Understanding "Just Enough" Computer Users: Motivation Style and Proficiency

Among daily computer users who are proficient, some are flexible at accomplishing unfamiliar tasks on their own and others have difficulty. Software designers and evaluators involved with Human Computer Interaction (HCI) should account for any group of proficient daily users that are shown to stumble over unfamiliar tasks. We define "Just Enough" (JE) users as proficient daily computer users with predominantly extrinsic motivation style who know just enough to get what they want or need from the computer. We hypothesize that JE users have difficulty with unfamiliar computer tasks and skill transfer, whereas intrinsically motivated daily users accomplish unfamiliar tasks readily. Intrinsic motivation can be characterized by interest, enjoyment, and choice and extrinsic motivation is externally regulated. In our study we identified users by motivation style and then did ethnographic observations. Our results confirm that JE users do have difficulty accomplishing unfamiliar tasks on their own but had fewer problems with near skill transfer. In contrast, intrinsically motivated users had no trouble with unfamiliar tasks nor with near skill transfer. This supports our assertion that JE users know enough to get routine tasks done and can transfer that knowledge, but become unproductive when faced with unfamiliar tasks. This study combines quantitative and qualitative methods. We identified 66 daily users by motivation style using an inventory adapted from Deci and Ryan (Ryan and Deci 2000) and from Guay, Vallerand, and Blanchard (Guay et al. 2000). We used qualitative ethnographic methods with a think aloud protocol to observe nine extrinsic users and seven intrinsic users. Observation sessions had three customized phases where the researcher directed the participant to: 1) confirm the participant's proficiency; 2) test the participant accomplishing unfamiliar tasks; and 3) test transfer of existing skills to unfamiliar software.

Is virtuality close enough to reality? A comparison of the effectiveness of simulations with traditional laboratory activities in a high school biology class

Some schools do not have ideal access to laboratory space and supplies. Computer simulations of laboratory activities can be a cost-effective way of presenting experiences to students, but are those simulations as effective at supplementing content concepts? This study compared the use of traditional lab activities illustrating the principles of cell respiration and photosynthesis in an introductory high school biology class with virtual simulations of the same activities. Additionally student results were analyzed to assess if student conceptual understanding was affected by the complexity of the simulation. Although all student groups posted average gain increases between the pre and post-tests coupled with positive effect sizes, students who completed the wet lab version of the activity consistently outperformed the students who completed the virtual simulation of the same activity. There was no significant difference between the use of more or less complex simulations. Students also tended to rate the wet lab experience higher on a motivation and interest inventory.

Perceptions of water conditions and management in the Sonora River Basin, Sonora, Mexico

The effects of climate change are expected to be very severe in arid regions. The Sonora River Basin, in the northwestern state of Sonora, Mexico, is likely to be severely affected. Some of the anticipated effects include precipitation variability, intense storm events, higher overall temperatures, and less available water. In addition, population in Sonora, specifically the capital city of Hermosillo, is increasing at a 1.5% rate and current populations are near 700,000. With the reduction in water availability and an increase in population, Sonora, Mexico is expected to experience severe water resource issues in the near future. In anticipation of these changes, research is being conducted in an attempt to improve water management in the Sonora River Basin, located in the northwestern part of Sonora. This research involves participatory modeling techniques designed to increase water manager awareness of hydrological models and their use as integrative tools for water resource management. This study was conducted as preliminary research for the participatory modeling grant in order to gather useful information on the population being studied. This thesis presents research from thirty-four in-depth interviews with water managers, citizens, and agricultural producers in Sonora, Mexico. Data was collected on perceptions of water quantity and quality in the basin, thoughts on current water management practices, perceptions of climate change and its management, experience with, knowledge of, and trust in hydrological models as water management tools. Results showed that the majority of interviewees thought there was not enough water to satisfy their daily needs. Most respondents also agreed that the water available was of good quality, but that current management of water resources was ineffective. Nearly all interviewees were aware of climate change and thought it to be anthropogenic. May reported experiencing higher temperatures, precipitation changes, and higher water scarcity and attributed those fluctuations to climate change. 65% of interviewees were at least somewhat familiar with hydrological models, though only 28% had ever used them or their output. Even with model usage results being low, 100% of respondents believed hydrological models to be very useful water management tools. Understanding how water, climate change, and hydrological models are perceived by this population of people is essential to improving their water management practices in the face of climate change.

Driver Safety in Far-side and Far-oblique Crashes: A Study of Patrol Vehicles in the United States of America

The dissertation titled "Driver Safety in Far-side and Far-oblique Crashes" presents a novel approach to assessing vehicle cockpit safety by integrating Human Factors and Applied Mechanics. The methodology of this approach is aimed at improving safety in compact mobile workspaces such as patrol vehicle cockpits. A statistical analysis performed using Michigan state's traffic crash data to assess various contributing factors that affect the risk of severe driver injuries showed that the risk was greater for unrestrained drivers (OR=3.38, p<0.0001) and for incidents involving front and far-side crashes without seatbelts (OR=8.0 and 23.0 respectively, p<0.005). Statistics also showed that near-side and far-side crashes pose similar threat to driver injury severity. A Human Factor survey was conducted to assess various Human-Machine/Human-Computer Interaction aspects in patrol vehicle cockpits. Results showed that tasks requiring manual operation, especially the usage of laptop, would require more attention and potentially cause more distraction. A vehicle survey conducted to evaluate ergonomics-related issues revealed that some of the equipment was in airbag deployment zones. In addition, experiments were conducted to assess the effects on driver distraction caused by changing the position of in-car accessories. A driving simulator study was conducted to mimic HMI/HCI in a patrol vehicle cockpit (20 subjects, average driving experience = 5.35 years, s.d. = 1.8). It was found that the mounting locations of manual tasks did not result in a significant change in response times. Visual displays resulted in response times less than 1.5sec. It can also be concluded that the manual task was equally distracting regardless of mounting positions (average response time was 15 secs). Average speeds and lane deviations did not show any significant results. Data from 13 full-scale sled tests conducted to simulate far-side impacts at 70 PDOF and 40 PDOF was used to analyze head injuries and HIC/AIS values. It was found that accelerations generated by the vehicle deceleration alone were high enough to cause AIS 3 - AIS 6 injuries. Pretensioners could mitigated injuries only in 40 PDOF (oblique) impacts but are useless in 70 PDOF impacts. Seat belts were ineffective in protecting the driver's head from injuries. Head would come in contact with the laptop during a far-oblique (40 PDOF) crash and far-side door for an angle-type crash (70 PDOF). Finite Element analysis head-laptop impact interaction showed that the contact velocity was the most crucial factor in causing a severe (and potentially fatal) head injury. Results indicate that no equipment may be mounted in driver trajectory envelopes. A very narrow band of space is left in patrol vehicles for installation of manual-task equipment to be both safe and ergonomic. In case of a contact, the material stiffness and damping properties play a very significant role in determining the injury outcome. Future work may be done on improving the interiors' material properties to better absorb and dissipate kinetic energy of the head. The design of seat belts and pretensioners may also be seen as an essential aspect to be further improved.

DESIGN, SYNTHESIS AND APPLICATIONS OF FLUORESCENT AND ELECTROCHEMICAL PROBES

“Seeing is believing” the proverb well suits for fluorescent imaging probes. Since we can selectively and sensitively visualize small biomolecules, organelles such as lysosomes, neutral molecules, metal ions, anions through cellular imaging, fluorescent probes can help shed light on the physiological and pathophysiological path ways. Since these biomolecules are produced in low concentrations in the biochemical pathways, general analytical techniques either fail to detect or are not sensitive enough to differentiate the relative concentrations. During my Ph.D. study, I exploited synthetic organic techniques to design and synthesize fluorescent probes with desirable properties such as high water solubility, high sensitivity and with varying fluorescent quantum yields. I synthesized a highly water soluble BOIDPY-based turn-on fluorescent probe for endogenous nitric oxide. I also synthesized a series of cell membrane permeable near infrared (NIR) pH activatable fluorescent probes for lysosomal pH sensing. Fluorescent dyes are molecular tools for designing fluorescent bio imaging probes. This prompted me to design and synthesize a hybrid fluorescent dye with a functionalizable chlorine atom and tested the chlorine re-activity for fluorescent probe design. Carbohydrate and protein interactions are key for many biological processes, such as viral and bacterial infections, cell recognition and adhesion, and immune response. Among several analytical techniques aimed to study these interactions, electrochemical bio sensing is more efficient due to its low cost, ease of operation, and possibility for miniaturization. During my Ph.D., I synthesized mannose bearing aniline molecule which is successfully tested as electrochemical bio sensor. A Ferrocene-mannose conjugate with an anchoring group is synthesized, which can be used as a potential electrochemical biosensor.