Norzilah Musa

Towards flexible media sharing: Control and coordination issues in network collaborative virtual environment

Media is known as a medium of communication among users. Nowadays, the emergence of communication technology allows users in distributed locations to share and work interactively on digital media elements such as artifacts, documents, images, graphics and audio-video files. Users who work on the same project will form four communication relationships (one-to-one, one-to-many, one-to-selected users, many-to-many) and they share the same media. Different types of media require different handling mechanisms, especially when dealing with distributed virtual users on heterogeneous platforms. As a result, controlling and coordinating such media becoming more complex. This paper investigates the control and coordinating factors in relation to media sharing based on platform, users, media access, and API. The investigation involves comparative studies based on related research that focus on media sharing in networked collaborative workspaces. Results from this study are significant to support the control and coordination of flexible media sharing for future research.

Mineral Potential Prediction Using Hybrid Intelligent Approach

Predicting minerals potential helps miners in making wise decisions. In this paper, we present a computerized prototype system called GoldXplorer that enables to predict the existence and distribution of gold (aurum (Au)) at a given location with its geological and geographical factors. With its two intelligent engines based on back-propagation neural network and self-organizing map techniques, GoldXplorer helps users (geologists, investors, gold miners or individuals) to determine the gold potentials for further investigation and mining activity. For the case study, we use data sets collected from an area called Kuala Lipis in Malaysia. This set of data was supplied and verified by Malaysia Department of Minerals and Geosciences. The data consists of the location (RSOE and RSON) and all types of minerals found in the area. Two thousand sample points were used in this research and it results in eighty percent (or more) of accuracy rate. With the results produced by GoldXplorer, the potential strategic locations for gold mining may be determined. In addition, with the predicted information, future planning can be carried out so that the earth can be properly kept from any illegal mining.

A review of persuasive techniques in developing children educational system

Over the last two decades, persuasive technology has become a popular research. Due to its credibility in interacting with human, computer technology is used to change human behavior and attitudes. This paper presents a review of major persuasive technologies mainly on children education. There are three (3) persuasive technologies used in developing children educational system: play-based occupational therapy or games, conversational counseling dialogue and simulated environment. A literature review of each techniques and its application in developing educational system is presented.

Cyclic multi-tiers knowledge management model in RAINS

Much research on the rain harvesting has been undertaken by experts such as architects and engineers. The emphases are on the required materials, installation of appropriate equipments, techniques of capturing rain water and other issues that lead to the environmental studies. Computers are only for certain calculations or simulations using common software packages. The lack of comprehensive use on computerized system to assist the rain harvesting research and implementation has lead to this study. We propose a model for knowledge management methods in developing a comprehensive prototype software application, called RAINS that simulates appropriate knowledge on rain harvesting and acts as an intelligent decision tool. It begins with knowledge acquisition, followed by knowledge manipulation and processing, and ends with knowledge delivery. The major strength of this model is on the idea of composing and blending different types of expert’s knowledge in a form of cyclic and multi-tiers structure. This model is not only for rain harvesting system development, but also applicable in other knowledge acquisition domains and cases.

Persuasive Multimedia Application for Children Readiness Towards Circumcision

Nowadays, there are many educational software products that have incorporated motivational factors for assisting parents and teachers in persuading, convincing and motivating children to change their existing perception or behaviour. Different combinations of persuasive approaches work with different children, as verbal persuasive alone is not sufficient in changing children’s behaviour. The lack of existing applications to assist parents in persuading boys to undertake the circumcision procedure has motivated this study. A survey was conducted in order to determine the factors that might influence children to undergo circumcision. Rasch Measurement Model is used for validating and analysing the collected data. Results from this analysis are used for designing a knowledge management framework, which in turn will be used as a base for developing a multimedia prototype called BraveBoy. The strength of this framework is in its combination of different knowledge sources on circumcision procedures for boys, blended with various persuasive techniques to form an effective strategy.

Managing sub-group interactions and communication in group collaboration activities

In the collaborative working environment, users in a group activity are formally communicated to each other in the public workspace to collaboratively develop information artefact. However, complex tasks activities required dynamic and creative solutions that need additional spaces for private and informal interactions among group members. Hence, one group project may consist of various sub-group activities with different communication strategies based on the needs of the task. Currently, the existing systems do not provide the mechanism for users to define their own sub-group communication dimensions with preferable users. To this end, we propose an approach to enable the propagation communication dimension that associated with sub-group activity in the collaborative workspace. We formulate the multi-dimensional communication model based on user-to-user and user-to-group relationships that facilitate users in controlling the communication flow. In order to justify that our approach is applicable, we describe the possible user relations in several abstract scene scenario.

A Framework for Sharing Communication Media in Supporting Creative Task in Collaborative Workspace

In networked collaborative working environment, users are involved with either repeatable or exclusive task. These variety tasks required the collaborative system to support it dynamic and creative solutions especially in sharing the communication media. Most of the related research are objectively focusing on the alignment of user behavior in shared activities. There is not much research conducted concerning on sharing communication media components in creative collaborative activity in details. In this paper, we analyze collaborative work application systems focusing on the communication module in four common areas; business, health, education and manufacturing. Based on the analysis, communication media sharing elements are formed into three layers. In each layer, media sharing element and its functions are identified. Then, we proposed a general software framework for communication media sharing for creative collaborative activities. The framework is functioning as a platform for users to manage their dynamic creative solutions to accomplish complex task.

Enhancing group activities with multidimensional communication in collaborative workspace

In collaborative workspaces, users of a group communicate with other group members through information artefacts in their activities. While they are working, they can create additional small groups for inter and intra communications based on their preferences. Hence, at any specific time, a collaborative user is associated with more than one group and activity for single and multi-dimensional communication. The relationships between users, groups and activities are very complex and become a barrier to any group activities in having seamless communications. In this paper, we identify important features for single dimension and multi-dimensional communications in five domains of collaborative applications. Then, we analyze the important factors for designing mechanism to support the multi-dimensional communication based on user preference. The findings emphasize eight crucial parameters for a multi-dimensional communication in collaborative workspaces. Thus, the user-based multi-dimensional communication is significant in promoting flexible coordinating mechanism for group activities.