Thomas Way

Automatic visual to tactile translation. I. Human factors, access methods and image manipulation

This is the first part of a two-part paper that motivates and evaluates a method for the automatic conversion of images from visual to tactile form. In this part, a broad-ranging background is provided in the areas of human factors, including the human sensory system, tactual perception and blindness, access technology for tactile graphics production, and image processing techniques and their appropriateness to tactile image creation. In Part II, this background is applied in the development of the TACTile Image Creation System (TACTICS), a prototype for an automatic visual-to-tactile translator. The results of an experimental evaluation are then presented and discussed, and possible future work in this area is outlined.

Automatic visual to tactile translation. II. Evaluation of the TACTile image creation system

This is the second part of a two-part paper that develops a method for the automatic conversion of images from visual to tactile form. In Part I, a variety of topics were reviewed including issues in human factors, access technology for tactile graphics production, and image processing. In this part, the material presented in the first part is used to motivate, develop, and support the methods used in the development of a prototype visual-to-tactile translator called the TACTile Image Creation System (TACTICS). The specific choices made in the design of the system are discussed and justified, including selection of software platform, tactile output format, tactile image creation procedure, aggregate image processing sequences used, and principles from the discipline of psychophysics. The results of four experiments on tactile image discrimination, identification, and comprehension are reported and discussed, and future directions in this area are proposed.

Inclusion of deaf students in computer science classes using real-time speech transcription

Computers increasingly are prevalent in the classroom, with student laptops becoming the norm, yet some beneficial uses of this widespread technology are being overlooked. Speech recognition software is maturing, and possesses the potential to provide real-time note taking assistance in the classroom, particularly for deaf and hard of hearing students. This paper reports on a practical, portable and readily deployed application that provides a cost-effective, automatic transcription system with the goal of making computer science lectures inclusive of deaf and hard of hearing students. The design of the system is described, some specific technology choices and implementation approaches are discussed, and results of two phases of an in-class evaluation of the system are analyzed. Ideas for student research projects that could extend and enhance the system also are proposed.

Region Formation Analysis with Demand-Driven Inlining for Region-Based Optimization

Region-based compilation repartitions a program into more desirable compilation units for optimization and scheduling, particularly beneficial for ILP architectures. With region-based compilation, the compiler can control problem size and complexity by controlling region size and contents, expose interprocedural scheduling and optimisation opportunities without interprocedural analysis or large function bodies, and create compilation units for program analysis that more accurately reflect the dynamic behavior of the program. This paper presents a region formation algorithm that eliminates the high compile-time memory costs due to an aggressive inlining prepass. Individual subregions are inlined in a demand-driven way during interprocedural region formation. Our experimental results on a subset of the SPEC benchmarks demonstrate a significant reduction in compile-time memory requirements with comparable runtime performance.

A company-based framework for a software engineering course

The subject matter of a typical undergraduate software engineering course, while providing necessary background, can be quite dry. Team-based programming projects often complement the more theoretical textbook and lecture content by giving students valuable hands-on practice, albeit on a small scale and within a traditional classroom setting. This paper describes a company-based framework used in two semesters of a software engineering course. This approach incorporates a novel, collaborative framework to simulate the real-world experience of working for a medium-sized software design company or research laboratory, while giving students a vested interest in the overall outcome.

Development and Outcomes of a Text Messaging Tobacco Cessation Intervention With Urban Adolescents

BACKGROUND This paper describes the development of an urban adolescent text messaging tobacco cessation intervention and preliminary findings from a randomized, controlled trial. The authors successfully adapted a face-to-face intervention into a personalized, automated, and interactive 5-day texting protocol. METHODS Respondent-driven sampling was used beginning at a community substance abuse facility. Seventy-two tobacco-dependent adolescents were randomized into an automated computer texting program that delivered either the experimental condition of 30 motivational interviewing- and social network counseling-based personalized messages or the attention control condition consisting of a texting program covering general (non-smoking-related) health habits. All teens were provided smartphones for the study and were assessed at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months post intervention. Analyses examined condition×time interactions. RESULTS At 6 months, the experimental condition decreased the number of cigarettes smoked in the past 30 days, increased intentions not to smoke in the future, and increased peer social support compared with controls. Effect sizes were moderate to large. CONCLUSIONS These findings are unique, as they target urban adolescents with a mobile health format and add to the growing literature on the efficacy of text-delivered interventions.

jFAST: a java finite automata simulator

Visualization and interactivity are valuable active learning techniques that can improve mastery of difficult concepts. In this paper we describe jFAST, an easy-to-use graphical software tool for teachers and students, with an emphasis on introductory level finite state machine topics. The jFAST software enables visual design, exploration and simulation of a variety of finite state machines, with a primary goal of enhancing teaching effectiveness in this subject, particularly for less advanced computer science students. The architecture and functionality of jFAST are explained, and results of preliminary evaluation are provided.

Inclusive computer science education using a ready-made computer game framework

Leveraging the prevailing interest in computer games among college students, both for entertainment and as a possible career path, is a major reason for the increasing prevalence of computer game design courses in computer science curricula. Because implementing a computer game requires strong programming skills, game design courses are most often restricted to more advanced computer science students, yet real game design involves a diverse and creative team. This paper reports on a ready-made game design and experimentation framework, implemented in Java, which makes game programming more widely accessible. This framework, called Labyrinth, enables students at all programming skill levels to participate in computer game design. We describe the architecture of the framework, and discuss programming projects suitable for a wide variety of computer science courses, from capstone to non-major.

Does substance use moderate the association of neighborhood disadvantage with perceived stress and safety in the activity spaces of urban youth

BACKGROUND This study investigates the association of activity space-based exposure to neighborhood disadvantage with momentary perceived stress and safety, and the moderation of substance use on those associations, among a sample of 139 urban, primarily African American, adolescents. METHOD Geospatial technologies are integrated with Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to capture exposure to neighborhood disadvantage and perceived stress and safety in the activity space. A relative neighborhood disadvantage measure for each subject is calculated by conditioning the neighborhood disadvantage observed at the EMA location on that of the home neighborhood. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) are used to model the effect of relative neighborhood disadvantage on momentary perceived stress and safety, and the extent to which substance use moderates those associations. RESULTS Relative neighborhood disadvantage is significantly associated with higher perceived stress, lower perceived safety, and greater substance use involvement. The association of relative neighborhood disadvantage with stress is significantly stronger among those with greater substance use involvement. CONCLUSION This research highlights the value of integrating geospatial technologies with EMA and developing personalized measures of environmental exposure for investigating neighborhood effects on substance use, and suggests substance use intervention strategies aimed at neighborhood conditions. Future research should seek to disentangle the causal pathways of influence and selection that relate neighborhood environment, stress, and substance use, while also accounting for the role of gender and family and peer social contexts.

A Virtual Laboratory Model for Encouraging Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate students who perform research benefit greatly from the experience, yet achieving high levels of voluntary participation remains an elusive goal. This paper describes the implementation of an innovative laboratory model designed to encourage computer science undergraduates to actively pursue collaborative research with faculty and other students. As an extension of earlier research into team-based software engineering education, the Applied Computing Technology Laboratory was formed to provide an authentic and engaging experience in real-world computer science research. The model, which relies on a web site as its focus, is presented along with the results of one year of active research.