Suffering from a hearing impairment or deafness has major consequences on the individual's social life. Today, there exist various aids, but there are some challenges with these, like availability, reliability and high cognitive load when the user trying to focus on both the aid and the surrounding context. To overcome these challenges, one potential solution could make use of a combination of Augmented Reality (AR) and speech-to-text systems, where speech is converted into text that is then presented in AR glasses. However, in AR, one crucial problem is the legibility and readability of text under different environmental conditions. Moreover, different types of AR-glasses have different usage characteristics, which implies that a certain type of glasses might be more suitable for the proposed system than others. For speech-to-text systems, it is necessary to consider factors such as accuracy, latency and robustness when used in different acoustic environments and with different speech audio.  In this master thesis, two different AR-glasses are being evaluated based on the different characteristics of the glasses, such as optical, visual and ergonomic. Moreover, user tests are conducted with 23 normal hearing individuals to evaluate the legibility and readability of text under different environmental contexts. Due to the pandemic, it was not possible to conduct the tests with hearing impaired individuals. Finally, a literature review is performed on speech-to-text systems available on the Swedish market.   The results indicate that the legibility and readability are affected by several factors, such as ambient illuminance, background properties and also how the text is presented with respect to polarity, opacity, size and number of lines. Moreover, the characteristics of the glasses impact the user experience, but which glasses are preferable depends on the individual's preferences.   For the choice of a speech-to-text system, four speech-to-text APIs available on the Swedish market were identified. Based on our research, Google Cloud Speech API is recommended for the proposed system. However, a more extensive evaluation of these systems would be required to determine this. / Speech-to-Text System using Augmented Reality for People with Hearing Deficits

Tillgänglighet är ett begrepp som uppmärksammas allt mer idag på grund av insikt om värdet av att skapa en webbplats som är åtkomlig, läsbar samt fungerar för alla människor. Målet med studien var att skapa förutsättningar för att utföra framtida undersökningar och förbättringar inom tillgänglighet på webben. Kandidatexamensarbetet utfördes under våren 2015 som ett projekt i samarbete med företaget Funka där en prototyp skapades för att utvärdera färgkombinationers påverkan på lättlästheten. En genomgående litteraturstudie utfördes som berörde tidigare forskning där målet var att konstruktivt undersöka relevant material. För studien användes en kvalitativ metod för att beskriva utvecklingen av ett testverktyg bestående av en pappersbaserad prototyp, interaktiv prototyp och slutligen en delleverans av implementerat verktyg, där användbarhetstester av prototypen användes som underlag för utformningen. Det utvecklade testverktyget skulle uppfylla givna tillgänglighetskriterier och vara tillgängligt för alla oavsett funktionsförmåga eller användning av IT-hjälpmedel. Med hjälp av testverktyget var målet att företaget Funka skulle kunna utföra en kvantitativ studie genom att skicka ut testverktyget till sina kunder för insamling av data och analys. Resultatet av denna studie var en delleverans av ett testverktyg baserat på en interaktiv prototyp samt analys av kvalitativ data från användbarhetstester. Utifrån de tre dimensionerna ekologiskt, ekonomiskt och social hållbarhet förväntades denna studie bidra inom samtliga dimensioner. Dessutom ansågs den etiska målsättningen för arbetet val uppfylld då tidigare studier konstruktivt presenterades. Dessutom hade design utformats för att tillgodose så många som möjligt genom fokus på tillgänglighet genom hela processen. Därigenom har även studien bidragit till social delaktighet för personer med funktionsnedsättning då testverktyget främjar arbetet med att göra webben mer tillgänglig. / Accessibility is a concept which is receiving increasing attention today when one realize how valuable it is to create a website that is accessible and legible, and will work for all people. The aim of the study was to create the conditions for conducting future investigations and improvements in accessibility on the Web. The bachelor's thesis was completed in Spring 2015 as a project in cooperation with the company Funka where a prototype was created to evaluate the color combinations' impact on the legibility. A thorough literature study was performed involving previous research where the goal was to constructively examine the relevant material. For the study we used a qualitative method to describe the development of a testing tool consisting of a paper-based prototype, online prototype and nally a partial dellivery of an implemented tool. The test tool needed to meet the given accessibility requirements and be accessible to everyone regardless of disability or the use of IT tools. Based on the results from the online prototype and the analysis of the qualitative data from the completed usability testing, we created a partial delivery of the test tool as a basic work for the later development. The goal for the company Funka was to perform a quantitative study by sending out the test tool to its customers for data collection and analysis. The outcome of this study was a partial delivery of a test tool based on the interactive prototype and analysis of the qualitative data from usability testing. This study was expected to contribute in all three dimensions of sustainable development (ecological, economic and social). Based on the ethical objective of the work this was considered to be well-met where targets of the previous studies were constructively presented. In addition, the design focused on the accessibility requirements throughout the entire process. This study has also contributed in social participation for people with disabilities where the test tool encourages and endorses the making of a more accessible web.

The current study is an empirical study of preference for campus open space around the drill field on Mississippi State University (MSU) campus. 83 students at Mississippi State University were selected as research objects. Based on the literature review, a research process was designed to employ VEP, content analysis and multivariate analysis---Biplot to explore the interested research problems. The study identified two most preferred landscape scene types - "Legibility" and "Coherence" using Kaplan?s "information processing model". A statistical analysis tool for multivariate analysis-Biplot was used to reveal the landscape preference patterns for campus open space as well as how certain landscape features can contribute these patterns. The study found factors such as gender, educational and cultural background can heavily affect these patterns. The result indicated that "vegetations" including tree, seasonal flowers and open grassland, were the most preferred landscape feature on campus open space. Finally, the limitations of this study were discussed and some recommendations for future landscape preference study were provided.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether three typeface variations of dot matrix print [single density, dual density, and photocopied dot matrix type] and two formatting variations [fully justified and left justified] had any effect on the reading rates or reading comprehension of college students when compared to the same typewritten material. A pretest/posttest design with experimental and control groups utilized the Cloze Reading Test and the Nelson Denny Reading Test to measure reading comprehension and reading rates respectively to college students [N= 240]. Subjects were randomly assigned to the groups to test the effects of the six treatment levels and two control groups of the independent variables [typefaces and type formatting] on the dependent variables [reading comprehension and reading rates. Four test sessions were used to collect the data and answer the research question: Do either of the three typeface variations of dot matrix print or the two formatting variables have any effect on reading comprehension or reading rates of the subjects when compared to typewriter type? A factorial analysis of covariance [p. < .05] was used to analyze reading comprehension; and a two way analysis of variance [p. < .05] was used to analyze reading rates. The findings indicated that typefaces or formatting made no significant difference in the reading rate or reading comprehension scores of the subjects tested. / Ph. D.

由於資訊科技的進步，網頁資訊更豐富與複雜，本研究從兩方面，一方面找出複雜的網頁是如何被使用者所認知？另一方面網頁介面設計的好不好？該如何設計才能降低網頁資訊的複雜度使其更易讀的方法。若網站介面設計能搭配使用者的認知，將有助網站設計出能降低複雜度又易讀的網頁，幫助使用者完成任務。因此，研究目的為瀏覽者是如何知覺與認知複雜的網頁？網頁介面的版面配置設計的好不好？研究問題為腦中模版是否影響網頁瀏覽？找出降低資訊複雜度的螢幕設計的原則？ 本研究分別設計四個實驗驗證四個假設，實驗一的目的是驗證使用者腦中模板對資訊選擇有影響。方法是比較實驗未進行前，瀏覽者大腦中所認知的電子商務網頁配置概圖，得到瀏覽者腦中既有的模板是什麼，再進行選擇注意實驗，比較瀏覽者畫出來電子商務網站的回憶圖與未進行實驗前的模板間的一致性。結論為模板與實際組的卡方值均為不顯著，因此，可以得知瀏覽者瀏覽電子商務網站時腦中的模板確實影響網頁選擇注意。 實驗二的目的是驗證使用者因為任務需要不同資訊的選擇策略對造成其網頁的認知不同；方法是實驗中透過使用者進行搜尋的任務中，根據其瀏覽策略將搜尋任務第一頁的瀏覽與最後一頁不同的瀏覽目標，因要達成的選擇策略不同所以其選擇注意不同。結論為第一頁與最後一頁的的瀏覽分析可以得知不同資訊的選擇策略將影響網頁介面的螢幕配置認知。 實驗三的目的螢幕配置會影響選擇注意。方法計算文獻整理的六個指標的理論值之後，實証為讓使用者到四個國家的yahoo網頁進行任務，會因網頁配置不同，影響使用者對四個不同國家的yahoo網頁的認知選擇注意不同。結論為四個國家卡方值為顯著，表示四個國家的介面配置不同確實會影響不同的選擇注意。 實驗四的目的証明網頁設計易讀性理論值與實證的順序是相同的。方法計算文獻整理的六個指標的理論值之後，實証為將四個日韓台美不同的yahoo網頁的配置，兩個為一組，分六組進行實驗，以了解四個國家網頁哪個配置讓瀏覽者較容易閱讀。結論為理論的順序：日(0.099)>美(0.095)>台(0.086)>韓(0.078)；實證的順序：美>日>台>韓；日美優於台韓故順序一致。 根據實驗的結論，我們知道使用者面對複雜的網頁資訊時，會根據腦中的模版來分析與過濾網頁上面的資訊，而且瀏覽者對於資訊的選擇確實會影響網頁螢幕的配置像對空白與色彩..等的差異，並且根據文獻找出的指標確實與實際狀況符合。所以，建議設計師在網頁layout設計，要按照使用者的工作任務經驗，及各工作任務的可能模版特質來設計資訊呈現內容。並根據六個整理出來的指標列為參考的網頁設計元素，將元素差異及元素關係的因素，如資訊在畫面上的位置、形成區塊的空白、框線、對比顏色、文字大小，以及關鍵詞等因素善加運用，按照工作任務性質，做適當安排。將有效降低使用者認知複雜度達成任務。 / Due to the fast growth of information technology, website information has become richer and more complex, and this piece of research will target on two main related areas. One is to find out how those complicated webpage were cognized by their users? The other is to discuss whether if the existing webpage interface design is good or not, and how webpage information should be designed in order to reduce its complicity and make it easier to read. If the webpage interface is able to collocate with users’ cognition, it will help websites to create webpage with low complicity and ease of read, and thereby assisting users to complete their missions. Therefore, the research aim would be to understand how browsers sense and perceive webpage and its complicity. Is the interface and layout design suitable for such webpage? In addition, the key question is to ask if internet browsing would be affected by our brain templates, and to further find out the principles for low information complicity screen design. The research body consists of four experiments which are set to prove 4 hypotheses. First experiment is to prove that users’ brain templates have effects on the choices of information. The main method is to obtain the e-commerce webpage layout from browsers’ brain before carrying out any further tasks, and see what the initial templates look like. And then by taking the selective attention tests, to compare the similarity between the memorial mappings of the e-commerce website with the initial template. The result has shown that the chi-square values between template and real group are both not significant, therefore, it is predicted that when users are browsing e-commerce websites, the brain templates do have effects on webpage selective attention. Experiment two aims to examine if differences in webpage cognition occur as users could have various choices of information due to different needs. When users browse the internet, because of the targets change, the strategies used in first page and last page also differs, and so does the selective attention. To conclude, from the first and last pages browsing analysis we can know that different information choice strategies will have impacts on the webpage interface layout. Third experiment focuses on the display layout which affects selective attentions. By calculating six theoretical values from indicators in literature reviews, and in order to prove the theory users are asked to carry out missions on Yahoo! websites in four countries, and because the webpage layouts are different, the users’ selective attentions also varies in these four countries. The chi-square values of the four countries are significant, which means different webpage layout will alter selective attentions. The last one proves that the theoretical values of legibility in webpage design are proportional to the case studies. In order to understand which Yahoo! website is the easiest to read out of these four countries, they were divided into groups of two and carried out six sets of experiments. Theoretical result shows that Japan (0.099)>US (0.095)>Taiwan (0.086)>Korea (0.078), where practical result shows US>Japan>Taiwan>Korea, and therefore both proved that US and Japan are better than Taiwan and Korea. According to the results of experiments, we can know that when users face complex web information, they tend to use the templates created in their brain to analyze and filter those information, and the choices of information that browsers made do affect webpage and screen layout, such as different spacing and coloring; which just corresponds with our literature indications. Hence, when designing webpage layout, designers are recommended to demonstrate the content by following users’ actual experiences, plus some possible behaviors under different work and mission conditions. In addition, the six indicators should also be used as design references, and key factors such as the positioning of information, spacing, bordering, contrast, font sizes and keywords should also be taken into consideration in order to make appropriate arrangement to suit different work properties, which will lower the cognition complicity for users effectively, and thereby fulfill its tasks.

[pt] Este trabalho tem por objetivo investigar as demandas de processamento relacionadas à resolução de provas de língua portuguesa do SAERJinho, focalizando-se, em particular, fatores de ordem linguístico-textual envolvidos na leitura de textos e enunciados das referidas provas. Na resenha da literatura são apresentadas vertentes teóricas sobre o processamento da leitura, seus aspectos cognitivos, metacognitivos assim como os conceitos de legibilidade e inteligibilidade. Dada a multiplicidade semiótica que caracteriza os textos das provas analisadas, são considerados os conceitos de multimodalidade e multiletramento. Apresenta-se, adicionalmente, literatura relativa a gêneros textuais, tendo em vista a identificação dos gêneros mais recorrentes nas provas examinadas. Uma breve caracterização dos tipos de questão de múltipla escolha usados em provas objetivas também é estabelecida, entendendo-se que aspectos metacognitivos associados à resolução desses tipos de questão podem afetar o desempenho dos alunos nas provas. A fim de compreender os critérios de elaboração das provas, foram considerados os Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais para o Ensino Médio, que são a base referencial da Matriz de Referência utilizada na elaboração do SAERJinho. Antes das análises, o SAERJinho foi apresentado. No capítulo da metodologia, são apresentados o corpus da pesquisa, a ferramenta usada para verificar o grau de legibilidade dos textos (Coh-Metrix-Port) e o valor do índice Flesch associado a cada texto. Em seguida, procedeu-se à análise dos gêneros textuais, dos tipos de questão de múltipla escolha e também das habilidades e dos conteúdos específicos cobrados nas questões. Os resultados da pesquisa sinalizaram para a necessidade de se reavaliarem os critérios de elaboração das provas e apontaram ainda para a necessidade urgente de os alunos do Ensino Médio desenvolverem as habilidades necessárias para alcançarem proficiência em leitura (como por exemplo, inferir uma informação implícita em um texto, identificar o tema de um texto, identificar a finalidade de textos de diferentes gêneros) e, consequentemente, terem bom êxito nas avaliações. / [en] This thesis is aimed at investigating the processing demands related to taking the SAERJinho s Portuguese Language Tests (the Education Evaluation System of the State of Rio de Janeiro), by focusing, in particular, on textual-linguistic factors involved in reading the statements of the mentioned tests. In the literature review, we present the theoretical framework for reading processing, its cognitive and metacognitive aspects, as well as the concepts of readability and intelligibility. Due to the semiotic multiplicity that characterizes the texts of the tests analyzed, the concepts of multi-modality and multi-literacy are considered. Additionally, we present the literature regarding text genres, focusing on the identification of the most recurrent genres in the tests examined. A brief characterization of the types of multiple choice questions used in objective tests is also established, bearing in mind that metacognitive aspects associated with the resolution of these types of question may affect students performance on the tests. In order to understand the criteria involved in test preparation, we consider the Brazilian National Curriculum Parameters for the Secondary Education, which are the reference basis of the Reference Matrix used in the preparation of the SAERJinho. Before showing the analyses, the SAERJinho is introduced. In the methodology chapter, the research corpus is shown, as well as the tool used to verify the readability level of the texts (Coh-Metrix-Port) and the Flesch reading score associated with each text. Then, we analyze the text genres, the types of multiple choice questions and also the skills and the specific topics covered in the questions. Research results show that it is necessary to re-evaluate the criteria involved in the elaboration of the tests and they also point out that high school students should urgently develop their reading proficiency (such as, for example, inferring implicit information in a text, identifying the text s topic and the purpose of texts of different genres) and, consequently, achieve good results in the evaluations.

Science fiction has long promised the digitalization of books. Characters in films and television routinely check their palm-sized (or smaller) electronic displays for fast-scrolling information. However, this very technology, increasingly prevalent in today's world, has not been embraced universally. While the convenience of pocket-sized information pieces has the techno-savvy entranced, the general public still greets the advent of the e-book with a curious reluctance. This lack of enthusiasm seems strange in the face of the many advantages offered by the new medium - vastly superior storage capacity, searchability, portability, lower cost, and instantaneous access. This dissertation addresses the need for research examining the reading comprehension and the role emotional response plays in the perceived performance on e-document formats as compared to traditional paper format. This study compares the relative reading comprehension on three formats (Kindle, iTouch, and paper) and examines the relationship of subject's emotional response and relative technology exposure as factors that affect how the subject perceives they have performed on those formats. This study demonstrates that, for basic reading comprehension, the medium does not matter. Furthermore, it shows that, the more uncomfortable a person is with technology and expertise in the requested task (in this case, reading), the more they cling to the belief that they will do better on traditional (paper) media - regardless of how well they actually do.

Cette thèse interroge la typographie contemporaine au prisme du postmodernisme des années 1980 jusqu'au début des années 2000 afin de montrer que celle-ci va au-delà du simple outil de communication visuelle et de technique d'impression. Dans ce but, cette recherche revient sur l'histoire de la typographie pour en soulever les problématiques récurrentes (idéal de beauté, lisibilité, pluridisciplinarité) retravaillées et ré-étudiées par le postmodernisme. Outre les effets stylistique, le postmodernisme se pose en opposition et réaction au modernisme qu'il remet en cause en tant que modèle dominant. Les problématiques qui découlent de cette remise en question, interrogent la légitimité du designer ainsi que sa place dans la société, dans le processus de création. La typographie et son statut sont parties prenantes de ce débat qui permet de l'extraire du simple objet imprimé. Cette thèse interroge donc la possibilité de considérer la typographie comme objet esthétique et critique qui pense et se pense, à partir des discussions et travaux de cette période, ainsi qu'en s'appuyant tout particulièrement sur la recherche en design. Cette démarche permet également de mettre en perspective la recherche et les savoirs actuels autour de la typographie afin de faire émerger les paradoxes de cette dernière et d'aboutir à sa redéfinition. / This thesis is about contemporary typography in the light of postmodernism from the eighties to the early years of the new millenium in order to show that it goes beyond the mere tool of visual communication and printing technique. So the research relates the history of typography and raises the recurrent issues (ideal of beauty, lisiblility, multi-disciplinarity) worked out and studied by postmodernism. Beside the stylistic effects, postmodernism stands out by reaction to modernism which it questions as a prevailing pattern. The deriving problems raise the question of whether the designer is legitimate and what his/her position in society is, in the creative process. Typography and its status are part and parcel of this issue which helps take it from the mere printed object. Thus, this thesis raises the question of whether it is possible to consider typography as an aesthetic and critical object which thinks, from the talks and works of that period, by particularly drawing upon research in design. This process also helps put into perspective the analysis and current knowledge around typography in order to develop its paradoxes and lead to re-define its goal.

Les États-Unis n’ont eu de cesse d’attendre depuis Emerson le grand chef d’œuvre national qui célèbrerait le destin d’exception de la jeune démocratie et affranchirait la littérature et la langue américaines de la tutelle du vieux continent. Cette tâche ne pouvait incomber à l’épopée dont on a pu juger qu’elle était inapte à décrire le monde contemporain et qu’elle contredisait une modernité poétique de l’intensité lyrique. La renaissance spectaculaire du « long poème » américain au cours des XIXe et XXe siècle ne peut donc s’inscrire dans la filiation de « formes » jugées obsolètes. Elle paraît d’ailleurs d’autant plus problématique qu’après avoir été rapportée au lyrisme démocratique de Walt Whitman, le « long poème » fut approprié par T.S. Eliot et Ezra Pound et assimilée aux excès d’un « high modernism » autoritaire, élitiste et systématique. C’est ainsi que la critique n’est parvenue à rendre compte paradoxalement de cette « forme » qu’en la niant, confirmant ainsi son illisibilité : le long poème ne pouvait être qu’un recueil de poèmes courts, un chef d’œuvre ruiné ou une parodie de la pensée systématique et de l’exceptionnalisme américain. En étudiant « A » de Louis Zukofsky, Paterson de William Carlos William et les Maximus Poems de Charles Olson, je vise à démontrer qu’il est au contraire possible de lire cette forme en tant que telle sans avoir recours à des typologies génériques ou à la dichotomie modernisme/postmodernisme. Je tenterai aussi de suggérer que, dans ces trois œuvres, la poésie se conçoit comme une activité en devenir qui tente modestement d’articuler le poème au monde, au temps et à la lecture. / Ever since Emerson the United-States have been expecting the great national masterpiece that would not only celebrate the unique destiny of this young democracy but would also free American language and literature from the European model. However, it did not seem that it was for the epic poem to accomplish this task given that it appeared not only ill-suited to describe the modern world but also incompatible with the demands of a poetic modernity predicated on lyrical intensity. Hence, the planned obsolescence of this “form” has made it all the more difficult to explain the spectacular rebirth of the “American long poem” in the 19th and 20th centuries. It has appeared all the more problematic since, after having been associated to Walt Whitman’s democratic lyricism, the “long poem” was appropriated by T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound making it the symbol of the authoritarian, elitist and systematic tendencies of “high modernism”. It will thus come as no surprise that the critical community has tended to view the “long poem” negatively confirming in a way its illegibility: the “long poem” could only be viewed as a short lyric sequence, an impossible masterpiece or a parody of systematic thought and American exceptionalism. In undertaking this study of Louis Zukofsky’s “A”, William Carlos William’s Paterson and Charles Olson’s Maximus Poems I wish to demonstrate that it is possible to read the “long poem” as such without having to resort to generic categories and to the modern/postmodern dichotomy. I also hope to show that, in these three works, poetry is understood as a kind of ongoing activity which modestly attempts to articulate the poem to the world, time and reading.