Lorraine G. Kisselburgh

Rapid Visual Feedback Processing in Single-Aiming Movements

A major line of behavioral support for motor-program theory derives from evidence indicating that feedback does not influence the execution and control of limited duration movements. Since feedback cannot be utilized, the motor-program is assumed to act as the controlling agent. in a classic study, Keele and Posner observed that visual feedback had no effect on the accuracy of 190-msec single-aiming movements. Therefore visual feedback processing time is greater than 190 msec, and, more importantly, limited duration movements are governed by motor programs. In the present paper, we observed that visual feedback can affect the spatial accuracy of movement with durations much less than 190 msec. We hypothesize that visual feedback can aid motor control via processes not associated with intermittent error corrections.

Collective Action Without Organization: The Material Constitution of Bike Commuters as Collective

This study uses a novel situation of organizing, bicycle commuting, to develop an argument regarding the requirements for collective action and increased autonomy for the material in constituting organizations. We found that through individual material and spatial practices, bike commuters constitute themselves as a collective, making their presence known and creating possibility for change. However, bike commuters’ discourses indicate that they do not experience a collective identity or sense of community of practice. We use this study to extend two areas of theory. First, we suggest that collective action can take place without organization or organizing: individual activities can aggregate to have an effect even if they are not officially coordinated or members do not acknowledge membership in a collective. Second, we suggest that this example moves beyond previous work on the communicative constitution of organizations to suggest that the material can constitute a collective, even without human, discursive recognition of it.

Discourse, Gender, and the Meaning of Work Rearticulating Science, Technology, and Engineering Careers Through Communicative Lenses

In this chapter, we offer communicative perspectives and challenges related to gender representation and the gendered organizing and career processes in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) areas. We focus on the meaning of work in STEM and how these meanings are (re)created and communicated through d/Discourses. Using a discursive approach, new perspectives on the issue of the underrepresentation of women in STEM careers derive from the constructed nature of STEM work itself and its meaningfulness to different groups, particularly women. Engagement in STEM careers also provides a context to evaluate and expand theory, research, and practice in communication. We use multi-disciplinary lenses to examine developmental, educational, media, technological, socio-cultural, and organizational perspectives on STEM work and careers. In summary, this chapter examines the discursive roots of contemporary constructions and images of STEM work, careers, education, and organizations, offering an opportunity to address a socially relevant issue and context for further examination and explication of communication research, theories, and practices across specialties.

skWiki: a multimedia sketching system for collaborative creativity

We present skWiki, a web application framework for collaborative creativity in digital multimedia projects, including text, hand-drawn sketches, and photographs. skWiki overcomes common drawbacks of existing wiki software by providing a rich viewer/editor architecture for all media types that is integrated into the web browser itself, thus avoiding dependence on client-side editors. Instead of files, skWiki uses the concept of paths as trajectories of persistent state over time. This model has intrinsic support for collaborative editing, including cloning, branching, and merging paths edited by multiple contributors. We demonstrate skWikis utility using a qualitative, sketching-based user study.

The effects of movement distance and movement time on visual feedback processing in aimed hand movements

Abstract An experiment is reported that manipulated movement distance, movement time and the availability of vision (Light-On versus Light-Off) on the accuracy of aimed hand movements. There was a constant difference in spatial accuracy between Light-On and Light-off conditions as a function of distance when the duration of the movement was 200 msec; when the duration of the aimed hand movement was 400 or 600 msec the difference in spatial accuracy between Light-On and Light-Off conditions increased as distance increased. These results were taken as support for a two-process model of visual feedback processing in aimed hand movements, and provide converging evidence for the rapid visual feedback processing results of Zelaznik, Hawkins, and Kisselburgh (1983).

Reconciling privacy with social media

Social media is one way that individuals share information, present themselves, and manage their social interactions in both personal and professional contexts. While social media benefits have been examined in the literature, relatively little attention has been paid to the relationship of privacy to these benefits. Privacy has traditionally been framed as a way for individuals to protect themselves from the consequences of too much information disclosure. However, privacy can be a means to enhance social media outcomes and is essential for coordinating cooperative relationships. In this workshop we seek to: a) broaden the lens of social media privacy research to examine the benefits and outcomes of interactional privacy as they relate to social media goals; and b) discuss the design of social media interfaces that are responsive to both relational and privacy needs.

Enhancing Visual Thinking in a Toy Design Course Using Freehand Sketching

ABSTRACT Engineering graduates in advancing economies are not onlyexpected to have engineering knowledge, but also use them increative and innovative ways. The importance of visual thinkinghas been critical for creativity and innovation in design. How-ever, today’s engineering students are proficient in detailed de-sign tools but lacking in conceptual design and ideation, and en-gineering curricula needs to develop a more effective frameworkfor teaching visual thinking. In this paper, we report our effortsto embed principles of design thinking and visual thinking prac-tices, like McKim’s “seeing, imagining and drawing” cycle [1].We use a toy design course in mechanical engineering for ourpilot study as a scaffold for introducing these principles in anengaging, creative, and fun environment. We introduced free-hand sketching as a tool for visual thinking during the design andcommunication of concepts. We also report the impact of thesechanges through information gleaned from student feedback sur-veys and analysis of design notebooks. We use our findings topropose ways to provide the students with a set of balanced tech-niques that help them in visual thinking, communication, and de-sign. An improved implementation of this experience is discussedand future work is proposed to overcome barriers to thinking andcommunication.

Evaluating Wikis as a Communicative Medium for Collaboration Within Colocated and Distributed Engineering Design Teams

Wikis, freely editable collections of web pages, exhibit potential for a flexible documentation and communication tool for collaborative design tasks as well as support for team design thinking early in the design process. The purpose of this work is to analyze dimensions of wiki technologies from a communication perspective as applicable to design. A wiki was introduced in a globally distributed product development course, and the experiences and performance of colocated and distributed teams in the course were assessed through observations, surveys, and site usage analytics. With a focus on communication in design, we explore the advantages and disadvantages of using wikis in student engineering design teams. Our goal is to use wiki technologies to enhance support for design processes while exploiting the potential for increasing shared understanding among teams. Distributed teams used the wiki more as a design tool and were more supportive of its use in the course whereas colocated teams used it for documentation. The usage patterns, the number and type of files uploaded, and the wiki structure provided indicators of better performing teams. The findings also suggest ways to improve and inform students about best practices using the wiki for design and to transform the wiki as a support tool for communication during early design collaboration. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4004115]

Audience visualization influences disclosures in online social networks

One of the major concerns about online social networks (OSNs) is privacy. We introduce visualization and numeric audience information as potential interface solutions to the problem of privacy behaviors that are misaligned with privacy preferences. Findings from a large experiment with participants of all ages and from a broad range of backgrounds suggest that for both current and potential users, augmenting an interface with a visualization or numeric display of the audience helps people disclose in a way that is more in line with their own preferences. We conclude by proposing that audience visualization and quantification tools have the potential to assist users in achieving their privacy goals while using OSNs and have the potential to enhance privacy in other information systems as well.

Through the Eyes of the Participant: Making Connections between Researcher and Subject with Participant Viewpoint Ethnography.

In this article, we introduce participant viewpoint ethnography (PVE), a phenomenological video research method that combines reflexive, interview-based data with video capture of actual experiences. In PVE, participants wear a head-mounted camera to record the phenomena of study from their point of view. The researcher and participant then review the video together, and the participant narrates and explains salient practices in the video. This generates both naturalistic video data (providing in situ access to social activities) and reflexive discourses on the activity of study. We detail this method, describing PVE data collection, how it differs from similar methods, the advantages of using it in social research, and potential challenges using the example of research on bike commuters. We conclude by suggesting uses for PVE in multiple areas of research.