User-centered Process Research Articles

Use of SAM in Developing Instructional Numeracy Materials

In the Philippines, numeracy abilities are important because they play a major role in the country’s economic development, technological advancement, and general societal advancement. This study assessed the numeracy skills and proficiency of Grade 6 students of Agaton C. Rodriguez Elementary School. Based on the Albay Numeracy Assessment Tool (ALNAT) pre-test result, the researchers were able to construct instructional videos in Mathematics 6 following the SAM model of instruction, which can help in the improvement of the students who fall in need of major support level during the numeracy assessment. The Mathematics 6 teacher and school ICT coordinator of the selected school served as the validators of the instructional videos and revisions were done according to their comments and recommendations. This study concludes that the SAM proves to be an effective and adaptable approach for designing and developing instructional content. The model promotes a user-centered process that prioritizes continuous refinement by focusing on its three core phases—Preparation, Iterative Design, and Iterative Development. The study also recommends that Instructional designers be open to revisiting earlier phases based on ongoing feedback, ensuring that the final product is continuously refined and meets learners’ evolving needs. Engaged groups during the preparation and development phases help ensure the instructional content remains relevant and user-centered. Further recommends allocating adequate time for the iterative design and development process. For SAM to be successfully implemented, instructional designers should receive proper training on its principles and best practices. Additionally, fostering collaboration between design teams, subject matter experts, and developers is essential for creating high-quality educational resources. Finally, regular evaluation during each phase of the SAM process ensures that instructional content meets both pedagogical and user requirements. Continuous assessment helps identify potential issues early on, leading to more effective solutions before final implementation.

Digital Maturity Level, a Roadmap for Digital Transformation: Case Study

Objectives: This research aims to assess the level of digital maturity of the company CI IBLU S.A.S., in order to effectively manage its digital transformation (DT). Theoretical framework: It is based on the "Digital Maturity Model" by Berghaus and Back (2016), which identifies key dimensions such as customer experience, innovation and digitisation of processes, providing a framework to assess the digital maturity of organisations. Method: A quantitative approach was adopted using a case study. A survey was administered to 108 employees of CI IBLU S.A.S., representing 7% of the total population of 480 employees, with a margin of error of 7% and a confidence level of 90%. Results and discussion: The results indicate that CI IBLU S.A.S. is at level 4 of the model, "elaborated and user-centred processes", reflecting a strong focus on innovation and personalisation of the customer experience. The discussion suggests that although the company has advanced in its digital maturity, it needs to address specific areas to optimise its TD, such as active user engagement and the definition of clear objectives. Conclusions: The research concludes that the digital maturity model is a valuable tool to guide CI IBLU S.A.S. in its digital transformation process, highlighting the need for a user-centric approach. Originality/value: The research provides a detailed and contextualised analysis of the digital maturity model in a specific company, providing insights that can be replicated in other organisations with similar digital transformation challenges.

User-Centered Design to Develop Automated Short Message Service Messaging for Patient Support of Rheumatic Heart Disease Secondary Antibiotic Prophylaxis.

The Active Community Case Management Platform is a cloud-based technology developed to facilitate rheumatic heart disease case management by health care providers. This study aimed to design and pilot an automated short message service (SMS) intervention to support secondary prophylaxis adherence. We developed a concise library of messages to support secondary antibiotic prophylaxis. The SMS intervention used TextIT, an interface that enables users to send out interactive SMS messages at scale. The message bank was piloted in a cohort of 50 patients with rheumatic heart disease randomized into 2 groups. Group 1 received standard support (nurse-led/Active Community Case Management Platform). Group 2 received standard support plus SMS intervention for 2 months in the Lira and Gulu districts of Northern Uganda. We collected qualitative data on participants' experiences and assessed treatment adherence. Using a sequential user-centered process consisting of 4 phases (phases 1-4), we developed a message bank (n=43) deployed during our pilot study. There were no between-group differences in treatment adherence or acceptance. Interviews of participants indicated that the intervention was viewed positively. A total of 75% of SMS recipients responded to the messages, and 25% called the study staff to acknowledge receipt of text messages. This study has successfully developed a bank of SMS messages to support secondary antibiotic prophylaxis adherence. We have demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of SMS technology in rheumatic heart disease care management. Future work will include integrating automated SMS into the Active Community Case Management Platform and a larger study of integrated SMS to reduce health care worker burden for patient support and improve adherence to secondary antibiotic prophylaxis.

Developing a Multimodal Classroom Engagement Analysis Dashboard for Higher-Education

Developing learning analytics dashboards (LADs) is a growing research interest as online learning tools have become more accessible in K-12 and higher education settings. This paper reports our multimodal classroom engagement data analysis and dashboard design process and the resulting engagement dashboard. Our work stems from the importance of monitoring classroom engagement, which refers to students' active physical and cognitive involvement in learning that influences their motivation and success in a given course. To monitor this vital facade of learning, we developed an engagement dashboard using an iterative and user-centered process. We first created a multimodal machine learning model that utilizes face and pose features obtained from recent deep learning models. Then, we created a dashboard where users can view their engagement over time and discover their learning/teaching patterns. Finally, we conducted user studies with undergraduate and graduate-level participants to obtain feedback on our dashboard design. Our paper makes three contributions by (1) presenting a student-centric, open-source dashboard, (2) demonstrating a baseline architecture for engagement analysis using our open-access data, and (3) presenting user insights and design takeaways to inspire future LADs. We expect our research to guide the development of tools for novice teacher education, student self-evaluation, and engagement evaluation in crowded classrooms.

Promoting Healthy Aging Using a Robot Support System and Emotion Recognition.

The aging population poses challenges such as loneliness, decreased mobility, and medical conditions. To tackle these issues, a proposed robot platform offers personalized well-being behavior change suggestions. Developed through a user-centered process involving surveys and focus groups, and tested with a first prototype, the system is ideal for individuals with "special social needs". Technical results indicate that emotion recognition is valuable, with attention and valence being key metrics, but user acceptance and quality of facial/speech analysis for elderly users remain challenges.

AI in User Interface Design and Evaluation

Designing and evaluating user interfaces is a complex task. The current focus on user experience (UX) demands user-centered processes that take considerable time and resources, and thus collide with the fast-paced agile methodologies that currently dominate the industry. In this context, academia and industry have proposed the automation of different tasks in the design and evaluation user interfaces (UIs) like prototyping and user testing. Artificial intelligence (AI) techniques such as machine learning have been a considerable help to achieve this. The articles featured in this special issue describe original proposals in the use of AI for UI and user behavior evaluation.

ENGAGING LOW-INCOME SENIORS IN PARTICIPATORY DESIGN OF SMART SPEAKER APPLICATIONS FOR WELLNESS

Abstract Low-income senior housing (LISH) residents are at a high risk of unmanaged health conditions, loneliness, and limited healthcare access. Smart speakers have the potential to improve wellness in LISH settings. We conducted a user-centered process with primarily African American, LISH residents (N=25) to develop prototypes of smart speaker applications for wellness and social connections. Five focus groups were conducted to elicit feedback about challenges with maintaining wellness and attitudes towards smart speakers. Participants expressed their desires for using the technology for safety and health. Through design workshops, they identified several smart speaker functionalities perceived as necessary for improving wellness and social connectedness. Then, seven low-fidelity prototypes and scenarios were developed in the following categories: wellness check-ins, befriending the virtual agent, community involvement, and mood detection. We demonstrate how smart speakers can provide a tool for their wellness and increase access to applications that provide a virtual space for social engagement.

Development and expert validation of a ‘Data-to-Action Continuum’ to measure and advance the data-use capabilities of national tuberculosis programs

Background The Data-to-Action Continuum (D2AC) Toolkit is intended to advance the data use capabilities associated with people, processes, technology, and institutions of national tuberculosis programs (NTPs). It empowers NTPs and stakeholders to measure current capabilities, identify areas amenable to interventions to build future capacities, and helps align the TB information system to better achieve the NTP’s goals. This paper describes the development process of the D2AC Toolkit, whose aim is to enable NTPs and stakeholders—especially the policymakers, program managers, and laboratory and facility managers—to precisely gauge the barriers limiting the use of data for action and devise appropriate interventions to address them. Methods Building on a scientific and grey literature foundation, the D2AC Toolkit was collaboratively developed by a core group of the TB data, Impact Assessment and Communications Hub (TB DIAH) project. The Toolkit was validated by a group of international and country-level experts following an iterative and user-centered process employing mixed methods. Results The expert-validated D2AC Toolkit measures appropriate capabilities required to transform data to action in the context of an NTP at the national, regional, district, and facility levels across five domains and 17 subdomains using a five-point Likert scale: nascent, defined, established, institutionalized, and optimized. Conclusions The continuum describes the status of various domains and corresponding subdomains and enables the identification of future goals for each subdomain. The future capabilities are meant to guide the development of an improvement path toward the desired level of advancement and monitor progress toward the desired goals. By integrating an iterative and user-centered process and using mixed methods, the D2AC Toolkit enables policymakers, program managers, and service providers to gauge current capabilities, identify future priorities, and develop an implementation plan to improve the organizational ability to transform data to action for achieving tuberculosis program goals.

The Development of a Novel mHealth Tool for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Tracking Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Adherence as a Percentage of Time in Bed.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the mainstay obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment; however, poor adherence to CPAP is common. Current guidelines specify 4 hours of CPAP use per night as a target to define adequate treatment adherence. However, effective OSA treatment requires CPAP use during the entire time spent in bed to optimally treat respiratory events and prevent adverse health effects associated with the time spent sleeping without wearing a CPAP device. Nightly sleep patterns vary considerably, making it necessary to measure CPAP adherence relative to the time spent in bed. Weight loss is an important goal for patients with OSA. Tools are required to address these clinical challenges in patients with OSA. This study aimed to develop a mobile health tool that combined weight loss features with novel CPAP adherence tracking (ie, percentage of CPAP wear time relative to objectively assessed time spent in bed) for patients with OSA. We used an iterative, user-centered process to design a new CPAP adherence tracking module that integrated with an existing weight loss app. A total of 37 patients with OSA aged 20 to 65 years were recruited. In phase 1, patients with OSA who were receiving CPAP treatment (n=7) tested the weight loss app to track nutrition, activity, and weight for 10 days. Participants completed a usability and acceptability survey. In phase 2, patients with OSA who were receiving CPAP treatment (n=21) completed a web-based survey about their interpretations and preferences for wireframes of the CPAP tracking module. In phase 3, patients with recently diagnosed OSA who were CPAP naive (n=9) were prescribed a CPAP device (ResMed AirSense10 AutoSet) and tested the integrated app for 3 to 4 weeks. Participants completed a usability survey and provided feedback. During phase 1, participants found the app to be mostly easy to use, except for some difficulty searching for specific foods. All participants found the connected devices (Fitbit activity tracker and Fitbit Aria scale) easy to use and helpful. During phase 2, participants correctly interpreted CPAP adherence success, expressed as percentage of wear time relative to time spent in bed, and preferred seeing a clearly stated percentage goal ("Goal: 100%"). In phase 3, participants found the integrated app easy to use and requested push notification reminders to wear CPAP before bedtime and to sync Fitbit in the morning. We developed a mobile health tool that integrated a new CPAP adherence tracking module into an existing weight loss app. Novel features included addressing OSA-obesity comorbidity, CPAP adherence tracking via percentage of CPAP wear time relative to objectively assessed time spent in bed, and push notifications to foster adherence. Future research on the effectiveness of this tool in improving OSA treatment adherence is warranted.

Formative Evaluation of a Tablet Application to Support Goal-Oriented Care in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Tools that can help older adults self-manage multiple health goals in collaboration with their care managers are rare to find. Informed by the Self-Determination Theory, Goal-Oriented Care paradigm and our prior findings, we used an iterative, user-centered process to design a tablet application to facilitate Goal-Oriented care in community-dwelling low income older adults with chronic (multi)morbidity. A formative in-situ evaluation was conducted in which 20 participants used the app to set and track health and wellness goals for 24 weeks, while participants' interactions with the app were logged. At the end of the study, semi-structured interviews were administered to understand how the app was used. Thirteen participants used the app throughout the study, while the remaining abandoned after short usage. Thematic analysis of the qualitative feedback shows that participants who used the app increased their commitment towards their goals and adopted healthy behaviors. Health issues, time constraints, lack of technical know-how and doubts about goal-setting paradigm were identified as primary reasons for low app usage and abandonment. Tools for Goal-Oriented care should support personalized goal exploration, build trust in the care paradigm, support collaboration, design for motivation, lower barriers to tracking and support re-engagement after abandonment. Carefully designed mobile apps have the potential to support Goal-Oriented care for older adults.

The Stroke Recovery in Motion Implementation Planner: Mixed Methods User Evaluation

BackgroundAs more people are surviving stroke, there is a growing need for services and programs that support the long-term needs of people living with the effects of stroke. Exercise has many benefits; however, most people with stroke do not have access to specialized exercise programs that meet their needs in their communities. To catalyze the implementation of these programs, our team developed the Stroke Recovery in Motion Implementation Planner, an evidence-informed implementation guide for teams planning a community-based exercise program for people with stroke.ObjectiveThis study aimed to conduct a user evaluation to elicit user perceptions of the usefulness and acceptability of the Planner to inform revisions.MethodsThis mixed methods study used a concurrent triangulation design. We used purposive sampling to enroll a diverse sample of end users (program managers and coordinators, rehabilitation health partners, and fitness professionals) from three main groups: those who are currently planning a program, those who intend to plan a program in the future, and those who had previously planned a program. Participants reviewed the Planner and completed a questionnaire and interviews to identify positive features, areas of improvement, value, and feasibility. We used descriptive statistics for quantitative data and content analysis for qualitative data. We triangulated the data sources to identify Planner modifications.ResultsA total of 39 people participated in this study. Overall, the feedback was positive, highlighting the value of the Planner’s comprehensiveness, tools and templates, and real-world examples. The identified areas for improvement included clarifying the need for specific steps, refining navigation, and creating more action-oriented content. Most participants reported an increase in knowledge and confidence after reading the Planner and reported that using the resource would improve their planning approach.ConclusionsWe used a rigorous and user-centered process to develop and evaluate the Planner. End users indicated that it is a valuable resource and identified specific changes for improvement. The Planner was subsequently updated and is now publicly available for community planning teams to use in the planning and delivery of evidence-informed, sustainable, community-based exercise programs for people with stroke.

Integrating Human Factors in the Visualisation of Usable Transparency for Dynamic Risk Assessment

Modern technology and the digitisation era accelerated the pace of data generation and collection for various purposes. The orchestration of such data is a daily challenge faced by even experienced professional users in the context of Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled environments, especially when it comes to cybersecurity and privacy risks. This article presents the application of a user-centric process for the visualisation of automated decision making security interventions. The user interface (UI) development was guided by iterative feedback collection from user studies on the visualisation of a dynamic risk assessment (DRA)-based security solution for regular lay users. The methodology we applied starts with the definition of the methodological process to map possible technical actions to related usable actions. The definition and refinement of the user interface (UI) was controlled by the survey feedback loop from end user studies on their general technological knowledge, experience with smart homes, cybersecurity awareness and privacy preservation needs. We continuously improved the visualisation interfaces for configuring a cybersecurity solution and adjusting usable transparency of the control and monitoring of the dynamic risk assessment (DRA). For this purpose, we have designed, developed and validated a decision tree workflow and showed the evolution of the interfaces through various stages of the real-life trials executed under European H2020 project GHOST.

The development of a patient decision aid to reduce decisional conflict about antidepressant use in pregnancy

BackgroundPeople with moderate to severe depression in pregnancy must weigh potential risks of untreated or incompletely treated depression against the small, but uncertain risks of fetal antidepressant drug exposure. Clinical support alone appears insufficient for helping individuals with this complex decision. A patient decision aid (PDA) has the potential to be a useful tool for this population. The objective of our work was to use internationally recognized guidelines from the International Patient Decision Aids Standards Collaboration to develop an evidence-based PDA for antidepressant use in pregnancy.MethodsA three-phased development process was used whereby, informed by patient and physician perspectives and evidence synthesis, a steering committee commissioned a web-based PDA for those deciding whether or not to start or continue antidepressant treatment for depression in pregnancy (Phase 1). A prototype was developed (Phase 2) and iteratively revised based on feedback during field testing based on a user-centred process (Phase 3).ResultsWe developed a web-based PDA for people deciding whether to start or continue antidepressant use for depression in pregnancy. It has five interactive sections: (1) information on depression and treatment; (2) reasons to start/continue an antidepressant and to start/stop antidepressant medication; (3) user assessment of values regarding each issue; (4) opportunity to reflect on factors that contribute to decision making; and (5) a printable PDF that summarizes the user’s journey through the PDA.ConclusionsThis tool, which exclusively focuses on depression treatment with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Serotonin–Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors, can be used by individuals making decisions about antidepressant use to treat depression during pregnancy. Limitations of the PDA are that it is not for other conditions, nor other medications that can be used for depression, and in its pilot form cannot be used by women who do not speak English or who have a visual impairment. Pending further study, it has the potential to enhance quality of care and patient experience.

An Online Training Program to Improve Clinicians' Skills in Communicating About Serious Illness.

Large-scale efforts to train clinicians in serious-illness communication skills are needed, but 2 important gaps in knowledge remain. (1) No proven training method exists that can be readily scaled to train thousands of clinicians. (2) Though the value of interprofessional collaboration to support incapacitated patients' surrogates is increasingly recognized, few interventions for training intensive care unit (ICU) nurses in important communication skills can be leveraged to provide interprofessional family support. To develop and test a web/videoconference-based platform to train nurses to communicate about serious illness. A user-centered process was used to develop the intervention, including (1) iteratively engaging a stakeholder panel, (2) developing prototype and beta versions of the platform, and (3) 3 rounds of user testing with 13 ICU nurses. Participants' ratings of usability, acceptability, and perceived effectiveness were assessed quantitatively and qualitatively. Stakeholders stressed that the intervention should leverage interactive learning and a streamlined digital interface. A training platform was developed consisting of 6 interactive online training lessons and 3 group-based video-conference practice sessions. Participants rated the program as usable (mean summary score 84 [96th percentile]), acceptable (mean, 4.5/5; SD, 0.7), and effective (mean, 4.8/5; SD, 0.6). Ten of 13 nurses would recommend the intervention over 2-day in-person training. Nurses testing this web-based training program judged it usable, acceptable, and effective. These data support proceeding with an appropriately powered efficacy trial.

User-Centric Process of Designing a Molecular & Cellular Query Interface for Biomedical Research

AbstractThere is a growing demand for the adoption of user-centric design processes for the development of computational biology software as usability becomes a major concern. Our team develops interfaces for a human biomolecular data portal with user-centered design, so we present a case study of the design process of a molecular and cellular query to emphasize the importance of user-centric design and reveal the complications that arise in a complex software development environment. The study follows the design process from user requirement gathering to the prototyping of a minimum viable product.

Application of the IDEAS Framework in Adapting a Web-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Young Adult College Students.

User-centered developmental processes are critical to ensuring acceptability of e-health behavioral interventions, and yet physical activity research continues to be inundated with top-down developmental approaches. The IDEAS (Integrate, Design, Assess, and Share) framework outlines a user-centered process for development of e-health interventions. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the application of the IDEAS framework in adapting a web-based physical activity intervention for young adult college students. Steps 1–3 emphasized integrating insights from users and theory and Steps 4–7 focused on iterative and rapid design with user feedback. Data were collected via repeat qualitative interviews with young adult college students (N = 7). Resulting qualitative metathemes were engagement, accountability, and cultural fit. Therefore, intervention modifications focused on strategies to foster ongoing engagement with the program (e.g., increase interactivity), support personal and social accountability (e.g., private social media group), and provide a cultural fit within the college lifestyle (e.g., images relevant to student life). The resulting web-based intervention included eight weekly lessons, an expanded resource library, “how-to” videos, step and goal trackers, and a private social media group to be led by a wellness coach. In conclusion, the IDEAS framework guided an efficient, user-centered adaptation process that integrated empirical evidence and behavior change theory with user preferences and feedback. Furthermore, the process allowed us to address barriers to acceptability during the design and build stages rather than at later stages of pilot and efficacy testing.

Gestural interaction in the kitchen: Insights into designing an interactive display controlled by hand specific on-skin gestures

The kitchen is one of the busiest and messiest hubs of a home, where the hands are usually spoiled with food. In this setting, gestural interaction can offer several advantages: efficient, intuitive, and touch-free orchestration of interactive devices. Yet, research scarcely investigates the user's perspective on gesture-based systems in the kitchen and lacks designs developed through a user-centred process. With the contribution of 234 participants, we conducted formative studies that investigated users' expectations, perceived benefits, and concerns of gesture-based control in the kitchen. These studies guided our conceptual design ‘2HandTouch’, an information display controlled by Hand Specific On-Skin Gestures (HSoS). Then, we evaluated the user experience of this design through a summative user study. We introduced four perceived benefits of HSoS use in the kitchen that has not been visible in such detail. These are i) hygiene, (ii) time management, (iii) imminent control, and (iv) an uninterrupted cooking practice. We also provided broader implications of our work for designing gesture-controlled devices in the kitchen context.

Patient and Provider Preferences for Monitoring Surgical Wounds Using an mHealth App: A Formative Qualitative Analysis.

Background: Surgical site infections complicate approximately 10% of all inpatient operations and account for nearly 20% of surgical re-admissions. Post-operative hospitalizations have become shorter over time, yet limited resources exist for patients to use at their home to communicate surgical wound problems with their medical providers. This study evaluated the attitudes of patients and providers towards using a remote wound monitoring application. Methods: This formative descriptive qualitative study reports the result of analysis of the interview content of five patients and five providers from a colorectal surgery clinic at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted in the clinic setting, were recorded, and professionally transcribed. Two of the authors independently reviewed and coded the transcribed interviews to identify themes across all 10 interviews. After independent coding, authors reviewed findings to reconcile and streamline the primary themes representing attitudes of patients and providers toward remote wound monitoring. Results: Five primary codes were found across our interviews: current barriers, infection types, workflow, interest in surgical site infection (SSI) monitoring, application considerations, and requested application features. We subcoded "symptom clarification" and "positive anticipation" under "interest in SSI monitoring," as well as "anticipated issues" and "application features" under "application considerations." From these codes, we synthesized findings into three overarching themes: smartphone app for remote wound monitoring has potential to improve patient-provider communication, specific wound evaluation processes are acceptable to patients and providers, and new collaboration with telehealth service is a welcome addition for interdisciplinary team management. Conclusions: A prospective approach to the development of a remote wound monitoring application enables a user-centric development process. Our analysis shows a readiness from both patients and providers to implement remote wound monitoring for identifying potential SSIs and coordinating surgical wound care within the community.

Development of a Supportive Parenting App to Improve Parent and Infant Outcomes in the Perinatal Period: Development Study.

BackgroundThe transition to parenthood can be challenging, and parents are vulnerable to psychological disorders during the perinatal period. This may have adverse long-term consequences on a child’s development. Given the rise in technology and parents’ preferences for mobile health apps, a supportive mobile health intervention is optimal. However, there is a lack of a theoretical framework and technology-based perinatal educational intervention for couples with healthy infants.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to describe the Supportive Parenting App (SPA) development procedure and highlight the challenges and lessons learned.MethodsThe SPA development procedure was guided by the information systems research framework, which emphasizes a nonlinear, iterative, and user-centered process involving 3 research cycles—the relevance cycle, design cycle, and rigor cycle. Treatment fidelity was ensured, and team cohesiveness was maintained using strategies from the Tuckman model of team development.ResultsIn the relevance cycle, end-user requirements were identified through focus groups and interviews. In the rigor cycle, the user engagement pyramid and well-established theories (social cognitive theory proposed by Bandura and attachment theory proposed by Bowlby) were used to inform and justify the features of the artifact. In the design cycle, the admin portal was developed using Microsoft Visual Studio 2017, whereas the SPA, which ran on both iOS and Android, was developed using hybrid development tools. The SPA featured knowledge-based content, informational videos and audio clips, a discussion forum, chat groups, and a frequently asked questions and expert advice section. The intervention underwent iterative testing by a small group of new parents and research team members. Qualitative feedback was obtained for further app enhancements before official implementation. Testing revealed user and technological issues, such as web browser and app incompatibility, a lack of notifications for both administrators and users, and limited search engine capability.ConclusionsThe information systems research framework documented the technical details of the SPA but did not take into consideration the interpersonal and real-life challenges. Ineffective communication between the health care research team and the app developers, limited resources, and the COVID-19 pandemic were the main challenges faced during content development. Quick adaptability, team cohesion, and hindsight budgeting are crucial for intervention development. Although the effectiveness of the SPA in improving parental and infant outcomes is currently unknown, this detailed intervention development study highlights the key aspects that need to be considered for future app development.

Yes! I Want My Non-Cognitive Skills to Be Improved: Perceptions on an ICT-Enabled Learning Journey

Non-cognitive skills (NCS) are important for personal development and enhancing employability. However, as related literature points out, designs for NCS development are challenged by their fidelity, complexity, technology pedagogy and content value, user-centricity and so forth. Thus, this study investigates on 1) how do individuals recognise their needs, challenges and motivations for improving NCS, and 2) how do they envision their individual roadmap towards NCS achievement. An exploratory strategy is followed in capturing the learners’ perceptions. Expected data were collected by a questionnaire aiming at a sample of 80 purposely selected employable adults, followed by interviews with 11 randomly selected individuals among the sample. The outcomes provided feedback towards optimising design concepts for an NCS learning environment. Consequently, the framework for NCS improvement must include components, in the order of importance, tools for assessment of NCS, premises for learning NCS, dynamic CV, and linking to the occupations of individual interests as envisioned by the respondents. The participants recognised the significance of NCS and that NCS contribute meaningfully to their personal and professional growth. As such, research efforts shall be invested in evaluating the methods and tools in a systematic user-centric process to determine their effectiveness and impact in lifelong learning.