Amir Dirin

mLUX: Usability and User Experience Development Framework for M-Learning

In this paper, we propose the mLUX framework, a model based on the user-centered design (UCD) framework, which is specifically for the development of m-learning applications. We present the results of four case studies conducted to develop m-learning applications in which the proposed mLUX framework was applied. The main goal of the proposed mLUX framework is to ensure that the stakeholders, especially students, recognize that m-learning applications are learning media that fulfill their essential educational requirements. We begin by reviewing the literature on the contributions to mobile learning usability made in various conferences and journals from 2002 to 2010. This review helped identify and recognize the methodology used to develop mobile learning applications during this period. Based on the literature review, as the empirical case studies, four m-learning applications are examined to demonstrate the performance of the proposed framework for the development of m-learning applications. We apply three distinct measurement criteria to assess the performances of the mLUX framework. This paper also argues that emotional factors, such as the user’s enjoyment, adjustability, and reliability, are significant design issues in m-learning.

Machine learning and dynamic user interfaces in a context aware nurse application environment

The increasing usage of smartphones in daily life has received considerable attention in academic and industry driven research to be utilized in the health sector. There has been development of a variety of health-related smartphone applications. Currently, however, there are few to none applications based on nurses’ historical or behavioral preferences. Mobile application development for the health care sector requires extensive attention to security, reliability, and accuracy. In nursing applications, the users are often required to navigate in hospital environments, select patients to support, read the patient history and set action points to assist the patient during their shift. Finally, they have to report their performance on patient related activities and other relevant information before they leave for the day. In a working day, a nurse often visits different locations such as the patient’s room, different laboratories, and offices for filling reports. There is still a limited capability to access context relevant information on a smartphone with minimal recourse such as Wi-Fi triangulation. The Wi-Fi triangulation signals fluctuate significantly for indoor location positioning. Therefore, providing relevant location based services to a mobile subscriber has become challenging. This paper addresses this gap by applying machine learning and behavior analysis to anticipate the potential location of the nurse and provide the required services. The application concept was already presented at the IMCOM 2015 conference. This paper focuses on the process to ascertain a user’s context, the process of analyzing and predicting user behavior, and finally, the process of displaying the information through a dynamically generated UI.

Sustainable usage through emotional engagement: a user experience analysis of an adaptive driving school application

This paper explores the factors affecting sustainable usage of digital services, such as mobile learning (m-learning) applications. We define a conceptual model of digital service sustainability and its measurement indicators and criteria. We assess the conceptual model by applying it to an adaptive m-learning application, which provides theory and assessment for driving school students based on their competence and learning progress. Additionally, the application provides mandatory self-evaluation reports to instructors after each practical driving session. The application assessment focused on how students’ performed the predefined tasks at a usability laboratory. The assessment was based on educational components in conjunction with user experience factors of delightfulness, adjustability, satisfaction, and reliability. The key qualitative performance aspects proved to be user-centered (e.g. individual differences in cognitive and learning capabilities), UI-focused (e.g. interaction and adaptability to screen resolution), and content-related (e.g. contextual delivery, emotional appeal, adaptability). These elements resulted in overall delightful and effortless experience. The evaluation results indicate that the user experience factors impact sustainable usage because students are emotionally attached to the application. Therefore, we suggest that emotional attachment assessment results may serve as an indicator for sustainability of m-learning applications. These results help mobile application designers to design sustainable applications.

User Experience Evolution of M-Learning Applications.

The development of a mobile learning application is associated with many challenges including timely technology, richness of the learning content, pedagogy, usability, and the design of user experience. Users’ expectations and requirements on m-learning applications have evolved since the beginning of this millennium. The evolvement is mainly a result of the advancement of mobile technologies, devices, and network services. Users’ expectations are based on previous experiences, expertise level, and the context that users have previously worked. The focus of this paper is on mobile learning usability and user experience. We elaborate on m-learning applications’ user experience evolution from 2003 to 2016. The results demonstrate that usability needs to be complemented with user experience analysis when developing mlearning applications.

Rapid prototyping of a mobile SaaS application

Rapidly developing a customizable mobile application and the related software as a service (SaaS) is challenging and rarely studied. Traditionally, SaaS solutions are mainly accessed using personal computers, but the mobile SaaS solutions are needed in the tourism sector, for example, where users are mobile. This paper presents a case study where the original need was to design a customizable mobile tourism guide service for use by several small tourism companies, and to assess its functionality in a field study. The result of applying the Vaadin 6 Java web framework and LAMP technologies was a robust mobile application SaaS prototype system that fulfilled the essential design needs in the eight field test cases. This study shows that the field testing of a mobile concept can be completed easier when using Vaadin Java web framework, as it provides support for cross-platform functionality and GUI design, and completes, for example, LAMP-based SaaS solution. However, results point it out that new digital navigation features were needed to develop or improved and mobile web approach causes some usability challenges especially in the compass based navigation and user tracking. This study provides an example of how to develop a SaaS-based mobile service prototyping environment, which is needed while field testing new B2B mobile services with various groups of stakeholders. Our case study analysis reveal that the Vaadin development environment facilitates the rapid prototyping for digital services in an affordable way. The overall contribution of this paper is predominantly for software engineers and web application developers.

Towards an Adaptive Study Management Platform: Freedom Through Personalization.

Technological advancements have brought abundant freedom to our lives. In an educational context, however, the technology utilization is still relatively low despite recent developments on various ...

User Experience in Mobile Augmented Reality: Emotions, Challenges, Opportunities and Best Practices

Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) is gaining a strong momentum to become a major interactive technology that can be applied across domains and purposes. The rapid proliferation of MAR applications in ...

An interactive and augmented learning concept for orientation week in higher education

This paper details the concept development process for an interactive and augmented reality based application that compensates for attending Orientation Week at a higher education institution. The application will help freshmen learn about the institution’s environment and campus, degree program, and course curriculum before school starts. For efficiency and to elicit high emotional engagement, various pedagogical and technological approaches are used for presenting the content, such as gamification and augmented reality. Awareness of their future learning environment, study path, and course details helps students reduce their fear of failure, and this, in turn, prevents educational withdrawal. In addition to raising awareness, the interactive augmented learning for orientation application saves educational institutions significant time and resources by preparing new students for their educational journey on their personal mobile devices. The contribution of this paper is both for academicians and practitioners regarding the process for developing an innovative concept.

The Three Eras of Mobile Learning User Experience

In this paper, we present how the design of mobile learning applications has undergone three different phases since the beginning of this millennium. Users’ expectations and requirements on m-learning applications have continuously evolved and affected the applications through the different phases. Initially (era 1), the evolvement was a result of the advancement of mobile technologies, devices, and network services. However, technology is not the sole source of evolvement: users’ changing expectations and cultural surroundings have an increasing impact on the utilisation of m-learning applications. During the second era focus shifted toward usability (efficiency, effectiveness, satisfaction). The emerging third era has focus on experiential factors which impact the sustainable use of a mobile learning application. The case examples in the paper demonstrate the transitions from technological era to usability era - and even further to user experience era with analyses on emotional, experiential, and engaging factors. The resulting three eras outlined in this paper help developers anticipating future demands with development activities focusing on emotions and engagement.

Assessments of User Centered Design Framework for M-learning Application Development

This paper presents the evaluation criteria and process of the User Centered Design (UCD) framework for m-learning application development. Based on the proposed UCD framework we have designed and developed five mobile learning applications for various sectors. The main aim of this paper is to argue how the UCD framework as development methodology has been successful in developing robust mobile learning applications. The UCD framework for m-learning application assessments criteria is based on three evaluation processes. 1. The acceptance of the application by target group (usability assessments) 2. The user experience assessment of the target m-learning application based on education components. 3. Qualitative research e.g. semi-structured interview with developers, designers and the owner of the application. The analysis of these assessments demonstrates varies aspect of the proposed UCD framework functionalities and performance.