Experience as meaning : some underlying concepts and implications for design

As the current computing systems move from desktop and work settings into our everyday lives (e.g. mobile and ubiquitous systems) a growing interest is seen for designing interactive systems with experiential support. Some conceptual work already exists that tries to analyze and understand users? experience with interactive systems but in practice this is still not frequently used. Drawing on the concepts from the domain of art, this paper introduces a way to conceptualize users? experience as the meanings or interpretations they construct during their interaction with or through the interactive systems. We consequently apply this conceptualization in a design project where we use it at an early concept design stage for designing aware technologies in care-taking situations.

Rich evaluations of entertainment experience: bridging the interpretational gap

This paper reports a qualitative study of evaluating the ?experience? supported by a state-of-the-art interactive television application. Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system is a new technology in the ever-growing industry of interactive entertainment. Focusing on the users? interpretations, we applied a set of rich evaluation strategies to collect data about users? experiences with the IPTV. The results show implications about how the users constructed complex and reflective understandings about the system. The evaluation suite helped us gather information about users? aspirations, expectations, and intellectual and emotional states of their understandings. The results also imply a strong support for taking into account the non-technical values of human-technology interaction.

Experiencing-in-the-world : using pragmatist philosophy to design for aesthetic experience

With the growing use of personal and ubiquitous computing technology, an increase is seen in utilizing aesthetic aspects for designing interactive systems. The use of aesthetic interpretations, however, has differed in different applications, often lacking a coherent and holistic meaning of aesthetics. In this paper we provide an account on aesthetics, utilizing the pragmatist perspective, which can be used as a framework to design for aesthetic experience in interactive systems. We discuss seven major themes of aesthetic experience. Using our framework we discuss two design examples. In the first example ? Panorama, the framework is used to inform the design process and making design decisions for supporting aesthetic social awareness in an academic work environment. In the second example ? Virtual Dancer, the framework is used to analyze the aesthetics of an entertainment experience and to elicit further improvements. In the end we discuss the role of aesthetics in the design of interactive systems.

Aspect-based model of user experience

Traditional HCI design and evaluation methods merely focus on functional and usability aspects of a product. Although these aspects are important, they do not guarantee product’s success, especially the consumer product. Many consumer products are now part of user’s everyday activities – that support fun, pleasure, entertainment, etc. Secondly, in today’s consumer market many of the products have become similar in terms of their technology, functionality, price and quality. In response, many companies have started designing products with added emotional and experiential values. This has challenged designer’s to explore and visualize directions in product design field that could evoke intended and desired experiences amongst its users. Subjective product qualities such as fun, pleasure, entertainment, etc. are not the part of a product, but they are better thought of as the outcome of user’s interaction with the product...

Losing sleep : examining the cascading effects of supervisors' experience of injustice on subordinates' psychological health

In this paper, we identify two types of injustice as antecedents of abusive supervision and ultimately of subordinate psychological distress and insomnia. We examine distributive justice (an individual's evaluation of their input to output ratio compared to relevant others) and interactional injustice (the quality of interpersonal treatment received when procedures are implemented). Using a sample of Filipinos in a variety of occupations, we identify two types of injustice experienced by supervisors as stressors that provoke them to display abusive supervision to their subordinates. We examine two consequences of abusive supervision - subordinate psychological distress and insomnia. In addition, we identify two moderators of these relationships, namely, supervisor distress and subordinate self-esteem. We collected survey data from multiple sources including subordinates, their supervisors, and their partners. Data were obtained from 175 matched supervisor-subordinate dyads over a 6-month period, with subordinates' partners providing ratings of insomnia. Results of structural equation modelling analyses provided support for an indirect effects model in which supervisors' experience of unfair treatment cascades down the organization, resulting in subordinate psychological distress and, ultimately in their insomnia. In addition, results partially supported the proposed moderated relationships in the cascading model. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.

Self-labelling versus behavioural experience of workplace bullying : differences in sector- and industry-level prevalence and sources

This study reports on differences in self-labelling versus the behavioural experience of workplace bullying across sectors and industries for a sample of 6,406 Australian employees, as well as differences in source of workplace bullying. It was found that overall prevalence rates of workplace bullying were 2.9% (self-labelling method) and 4.0% (behavioural experience method). Exposure to workplace bullying was found to decrease with age. There was no significant difference between the public and private sectors, or among industries, in the prevalence of workplace bullying; however, two industries (Construction; Health and Community Services) showed a significantly higher rate of workplace bullying with the behavioural experience method compared to the self-labelling method. For the overall sample, the most prevalent source of workplace bullying was reported to be coworkers (49.1%), followed by clients (35.7%), and then supervisors (27.4%). Subordinates were rated as the source in 7.9% of cases. Closer examination of source as a function of sector and industry revealed a number of significant differences specific to sectors and industries, highlighting the need for tailored approaches for managing workplace bullying.

The effect of multiplayer dynamic difficulty adjustment on the player experience of video games

Multiplayer Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment (mDDA) is a method of reducing the difference in player performance and subsequent challenge in competitive multiplayer video games. As a balance of between player skill and challenge experienced is necessary for optimal player experience, this experimental study investigates the effects of mDDA and awareness of its presence on player performance and experience using subjective and biometric measures. Early analysis indicates that mDDA normalizes performance and challenge as expected, but awareness of its presence can reduce its effectiveness.

Management of periprosthetic joint infection after total hip arthroplasty using a Custom Made Articulating Spacer (CUMARS); the exeter experience

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after THA is a major complication with an incidence of 1-3%. We report our experiences with a technique using a custom-made articulating spacer (CUMARS) at the first of two-stage treatment for PJI. This technique uses widely available all-polyethylene acetabular components and the Exeter Universal stem, fixed using antibiotic loaded acrylic cement. Seventy-six hips were treated for PJI using this technique. Performed as the first of a two-stage procedure, good functional results were commonly seen, leading to postponing second stage indefinitely with retention of the CUMARS prosthesis in 34 patients. The CUMARS technique presents an alternative to conventional spacers, using readily available components that are well tolerated, allowing weight bearing and mobility, and achieving comparable eradication rates.

The first year experience : looking back to inform the future

The importance of the first year experience (FYE) to success at university has been a focus of attention in the Australian higher education sector since the 1990s. For students a successful transition into university during their first year is now regarded as crucial for student engagement, success and retention. In this review we summarise a decade of research into FYE in the Australasian context. We draw on the findings arising from this comprehensive review of FYE programs and practices to describe FYE trends through the dual lenses of the first year curriculum principles and the generational approach to FYE initiatives. We contend that the generational approach to conceptualising the FYE and first year student engagement has made a useful but limited contribution to our understanding of the first year experience. Acknowledging the criticality of student engagement in a successful FYE, we propose an alternative— the Student Engagement Success and Retention Maturity Model (SESR-MM)— as a sophisticated vehicle for achieving whole-of-institution approaches to the FYE. The SESR-MM embodies the aspirations and characteristics of the transition pedagogy, highlights the need for institutional level evaluation of the FYE, focuses attention on the capacity of institutions to mobilise for first year student engagement, and importantly builds on the generational approach to allow an assessment of institutional capacity to initiate, plan, manage, evaluate and review institutional FYE practices.

Passenger experience and their implications for airports retail environment design

This project develops new knowledge on the full range of activities and interactions that make up airport passengers' retail experiences. The practical application of this new knowledge will improve the design of airport retail environments and will, in turn, improve passenger experiences, leading to further growth in the airport retail market. The novel methodological approach developed allowed for a new and deeper understanding of how passengers actually experience airport retail environments. Four significant outcomes were discovered: (i) the categorisation of the full range of retail activities and interactions passengers actually undertake, (ii) a new understanding of how passengers use and experience their free airport time, (iii) two new passenger market segments, and (iv) two passenger retail experience tools, with these identifying the broad range of airport-specific factors which influence passengers retail experiences.

Public engagement in major projects : the Hong Kong experience

Public engagement is an essential process for major municipal infrastructure and construction projects as it serves to identify the interests and concerns of citizens before the planning and design are finalised and thus ensures the schemes are beneficial to all sectors of the community. However, the success of public engagement depends on a number of factors, not least the suitability of the engagement methods used, representativeness and activeness of participants, time pressure, financial constraint and so on. In Hong Kong, the community has experienced discontent with several major projects recently, suggesting the need to examine the effectiveness of its current public engagement mechanism. This paper reports the results of a series of interviews with a variety of stakeholders – indicating the need for a carefully considered public engagement plan to be established at the beginning to drive the process and more experienced people to lead and facilitate the engagement process.

Directing experience : an exploration of active analysis and visual cognition theory in the training of contemporary directors

The focus of this research is the creation of a stage-directing training manual on the researcher's site at the National Institute of Dramatic Art. The directing procedures build on the work of Stanislavski's Active Analysis and findings from present-day visual cognition studies. Action research methodology and evidence-based data collection are employed to improve the efficacy of both the directing procedures and the pedagogical manual. The manual serves as a supplement to director training and a toolkit for the more experienced practitioner. The manual and research findings provide a unique and innovative contribution to the field of theatre directing.

Orientation dependence of spatial memory acquired from auditory experience

The present study investigated whether memory for a room-sized spatial layout learned through auditory localization of sounds exhibits orientation dependence similar to that observed for spatial memory acquired from stationary viewing of the environment. Participants learned spatial layouts by viewing objects or localizing sounds and then performed judgments of relative direction among remembered locations. The results showed that direction judgments following auditory learning were performed most accurately at a particular orientation in the same way as were those following visual learning, indicating that auditorily encoded spatial memory is orientation dependent. In combination with previous findings that spatial memories derived from haptic and proprioceptive experiences are also orientation dependent, the present finding suggests that orientation dependence is a general functional property of human spatial memory independent of learning modality.

The experience of learning in “The Cube” : Queensland University of Technology’s giant interactive multimedia environment

In this paper we report findings of the first phase of an investigation, which explored the experience of learning amongst high-level managers, project leaders and visitors in QUT’s “Cube”. “The Cube” is a giant, interactive, multi-media display; an award-winning configuration that hosts several interactive projects. The research team worked with three groups of participants to understand the relationship between a) the learning experiences that were intended in the establishment phase; b) the learning experiences that were enacted through the design and implementation of specific projects; and c) the lived experiences of learning of visitors interacting with the system. We adopted phenomenography as a research approach, to understand variation in people’s understandings and lived experiences of learning in this environment. The project was conducted within the first twelve months of The Cube being open to visitors.

Independent learning skills, self-determination theory and psychological well-being : strategies for supporting the first year university experience

The purpose of this article is to explain why the first year in higher education experience of Australian tertiary students can be improved through the explicit teaching of independent learning skills. Becoming an independent learner has many benefits, but the focus of this piece is upon the connection between independent learning and the improvement of student psychological well-being. High psychological distress levels appear to start in the first year of university education. We argue that explicitly teaching students independent learning skills is an important curriculum-based strategy that will contribute to the significant task of addressing this issue.