User Orientation Research Articles

Information Literacy Programmes Conducted by the Universities in Sri Lanka

Information literacy has been defined as gaining the necessary skills required to access, process and present information for learning, research, problem solving and career development. The information literacy concept spreads across a vast span from user education programmes to knowledge extension or wisdom achievement. Mainly, information literacy skills are based on library skills and information technology skills. This paper discusses the value of information literacy programmes conducted by the universities in Sri Lanka in order to achieve the higher level of learning in the university sector; with special reference to Sri Lankan universities, with the focus on Outcome Space. The outcome space information literacy framework runs through Information sources, Information Technology, Information Control, Information Processing, Knowledge construction, Knowledge Extension and Wisdom as explained by Christine Bruce. Further the paper elucidates the information literacy initiatives commenced by the libraries of the University of Colombo, University of Kelaniya, University of Moratuwa, University of Sri Jayewardenapura and National Institute of Library and Information Sciences (NILIS). The survey results reveal that the information literacy programmes initiated by the university libraries and the Institute, range from user orientation to the credit based programmes. All the university libraries that were chosen for this study had commenced some sort of information literacy programme. But most of the programmes are at the lower level of the outcome space. Two university libraries and the Institute had made an attempt to initiate outcome space information literacy programmes.Keywords: Information Literacy; Information skills; University Education; University Libraries doi: 10.4038/jula.v14i1.2688Journal of the University Librarians Association of Sri Lanka. Vol.14 (Issue 1). 2010 61-75

Vergleichende Analyse aktueller Untersuchungsinstrumente zur Früherkennung von Sprachentwicklungsretardationen in den pädiatrischen Vorsorgeuntersuchungen U7/U7A

The current analysis is a contribution to user orientation and quality assurance that seeks to evaluate and optimise the use of German language development assessment tools during early paediatric toddler check-ups ( KINDERVORSORGEUNTERSUCHUNG U7 OR U7A). All current, standardised assessment tools, particularly those relevant to early detection of developmental language retardation - normed on German speaking children - were evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively with particular regard to their psychometric criteria (13 criteria) and design features. 8 assessment tools (ELAN; ELFRA-2; Short Form ELFRA-2; FRAKIS; FRAKIS-K; SBE-2-KT; SBE-3-KT; SETK-2) were located in the literature and subjected to a detailed and rigorous comparative analysis. Quantitatively they met 9 to 11 of the 13 psychometric criteria. In Germany, there are several assessment tools for dichotomous identification of language retardations on high levels of psychometric criteria that can be used in the above-mentioned preventive paediatric examinations. Nevertheless, the collecting of actual norm scores of representative samples should be kept in mind.

Kommunesammenlægningernes betydning for kommunalpolitikernes motivation

This paper examines the impact of the major Danish municipal amalgamations of 2007 on the motivational bases for politicians in local government. The focus is narrowed down to Public Service Motivation (PSM), a form of altruistic motivation present in the provision of public services. Two subdimensions of PSM, Public Interest and User Orientation, are used. The analysis shows that Public Interest is unaffected by amalgamation degree, while User Orientation is negatively affected. In other words, the councillors, who have experienced the highest degrees of amalgamation, have the lowest degree of User Orientation.

Teleplastic technologies: charting practices of orientation and navigation in videogaming

In this paper I develop the concept of ‘teleplastic technologies’– technologies that pre-shape the potentials and possibilities for human action, movement and sense – through the example of videogaming. I develop a case study of videogame users through which I unpack the characteristics of teleplastic technologies and the ways in which they operate to reorganise the capacities and capabilities of users’ bodies through spatial means. In the first section I argue that teleplastic technologies should be understood from a spatial/ethological perspective and show how ethologically limited videogame environments encourage users to act and move without conscious thought in response to various inhibitors and disinhibitors designed into that environment. In the second section I show how the somatic techniques users develop in response to these worlds reorganise the cardinal orientation of users’ bodies and, thus, how the ‘geography’ of teleplastic technologies shape the potential and possibilities for spatial sense.

The access structure in learner's dictionaries

Dictionaries have to be compiled in accordance with specific target users and dictionary goals. User orientation is, however, not the only criterion for measuring the success of a dictionary. Present-day lexicography requires the evaluation of the accessibility of dictionaries. The ease with which macro- and microstructural information is located and retrieved determines the quality and accessibility of the presentation. User-orientated, accessible learner's dictionaries can contribute substantially to the improvement of communication in a multilingual South Africa with different groups of language learners. Metalexicography makes provision for guide structures that facilitate access to information in the dictionary. The outer, inner and meta-access structure are functional structure elements that increase the retrievability of information and help the user to reach, as swiftly as possible, the information he/she is looking for. During the planning of a learner's dictionary, the lexicographer must draw up, among others, a dictionary plan in which a detailed explanation of the outer and inner access structure is given. Such a dictionary plan contributes to a consistent application of lexicographical decisions. Decisions regarding the access structure must also be explained and illustrated in the front text in order to enable learners to acquire dictionary skills and become effective dictionary users. Keywords: metalexicography, outer access structure, inner access structure, learner's dictionary, frame structure, unintegrated, integrated, mono- and poly-accessible, outer texts, outer rapid access, data distribution structure, micro-architecture, data-architecture, data exposure structure, meta-access

Use of electronic journals by doctoral research scholars of Goa University, India

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the use of electronic (e)‐journals by doctoral research scholars of Goa University, Goa (India). The main aim is to know the use of e‐journals for research work. Further, the study aims to highlight the problems in accessing e‐journals, degree of utilization, and influence of e‐journals on research work.Design/methodology/approachA survey is conducted through a structured questionnaire circulated among 100 doctoral research scholars (PhD) in Goa University and the response rate is found to be 96 percent. The responses received from the doctoral research scholars to 16 questions is presented in the form of tables and figures and analyzed by using a simple method of calculation. Stratified accidental random method is used for selection of respondents.FindingsThe paper arrives at the following conclusions: the e‐journals have become vital part of information for research work. This study helps in knowing the importance and use of e‐journals in comparison to printed journals particularly for the research community. Most of the respondents are accessing e‐journals from the Department Computer Labs for their research work and e‐journals meet the instant desire of users to have an access to information. Springer & Kluwer is the leading publisher. Boolean Search is the most popular advance search technique. The study shows that there is need for user orientation for efficient searching of e‐journals. The most common problem faced by the respondents is that there is difficulty in accessing full text and many of the respondents are not satisfied with the Internet facilities available in Goa University and they provide some constructive suggestions for improving the accessing of e‐journals.Practical implicationsThe paper is confined to the use of e‐journals by the doctoral research scholars of Goa University, Goa.Originality/valueThis paper is an outcome of the study made in Goa University, Goa about the use of University Grants Commission (UGC)‐Infonet Digital Library Consortium's e‐journals by doctoral research scholars during the study period, i.e. 1‐28 June 2008.

Firemní strategické myšlení a jeho informační podpora

Cílem příspěvku je zhodnotit obsahový přínos nově vydané publikace Libuše Šoljakové "Strategicky zaměřené manažerské účetnictví". Příspěvek dochází k závěru, že kniha není jen aktualizovanou verzí jejího prvního díla, ale promítají se v ní nové manažerské tendence, zejména nutnost interdisciplinárního nadhledu, multidimenzonalita řízení, integrita všech významných aspektů řízení a vzájemný vztah uživatelské a zpracovatelské stránky, který je nutno řešit při implementaci systému strategicky orientovaného informačního systému.

Gaydar: Facebook friendships expose sexual orientation

Public information about one's coworkers, friends, family, and acquaintances, as well as one's associations with them, implicitly reveals private information. Social-networking websites, e-mail, instant messaging, telephone, and VoIP are all technologies steeped in network data—data relating one person to another. Network data shifts the locus of information control away from individuals, as the individual's traditional and absolute discretion is replaced by that of his social-network. Our research demonstrates a method for accurately predicting the sexual orientation of Facebook users by analyzing friendship associations. After analyzing 4,080 Facebook profiles from the MIT network, we determined that the percentage of a given user's friends who self-identify as gay male is strongly correlated with the sexual orientation of that user, and we developed a logistic regression classifier with strong predictive power. Although we studied Facebook friendship ties, network data is pervasive in the broader context of computer-mediated communication, raising significant privacy issues for communication technologies to which there are no neat solutions.

Measuring the Compatibility Factors in Mobile Entertainment Service Adoption

This study examines compatibility factors that influence users' intention to adopt mobile entertainment service. Potential compatibility factors derived from previous research include (1) compatibility with past control experience, (2) compatibility with user's curiosity and intrinsic interest, (3) compatibility with social norms, (4) compatibility with perceived critical mass, (5) compatibility with preferred lifestyle and (6) compatibility with economical value. From survey conducted in South Korea, curiosity & intrinsic interest, social norms, preferred lifestyle and economic value were found to have positive influence on the intention to adopt mobile entertainment service. The results imply that MES provider must select the most appropriate techniques and features to enhance the level of intrinsic interests among users. In addition, MES provider should concern about cultural orientation and life style of users during development of MES contents and interface as well as marketing of MES service.

<p>Examining African American and Caucasian Interaction Patterns Within Computer-Mediated Communication Environments</p>

This study explored the extent to which student emotion management factors and normative orientation (belief that chat rooms have normative standards of conduct similar to face-to-face interaction) circumscribe the sending of hostile messages within electronic relay chat rooms on the Internet. A questionnaire survey collected data from 114 undergraduate and graduate students from a large university in southeastern Michigan. The results of the survey revealed statistically significant differences between African American and Caucasian chat room users in terms of how the emotion management factors of shame, guilt, and embarrassment affect communication. The normative orientation of the chat room users was shown to have an inverse relationship regarding the flaming messages between both ethnic groups. This article describes how these factors are influenced by gender and ethnicity/gender. Findings regarding the perceptions of racism within electronic chat rooms are also discussed.

Modeling Multi-typed Structurally Viewed Chemicals with the UMLS Refined Semantic Network

ObjectiveChemical concepts assigned multiple “Chemical Viewed Structurally” semantic types (STs) in the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) are subject to ambiguous interpretation. The multiple assignments may denote the fact that a specific represented chemical (combination) is a conjugate, derived via a chemical reaction of chemicals of the different types, or a complex, composed of a mixture of such chemicals. The previously introduced Refined Semantic Network (RSN) is modified to properly model these varied multi-typed chemical combinations. DesignThe RSN was previously introduced as an enhanced abstraction of the UMLS's concepts. It features new types, called intersection semantic types (ISTs), each of which explicitly captures a unique combination of ST assignments in one abstract unit. The ambiguous ISTs of different “Chemical Viewed Structurally” ISTs of the RSN are replaced with two varieties of new types, called conjugate types and complex types, which explicitly denote the nature of the chemical interactions. Additional semantic relationships help further refine that new portion of the RSN rooted at the ST “Chemical Viewed Structurally.” MeasurementsThe number of new conjugate and complex types and the amount of changes to the type assignment of chemical concepts are presented. ResultsThe modified RSN, consisting of 35 types and featuring 22 new conjugate and complex types, is presented. A total of 800 (about 98%) chemical concepts representing multi-typed chemical combinations from “Chemical Viewed Structurally” STs are uniquely assigned one of the new types. An additional benefit is the identification of a number of illegal ISTs and ST assignment errors, some of which are direct violations of exclusion rules defined by the UMLS Semantic Network. ConclusionThe modified RSN provides an enhanced abstract view of the UMLS's chemical content. Its array of conjugate and complex types provides a more accurate model of the variety of combinations involving chemicals viewed structurally. This framework will help streamline the process of type assignments for such chemical concepts and improve user orientation to the richness of the chemical content of the UMLS.

Field-Based Usability Evaluation Methodology for Mobile Geo-Applications

An important aspect of a Dutch research project into usable (and well scaled) mobile maps for consumers is presented: the development of an appropriate field-based usability evaluation methodology for the prototype of a geo-mobile application that will be the result of a user centred design approach. Automatic generalisation, required for the user's orientation in space, but also for progressive data transfer, will be an important aspect of the prototype. What is reported here is an effective and technically unique user research methodology, based on a combination of video observation, thinking aloud and semi-structured interviewing. The experiments that have led to this outcome revealed some interesting usability issues that deserve further investigation.

Useware engineering: a methodology for the development of user‐friendly interfaces

PurposeThe development time for user interfaces is drastically reduced by today's shorter product life cycles. Generally, at the end of the development phase, there is not enough time or money left to enhance the usability of software. After the user interface has been developed, the users are left alone to handle any problems with the interface. Systematic development using engineering processes can help to overcome these usability problems. Engineering processes identify and consider clearly defined requirements during the development phase. This results in more usable products and a growing recognition of the importance of engineering processes. This article aims to introduce a structured Useware engineering process that increases the effectiveness and efficiency of user interface development.Design/methodology/approachThis article introduces a structured Useware engineering process, the application of which enhances user orientation which leads to higher acceptance and more practical user interfaces.FindingsThe article finds that the current process is supported by various expert development tools for the production of user interfaces; these tools ensure a systematic and continuous data transferability from one phase to the next. The process has already provided remarkable results in the area of task orientation and usability within several different industrial sectors, e.g. medicine, manufacturing industry and process engineering. Further possibilities to apply this process are software for online catolog planning or lending and return machines.Originality/valueThis article introduces a structured engineering process that increases the effectiveness and efficiency of user interface development which has the possibility of use in online catolog planning or lending and return machines.

Participatory archive: towards decentralised curation, radical user orientation, and broader contextualisation of records management

User perspective and user studies have received noticeably little practical attention in archives and archival science. The purpose of this article is to address the issues of communication and user participation in archival contexts. Two action research projects-based digital archives are discussed. The insights gained during the research and development work are used to formulate a new approach to a participatory archive. In spite of the historical nature of the archives discussed, the suggested ways of interacting with an archive are not specific to historical records. The fundamental characteristics of the proposed approach are decentralised curation, radical user orientation, and contextualisation of both records and the entire archival process.

Not quite the average

In the past decade, the World Wide Web has been subject to dramatic changes. Web sites have evolved from static information resources to dynamic and interactive applications that are used for a broad scope of activities on a daily basis. To examine the consequences of these changes on user behavior, we conducted a long-term client-side Web usage study with twenty-five participants. This report presents results of this study and compares the user behavior with previous long-term browser usage studies, which range in age from seven to thirteen years. Based on the empirical data and the interview results, various implications for the interface design of browsers and Web sites are discussed. A major finding is the decreasing prominence of backtracking in Web navigation. This can largely be attributed to the increasing importance of dynamic, service-oriented Web sites. Users do not navigate on these sites searching for information, but rather interact with an online application to complete certain tasks. Furthermore, the usage of multiple windows and tabs has partly replaced back button usage, posing new challenges for user orientation and backtracking. We found that Web browsing is a rapid activity even for pages with substantial content, which calls for page designs that allow for cursory reading. Click maps provide additional information on how users interact with the Web on page level. Finally, substantial differences were observed between users, and characteristic usage patterns for different types of Web sites emphasize the need for more adaptive and customizable Web browsers.

Knowledge Organization Systems (KOS)

Knowledge organization systems (KOS) can be described based on their structures (from flat to multidimensional) and main functions. The latter include eliminating ambiguity, controlling synonyms or equivalents, establishing explicit semantic relationships such as hierarchical and associative relationships, and presenting both relationships and properties of concepts in the knowledge models. Examples of KOS include lists, authority files, gazetteers, synonym rings, taxonomies and classification schemes, thesauri, and ontologies. These systems model the underlying semantic structure of a domain and provide semantics, navigation, and translation through labels, definitions, typing, relationships, and properties for concepts. The term knowledge organization systems (KOS) is intended to encompass all types of schemes for organizing information and promoting knowledge management, such as classification schemes, gazetteers, lexical databases, taxonomies, thesauri, and ontologies (Hodge 2000). These systems model the underlying semantic structure of a domain and provide semantics, navigation, and translation through labels, definitions, typing, relationships, and properties for concepts (Hill et al. 2002, Koch and Tudhope 2004). Embodied as (Web) services, they facilitate resource discovery and retrieval by acting as semantic road maps, thereby making possible a common orientation for indexers and future users, either human or machine (Koch and Tudhope 2003, 2004).

Association Rules Technique to Evaluate Software Users Satisfaction

User orientation initiatives have gained much attention in recent years especially in Software industry because it is a high value-added technology, so the satisfaction of user needs is a critical success factor for software companies. User satisfaction measures offer a meaningful and objective feedback about client's preferences and expectations. This paper presents an approach to evaluate software user satisfaction, using XL Miner, that is combining multi-criteria preference aggregation analysis and association rules induction data mining technique.

Goal-Orientation, Goal-Setting, and Goal-Driven Behavior in Minimalist User Instructions

This paper opens with a summary of minimalist design strategies that aim to optimize user instructions. Next, it discusses three research efforts to further improve these strategies. The common focus in these efforts is the attention to people's goal-related management and control of attention, time, and effort. First, a comprehensive framework for designing procedures - the four components model - is described. The design principles for the goal component focus on supporting the user's goal orientation and goal setting. Second, two experiments are reported that studied the problem of when it is best to present conceptual information. When instructions employed a learning-by-doing approach, users clearly preferred a work-flow mode of presentation. This mode optimally exploits the user's momentary interest in conceptual information during goal-driven task execution. The third research effort concentrates on user affect in instructions. The main idea is that motivation and emotion play a key role in task appraisals and corresponding actions. After discussing theories and design approaches, an experiment is discussed in which instructions were optimized for affect. Good results for perceived relevance and self-confidence were found in all conditions. Presence of an affect-oriented co-user did not enhance these effects. The paper concludes that the contribution of the efforts extends beyond the minimalist framework from which they originated.

Comparing and consolidating two heuristic metaschemas

A metaschema is an Abstraction Network of the UMLS’s Semantic Network (SN) obtained from a connected partition into its collections of semantic types. A metaschema can support comprehension, visualization and navigation of the SN. In this paper, a methodology is presented to evaluate and compare two given metaschemas, based on their structural properties. This methodology was applied to the top-down metaschema and the bottom-up metaschema, derived from two studies involving two groups of UMLS experts. By the Cronbach alpha estimate, the bottom-up metaschema is reliable, while the top-down metaschema is not. An algorithm was designed to yield a consolidated metaschema enjoying the best and avoiding the worst of the two given metaschemas. The consolidation algorithm was applied to the above two metaschemas, The resulting consolidated metaschema has better structural properties than either of the two metaschemas and better supports user orientation visualization, and navigation of the Semantic Network.

Enhancing the accuracy of WLAN-based location determination systems using predicted orientation information

Indoor location determination has emerged as a significant research topic due to the wide-spread deployment of wireless local area networks (WLANs) and the demand for context-aware services inside buildings. However, prediction accuracy remains a primary issue surrounding the practicality of WLAN-based location determination systems. This study proposes a novel scheme that utilizes mobile user orientation information to improve prediction accuracy. Theoretically, if the precise orientation of a user can be identified, then the location determination system can predict that user’s location with a high degree of accuracy by using the training data of this specific-orientation. In reality, a mobile user’s orientation can be estimated only by comparing variations in received signal strength; and nevertheless the predicted orientation may be incorrect. Incorrect orientation information causes the accuracy of the entire system to decrease. Therefore, this study presents an accumulated orientation strength algorithm which can utilize uncertain estimated orientation information to improve prediction accuracy. Implementation of this system is based on the Bayesian model, and the experimental results indeed show the effectiveness of our proposed approach.