An investigation into the usability of graphical authentication using AuthentiGraph

There is increasing coverage in the literature relating to the different facets surrounding the security service of authentication, but there is a need for further research into the usability of graphical authentication. Specifically, the usability and viability of graphical authentication techniques for providing increased security needs to be further explored. There is a significant amount of evidence relating to traditional authentication techniques which highlight the fact that as technological advances grip modern societies, the requirement for more advanced authentication and security approaches increases. The exponential growth in the number of people using the Internet carries with it the high potential for increased security threats, suggesting that there are needs for further techniques to increase security in online environments. This paper presents the findings of how various interface design approaches affect the usability of a previously developed alternative graphical authentication technique called AuthentiGraph. The security design provided by Authentigraph has been established and justified in previous research by the authors. The primary focus of this paper is the usability of this technique. Using an experimental laboratory based approach, combined with an online survey, 20 university students evaluated a combination of five varying graphical interfaces in three different screen sizes. The outcome provides the interface design criteria best suited for the implementation and use of the AuthentiGraph technique.

Design of user interfaces for job shop environment

User-computer interface development has gone through rapid development in recent years. These developments, however, have not yet been fully implemented in management information system (MIS) design for job shop manufacturing situations. Most of the commercially available MISs are operationally inflexible and do not support management in report generation and decision making, particularly in job shops. This paper describes a framework in developing system user interfaces for job shop manufacturing situations to highlight how a generic information system can be made more useful to managerial decision making. Object-oriented programming technology has been used to provide flexible access to information stored by a generic MIS. Twenty interfacing programs have been developed. For illustration, only three of those interface programs relating to generation of strategic level management reports are discussed here.

Interplaying user roles in e-government design : a participatory good governance perspective

The interplaying roles among the user groups must be adequately-mapped to fulfil the design needs of Egovernment applications. In previous studies, the design of citizen-centric e-government and its theoretical understanding is still limited in relation to the requirement of engaging malleable features for supporting all relevant users’ roles in governing bodies. Operationalising IS theories to improve the design of e-government application has been a much sought-after objective. Yet, there is a lack of actionable guidance on how to develop e-government application that exhibits high levels of users’ engagement through malleable features. Under a participatory good governance perspective, the paper reports a qualitative study and identifies requirement of malleable provisions to support the interplaying roles among users in a case demonstration of extensional service delivery in government. While service content describes the features available on an e-government application for assisting user groups in completing their support services.

Infusing instructional design principles into an active student-centred social learning framework

Social and participatory media offer a plethora of ways for students to communicate, collaborate, and learn in schools. Using a social learning approach, Casey (2013a) investigated ways that social media could be integrated into Australian public high school classrooms to enhance student learning. In the process, she developed a social learning framework as discussed in Casey (2013b). Similarly, Davidson-Shivers and Hulon (2013; Hulon & Daidson-Shivers, 2013) suggest ways to employ ID principles to prepare college instructors and pre-service teachers to integrate technology into classrooms. Prior to that, Davidson-Shivers with Rasmussen (2006) developed an instructional design (ID) model for creating effective Web-based learning environments. Through collaboration, Casey and Davidson-Shivers consider a wide range of social learning and instructional design principles and approaches to help develop frameworks for new media integration that can work within varying levels of education.

Feature nodes : an interaction construct for sharing initiative in design exploration

Exploration with formal design systems comprises an iterative process of specifying problems, finding plausible and alternative solutions, judging the validity of solutions relative to problems and reformulating problems and solutions. Recent advances in formal generative design have developed the mathematics and algorithms to describe and perform conceptual design tasks. However, design remains a human enterprise: formalisms are part of a larger equation comprising human computer interaction. To support the user in designing with formal systems, shared representations that interleave initiative of the designer and the design formalism are necessary. The problem of devising representational structures in which initiative is sometimes taken by the designer and sometimes by a computer in working on a shared design task is reported in this paper. To address this problem, the requirements, representation and
implementation of a shared interaction construct, the feature node, is
described. The feature node facilitates the sharing of initiative in formulating and reformulating problems, generating solutions, making
choices and navigating the history of exploration.

The impact of teaching models, group structures and assessment modes on cooperative learning in the student design studio

As a result of ever diminishing teaching resources, an increasing number of architectural educators are setting group design projects, rather then spreading their time thinly over a large number of individual projects. This allows them to co-ordinate longer and more in-depth review sessions on a smaller number of assignment submissions. However, while the group
model may offer an authentic learning model by reflecting design in practice, the approach is not without its obvious shortcomings as a teaching archetype for the assessment of the knowledge and skill competencies of individual students. Hence, what is clear is the need for a readily adoptable andragogy for the teaching and assessment of group design projects.
The following paper describes the background, methodology and findings of a Strategic Teaching and Learning Grant funded research project carried out in the year 2005 at the School of Architecture and Building at Deakin University. The project aimed to inform a change of classroom/studio practice governing the assemblage, teaching and assessment of student design teams. The development through these changes of cooperative and student centred learning principles focused on effective design collaboration and fair assessment should, it will be argued, lead to an enhanced group-learning experience in studio, which will subsequently and ultimately enhance professional practice.

Toward highly available, self-healing, adaptable, grid-like and user friendly nondedicated clusters

The human body was used to illustrate an Autonomic Computing system that possesses self-knowledge, self-configuration, self-optimization, self-healing, and self-protection, knowledge of its environment and user friendliness properties. Autonomic Computing was identified by IBM as one of the Grand Challenges. Many researchers and research groups have responded positively to the challenge by initiating research around one or two of the characteristics
identified by IBM as the requirements for Autonomic Computing. One of the areas that could benefit from the comprehensive approach created by the Autonomic Computing vision is parallel processing on nondedicated clusters. This paper shows a general design of services and initial implementation of a system that moves parallel processing on clusters to the computing mainstream using the Autonomic Computing vision.

The artist and the computer : understanding the creative user

This paper is focused on understanding the creative computer user for the purposes of informing the design of future creativity support systems and related software. We present an investigation of a successful Australian artist, Jill Lewis, who paints on canvas. In particular, we highlight the interesting part that existing digital technology plays in her creative practice, and we identify and describe in detail two specific uses of this technology. We terml these uses "electronic collaging" and "media switching". We go on to attempt to relate this artist's creative process to two theoretical models of the creative process.

A knowledge management approach to user support

This paper considers the problem of computer user support and workplace learning in general. Theoretically our work is influenced by ideas on knowledge management, expertise networks and communities of practice. Our approach seeks to tap into the powerful and situated learning potential of the collaborative support provided by colleagues. We consider that such support could be enhanced through the use of a collaborative support system. We outline our investigations into design issues, a generic model and various experiments related to the development of such a system. In particular, we emphasise the value of recorded demonstrations for representing computer-related practice. We present a number of design conclusions derived from our experiences, and warn that whereas active user participation is the essential ingredient in a support system it is perhaps the most difficult thing to achieve.

The domain layer for mixed-initiative interaction in generative design

The design space exploration formalism has developed data structures and algorithms of sufficient complexity and scope to support conceptual layout, massing, and enclosure configurations. However, design remains a human enterprise. To support the user in designing with the formalism, we have developed an interaction model that addresses the interleaving of user actions with the formal operations of design space exploration. The central feature of our interaction model is the modeling of control based on mixed-initiative. Initiative is sometimes taken by the designer and sometimes by the formalism in working on a shared design task. The model comprises three layers, domain, task, and dialogue. In this paper we describe the formulation of the domain layer of our mixed-initiative interaction model for design space exploration. We present the view of the domain as understood in the formalism in terms of the three abstract concepts of state, move, and structure. In order to support mixed initiative, it is necessary to develop a shared view of the domain. The domain layer addresses this problem by mapping the designer's view onto the symbol substrate. First, we present the designer's view of the domain in terms of problems, solutions, choices, and history. Second, we show how this view is interleaved with the symbol-substrate through four domain layer constructs, problem state, solution state, choice, and exploration history. The domain layer presents a suitable foundation for integrating the role of the designer with a description formalism. It enables the designer to maintain exploration freedom in terms of formulating and reformulating problems, generating solutions, making choices, and navigating the history of exploration.

Procurement of construction facilities: a case study of design management within a design and construct organisation

Presents a case study of design management within an Australian design-construct organization on a large residential apartment project, with the purpose of identifying and analysing issues associated with the organization, responsibilities and stages of development in a typical design-construct project. Discusses the nature of introspection in the Australian construction industry, the shift in procurement methods, the design and build approach, whole life issues, the need for a design manager, and the role of the facilities manager. Profiles the case study organization and its contracts and procurement methods, before focusing on weaknesses in the company, the role of the project design development manager in leading the design team, managing the design consultants, and interacting and advising the developer in relation to design decisions. Suggests from the exercise that: the project manager should remain the overall project leader, manager and interface between design, cost, programme, buildability, construction and user requirements; the design manager should be responsible for issuing all documentation; and the design cost manager should be responsible for verifying that the design developed accords with project budgets, project brief and quality requirements in conjunction with the design manager.

Testing the design for Web-based electronic services acceptance model (E-SAM)

This paper reports on the design and testing of a model, which evaluates the relationship components of a Web-based EServices Acceptance Model (E-SAM). The paper proposes that user experience, user motivation, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use that may determine user acceptance of web-based eServices. The model is tested in a university environment where students and staff use services that have moved from an old paper-based to Web-based eService system. The results of data analysis highlight that user experience is strongly related to perceived ease of use; and perceived usefulness to user motivation in user acceptance of Web-based eServices. The strength of these relationships and the lack of strong relationships between other components suggest that the model's application to eServices is able to highlight the complexity of the eService process and the need for researchers to seek additional components in studying technology acceptance on the World Wide Web.