Everyday Computer Use Research Articles

Review of Transparent Designs: Personal Computing and the Politics of User-Friendliness, by Michael L. Black

The book follows an intricate history of computing that hinges its thesis on the to a history of the word ‘transparency’ as a method in the field of engineering that is meant to make invisible what is otherwise always working within a computer. For the author, rendering computation as transparent reveals the inherent politics of the notion of user-friendliness. The contribution that Black makes to the field of the history of computing is tracing the principle of transparency to a pre-history of the graphical user interface. The question that this book comes back to over and again remains: how can the design ideals that constitute the user-friendly interactions between humans and computers be subverted? The book helps the reader to see what has otherwise been designed to be hidden. In revealing to the reader how the principles baked into our everyday use of computers can at least be traced to what has been framed as a user-friendly past, we are able to move towards an intervention that would constitute, as Black puts it, “an unfriendly future.”

Switching on or switching off? Everyday computer use as a predictor of sustained attention and cognitive reflection

In response to concerns that modern computer usage habits are having a deleterious effect on cognitive functioning, a study was designed to investigate the relationship between three dimensions of computer usage behaviour and two cognitive abilities: sustained attention and cognitive reflection. Trait mindfulness was incorporated as a potential protective factor for decline in cognitive functioning. A sample of 155 adults was recruited anonymously via Internet sources to complete a computer usage questionnaire, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, the Cognitive Reflection Test and the Mackworth Clock Vigilance Test. Hierarchical regression models were generated for criterion variables cognitive reflection and sustained attention, with 7 predictors entered in three steps: (a) demographics (age, gender, education); (b) computer usage behaviour (daily computing hours, daily computing sessions, mobile use percentage); and (c) trait mindfulness. Computer usage behaviour and demographics accounted for 12.4% of the variance in sustained attention, with a significant 11.6% uniquely predicted by computer usage behaviour. For cognitive reflection, 13.5% of the variance was explained by combined computer usage and demographics, with a significant 7.4% of unique variance explained by computer usage. Computing hours and computing sessions were significant individual predictors of sustained attention, whereas computing hours, mobile use percentage and gender were significant predictors of cognitive reflection. Trait mindfulness did not significantly contribute to the predictive power for either model, suggesting it is not a protective factor for sustained attention or cognitive reflection. Findings are discussed in relation to dual-process theory, the Baddeley and Hitch working memory model and contemporary social commentary.

Career Choices in Information and Communication Technology among South Western Nigerian Women

This study is designed to discover the key factors for the under-representation and lack of career progression or otherwise of women in the ICT field, specifically in South Western Nigeria. Questionnaires were administered to women (i.e., students, lecturers and other staff) studying or working in selected higher institutions. The results show that 90% of the women studied are self-motivated in their choice of the ICT career with very little external incentivizing or encouragement supporting their choice, besides the lure of high compensation and prestige associated with skilled ICT work. The slight influence on the career choice of women to pursue ICT derives from everyday use of computers and career information provided by role models and mentors, which are atypical, while, those women who did not choose a career in ICT did so because of their perception of the overabundance of required programming skills. Other barriers include environmental working conditions, infrastructure and electricity in the work area needed to support ICT related work. Although, many of the career women believe that they are competitive with their male counterparts in ICT; the fact remains in South Western Nigeria that only a few women are senior associates at organizations in the ICT field. Recommendations are offered to decrease this disparity and address enabling conditions for change.

Possibilities and challenges for TEL from a student perspective through the uptake and use of digital technologies in a 1:1 initiative

The uptake and use of digital technologies in the classroom is studied in Unos Umeå, a joint One-to-One (1:1) project between Umeå University and the Municipality of Umeå in Sweden. This paper presents the results of a survey completed by upper secondary students (N=923), focus group interviews (N=7) and classroom observations (N=22). Students see possibilities in accessing information, text skills, and work variation, while the challenges they see are difficulties in focusing on the task at hand, technical problems, and the lack of alignment between students’ and teachers’ skills in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Using the Ecology of Resources Model (Luckin 2010), these challenges can be interpreted as the manifestation of filters in the learning environment. How collaborative learning environments are created, the lack of alignment between teachers’ and students’ ICT skills and how everyday use of computers in the classroom develops will hold implications for Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) in the classroom.

Effects of Consciousness and Consistency in Manual Control of Visual Stimulus on Reduction of the Flash-Lag Effect for Luminance Change

Four experiments investigated how observers’ consciousness about their control of stimulus change affects the visual perception associated with the illusory flash-lag effect. In previous study (Ichikawa and Masakura, 2006), we found that the flash-lag effect in motion is reduced if observers were conscious that they were controlling stimulus movements by the use of computer mouse, even if the stimulus moved automatically, independently of observer’s mouse control. In the other study (Ichikawa and Masakura, 2010a), we found that the consistent directional relationship between the observer’s mouse control and stimulus movement, which is learned in our everyday computer use, is important for the reduction of the flash-lag effect in active observation. In the present study, we examined whether the reduction of the flash-lag effect in active observation requires the observers’ consciousness about their control of stimulus change, and consistency in coupling mouse movement direction and stimulus change across trials in experiments. We used the flash-lag effect in luminance change because there is no intrinsic relationship between observer’s mouse control and luminance change in our everyday computer use. We compared the illusory flash-lag effects for automatic change of the luminance with luminance change that was controlled by the observers’ active manipulation of a computer mouse. Because the flash occurs randomly in time, observers could not anticipate when the flash was presented. Results suggest that the not only observer’s consciousness of controlling the stimulus, but also consistency in coupling mouse movement direction with stimulus change, are required for the reduction of the flash-lag effect in active observation. The basis of the reduction of the flash-lag effect in active observation is discussed.

Effects of Proprioceptive Processing on the Illusory Flash-Lag Effect in Motion and Luminance Change

Observer's active control of visual stimulus movement by the use of computer mouse reduces the flash-lag effect (Ichikawa & Masakura, 2006, Vision Research). This reduction of the flash-lag effect in visual motion depends upon directional relationship between hand movement and visual stimulus movement (Ichikawa & Masakura, 2010 AP&P). These studies indicate that the reduction of the flash-lag effect depends upon the sensory-motor learning of the directional consistency between the hand movement and stimulus movement in everyday-computer use. In this study, we examined how directional relationship between hand movement and stimulus change, which is not involved in every-computer use, affects the reduction of the flash-lag effect if there is no inevitable directional relationship between hand movement and stimulus change. While the luminance of the visual stimulus was controlled by the use of computer-mouse, a flash was presented. Observer judged which of the flash and luminance change stimulus is lighter. We found significant reduction of the flash-lag effect only when the directional relationship between hand movement and stimulus change was fixed. The results suggest that the proprioceptive signal to control the visual stimulus would facilitate the visual processing if the directional relationship between hand movement and stimulus change is consistent.

Electronic Patient Records for Dental School Clinics: More Than Paperless Systems

The Electronic Patient Record (EPR) or "computer-based medical record" is defined by the Patient Record Institute as "a repository for patient information with one health-care enterprise that is supported by digital computer input and integrated with other information sources." The information technology revolution coupled with everyday use of computers in clinical dentistry has created new demand for electronic patient records. Ultimately, the EPR should improve health care quality. The major short-term disadvantage is cost, including software, equipment, training, and personnel time involved in the associated business process re-engineering. An internal review committee with expertise in information technology and/or database management evaluated commercially available software in light of the unique needs of academic dental facilities. This paper discusses their deficiencies and suggests areas for improvement. The dental profession should develop a more common record with standard diagnostic codes and clinical outcome measures to make the EPR more useful for clinical research and improve the quality of care.

Contemporary Cybernetics

The application of the results of research into Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the everyday use of computers has been highlighted by projects for the Fifth Generation Computer.