, mechanics, and form.

A Process for Anticipating and Executing Icon Selection in Graphical User Interfaces

Lane, Peres, Sándor, and Napier (2005) started with the intent of trying to predict what icon in a computer interface a user would prefer. The study set up 3 models to gather data from. The end result was that they could not predict which icon would be chosen but did note limiting the choices in the layout of icons could et a closer prediction.

Impact of response delay and training on user performance with text-based and graphical user interfaces for engineering design.

Simpson, Barron, Rothrock, Frecker, Barton, and Ligetti (2007) looked at engineering software and noted despite advances in interface design and technology users did not have significant gains in speed. One of the factors that came to light was response and delay times in regards to software design interface. The gaming industry understanding of this factor is much better than the engineering software designers. They set up three simulations to gather data on interface as it relates to response and delay.

REFERENCES

Kuiper, S. (1994). Impact of Computer-User Interface on Document Quality. Journal of Business Communication, 31(2), 125-135. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database.

Lane, D., Peres, S., Sándor, A., & Napier, H. (2005). A Process for Anticipating and Executing Icon Selection in Graphical User Interfaces. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 19(2), 241-252. doi:10.1207/s15327590ijhc1902_5

Shell, J., Selker, T., & Vertegaal, R. (2003). Interacting with Groups of Computers. Communications of the ACM, 46(3), 40-46. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database.

Simpson, T., Barron, K., Rothrock, L., Frecker, M., Barton, R., & Ligetti, C. (2007). Impact of response delay and training on user performance with text-based and graphical user interfaces for engineering design. Research in Engineering Design, 18(2), 49-65. doi:10.1007/s00163-007-0033-y.

BP8 OMM (Google Docs)

BP7 Comment to Judy De Los Santos

Follow this link to my comments on Judy 's blog.

http://jleerami.blogspot.com/2010/10/bp4.html

BP6 Comment to Josh Tolar

Follow this link to my comments on Josh's blog.

http://jtolar.blogspot.com/2010/10/bp5-aviary-tools.html

BP5 "Google Docs" Web 2.0 Tool

Name: Google Docs

Links: https://docs.google.com         

            http://www.google.com/google-d-s/tour1.html

How I would use this: This week we were to choose a Web 2.0 application that we would use for our action research project. The Web 2.0 application I chose is Google Docs. The most important feature of Google Docs that I want to use is “the forms” feature. I plan to use this for surveying information of current knowledge and current practice of the participants in my study. My plan is to target areas of information in small segments. One week web pages and another week file formats. After that a follow-up survey would be conducted to indicate how well tutoring did to improve the concepts.

Cost & Interface: Google Docs is FREE. There is a “Premier” edition that is available for a yearly fee of $50.00 per user. (The premier account has more features, storage, etc…) The Google Docs interface is very easy and user friendly. The initial navigation can be confusing but improves immediately when using the applications. Each document type has better than basic features to create very good documents worthy of publishing directly from the site. If you wish finer control of the finished product you can download your documents to your computer and edit with a computer application of your choice.

Why I chose it: The forms portion for surveys. Being able to send forms or share documents via email accounts. Google Docs has a great interface and flexible access from anywhere..

Outstanding Features: Forms, interface, access, and email connections.

W1 Reading

Modernism and the esthtics of personal computing

Kirkpatrick (2003) argues the question of modernist esthetics is when the computer user is at a computer; the interface offers something the individual can interact with rather than the computer representing the true machine that it is underneath the interface. Graphic interface is natural pluralism everybody can be successful. There is a conjecture of machine entering where it is all great experience with out betraying it's technical underpinnings. IT has been refined enough that using a computer no longer is represented as technology but as an enjoyable experience without betraying it's underlying technology. Computational styles emerged in the 80's that divided between expert knowledge (Hackers) and knowledgeable hobbyists. Both knew the machines inside and out but developed their expertise to different degrees. Up to 1990's it was a subculture that used "command line" interaction. The User friendly interface changing that. The question that modernist esthetics poses is that the computer user as they get more knowledgable should be able to be exposed to the inner working more and should be able to see the true machine

Hidden costs of graphical user interfaces: Failure to make the transition from menus and icon toolbars to keyboard shortcuts

Lane, Napier, Peres, & Sándor (2005) did several studies to determine efficient use of computer interfaces. Mouse, icons, keyboard shortcuts, or variations of the previous. They did two studies using more than 250 people located in various industries. The studies relied heavily on questionnaires and came up with surprising results when comparing experienced and inexperienced users. The studied showed keyboard shortcuts were used the least. The cut, copy, paste were the most used shortcuts but icon use still out numbered the keyboard shortcut. Neither experience or advanced typing skills seemed to be a factor that improved efficient use of keyboard. Possible ways for improvement was training programs with specific mapped out guidelines. Graphic interfaces are easy to learn and the visibility of the graphic interface makes them easy to use so foregoing the need to memorize commands.

Pictorial communication of abstract verbs in relation to human-computer interaction

Rogers & Oborne (1987) looked at how people would draw pictures to represent verbs like say for functions of keys or an action with a computer. There were two levels of verbs: high imagery and low imagery verbs. The recent trends are to use icons to represent actions on computers or with machinery. It has been found that icons can convey meaning quicker and more succinctly than words. The transition of this to computers is incomplete due to the uncertainty of what image conveys what complicated feature. Abstract connections of pictures versus words is unknown for variety of factors. The research has not pointed out if it makes a difference in speed or not due to high imagery words are much easier to draw for and understand.

Complexity of user interfaces: Can it be reduced by a mode key?

Musseler, Meinecke, & Dobler (1996) investigates if mode keys, which changes the function of other control elements, is a benefit to speed and accuracy in operating a device. They experimented with 3 set-ups of keys. 1 mode key and 5 buttons; 5 mode keys and 5 buttons; and 5 mode keys and 20 buttons. There are impacts with friendly or unfriendly interfaces that can positively or negatively impact usage. Mode keys for advance users is a benefit in speed especially when practiced, but there can be slowness and often wrong use with misunderstood mode keys. Design of single mode key is least efficient and in a critical speed dependent situation is not a recommended interface. The single key set-up consistently out-performed the other set-ups, but is not to say it is most efficient. Manufacturing and task affect these.  Categorical grouping is helpful in efficient usage of the buttons. Study looks at how the relationship of variety/number of modes influences accuracy of usage in practiced user and inexperienced users.

REFERENCES

Kirkpatrick, G. (2003). Modernism and the esthetics of personal computing. Journal for Cultural Research, 7(2), 179. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Lane, D., Napier, H., Peres, S., & Sándor, A. (2005). Hidden costs of graphical user interfaces: Failure to make the transition from menus and icon Toolbars to Keyboard Shortcuts. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 18(2), 133-144. doi:10.1207/s15327590ijhc1802_1.

Rogers, Y., & Oborne, D. (1987). Pictorial communication of abstract verbs in relation to human--computer interaction. British Journal of Psychology, 78(1), 99. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database.

Musseler, J., Meinecke, C., & Dobler, J. (1996). Complexity of user interfaces: Can it be reduced by a mode key?. Behaviour & Information Technology, 15(5), 291-300. doi:10.1080/014492996120076

BP4 "gliffy" Web 2.0 Tool

Name: Gliffy

Link: http://www.gliffy.com/gliffy/#templateId=blank&signup=1

How I would use this: This is a diagram maker to a mind mapping program. Any class where any diagrams are used or needed can use this program. Venn diagrams are used in most classes and the set of tools are great. If you need a graphic organizer this program can create one very.

Cost & Interface: There is a 30 day trial for free. Purchased accounts start at 5$ a month and increase as the number of users is increased. Institutional discounts are available. The interface looks like a standard graphics program: tools can be selected, templates can be chosen from, and preset shapes offered via icon tool palettes. 

Why I chose it: This software is a strong program. Flexible tools, great graphics, and easy to use.

Outstanding Feature: The graphics search is linked to yahoo and the pictures were great.

Check the Video Summary: A silent video with and outline of interface and features.