My fundraising campaign for Mental Illness Awareness Week is now active. I created the Facebook campaign around 11:45am this morning. Please donate to my fundraiser at: https://www.facebook.com/donate/472877338221413/
The campaign will run for 1 week.
I found an interesting paper that tested a tag-based interface in banking. The researchers hypothesized that the usability of the tag-based interface would be higher (better) than the usability of the current, conventional interface of a banking application.
Here is the paper:
Usability Evaluation of a Tag-Based Interface
By: Rajinesh Ravendran, Ian MacColl, Michael Docherty
https://uxpajournal.org/usability-evaluation-of-a-tag-based-interface/
For the tag-based interface, users would be able to enter/select tags for their banking transactions. This is a form of customization. When the user clicks on a tag, information associated with the banking transaction will be retrieved.
The conventional interface had the regular dropdowns, checkboxes, and so on.
The researchers found that the tag-based user interface would improve user satisfaction.
It is interesting that tagging could be used in this way. I like tagging - I try to add appropriate tags to my blog posts. To retrieve posts on a particular topic, the tag could be used. For example, to view posts on happiness in my blog (the blogspot blog at https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/), you could scroll down to the labels and then select happiness. The website would then provide all posts tagged happiness - using url https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/search/label/happiness.
Sometimes, it is difficult to find what you're looking for. For example, I know there is a post in my blog that is related to my recent Throwback Thursday post:
#ThrowbackThursday
Remembering those days in the computer lab at my apartment community in Gainesville, FL. I prepared lots of PhD papers in that lab.
Here is one of my videos of the lab:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z8pisPmox8k
I have a few more videos showing the computer screen as I type up an assignment.
Looking through the tags, I don't see lab or apartment or video. I can use the search box instead. Searching by keyword 'lab' returns the post I am interesting in:
https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/2022/06/paper-on-real-time-systems.html
It is tagged: fahmeenaodetta, realtimesystems, starbucks
I found another interesting paper on dashboard design.
Using Feedback Intervention Theory to Guide Clinical Dashboard Design
By: Dawn Dowding, PhD, RN, FAAN, Jacqueline Merrill, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, and David Russell, PhD
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6371234/
The authors recognized that dashboards could be used to provide feedback to staff to improve their performance. They used the Feedback Intervention Theory to inform the design of a dashboard. Usability testing/evaluation is used in the design process.
I am so happy that I returned to school to expand my knowledge of information systems (first a MS degree at UMBC and then my PhD studies). I learned a lot and was able to immediately apply the knowledge to improve my job performance. I am happy that I discovered usability. It is a good fit for me because I always championed the "voice of the user." Apparently, I was into design as well.
I have several years of experience designing screens/user interfaces (UI) for new software. I first worked with the UI Designer to ensure the UI would allow the user to complete all tasks/details included in the use case. Later, I prepared UI to go along with requirements for a financial area. I worked with subcontractors that represented the users as well as the users themselves.
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From Facebook:
Post 1:
Sometimes it helps to share surprising details about yourself - share a confession so family and friends understand you better. This is an example:
https://introvertdear.com/news/introvert-confessions-personal/
Do you have something to share? Post one surprising thing about yourself and tag 5 friends to ask them to do the same.
————————————
MY CONFESSION:
These days I do not cook and clean and exercise as much as I did in the past (I don’t have the time, I am tired etc.). I purchase a lot of pizza and other fast food, I gained a lot of weight, and so on. However, I am not a complete slob. And, I am clean and presentable when I go out to work or play.
(Fahmeena Odetta Moore)
Post 2:
I found some shocking information on cleanliness and housekeeping on the internet. I did not realize it was such a problem. Here’s an example:
"Fahmeena Odetta Moore You are hereby summoned for jury duty...."
I have to prepare for jury duty tomorrow. Because of the accident, my vehicle is unavailable so I wouldn't be able to jump into my car and drive to the Courthouse in the morning. I have to plan my trip. I also have to think about what I'll wear. The summons actually includes a dress code. Hopefully, when I am there tomorrow, I will not be selected for a trial.
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Civic duty is important. Everyone should be a good citizen.
Below is a paper that provides information on good citizenship. It looks at the personalities/traits of individuals that lead them to be good citizens.
Who makes a good citizen? The role of personality
By: Scott Pruysers, Julie Blais, Phillip G. Chen
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886919302302
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I found a really interesting paper on the development of a dashboard for an emergency room in Seoul. The researchers designed the dashboard iteratively (over several rounds) then tested its usability. The paper is:
A Real-Time Autonomous Dashboard for the Emergency Department: 5-Year Case Study
By: Junsang Yoo, Kwang Yul Jung, Taerim Kim, Taerim Lee, Sung Yeon Hwang, Hee Yoon, Tae Gun Shin, Min Seob Sim, Ik Joon Jo, Hansol Paeng, Jong Soo Choi, Won Chul Cha
https://mhealth.jmir.org/2018/11/e10666
There were 2 subprojects: a dashboard for providers and a dashboard for patients and families. The dashboards fell under a Happiness project at the institution (called "Happinovation" - Happy innovation) that sought to enhance patient and provider happiness through process and hardware innovations.
There were three dashboard principles: (1) Anytime, Anywhere, at a Glance, (2) Minimal Interruption to Workflow, and (3) Protect Patient Privacy. And, there were three design principles: (1) Geographical Layout, (2) Patient-Level Alert, and (3) Real-Time Summary Data.
The researchers used the System Usability Scale (SUS) to obtain and measure participants' views on the usability of the dashboard. The SUS score was a high 67.6 points.
There was a lot of data to include in the dashboards so they were a little crowded/busy. I personally felt that they were too dark, but the dark color made the numbers pop (more visible).
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Mental Illness Awareness Week is October 2 - 8, 2022.
I
am planning a few activities for Mental Illness Awareness Week. I would
like to raise funding for mental health treatments and interventions or
volunteer at a facility. I would like to write at least one article on
my mental condition that should be helpful to others. And, I am thinking
of having a videotaped conversation on my mental health with my parents
and an expert. More information coming soon.
Mental health is important.
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I discovered that the federal government awards contracts for usability testing. An example is the award of a contract to UserWorks, Inc. to conduct focus groups and usability testing of FirstGov.gov
(see https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/newsroom/news-releases/gsa-awards-firstgov-usability-contract-to-userworks-of-silver-spring-md).
I am definitely interested in these opportunities.
From the company webiste, UserWorks (http://www.userworks.com/index.html) seems like a good company. It is a user experience design and usability engineering firm. The team there seems outstanding. I hope it is not true that the firm is going out of business.
I will look into other usability testing firms. Some consulting firms may have UX/UI departments/areas that bid for usability contracts.
An example: I learned of a firm called Applied Information Sciences from the LinkedIn profile of UX Researcher Weimin Hou (https://www.linkedin.com/in/weiminhou) who has a PhD in Information Systems from UMBC, Human-Computer Interaction Track.
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I found a very interesting paper on the evaluation of the user experience and UI (the usability) of the prototype of a mobile web energy monitoring system:
Evaluating on User Experience and User Interface (UX/UI) of EnerTrApp a Mobile Web Energy Monitoring System
By: Kristine Mae P. Escanillan-Galera, Cenie M.Vilela-Malabanan
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877050919319477
The design of the study is interesting. The researchers looked at usability metrics: (1) efficiency (whether the system was efficient), (2) effectiveness (whether the system was effective), and (3) satisfaction (whether the system was satisfying based on the overall user experience). Selection of these metrics were based on the ISO 9241-11:2018. Usability testing was conducted in the computer laboratory of a private college institute. Apparently, in the past, most mobile device evaluations were done in laboratory settings.
Usability testing of mobile applications is an interesting area. I actually found a paper on this topic from a former professor at UMBC:
Challenges, Methodologies, and Issues in the Usability Testing of Mobile Applications
By: Dongsong Zhang & Boonlit Adipat
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15327590ijhc1803_3?src=recsys
I did not want to believe it! I remember Dr. Dongsong Zhang.
One of his research areas is actually mobile HCI (Human-Computer Interaction).
His website at UNCC: https://belkcollegeofbusiness.charlotte.edu/dzhang15/.
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The first word for this week is: perspicacious
(adopted from Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day September 21, 2022)
Perspicacious means having the ability to see and discern details that others may miss (from things that are difficult or not obvious). An example is a perspicacious judge of character.
Some things are easy to discern, such as the close resemblance between two individuals. For example, there was a close resemblance between a teacher at my high school and Rambo. We called him Rambo.
Facial recognition and face matching could be complicated, however. There are many issues in matching one face to another. Here is an article on training courses to improve the performance of professionals who match faces, known as facial reviewers and facial examiners.
An international survey of applied face-matching training courses
Reuben Moreton, Catriona Havard, Ailsa Strathie, Graham Pike
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037907382100267X
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I admire Jakob Nielsen, renowned usability expert. He has been called:
"The guru of Web page usability" (The New York Times),
"The world's leading expert on Web usability' (U.S. News & World Report), and
"One of the world's most influential designers" (Businessweek).
He holds a Ph.D. in human-computer interaction (HCI) from the Technical University of Denmark in Copenhagen and was actually a Sun Microsystems Distinguished Engineer.
(more at: https://www.nngroup.com/people/jakob-nielsen/)
I would like to follow in his footsteps.
This reminds me of a motivation capstone I prepared for my first NCU course. It needed to be something that would motivate me to work hard to complete (dedicate my energies towards completion of) the PhD - such as a poem or story. I decided on this:
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I was involved in a car accident on 9/17. I continue to thank the Almighty that it was not a deadly accident and that that I am okay.
Most people take photos of the vehicles after an accident. Those photos could actually be used to digitally reconstruct the accident, according to this research paper on using a computer-based virtual reality method to reconstruct traffic accidents:
A virtual reality method for digitally reconstructing traffic accidents from videos or still images
By: Peifeng Jiao, Qifeng Miao, Meichao Zhang, Weidong Zhao
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0379073818308107
I would like to see how my accident would look using this method.
Virtual reality is essentially a simulation - it creates a simulated environment. I saw that it is used a lot in healthcare. Here is a very informative article on the use of virtual reality in medical training:
Virtual reality and the transformation of medical education
By: Jack Pottle
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6798020/
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I am starting a new project. I got the idea for the new project this morning.
Related Facebook post:
This song is so touching.....
A displaced little girl
Wept years in silence
And whispered wishes you'd materialize
She pressed on night and day
To keep on living
And tried to many ways
To keep her soul alive
Did you really care
Care enough for me
Did you really care
Did you care at all for me.
If I'm not quite good enough
Or somehow undeserving of
A mother's love
You could have had the decency
To give me up
Before you gave me life
Don't you even care
Just the slightest little bit for me
Cause I really need to feel you cared
(Lyrics of Reflections by Mariah Carey)
I am inspired to research issues in the parent-child relationship so we can learn from the lessons.
Some mothers walk out on their kids.
Some mothers put their kids up for adoption.
There are all sorts of issues.
Remember this story?
https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/crime-history/5-things-to-know-about-andrea-yates-mom-drowned-5-kids-in-the-bathtub
The Bible does say to honor your mother and father.
This will be another major project.
#fahmeenaodetta #phdproject
Yesterday's post on the gamification of an open government data portal was very interesting. I discovered that the term gamification is also used in connection with training/learning. Gaming concepts are also used to make learning fun and increase student engagement.
I have some experience using games for learning. During my MS in Finance program, one of my professors used a kind of simulation game to teach us corporate finance concepts. He wrote a computer program to simulate what would occur if the student's target values (for P/E ratio and so on) were put into practice. For my personal benefit, I used a stock simulation game to experiment with the stock market (example: https://www.stocktrak.com/).
I really do believe simulation games are very helpful. I was surprised to read in the following research paper that there is emerging research work arguing that gamification is not effective (the paper did not support this conclusion, however).
Paper: Exploring the impact of gamification on student engagement and involvement with e-learning systems
By: Imed Bouchrika, Nouzha Harrati, Vanissa Wanick & Gary Wills
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10494820.2019.1623267
Maybe more attention needs to be paid to the design of game-based tools and applications. Simulation games or simulations are useful for decision-making.
I recently updated the decision-making section of my LinkedIn research profile. Here is what it looks like now:
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I found an interesting paper on open government data portals:
Tailoring open government data portals for lay citizens: A gamification theory approach
Anthony Simonofski, Anneke Zuiderwijk, Antoine Clarinvala, Wafa Hammedi
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0268401222000421
I learned from the paper that most open government portals work best for expert users. The researchers proposed a gamification approach to "simplify" the portals for lay citizens. Games are the inspiration for gamification, which uses elements from games to improve the user's experience with the portal in a fun and more engaging way.
The researchers collected lay citizen's requirements for open government portals in order to consider user input for their design of a prototype of the gamified portal. The requirements provide insight into what the public wants the sites to include and how they should work (the researchers interviewed only 10 lay citizens). I thought the requirements would be useful for other areas, such as websites that provide online reviews.
I found the comparison between requirements by lay citizens and expert users interesting. Their requirements do conflict. Gamification improved the ease of use (or usability) of the portal for the lay citizens.
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Trust is important. Customers are more likely to purchase items (such as food) from a retailer he/she trusts. In the area of online reviews, users are more likely to act on a recommendation from a review he/she trusts (thinks is fair and balanced rather than one-sided, is from a recognized expert, provides pictures, and so on).
In web retailing / electronic commerce, customers are more likely to trust a retailer that has more security features. Security is a big issue. If the customer suspects that his/her information could be compromised during transmission or when in the possession of the retailer, then he/she is less likely to purchase items.
I found research that showed the quality of the user interface of a website also impacts trust in web retailing. The research found there is a strong relationship between interface quality and trust. Here is the paper:
The impact of interface usability on trust in Web retailers
By: Marie Christine Roy, Olivier Dewit, Benoit A. Aubert
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/10662240110410165/full/html
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My cousin Sonia was a good cook. Her last job was a cook for a small restaurant that sold food at several locations in Linden. She told me she cooked the food in very large (waist-high) pots.
Sonia learned a lot about cooking from her mom who made food for children.
My grandmother was also a good cook. A long time ago, she had a "boarder" business where she cooked lunch for employees of the bauxite company. I remember her cook-up rice with pigtail, casareep fish, and curry fish. All good.
So some members of my family had small food businesses.
I grew up eating "good food." I was fat.
This morning, I learned of the passing of a cousin in Guyana. I may be traveling soon for her funeral. R.I.P. Sonia.
One of yesterday's posts highlighted words that were created/formed by combining two words. Culturability and Amerindian.
The combined word is called a portmanteau of the two words (Amerindian is a portmanteau of "American Indian").
The word for today is: AGGLUTINATE, a word used in Biology.
One definition of the word is: to unite or combine into a group.
Link: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agglutination
I also found a more complicated definition:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/agglutination-grammar.
This definition explains that words can be formed by agglutination.
Here is an interesting tidbit:
Word Combiner is a web tool that allows a user to combine up to 4 words to create a unique new one. It can be used to create passwords.
Link: https://www.wordunscramble.io/word-combiner
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This is a staffing firm but the IT version of it:
https://www.upwork.com/
(website for contract workers by Upwork, formerly Odesk)
I signed up for an account at Odesk.com many years ago. I have not been using the account.
Culture affects usability. For example, color may have different meanings in countries. A website with lots of green would be a problem in France since the French associate green with criminality. On the other hand, a website with lots of green would invoke positive feelings in Egypt and Middle Eastern countries. The following article provides good information on culture and usability (termed culturability):
Culturability: The Merging of Culture and Usability
By: W. Barber and A. Badre
https://www.usj.edu.lb/moodle/stephane.bazan/obs_interculturelle/Barber%20and%20Badre.pdf
Culturability reminds me of the term for American Indian in Guyana - Amerindian. Amerindian combines or merges American and Indian.
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I found a paper that made me realize that media players available on the web are not perfect. Research shows that YouTube players provide some desirable controls like captions, screen size, and so on, but there are also problems such as difficulty with subtitles in some browsers and screen reader issues (for the visually impaired). Other players available on the web are reported to have some issues.
The researchers designed a video player to improve upon players on the web. The new player has more accessibility features (video player controls). They stressed usability, even tested for it at the end.
Here is the paper:
Web Videos – Concerns About Accessibility based on User Centered Design
By: Johana MarÃa Rosas Villena, Bruno Costa Ramos, Renata Pontin M. Fortes, Rudinei Goularte, 2014
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877050914000544
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My healthcare provider offers video visits. I have had quite a few video visits since the COVID-19 pandemic started. The video visits went quite well.
I found a research paper that investigated how patients viewed their primary care video visits:
Patient Perceptions of Telehealth Primary Care Video Visits
By: Rhea E. Powell, Jeffrey M. Henstenburg, Grace Cooper, Judd E. Hollander and Kristin L. Rising
https://www.annfammed.org/content/15/3/225.short
To my surprise, the investigation found that the patients felt more comfortable with video visits than office visits and even prefer to receive serious news via a video visit because they would be in their "own supportive environment."
It is good to hear the views of the user/customer.
The study is very similar to a usability study (maybe it is a type of usability study). Usability studies are about the users' attitudes/perceptions about the application or solution. Some studies focus on the user to ensure the user has input into the best solution.
Here is an interesting paper on usability testing:
Usability testing: A review of some methodological and technical aspects of the method
By: J. M. Christian Bastien
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/24256512_Usability_testing_A_review_of_some_methodological_and_technical_aspects_of_the_method
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I decided to use the blog to learn 2 new words each week. Everyone wants to build vocabulary!
The word for today (first word of the week) is: mixed-handedness, which is related to the word ambidextrous.
I discovered today that ambidextrous means EQUAL use of the hands or ability to use the left hand and right hand equally well, which is not the same as the use of different hands for different tasks, which is mixed-handedness. So there are people who are right-handed, left-handed (lefties), mixed-handed, and ambidextrous.
It is unclear why mixed-handed people choose one hand over the other for tasks. Maybe it is because of habit or training.
The definition of ambidextrous from Cambridge Dictionary: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/ambidextrous
And here is an interesting article on handedness:
Is handedness determined by genetics?
MedlinePlus.gov
https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/traits/handedness/
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Kudos to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations. People need to be respected, tolerated, treated fairly, and so on.
Fair treatment of all humans made me think of animals that are treated "unfairly". Only animals should be treated this way.
Here is one of my recent posts on beasts of burden (in Facebook):
This is an interesting post:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/624100460832346355/?mt=login
These beasts of burden do suffer. They are made to work and work and work. We think it is their job/role though (they are different from other animals). We think they can handle it. That is likely why we do not feel sorry for them - there is no real concern that they are made to carry heavy loads or work so much for their owners.
You may be interested in my Pinterest board 'Beasts of Burden':
https://www.pinterest.com/fahmeenaodetta/beasts-of-burden/
Universal Human Rights is also related to diversity and inclusion. Here is my comment on the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights in LinkedIn:
Related to diversity and inclusion. Here is an interesting paper on problems and solutions of global expansion of diversity initiatives:
Taking diversity and inclusion initiatives global
By: Neal R. Goodman
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/00197851311320603/full/html
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A lot of people limit their job search to a particular area (city or metropolitan area). Sometimes there are just not a lot of available positions in the area. The job search may take a long time. It makes sense then to expand the job search to other cities and states.
I applied for jobs in other states in the past. I even traveled for a few interviews out of state. I once moved (to another state) during the final stages of the interview process and ended up losing the job. That was not fun.
These days, there are a lot of remote positions so it is possible to work for a company in another state from another (your current) location. I suspect this is happening a lot. It is a perfect solution to a problem.
It is interesting that with so many remote positions, there is still lots of moving to fill positions. There is now a call for a new benefit - a flexible housing benefit (see article:
Airbnb for work: Could providing employees with flexible housing be the next big benefit?
https://www.benefitnews.com/news/housing-for-employees-a-good-employee-benefit). I still need to understand fully how these transient workers obtain jobs and move around to fill positions.
I remember a second cousin of mine received a housing benefit when she obtained a job in Linden many years ago. She moved into the house provided by her employer from the East Coast. I believe some professor jobs in the Caribbean have a similar benefit.
From past experience, I know that states such as Maryland offer a housing benefit for first-time homebuyers. When I was purchasing my condo over 10 years ago, I looked into the state benefit. I decided that the benefit provided by my employer would be better. I didn't receive the benefit, but I still purchased the condo. Memories, memories, memories.
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I found a great editorial on how to undertake great cross-disciplinary research:
How to undertake great cross-disciplinary research
By: Adam Lindgreen, C. Anthony Di Benedetto, Roderick J. Brodie, Michelvan der Borgh
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0019850120302583
I am all for cross-disciplinary research. In fact, it may be my "thing." I recall the different disciplines I touched on in my papers for the Research Methods course.
There was a paper on the decision to invest in people (human resources) vs. investing in technology to improve hand hygiene compliance. I discussed the impact of technology investment on performance or how technology may impact productivity and performance. This touches on technology as a factor of production (from economics). It also touches on finance since there is a rate of return of technology investments.
Another paper looked at how compensation of employees may affect the improvement of hand hygiene compliance and infection control. The relationship between compensation and performance was important. I used a lot of statistical analyses in the paper.
The blog for my Research Methods course that includes "under the hood" information on the papers is:
https://fmooresignatureassignment3.blogspot.com/
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