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Publications

Publications by HumanISE

2019

Live software development: tightening the feedback loops

Authors
Aguiar, A; Restivo, A; Correia, FF; Ferreira, HS; Dias, JP;

Publication
Conference Companion of the 3rd International Conference on Art, Science, and Engineering of Programming, Genova, Italy, April 1-4, 2019

Abstract
Live Programming is an idea pioneered by programming environments from the earliest days of computing, such as those for Lisp and Smalltalk. One thing they had in common is liveness: an always accessible evaluation and nearly instantaneous feedback, usually focused on coding activities. In this paper, we argue for Live Software Development (LiveSD), bringing liveness to software development activities beyond coding, to make software easier to visualize, simpler to understand, and faster to evolve. Multiple challenges may vary with the activity and application domain. Research on this topic needs to consider the more important liveness gaps in software development, which representations and abstractions better support developers, and which tools are needed to support it. © 2019 Association for Computing Machinery.

2019

Immersive 360 degrees video user experience: impact of different variables in the sense of presence and cybersickness

Authors
Narciso, D; Bessa, M; Melo, M; Coelho, A; Vasconcelos Raposo, J;

Publication
UNIVERSAL ACCESS IN THE INFORMATION SOCIETY

Abstract
Virtual Reality (VR) has been recently gaining interest from researchers and companies, contributing to the development of the associated technologies that aim to transport its users to a virtual environment by the stimulation of their senses. Technologies such as Head-Mounted Displays (HMD), capable of presenting 360 degrees video in 3D, are becoming affordable and, consequently, more common among the average consumer, potentiating the creation of a market for VR experiences. The purpose of this study is to measure the influence of (a) video format (2D/monoscopic vs 3D/stereoscopic), (b) sound format (2D/stereo vs 3D/spatialized), and (c) gender on users' sense of presence and cybersickness, while experiencing a VR application using an HMD. Presence and cybersickness were measured using questionnaires as subjective measures. Portuguese versions of the Igroup Presence Questionnaire for presence and the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire for cybersickness were used. Results revealed no statistically significant differences between (a) VIDEO and (b) SOUND variables on both senses of presence and cybersickness. When paired with (a) VIDEO, the independent variable (c) Gender showed significant differences on almost all subscales of presence. Results suggest that the widely acknowledged differences in spatial ability between genders were a major factor contributing to this outcome.

2019

Vegetation Modeling for Driving Environments

Authors
Campos, CJ; Pinto, HF; Miguel, J; Coelho, AF; Nobrega, R;

Publication
2019 14TH IBERIAN CONFERENCE ON INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGIES (CISTI)

Abstract
Conducting scientific experiments in driving simulators requires the modeling of reliable and complete road environments. These environments must provide extensive landscapes with the artifacts and natural element that can be usually found in the real world. This paper presents a method to efficiently produce models of natural vegetation. The produced models are then applied to populate existing terrain definitions, allowing the fast preparation of extensive environments with realistic landscapes. The human supervisor can interact in this generation process, in order to obtain custom landscapes definitions. After the landscape generation process, the road network definition can be then generated, producing a complete driving environment, in an integrated modeling process. The proposed method allows modeling a wide range of drive environments, with the realism and quality required to the realization of virtual training or experimental work in many terrain based activities, such driving simulators.

2019

Fall-Prevention Exergames Using Balance Board Systems

Authors
Brito, M; Nóbrega, R; Jacob, J; Rodrigues, R; Coelho, A;

Publication
Human-Computer Interaction - INTERACT 2019 - 17th IFIP TC 13 International Conference, Paphos, Cyprus, September 2-6, 2019, Proceedings, Part II

Abstract
The prevention of falls in older adults is an issue that can only be solved with regular exercises, sometimes with the supervision of therapists. This paper presents a game framework that uses devices such as the Wii Balance Board (WBB) to replicate fall-prevention programs, such as the Otago Exercise Programme. The objective is to increase the adherence of senior users to these exercises, while increasing their autonomy by enabling them to conduct unsupervised games. Two interactive games were developed and tested using the WBB and other available devices such as smartphones. The main contribution of this paper is the proposal of several metrics for exergames for the elderly and the combination of digital games with fall-prevention exercises and automatic balance measures based on Centre of Pressure (COP) tracking. © 2019, IFIP International Federation for Information Processing.

2019

A NEW GAME-BASED APPROACH FOR THE CREATIVE LEARNING OF PROGRAMMING IN THE DIGITAL MEDIA AREA

Authors
Coelho, A; Reis, L; Monteiro, J;

Publication
EDULEARN19: 11TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION AND NEW LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract
Teaching in the scientific area of Digital Media has been evolving to meet the challenges facing our society, particularly to create technologies that effectively provide added value to the human being, both professionally and in the personal life. This article presents a new teaching methodology that combines "creative programming" and "creatively learning programming", intertwining the use of digital games as the metaphor for the programming constructs, and gamification to enhance engagement and regular work. This is backed up on the knowledge that the introductory learning of programming is a process that requires the acquisition of cognitive skills, which fit into what is defined as Computational Thinking, but also that the process of learning programming has a high level of complexity. This causes specific difficulties that have been observed over several years, mainly as the practice requires specific mathematical skills, not so common in Digital Media students. The teaching methodology is based on a constructionist approach, with PBL, defining learning paths supported on digital games development. The difficulty inherent in constructing a problematic base, coherent with the learning process, led to the development of the Creative Programming Matrix, based on the triadic certification method. This matrix enables the teacher to select, organize and develop the best game examples to support the learning process. This work has been preliminarily evaluated through questionnaires to students and surveys to faculty that teaches programming courses. This method was instantiated in the restructuring of a course on a Master program in Multimedia. A set of gamified activities promoted a natural progression in the learning, essential for a first approach to the programming. From a set of clear objectives, the target behaviours and the profile of the students were defined, the cycles of involvement and the necessary tools were developed, not forgetting that learning should be fun! The results validate a higher efficacy and engagement of the students.

2019

"This Is Nice but That Is Childish": Teenagers Evaluate Museum-Based Digital Experiences Developed by Cultural Heritage Professionals

Authors
Cesario, V; Coelho, A; Nisi, V;

Publication
CHI PLAY'19: EXTENDED ABSTRACTS OF THE ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON COMPUTER-HUMAN INTERACTION IN PLAY

Abstract
To contribute in filling in the gap regarding experiences targeted at and evaluated by teenagers in museums, we involved 78 teenagers aged 16-19 to test three different gamified tours developed by cultural heritage professionals from the Natural History Museum of Funchal, Portugal. The digital tours can be described as follows: 1) expositive - through which teens become aware of a scientific library in the museum; 2) gastronomic - teens are exposed to curiosities and recipes regarding a selection of marine species exhibited in the museum; 3) digital manipulation manipulated characters (image and voice) guide the visitor through videos of the marine species in their natural habitats. We report on measuring the teenagers' overall experience with each of the prototypes, particularly their engagement with the exhibition, the usefulness and usability of the prototypes, as well as their feelings and emotions at the end of each tour. We report on lessons learned from the evaluation of these prototypes as well as which approaches and mechanics engaged the teens the most.

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