Human Computer Interaction Course Research Articles

The Application of Design Thinking and Project-Based Learning in Human–Computer Interaction Courses for Construction Engineering Students

The Application of Design Thinking and Project-Based Learning in Human–Computer Interaction Courses for Construction Engineering Students

Analyzing the Learners’ Experience of an Experimental HCI Course in a Remote Context

Learner eXperience (LX) is learners’ perceptions, responses, and performances through interaction with educational technologies, involving behaviors, attitudes, sensations, emotional responses, and others. Therefore, this paper reports learners’ experiences in Experimental Human-Computer Interaction (Experimental HCI) course in the remote learning format. The activities consisted of synchronous and asynchronous classes. Participants in this exploratory study were undergraduate computer science and graduate computer science learners from a Brazilian university. This study sought to verify the LX elements that may have influenced the learners’ knowledge, such as Value, Usability, Desirability, Comfortability, and Adaptability. Thus, learners shared positive and negative feelings regarding their experiences using educational technologies. Finally, 16 LX guidelines for remote learning are presented. It is believed that the knowledge acquired in the course can contribute to preparing these young researchers for research in academy and industry, including undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral learners. The results of this exploratory study can direct and support future courses in the remote learning format.

Virtual Flipped Classroom in HCI Courses: Case Studies on the Experience of Brazilian Students

Abstract The interest in virtual learning is not new; however, it has become a hot topic since the outbreak of COVID-19. In the area of human–computer interaction (HCI), there have been few educational experiences conducted in fully online mode. This paper examines a virtual flipped classroom–based approach, which was adopted to support HCI teaching–learning by using online tools. We conducted two case studies at a Brazilian University and carried out qualitative data analysis. We also investigated how this approach affected the experience of undergraduate and graduate students, together with the skills it enabled them to acquire. The results revealed a high degree of satisfaction and motivation felt by students when they adopted this approach and a change in their mindset about the importance of HCI in their future job activities as professionals. Skills related to effective work in group management and innovative thinking were also stimulated by our approach.

Usevalia: Managing Inspection-Based Usability Audits

Heuristic evaluation provides usability auditors with a structured flow of activities that enables them to obtain reliable, comparable and cost-effective usability evaluation results. Tools supporting heuristic evaluation are scarce in literature. Usevalia is an Internet-based tool that manages usability audits on the basis of heuristic evaluation. This article presents the main features of Usevalia, together with a validation of the software by following the Technology Acceptance Model, which verified the users’ perceptions of Usevalia as regards usefulness, ease of use, attitude and intention to use. A total of 22 students enrolled on a human–computer interaction course were involved in the validation. According to the results of the survey conducted with them, the proposed tool is easy to use (MD = 4.00 out of 5) and useful for conducting usability audits based on heuristic evaluation (MD = 4.00 out of 5). An expert-based validation was also carried out in order to thoroughly compare Usevalia’s features with those of a spreadsheet-based tool that performs usability audits in the traditional manner. This comparative analysis made it possible to conclude that the Usevalia tool has a higher perceived usefulness (M = 4.43) and perceived ease of use (M = 4.13) than a traditional audit tool, such as the Usability Datalogger spreadsheet (M = 2.43 and M = 3.03, respectively).

Investigating Student’s Cognitive Engagement, Motivation and Cognitive Retention in Learning Management System

Online learning has grown significantly in recent years, due to the proliferation of online courses offered by universities. As a result, pedagogical guidance is critical for improving teaching quality in an online learning environment. In this study, Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) activities were developed with the aim of increasing students' cognitive engagement, cognitive retention, and motivation to learn. This study also investigated the effects of the IBL pedagogical method on student performance. A pre-experimental study was conducted with 16 undergraduate students enrolled on a Multimedia Design and Human Computer Interaction course. Learning Analytics (LA) was used to retrieve research data from a Learning Management System (LMS) online discussion forum, and the data was then analyzed using content analysis and data mining analysis. According to the findings, students perceived a higher rate of low-level cognitive engagement but, interestingly, a high level of cognitive retention and motivation. Meanwhile, a significant relationship was observed between students' cognitive engagement, motivation and cognitive retention.

Evaluating a gamification proposal for learning usability heuristics: Heureka

This paper presents the results of an educational experiment conducted to determine whether an automated, card-based gamification strategy has an impact on the learning of Jakob Nielsen's 10 heuristic usability rules. The participants in the experiment were 55 students enrolled on a human-computer interaction course. According to the results of the experiment and the hypothesis tests performed to compare both traditional and gamified approaches, there were no significant differences (t (53) = 0.66, p = 0.52), although the scores attained by the students who used the gamification strategy were slightly better when evaluated one week later (M = 6.29 and M = 6.57 out of 10, respectively). Moreover, the students’ perceptions reflect that the proposed tool is easy to use (MD = 4.00 out of 5) and useful as regards learning (MD = 4.00 out of 5). Further research is needed to determine whether incorporating other gamification elements, such as rankings, difficulty levels, and game modes, would have a positive impact on student motivation, engagement and performance.

Project-based learning in human–computer interaction: a service‐dominant logic approach

PurposeThis study aims to propose a service-dominant logic (S-DL)-informed framework for teaching innovation in the context of human–computer interaction (HCI) education involving large industrial projects.Design/methodology/approachThis study combines S-DL from the field of marketing with experiential and constructivist learning to enable value co-creation as the primary method of connecting diverse actors within the service ecology. The approach aligns with the current conceptualization of central university activities as a triad of research, education and innovation.FindingsThe teaching framework based on the S-DL enabled ongoing improvements to the course (a project-based, bachelor’s-level HCI course in the computer science department), easier management of stakeholders and learning experiences through students’ participation in real-life projects. The framework also helped to provide an understanding of how value co-creation works and brought a new dimension to HCI education.Practical implicationsThe proposed framework and the authors’ experience described herein, along with examples of projects, can be helpful to educators designing and improving project-based HCI courses. It can also be useful for partner companies and organizations to realize the potential benefits of collaboration with universities. Decision-makers in industry and academia can benefit from these findings when discussing approaches to addressing sustainability issues.Originality/valueWhile HCI has successfully contributed to innovation, HCI education has made only moderate efforts to include innovation as part of the curriculum. The proposed framework considers multiple service ecosystem actors and covers a broader set of co-created values for the involved partners and society than just learning benefits.

EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF GAME-BASED FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT ON STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING AND PARTICIPATION IN A HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION COURSE

This study discusses an attempt to examine the impact of gamebased formative assessment on the students’ knowledge in a Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) course, which is a fundamental subject for Multimedia students. This course is important to expose them to the ideas of user interface and interaction design methodologies, skills, and values that are required for them to develop a practical interaction design system. The respondents in this research were 63 undergraduates who enrolled in an HCI course in a public university in Malaysia. An experimental research design was employed whereby the respondents were conveniently assigned to two groups; control (33) and experimental (30). Eight paper-based formative assessments were given to the control group, while eight online game-based evaluations were given to the experimental group. The students’ scores are recorded to assess their understanding of the learning content and their participation in the HCI classroom. A test was also administered at the end of the semester and utilised as a data collection tool to examine the effectiveness of the intervention in terms of student comprehension. The information was then gathered and analysed using descriptive and ANOVA statistical methods. The students’ involvement was reflected through an opinion survey that was given to the students at the end of the semester. The findings revealed that students who participated in a game-based formative assessment shown greater understanding and involvement than students who participated in a formative paperbased evaluation, implying that introducing a scope of game-based formative assessments improved the understanding and participation in the HCI course classroom.

Game-Based Digital Quiz as a Tool for Improving Students’ Engagement and Learning in Online Lectures

Distance teaching and learning are gaining popularity, especially amidst the COVID-19 crisis at the beginning of 2020. Several schools, colleges, and universities across the globe, as a result, have adopted the online mode of teaching. While the businesses and day-to-day activities were shutting down, eLearning tools and online education platforms saw considerable demand. Many institutions with digital infrastructure in place and prior distance teaching experience had a smoother transition from on-campus classes and lecturing to online teaching and learning. In contrast, for many, the transition involved challenges, including keeping students' motivation, interaction, and interest alive, in addition to adapting tools and technologies. This paper reports on students' engagement and motivation levels along with the learning curve during the online learning using a game-based digital quiz tool within a Human-Computer Interaction course in a university in Kosovo. The study investigates the effect of in-lecture quizzes in online classes and correlating the effect of students in the learning curve over four months. Two key motivation parameters-students' engagement and interaction - are compared and analyzed using two different online quiz platforms and the impact of its uses reflected in the learning curve. The results indicated a significant increase in students' engagement and interaction levels in lectures with systematic in-lecture quizzes. Further, the results show that the learning curve is steeper when using in-lecture quizzes (with 73%) in contrast to classes where in-lecture quizzes are not used (57.5%).

Production and Evaluation of an Educational Process for Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) Courses

Contribution: This work presents a teaching and learning process for human-computer interaction (HCI) courses, combining traditional lecture-based classroom (TLBC), active learning (AL) and project-based learning elements, such that students can increase their understanding over HCI. Background: In undergraduate science computing, the academic curriculum is composed of theoretical and practical courses. The theoretical courses address more abstract content. This process intends to increase the involving of students over the theoretical discipline of HCI. Research Questions: This work shows a different approach to improve student retention for a better understanding of the theoretical aspects over HCI. Methodology: This proposed process has three mainstages and, as newness, uses the t-learning concept to simulate interactive educational videos. In the first stage, the teacher presents concepts of HCI using TLBC. The second stage is AL, where students make oral presentations or make of learning objects based on interactive videos (LOBIVs) to reinforce their self-comprehension over theoretical content. The third stage is the PBL activity of the production of new LOBIVs. Findings: The results show higher statistical scores using the proposed method (PM) in comparison with the TLBC used in HCI course. A total of 131 students concepts were compared in this work, that uses TLBC, with 113 students concepts that use the PM. The results indicate that there are advantages in the PM, because it helps to reduce the number of reproved students and increases the average students grade.

EAUHHCAMA: Extending and Adapting Usability Heuristics for Healthcare Related Context-Aware Mobile Applications

Fitness related context-aware mobile applications (FCAMA) being the fragment of healthcare informatics, use emerging technologies and provide continuous and real-time information to the end-users. This information supports the users in understanding the physical condition and the way to improve health using cues. That's why; healthcare informatics is the fast-growing domain of interest for researchers. FCAMA has collected information from inbuilt smartphone tools including accelerometer, GPS, microphone, camera, and others. FCAMA transformed the extracted data into a usable form and formulated individual plans to track and improve fitness. But, it is ambiguous whether the user interfaces of FCAMA is really effective in improving health and fitness. Although, several studies attempt to establish an effective usability evaluation mechanism, it still needs further work for comprehensively identifying usability flaws. Evaluators of FCAMA use inspection based heuristics set to identify user-related issues. In order to identify the usability issues comprehensively, it is important that heuristics are pertinent. In this paper, we propose an enhanced and adapted set of fourteen usability heuristics for FCAMA. Eleven heuristics were selected and adapted after cross-linking the usability flaws with the existing sets of heuristics. Usability flaws were captured in a user study with 850 students from the human-computer interaction (HCI) course. While we added two more against uncaptured usability flaws, to be able to adapt the heuristics set to the context awareness aspect. The FCAMA was validated using two evaluation studies conducted by students in (HCI) course, and second by usability experts. Results have justified the proposed heuristics both in terms of effectiveness and relevance.

Robot-Supported Collaborative Learning (RSCL): Social Robots as Teaching Assistants for Higher Education Small Group Facilitation.

Acknowledging the benefits of active learning and the importance of collaboration skills, the higher education system has started to transform toward utilization of group activities into lecture hall culture. In this study, a novel interaction has been introduced, wherein a social robot facilitated a small collaborative group activity of students in higher education. Thirty-six students completed a 3 h activity that covered the main content of a course in Human Computer Interaction. In this within-subject study, the students worked in groups of four on three activities, moving between three conditions: instructor facilitation of several groups using pen and paper for the activity; tablets facilitation, also used for the activity; and robot facilitation, using tablets for the activity. The robot facilitated the activity by introducing the different tasks, ensuring proper time management, and encouraging discussion among the students. This study examined the effects of facilitation type on attitudes toward the activity facilitation, the group activity, and the robot, using quantitative, and qualitative measures. Overall students perceived the robot positively, as friendly and responsive, even though the robot did not directly respond to the students' verbal communications. While most survey items did not convey significant differences between the robot, tablet, or instructor, we found significant correlations between perceptions of the robot, and attitudes toward the activity facilitation, and the group activity. Qualitative data revealed the drawbacks and benefits of the robot, as well as its relative perceived advantages over a human facilitator, such as better time management, objectivity, and efficiency. These results suggest that the robot's complementary characteristics enable a higher quality learning environment, that corresponds with students' requirements and that a Robot Supportive Collaborative Learning (RSCL) is a promising novel paradigm for higher education.

Automated Essay Scoring using Ontology Generator and Natural Language Processing with Question Generator based on Blooms Taxonomy’s Cognitive Level

Essay writing examination is commonly used learning activity in all levels of education and disciplines. It is advantageous in evaluating the student’s learning outcomes because it gives them the chance to exhibit their knowledge and skills freely. For these reasons, a lot of researchers turned their interest in Automated essay scoring (AES) is one of the most remarkable innovations in text mining using Natural Language Processing and Machine learning algorithms. The purpose of this study is to develop an automated essay scoring that uses ontology and Natural Language Processing. Different learning algorithms showed agreeing prediction outcomes but still regression algorithm with the proper features incorporated with it may produce more accurate essay score. This study aims to increase the accuracy, reliability and validity of the AES by implementing the Gradient ridge regression with the domain ontology and other features. Linear regression, linear lasso regression and ridge regression were also used in conjunction with the different features that was extracted. The different features extracted are the domain concepts, average word length, orthography (spelling mistakes), grammar and sentiment score. The first dataset used is the ASAP dataset from Kaggle website is used to train and test different machine learning algorithms that is consist of linear regression, linear lasso regression, ridge regression and gradient boosting regression together with the different features identified. The second dataset used is the one extracted from the student’s essay exam in Human Computer Interaction course. The results show that the Gradient Boosting Regression has the highest variance and kappa scores. However, we can tell that there are similarities when it comes to performances for Linear, Ridge and Lasso regressions due to the dataset used which is ASAP. Furthermore, the results were evaluated using Cohen Weighted Kappa (CWA) score and compared the agreement between the human raters. The CWA result is 0.659 that can be interpreted as Strong level of agreement between the Human Grader and the automated essay score. Therefore, the proposed AES has 64-81% reliability level.

Design fictions for learning: A method for supporting students in reflecting on technology in Human-Computer Interaction courses

Design fictions describe non-existing prototype devices and services, encouraging reflection on technology matters. However, until now most of the fictional design work has been carried out either by “experts” to foster critical thinking within the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) community, or by user groups to mostly define requirements for creating novel devices. In this article, we aim to use design fictions as a method for supporting students in thinking of the assumptions and consequences of emerging technologies. We report a multi-year experience in using fictional design in the context of academic education to show that such method can be employed to both teach fundamental elements of technology design and HCI and, at the same time, elicit a critical thinking, helping students reflect on the ramifications of their creations and their role as designers. We discuss the methodological implications, pointing out the opportunities this method opens as well as its weaknesses. Finally, we propose a series of methodological suggestions addressed to facilitate the use of design fictions as a “tool for reflection.”

Think twice: exploring the effect of reflective practices with peer review on reflective writing and writing quality in computer-science education

ABSTRACT Reflective writing is a proven way to increase the quality of learning and knowledge construction. However, its use in computer science education has received little attention. In this mixed-methods study, we investigated the effect of reflective writing practices, including peer review, on students’ reflective writing and writing quality scores in a computer science education context. Three reflective writing assignments were required in a Human Computer Interaction course and two peers reviewed each assignment to give feedback. Rubrics were used to measure the reflective writing and writing quality characteristics of student work, and a peer feedback coding scheme was used to determine the characteristics of the feedback students provided to one another. Results revealed that students’ reflective writing and writing quality did not differ across projects and they offered solutions as their most common type of feedback. Our results revealed further studies need to keep investigating new approaches in terms of timing, guidelines, and supportive tools to promote reflective writing to determine which activity designs facilitate student improvement.

Math CountsMathematics for a human-computer interaction course

Math CountsMathematics for a human-computer interaction course

EUHSA: Extending Usability Heuristics for Smartphone Application

Emerging development trends in smartphone computing assist the user to enhance skills, health improvement, earning opportunities, sharing ideas, providing entertainment, and so on. Appropriate transfer of these assistances demands a vibrant appearance to a smartphone user. End users emphasize easy-to-use, ergonomics, efficiency, and visual aesthetic, among others. Measuring usability issues allows for improving these features. An inspection-based heuristics set identifies the usability issues for improving the quality of smartphone interfaces. Using suitable heuristics is highly relevant. In this paper, we present an extended and relevant set of 14 Usability Heuristics for Smartphone (EUHSA) application, where 13 heuristics were selected after cross-linking the identified usability flaws with the previously proposed heuristics through a user study with 800 students from a human-computer interaction course. An additional heuristic is proposed against uncaptured usability flaws. Furthermore, the EUHSA was validated using an expert evaluation study. Findings were compared with the previously proposed Joyce and SMASH sets of heuristics. The results explicitly justify the EUHSA and prove its effectiveness in evaluating the usability issues.

Students’ Experience of Participation in a Discipline—A Longitudinal Study of Computer Science and IT Engineering Students

This article concludes a longitudinal study with the broader aim to explore learner development as a long-term, social process. One goal has been to inform the endeavours of improving student engagement, retention, as well as under-representation of certain demographics in computing.Students of two computer science--related study programmes (CS/IT) reflected on their engagement in their field of study at different times during the first three study years. Drawing on social identity theory, the focus has been to analyse and describe different ways in which the students experience participation in CS/IT, i.e., doing, thinking, and feeling, in relation to CS/IT, negotiated among different people. Insights into participation in CS/IT were used to discuss what it entails to fit in and become a computing professional.Phenomenographic analysis yields an outcome space that describes increasingly broad ways in which first-, second-, and third-year students experience participation in CS/IT. Two further outcome spaces provide nuanced insights into experiences that are of increasing relevance as the students advance in their studies, participation as problem solving, and problem solving for others.Participation as problem solving appears to be central in this learning environment and the students integrate such experiences into their histories of engagement in CS/IT. In study year 3, the students also reason about participation as problem solving for others that they encounter in the human computer interaction course. However, at that time several students perform a technical problem solver identity and reject such broader ways of participating in CS/IT.

Analyzing Novel Interactions in Science Fiction Movies in Human Factors and HCI Courses

To understand and apply Human Factors’ core knowledge more effectively, it is essential to provide a cohesive learning experience to students based on real-world applications. Researchers have developed ample ways to bring real-world examples to the classroom, but it is not always possible to obtain and demonstrate all the new technologies in the class. Specifically, it is even more difficult to discuss the design of novel technologies, which do not exist yet. To address this issue, in the present paper I introduce approaches to using Science Fiction (SF) movie analysis in Human Factors (HF) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) courses. After providing components and procedure of this activity, the implications of each component and examples are presented. Brief evaluation and pedagogical benefits are also discussed with movie references. I hope this can spark more discussions on innovative learning practices in the Human Factors community.

Star Life Cycle and games development projects for conducting the human–computer interaction course: A practical experience

AbstractThis paper describes an approach to teaching a course in human–computer interaction that is supported by the use of Star Life Cycle methodology and game development projects. This approach aims to increase students’ motivation, commitment, and proactivity during the learning process. The Star Life Cycle methodology was extended to facilitate follow‐up of the projects developed by students and to enable coverage of the whole course. The teacher evaluated the deliverable artifacts that were associated with each activity, thus becoming a central part of the evaluation phase of the methodology as well as the leader of the development. In this paper, a case study is presented in which a mathematical game was defined as a final project for 145 students, who were divided into groups. The viewpoints of both the students involved and their teacher are taken into account in the discussion of the results.