Hyung Nam Kim

The phenomenon of blogs and theoretical model of blog use in educational contexts

Many educators have attempted to implement a blog in educational contexts to enhance the communication environment among students and teachers. However, it is uncertain as to why traditional computer-mediated communication (CMC) applications should be replaced with blogs. It is time to comprehensively explore the effects of educational blogs by considering the CMC tools. This paper reviews prior studies and develops a model for the use of blogs in educational contexts by taking into account socio-technical systems theory. The model contributes to interactivity, an open system, a visualization tool, and a decentralized environment of online communication circumstance.

Paternal and maternal concerns for their very low-birth-weight infants transitioning from the NICU to home

This study examines qualitatively the concerns and coping mechanisms of fathers and mothers of very low-birth-weight (VLBW; <1500 g) neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infants as they transition to home from the NICU. In-depth, semistructured phone interviews were conducted with a sample of fathers and mothers of VLBW NICU infants in the Chicago area who had transitioned home, and parental concerns were examined during the transition to home. Phone interviews lasting 30 to 60 minutes were transcribed verbatim, and all interviews were coded using content and narrative analysis. Twenty-five parents (10 fathers, 15 mothers) of 16 VLBW infants who had an average gestational age of 29.5 weeks and an average NICU stay of 58.38 days completed the interview. Overriding concerns included pervasive uncertainty, lingering medical concerns, and partner-related adjustment concerns that differed by gender. A variety of resilient coping methods during this stressful transition are also described. Fathers and mothers of VLBW NICU graduates have evolving but often differing concerns as they transition from the NICU to home. Many of these concerns can be addressed with improved discharge information exchanges and anticipatory guidance. Supporting parents during this stressful and often difficult transition may lead to decreased family stress, improved care, and better infant outcomes.

Elicitation of Haptic User Interface Needs of People with Low Vision

Various assistive technologies such as haptic technology are used to help people with visual impairments comprehend complex information. Yet there is likely to be a misconception that users with the same disability category share the same user interface needs; furthermore, the majority of the literature has been oriented toward total blindness rather than low vision, possibly leading to dissatisfaction with assistive technologies and discontinuation of its use by those with low vision. The aim of this article is to advance the understanding of the needs of those with low vision especially in relation to haptic-incorporated multimodal user interfaces. A scenario-based, participatory design approach was used to explore their needs. A total of 19 user needs were systematically documented under three categories: audition (nu2009=u20095), touch (nu2009=u200911), and vision (nu2009=u20093). This article focuses on qualitatively exploring their needs and theoretically interpreting the needs in the light of previous studies.

Implementation of Internet Technology for Local Government Website: Design Guidelines

There may be limited resources for local government Web site designers to devote to innovative design. This study investigated current technology use by local government (Town of Blacksburg, TOE - Virginia) and suggests key design guidelines. Observation and interviews were used. Using recommendations in phase I, the TOE employed a blog that was investigated in phase II. The TOE incorporated traditional media with online to broadcast public meetings via TV and online. We suggested using indexed video to improve usability by shortening the amount of time it took to find specific information. We also recommended the Task Force blog be linked to an aggregator site for blogs in the region to increase opportunities for discussion and commentary. Such linkage would also make it unnecessary for the Task Force to open comments to the public directly on the Task Force blog, which was primarily used for commentary among panel members

Supporting parents of premature infants transitioning from the NICU to home: A pilot randomized control trial of a smartphone application

Objective To determine whether parents of Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW) infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) transitioning home with the NICU-2-Home smartphone application have greater parenting self-efficacy, are better prepared for discharge and have shorter length of stay (LOS) than control parents. Methods A four-week pilot randomized controlled trial during the transition home with 90 VLBW parents randomized to usual care (n = 44) or usual care plus NICU-2-Home (n = 46), a smartphone application designed for VLBW parents. Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC) was assessed at baseline, day after discharge, and two weeks post-discharge. Preparedness for discharge and length of stay (LOS) were secondary outcomes. Analyses by usage were also included. Results While parents of VLBW infants in the intervention group did not show an improvement in PSOC during the transition when compared directly to controls, after accounting for actual mean app usage, PSOC improved 7% (2.71 points/time greater; 95% CI = 1.45, 6.27) for intervention versus controls. Compared to controls, above-average users increased their PSOC score by 14% (6.84 points/time; 95% CL = 5.02, 8.67), average users by 11% (4.58 points/time; 95% CL = 2.89, 6.27) and below-average users by 6% (2.41 points/time; 95% CL = 0.04, 4.79). Moderate evidence showed LOS was shorter for above-average users compared to the control group (β = 12.2. SE = 6.9, p = 0.085). Conclusion A smartphone application used by parents of VLBW infants during the transition home from the NICU can improve parenting self-efficacy, discharge preparedness, and LOS with improved benefits based on usage.

Model of blogging structure for intercultural communication environments in higher education

It is often observed that most international students are less likely to express their opinions in class. The lack of communicative engagement has negative impacts on students academic performance. The objective of this article was to explore a range of possible explanations for international students lack of engagement in class discussions and to seek a way to model how an e-tool could be applied to make international students more comfortable communicating. The present study viewed that those students communication problems are induced by the following multiple factors: a sense of belonging to a minority, cultural difference, and communication apprehension. Blogs were thus suggested to enhance those students communication contexts. An ideal model of blogging interactions between students and teachers was theoretically proposed.

Safety Critical Incidents Among Small Construction Contractors: A Prospective Case Study

According to a 2006 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report, approximately 90% of construction companies employ 20 or fewer workers; of these, 30% specialize in residential construction. Contractors with 10 or fewer employees are exempt from OSHA reporting requirements, unless a fatality occurs or an injury/illness leads to lost workdays for three or more employees (29 CFR 1904.1, Subpart B). This qualitative case study was conducted to understand character- istics and work patterns to develop a clearer understanding of the natural context of work, especially given the underre- porting of safety information by small construction companies. A prospective study was conducted in which construction workers logged critical incidents for four weeks. Definitions and examples of critical incidents were given to workers, along with a data logging notebook with structured questions. Workers could report the events immediately upon occur- rence or after the workday ended. A total of 102 critical incidents were reported. Content (axial coding) and cluster analy- ses were used to analyze the logs and to extract important descriptors and patterns. Results were used to characterize in- jury types, antecedents, time-of-day, and family-work involvement. Descriptions regarding the training-, resource-, and planning-related practices of small construction workers focused on the unique challenges that impose barriers and con- straints on safety climate.

Haptic Science Learning System for Students with Visual Impairments: A Preliminary Study

This paper assesses the usability of developed haptic interface features to support future development of haptically enhanced science learning applications for students with visual impairments. Of the features developed and evaluated, three features are described in this study: Haptic Boundary, Menu Selection, and Object Recognition. Two focus groups participated in an interview and usability session. Results from this study give insight to the needs of the visually impaired community in regard to haptic applications.

Models of Government Blogging: Design Tradeoffs in Civic Engagement

Some local government officials and staff have been experimenting with emerging technologies as part of a broad suite of media used for informing and communicating with their constituencies. In addition to the typical government website and, for some, email exchange with citizens, some town and municipal governments are using blogs, video streaming, pod- casting, and Real Simple Syndication (RSS) to reach constituencies with updates and, in some cases, interaction and discussion between citizens and government.

Development of a Guidelines Tool for Mobile Phone Interfaces

The cellular phone market has advanced rapidly and consequently has produced a variety of functional capabilities and interface designs. However, this same rapid proliferation has led to problems with the diffusion and organization of design guidelines. Given the current market demands on usability that include addressing the needs of users with disabilities, cellular phone developers need easy-to-access and comprehensible design guidelines. This study was conducted to develop a guidelines tool to support the development of usable cellular phone interfaces. The tool was developed on the basis of knowledge elicitation techniques of experts, including card sorting and category evaluation. Cluster and content analyses were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data. Categories of guidelines and their meanings are provided.