Magali Ollagnier-Beldame

Annotation-based video enrichment for blind people: a pilot study on the use of earcons and speech synthesis

Our approach to address the question of online video accessibility for people with sensory disabilities is based on video annotations that are rendered as video enrichments during the playing of the video. We present an exploratory work that focuses on video accessibility for blind people with audio enrichments composed of speech synthesis and earcons (i.e. nonverbal audio messages). Our main results are that earcons can be used together with speech synthesis to enhance understanding of videos; that earcons should be accompanied with explanations; and that a potential side effect of earcons is related to video rhythm perception.

Favouring reflexivity in technology-enhanced learning systems: towards smart uses of traces

During learning activities, reflexive processes allow learners to realise what they have done, understand why, decide on new actions and gain motivation. They help learners to regulate their actions by themselves, that is, to develop metacognitive regulation skills. Computer environments can support reflexive processes to support human learning, for example by analysing traces of learner activity and providing synthetic views by the way of indicators. Nevertheless, traces are underused in technology-enhanced learning (TEL) systems. In this article, we draw up the potential and limits of TEL systems based on traces for reflexive purposes. We then highlight the characteristics which TEL systems should have to use traces to foster reflexivity. We finally discuss how systems could enrich the self-confrontation process with traces.

Traces and activity: a case study of a joint writing process mediated by a digital environment

The interdisciplinary research presented in this article is part of the study of collective human activities supported by technical devices. We begin by stating the objectives of the study and the type of activity observed, i.e. joint mediated writing. Then, we describe our procedure by (i) justifying our methodological choices, which are grounded in a psycho-ergonomic approach of ethnographical inspiration, (ii) detailing the setup of the study and (iii) describing the modes used to present the observables. Next, we present our analysis of a session, while revealing some intermediate results related to the properties of computer traces of interaction and their use in the course of the session. We end with a discussion of the results and limitations of the study followed by the conclusion, which opens up some pathways for designing ‘tracing systems’ capable of supporting joint mediated activities.