Investigating the effect of realistic projects on students' motivation, the case of Human-Computer interaction course

Jaime Urquiza-Fuentes, Maximiliano Paredes-Velasco. Computers in Human Behavior 72 (2017) 692-700. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2016.07.020

Abstract: The aim of this study is to test the effect of a concrete way to use practical exercises in a human-computer interaction course. Our approach is focused on lab sessions, replacing typical concrete exercises with realistic projects based on collaborative work, long term duration (the whole course instead of concrete labs) and multidisciplinary design interacting with real end-users. The realistic projects approach supports the practice of theoretical concepts together with professional skills development, e.g. social skills needed to interact with end-user without technical background. In order to assess this approach we have conducted a comparative study with three different groups involving 133 students. Two groups followed the realistic projects approach, the difference between them was end-users recruitment. End-users were recruited by teachers in one group and by the students in the other. The third group followed the typical approach. Our comparative study is based on students' motivation. We have chosen the Situational Motivation Scale as the measurement instrument. Results show that, independently from the end-user recruitment, students involved in realistic projects are significantly more motivated than students involved in the general approach. Thus, students involved in realistic projects perceive that these activities are useful or important for them.

Pre-print open access version: https://eciencia.urjc.es/handle/10115/16528

Motivación de Estudiantes en la Asignatura de Interacción Persona-Ordenador con Prácticas Realistas

Jaime Urquiza-Fuentes y Maximiliano Paredes Velasco. 2015. Actas del III CONGRESO INTERNACIONAL SOBRE APRENDIZAJE, INNOVACIÓN Y COMPETITIVIDAD. CINAIC 2015. Ángel Fidalgo Blanco y Marisa Sein-Echaluce Lacleta (eds.) pp 726-731 Ed. Fundación Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, España, 14 - 16 Octubre 2015.

Resumen: Esta contribución describe la implementación de prácticas basadas en la resolución de casos reales en la asignatura de Interacción Persona-Ordenador. La experiencia es multidisciplinar, donde estudiantes de Grados de Educación Infantil y Primaria han asumido el papel de usuarios finales (usuarios, de ahora en adelante), mientras que los estudiantes de Interacción Persona-Ordenador (diseñadores, de ahora en adelante) han trabajado en el diseño de una interfaz con fines educativos. La experiencia de los alumnos se realiza bajo un enfoque pedagógico colaborativo. En este escenario de aprendizaje activo es muy importante la motivación que presenta el alumno para su implicación y participación en la actividad. El objetivo de esta experiencia es doble. Por un lado evaluar mediante instrumentos validados el grado de motivación que genera en los alumnos la realización de la actividad práctica con esta pedagogía colaborativa multidisciplinar. Por otro lado se quiere comparar el grado de motivación en los alumnos que tiene esta metodología colaborativa multidisciplinar respecto a otras dos metodologías: una variante de la anterior y otra más clásica. Los resultados indican una mejora significativa en la motivación de los grupos de la metodología presentada con respecto a la clásica.

Palabras clave: Role-playing, Experiencia multi-disciplinar, Interacción persona-ordenador

Students’ Motivation in the Subject of Human Computer Interaction with Realistic Projects

Abstract: This contribution describes the use of a project based learning methodology within the subject Human-Computer Interaction. The experience is multidisciplinary because two types of students are involved. Students enrolled in Kindergarten and Elementary Education degrees, which have assumed the role of end users, and students enrolled in Human-Computer Interaction, which have produced the design of an interface for educational purposes, assuming the role of designers. This experience follows a collaborative teaching approach. In this active learning scenario, the students’ motivation has an important effect on their involvement and participation in the activity. The objective of this experience is twofold. On the one hand, we wanted to assess, using validated instruments, the degree of motivation generated in students while working on the project activity with this multidisciplinary collaborative pedagogy. On the other hand, we wanted to compare the degree of motivation produced by this methodology with two other approaches: a variant of the above and other more classical. The results show a significant improvement in the motivation of the groups of the methodology presented in relation to classical one.

Keywords: Role-playing, Multidisciplinary experience, Human-computer interaction

Trending Breakthroughs in Human-Computer Interaction

Sandra Baldassarri, José A. Macías, Jaime Urquiza-Fuentes. Journal of Universal Computer Science, vol. 20, no. 7 (2014), 941-943.

Abstract: There has been an increasing role of computers and machines in society over the last years. This has motivated Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) to become an important field for both industry and academy. In fact, there is currently an especial interest in the design, development and implementation of applications highlighting user-friendly interfaces.

This special issue aims at a full discussion on new trends in Human-Computer Interaction, bringing together trending papers and breakthroughs in this field.

In particular, we invited authors of best papers presented at the XIV International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (Interacción 2013) to submit thoroughly revised versions of their contributions to this special issue. Interacción Conference provides an annual forum for disseminating the results of innovative research in Human-Computer Interaction concerning usability, accessibility, evaluation of interactive systems, hypermedia and web, affective computing, computer supported collaborative work, interaction for people with disabilities, context-aware systems, end-user development and other related areas. In addition, an open call for submissions was also launched, receiving other contributions from around the worlds.

Ingeniería de Sistemas Interactivos: diseño y evaluación

S. Baldassarri, J.A. Macías-Iglesias, J. Urquiza-Fuentes. Novatica, 226, Noviembre 2013

Special issue on "Interactive systems engineering: design and evaluation"

Improving a Zoom+Pan Interface with Overview+Detail or Focus+Context Features: A Comparative Evaluation

J. Urquiza-Fuentes, C.A. Lázaro-Carrascosa and J.Á. Velázquez-Iturbide. In Engineering the User Interface From Research to Practice, 2008, Pages 221-238

Abstract. We present an evaluation of adding Focus+Context vs. Overview+Deatil features to a Zoom+Pan interface. The framework of the evaluation is an interface to deal with large sets of items with specific structural properties (sequential order, heterogeneous sizes), and behavior requirements (flexible interaction, maximizing screen space, minimizing changes in screen). The evaluation involved 43 participants. We studied the effect of three factors (namely, experience with the tasks, size of the sets, and tasks performed with the same set) on effectiveness, efficiency and user's satisfaction. The results show that experienced users of the interface enhanced with the Focus+Context features obtained the best results on effectiveness and efficiency. Furthermore, a satisfaction questionnaire showed that users felt more comfortable with the Focus+Context approach.

Assessing the Usability of a Cookies-Based Access Monitoring Tool for a CMS

R. Hijón-Neira, J. Urquiza-Fuentes, F. Domínguez-Mateos, J.Á. Velázquez-Iturbide. In Seventh IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT) 2007, Pages 262-264

Abstract. We have developed several tools to allow instructors analyze students' interactions in a Course Management System. In this paper we describe a Systematic Usability Evaluation designed to test the usability of one of these tools. The evaluations were based on task analysis and follow-up studies. We have assessed effectiveness, efficiency, usefulness, ease of use, learnability, and user's satisfaction of the tool. In addition to regular observation and questionnaires, 3- scope video recording was used to provide the evaluator with more information about interactions. The use of this technology helped us in identifying functions and features that need improvement. We describe the three-step method that we have developed and the satisfactory results it has provided us.

Human-Centered Aspects

Olga Kulyk, Robert Kosara, Jaime Urquiza and Ingo Wassink. In Human-Centered Visualization Environments, 2007, Pages 13-75

Abstract. Humans have remarkable perceptual capabilities. These capabilities are heavily underestimated in current visualizations. Often, this is due to the lack of an in-depth user study to set the requirements for optimal visualizations. The designer does not understand what kind of information should be visualized, how it should be presented or what kind of interactions should be supported. The key elements of successful information visualization are the correct data using the best visualization technique and the best interaction techniques with respect to users. If one of these elements is ignored, people might interpret the data in the wrong way and thus might not understand the underlying information or a pattern.