Elizabeth Uruchurtu

A Dwell Time-Based Technique for Personalised Ranking Model

The aim of a Personalised Ranking Model (PRM) is to filter the top-k set of documents from a number of relevant documents matching the search query. Dwell times of previously clicked results have been shown to be valuable for estimating documents’ relevance. The indexing structure of the dwell time is an important parameter. We propose a dwell time-based scoring scheme called Dwell-tf-idf to index text and non-text data, based on which search results are ranked. The effectiveness of incorporating into the ranking process the proposed Dwell-tf-idf scheme is validated by a controlled experiment which shows a significant improvement in the search results within the top-k rank.

The Evaluation of SHU3DED Cyber Campus -- A Pilot Study

This paper presents the preliminary findings of an empirical study that aims to evaluate the efficacy of 3D virtual worlds for synchronous distant learning activities. A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the prototype developed, the procedures and instruments of data collection, to prepare the study investigating whether virtual worlds can help students participate more effectively in learning activities. The theoretical framework is presented, together with the proposed prototype, method and results of the pilot study, its associated limitations and the future work that we intend to perform.

The use of cyber campuses to support online learning for students experiencing barriers accessing education

Attendance and participation in education are important for students to obtain the experiences necessary to develop their knowledge. However, there are some students who experience challenges hindering their access and participation in Higher Education. To support students, Universities utilise E-Learning. One of the many E-Learning tools is the use of virtual worlds in the form of cyber campuses. This paper investigates the extent to which cyber campuses can help to mitigate barriers and support students experiencing them. A prototype has been developed and a series of empirical studies have been performed. The results of this research suggest that a cyber campus environment can be used as an alternative learning support tool that can enhance online learning experiences, and help to mitigate some of the barriers that hinder access and participation to education. The associated limitations of this research and the future work planned out are also presented.

Usability evaluation of OpenWeb transcoding

This paper describes collaborative work between industry and academia aimed at supporting the design and assessment of a transcoding service to support mobile phone internet browsing. The work demonstrates how research informed by user based assessment can be effectively and efficiently employed to inform and support industry. The paper describes a series of small scale, relatively rapid, evaluation studies that have focused on the comparative assessment of alternative transcoding approaches. These studies have: informed the design of OpenWeb transcoding; developed a number of easily efficient empirical assessment methods for mobile browsing; and provided a basis for focusing future user experience studies.

The Development of Transactive Memory Systems in Collaborative Educational Virtual Worlds

The use of 3D virtual worlds in the form of cyber campuses has been introduced in higher education over the past decade to support and enhance students’ online learning experiences. Considering that students learn in socially constructed ways and through peer collaboration, the development of Transactive Memory System - the collective awareness of the group’s specialization, coordination, and credibility - is found to be beneficial for educational purposes. This paper presents the results of a study investigating the extent to which a TMS can be developed within a 3D virtual world educational setting.

A Relevance-Focused Search Application for Personalised Ranking Model

The assumption that users’ profiles can be exploited by employing their implicit feedback for query expansion through a conceptual search to index documents has been proven in previous research. Several successful approaches leading to an improvement in the accuracy of personalised search results have been proposed. This paper extends existing approaches and combines the keyword-based and semantic-based features in order to provide further evidence of relevance-focused search application for Personalised Ranking Model (PRM). A description of the hybridisation of these approaches is provided and various issues arising in the context of computing the similarity between users’ profiles are discussed. As compared to any traditional search system, the superiority of our approach lies in pushing significantly relevant documents to the top of the ranked lists. The results were empirically confirmed through human subjects who conducted several real-life Web searches.

Formative Evaluation for Complex Interactive Systems

This paper reports upon the design and use of a lightweight evaluation method, especially designed to examine complex interactive systems. The approach is illustrated through a case study involving an interactive tool designed to help enable users examine large scale data arising from authentication activity in higher education institutes. The evaluation approach illustrated is to enable the lightweight assessment of usability issues within complex interactive systems and identifying opportunities for significant design improvements. Specifically we argue that this method benefits from capturing key generic factors that underpin the effectiveness of tools for working with complex data. The paper concludes by reflecting upon the effectiveness of the lightweight structured assessment approach and how it supports to formative evaluation.