The International Space Station utilizes many different forms of written and verbal communication between the flight crews and ground control personnel. This study analyzes the historical use of three regular communication methods, Daily Planning Conferences, Weekly Planning Conferences and written Daily Summaries, as well as specific, science and internal maintenance events for characteristics and perceived effectiveness across eight expeditions (4 ? 11). The results are recommendations for the continued use of, or substitution for, these methods for future long-duration human space missions, specifically to the Moon and to Mars. General conclusions are that most of the conference content could have been relayed through written/electronic methods, and that the Daily Summaries are considered succinct and effective as a communication cornerstone. Conclusions formed from the study of individual events involved the importance of well-written crew procedures, the effective stowage and retrieval of necessary materials and the selection of well-defined science experiments.

This work presents the development of the Statistical Location-Assisted Broadcast (SLAB) protocol, a multi-hop wireless broadcast protocol designed for vehicular ad-hoc networking (VANET). Vehicular networking is an important emerging application of wireless communications. Data dissemination applications using VANET promote the ability for vehicles to share information with each other and the wide-area network with the goal of improving navigation, fuel consumption, public safety, and entertainment. A critical component of these data dissemination schemes is the multi-hop wireless broadcast protocol. Multi-hop broadcast protocols for these schemes must reliably deliver broadcast packets to vehicles in a geographically bounded region while consuming as little wireless bandwidth as possible. This work contains substantial research results related to development of multi-hop broadcast protocols for VANET, culminating in the design of SLAB. Many preliminary research and development efforts have been required to arrive at SLAB. First, a high-level wireless broadcast simulation tool called WiBDAT is developed. Next, a manual optimization procedure is proposed to create efficient threshold functions for statistical broadcast protocols. This procedure is then employed to design the Distribution-Adaptive Distance with Channel Quality (DADCQ) broadcast protocol, a preliminary cousin of SLAB. DADCQ is highly adaptive to node density, node spatial distribution pattern, and wireless channel quality in realistic VANET scenarios. However, the manual design process used to create DADCQ has a few deficiencies. In response to these problems, an automated design procedure is created that uses a black-box global optimization algorithm to search for efficient threshold functions that are evaluated using WiBDAT. SLAB is finally designed using this procedure. / Expansive simulation results are presented comparing the performance of SLAB to two well-published VANET broadcast protocols, p -persistence and Advanced Adaptive Gossip (AAG), and to DADCQ. The four protocols are evaluated under varying node density and speed on five different road topologies with varying wireless channel fading conditions. The results demonstrate that unlike p-persistence and AAG, SLAB performs well across a very broad range of environmental conditions. Compared to its cousin protocol DADCQ, SLAB achieves similar reachability while using around 30% less wireless bandwidth, highlighting the improvement in the automated design methodology over the manual design. / by Michael J. Slavik. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 200?. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-04T18:33:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Adauto Marin Molck.pdf: 1439815 bytes, checksum: 33e91e2bb8c43c99c331f8edfb1ba655 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-25 / This research belongs the Education Rating, mainly on studies about large scale rating, focused on Exame Nacional de Desempenho de Estudantes (ENADE). Based on the consensus about the importance of continuous improvement of rating programs sustained for Brazilian Federal Government with the goal of improving optimized educational policies, we intent to study the impacts of ENADE on the undergraduate courses, even as strategies to optimize the performance adopted by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The ENADE, implemented in 2004 during the government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2003-2006 and 2007-2010) is part of National System of Rating for Higher Education (SINAES) Law 10861 of April 14, 2004. Because the rating is also focused on students performance, ENADE can be considered equal of Courses National Rating (Exame Nacional de Cursos ENC), also called like Provao , created during Fernando Henrique Cardoso government (1994-1997 and 1998-2002), which differentiates because fit itself into a emancipatory perspective, trying measure the value of the graduation courses and their contribution on the students development, neutralized the ranking, eliminate the punishes based on academic performance, and others proposals. This is the clear rupture with the ENC principles, which are based on regulatory vision and focused on results control. At this project, we want realize a State of Art study about ENADE, using how reference master s and doctoral theses done in Brazil between 2004 and 2010, adopting, for this, three objectives parameters: (a) study ENADE inside the large scale evaluation implanted in Brazil on Higher Education; (b) Map the Brazilian scientific production printed on master?s and doctoral theses and projects since ENAD have been implanted; (c) Identify the impacts of ENADE on the graduation courses, as well as the strategies improve the institutional performance adopted by the Higher Education Institutions. This is a qualitative and quantitative research, essentially bibliographic type, which use how references techniques for Content Documental Analyze and Cases about the collected material. / A presente pesquisa se insere no campo da Avalia??o Educacional, especificamente nos estudos sobre avalia??o em larga escala, com foco no Exame Nacional de Desempenho de Estudantes (ENADE). Partindo do consenso no ?mbito governamental a respeito da import?ncia e da necessidade do aprimoramento cont?nuo dos programas de avalia??o, com o objetivo de aperfei?oamento das pol?ticas educacionais, pretende-se estudar os impactos do referido exame nos cursos de gradua??o e as estrat?gias para a melhoria do desempenho institucional adotadas pelas Institui??es de Educa??o Superior (IES). O ENADE, implantado em 2004, durante o governo de Luiz In?cio Lula da Silva (2003-2006 e 2007-2010), ? parte integrante do Sistema Nacional de Avalia??o da Educa??o Superior (SINAES), Lei 10.861, de 14 de abril de 2004. Na medida em que tamb?m se concentra na avalia??o do desempenho dos estudantes, pode ser considerado equivalente ao Exame Nacional de Cursos (ENC), o chamado Prov?o , criado durante o governo Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1994-1997 e 1998-2002), diferenciando-se deste por enquadrar-se em uma vis?o emancipat?ria, na medida em que tenta mensurar o valor agregado dos cursos de gradua??o ? forma??o do aluno, neutralizar o ranqueamento, eliminar as puni??es a partir do desempenho, entre outras finalidades. Trata-se de uma evidente ruptura com os princ?pios que sustentam o ENC, baseado numa vis?o regulat?ria e voltado para o controle de resultados. Neste trabalho, realizou-se um estudo do tipo Estado da Arte em torno do ENADE tendo como refer?ncias as disserta??es de mestrado e teses de doutorado produzidas no Brasil, no per?odo de 2004 a 2010, adotando como par?metros tr?s objetivos espec?ficos: (a) estudar o ENADE no contexto das Avalia??es em Larga Escala implantadas no Brasil na ?rea da Educa??o Superior; (b) mapear a produ??o cient?fica brasileira, expressa nas disserta??es de mestrado e teses de doutorado, produzidas desde a implanta??o do ENADE; (c) identificar os impactos do ENADE nos cursos de gradua??o, bem como as estrat?gias para a melhoria do desempenho institucional adotadas pelas Institui??es de Educa??o Superior. Trata-se de uma pesquisa quantitativa e qualitativa, essencialmente de cunho bibliogr?fico, utilizando como refer?ncia as t?cnicas de An?lise Documental do Conte?do coletado.

Είναι ευρέως γνωστό ότι, τα τελευταία χρόνια, οι ΤΠΕ (Τεχνολογίες Πληροφορίας και Επικοινωνίας) ενσωματώνονται σε όλα τα σύγχρονα εκπαιδευτικά συστήματα διότι με τη χρήση τους παρέχονται ποικίλες διευκολύνσεις – πλεονεκτήματα κατά τη μαθησιακή διαδικασία. Σκοπός της συγκεκριμένης διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι η σχεδίαση και η παράδοση του μαθήματος "Ανάπτυξη εφαρμογών σε προγραμματιστικό περιβάλλον" με χρήση της πλατφόρμας ανοικτής εκπαίδευσης DIPLEK που χρησιμοποιεί τις ΤΠΕ για την ανάπτυξη και οργάνωση του εκπαιδευτικού υλικού από τους εκπαιδευτικούς. Το μάθημα «Ανάπτυξη εφαρμογών σε προγραμματιστικό περιβάλλον» απευθύνεται στους μαθητές της Γ’ Τάξης Τεχνολογικής Κατεύθυνσης Ενιαίου Λυκείου, του Κύκλου Πληροφορικής και Υπηρεσιών. Στόχος του μαθήματος είναι η εισαγωγή του μαθητή στη λογική του προγραμματισμού και η ανάπτυξη του κατάλληλου τρόπου σκέψης για την αλγοριθμική επίλυση προβλημάτων. Σκοπός της διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι η δημιουργία μιας υποδειγματικής διδασκαλίας του πανελληνίου αυτού εξεταζόμενου μαθήματος που θα αποτελέσει ένα χρήσιμο βοήθημα για τους μαθητές και εργαλείο αναφοράς για τους εκπαιδευτικούς. Για την υλοποίηση του μαθήματος θα χρησιμοποιηθεί η πλατφόρμα ανοικτής εκπαίδευσης DIPLEK. Η πλατφόρμα αυτή έχει σχεδιαστεί και υλοποιηθεί με βάση τις σύγχρονες ανάγκες του μαθητή και καθηγητή για εύκολη πρόσβαση σε εκπαιδευτικό υλικό και μπορεί και προσαρμόζεται στις ανάγκες του. Ακόμα η χρήση της δεν απαιτεί ιδιαίτερες γνώσεις ηλεκτρονικού υπολογιστή αφού παρέχει ένα φιλικό γραφικό περιβάλλον εργασίας στο χρήστη. Η ύλη που θα καλύπτει το μάθημα είναι η ύλη που καλούνται οι μαθητές της Γ Λυκείου να εξεταστούν στις πανελλήνιες εξετάσεις (ανάλυση προβλήματος, βασικές έννοιες αλγορίθμων, δομές δεδομένων και αλγόριθμοι, η γλώσσα προγραμματισμού «Γλώσσα» και το κεφάλαιο υποπρογράμματα). Για την επίτευξη του στόχου αυτού θα χρησιμοποιηθούν μια σειρά από δραστηριότητες που θα καλύπτουν το εύρος των δυνατοτήτων της πλατφόρμας. Δραστηριότητες που θα στοχεύουν στην ανάλυση των δυσνόητων σημείων θεωρίας, ασκήσεις λυμένες και ασκήσεις για λύση με σκοπό την εμπλοκή των μαθητών σε προσωπική πειραματική διαδικασία, τεστ πολλαπλής επιλογής, διαγωνίσματα. Περαιτέρω μελέτη αποτελεί η αξιολόγηση των σεναρίων στη σχολική τάξη και εφαρμογή παρόμοιων σεναρίων για περισσότερα γνωστικά αντικείμενα. / It is widely believed that in recent years, ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) have been incorporated into all modern educational systems since their use provides a variety of facilities - the advantages in the learning process. The purpose of this particular thesis, is the design and teaching of the " Application Development in a programming environment " course, by using the open education platform DIPLEK, which utilizes the ICT for the development and organization of educational material by teachers. The course mentioned before, is addressed to those students of the Third Grade of High School, who are orientated to the Technological field of computer Science and Services Cycle. The course aims at introducing to student the sense of planning and developing the appropriate way of thinking about algorithmic problem solving. The goal of this thesis is to create an exemplary instructive method of this Pan-Hellenic subject that will be a useful tool for students and a reference tool for teachers. For the realization of the course, the platform of open education DIPLEK will be used. It has been designed and implemented based on the current needs of both student and teacher, for easy access to educational material and can be adapted to their needs as well. Furthermore, its use requires no special computer knowledge due to the fact that it offers a friendly graphical user interface. The material covered by the course, is the one the third Grade candidates are invited to know well, since they enter for it during National exams (problem analysis, basic concepts of algorithms, data structures and algorithms, the programming language "Language" and sub programmes charter). To achieve this goal a range of activities covering the breadth of capabilities of the platform will be used. Activities which aim at analyzing the obscure points of theory, already answered drills and exercises or others which demand a solution with the view to student’s involvement in a personal experiment process and a variety of tests such as multiple choices ones.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the last decade, the use of computers has proliferated the industrial arena in South Africa. Due to frequent changes in computer programs and developments in the computing field, users have often been adversely affected. Users experience problems with computer programs that are not user friendly. Usability is about satisfying the user needs by allowing the user to accomplish their goals quickly, efficiently and easily. Thus it is crucial that industries invest in computer programs that offer optimum usability. In this research an attempt is made to provide a framework for methodology that can be used to test and evaluate usability in the Transwerk Risk Management Information System, that is Computer Assisted Risk Management Systems (CARMS). I first consider the difference between unusable and usable programs. Usability properties are then identified including properties enhancing effectiveness, efficiency, flexibility, laemability and attitude of the computer program. The CARMS components or modules and users were identified. Usability problems were identified that cause the users to be selective and discouraged to use other components of CARMS. To further verified and address the usability problems identified, the whole program needs to be tested and evaluated. The methodology was laid for how to do usability testing and evaluation in computer program that are currently in use like CARMS. Benefits and limitations of testing and evaluating usability were detailed in this research. It is recommended that, testing and evaluating usability should be done to prevent errors, dissatisfaction and to improve usability of the CARMS program. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die laaste dekade het die gebruik van rekenaars uitgebrei in die industriele arena in Suid-Afrika. Weens gereelde veranderings in rekenaar programme en ontwikkellings in die informatika veld is gebruikers gereeld nadelig geraak. Gebruikers ervaar probleme met rekenaar programme wat nie gebruikersvriendelik is nie. Bruikbaarheid het te make met bevrediging van gebruikersbehoeftes deur hulle in staat te stel om hulle doelwitte vinnig, doelmatig en maklik te bereik. Dit is dus van kritiese belang dat industriee investeer in rekenaar programme wat optimale bruikbaarheid bied. In hierdie navorsing word gepoog om 'n raamwerk vir metodologie wat gebruik kan word om die bruikbaarheid van die "Transwerk Risk Management Information System" (dit is "Computer Assisted Risk Management Systems" of CARMS) te toets en te evalueer. Ek bespreek eerstens die verskil tussen onbruikbare en bruikbare programme. Bruikbaarheidseienskappe word dan geidentifiseer, insluitend eienskappe wat doeltreffendheid, doelmatigheid, buigsaamheid, aanleerbaarheid en houding van die rekenaar program verbeter. Die CARMS komponente of modules en gebruikers is geidentifiseer. Bruikbaarheidsprobleme is geidentifiseer wat veroorsaak dat gebruikers selektief raak en ontmoedig raak om ander komponente van CARMS te gebruik. Om verder die geidentifiseerde bruikbaarheidsprobleme te verifieer en adreseer moet die hele program getoets en evalueer word. Die metodologie is vasgele waarvolgens bruikbaarheidstoetsing en evaluasie van rekenaar programme wat tans in gebruik is (soos CARMS) gedoen kan word. Voordele en beperkings van bruikbaarheidstoetsing en -evaluasie is in hierdie navorsing vervat. Dit word aanbeveel dat bruikbaarheidstoetsing en -evaluasie gedoen moet word om foute en ontevredenheid te voorkom en om die bruikbaarheid van die CARMS program te verbeter.

Submitted by Clebson Anjos (clebson.leandro54@gmail.com) on 2015-05-12T18:02:53Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 5617719 bytes, checksum: 8f901a0142ff1f0773560c695eccf12a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-12T18:02:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 5617719 bytes, checksum: 8f901a0142ff1f0773560c695eccf12a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The internet, together with the available tools for the web, has been a means widely used by organizations to the functions of access, use and dissemination of information. On the other hand, the expansion of the web has generated certain information barriers, such as excessive accumulation of information and creation of interactive systems inadequate and/or poorly structured. Given this fact, this study aimed to analyze the digital information environment of the Humanities Center of the Federal University of Campina Grande, composed of website and blog, based on the interrelationship of the principles of Information Architecture and Usability criteria, since interfaces not structured properly can generate dissatisfaction on users and rejection with their use. While the Information Architecture envisages the construction of systems with optimized informational structures, the Usability aims to facilitate the use of interfaces for its users, efficiently and effectively within a specific context of use. As a result, we obtained a study descriptive, whose methodology was based on the process of methodological triangulation, reflected in the choice of different methods used in collection and analysis of data. The data collection was carried out with the application of a subjective evaluation questionnaire to the coordinators of the Humanities Center/UFCG, representative group of the digital information environment of the Humanities Center, and an inspection based on a checklist based on criteria and recommendations consistent with the research objectives. After quantitative and qualitative data analysis, there were similarities between the main points highlighted in the responses provided by the participants research users and the results generated with the evaluation checklist, among which are: the inadequate structure and the absence and the lack of content update of the website/blog CH. From the results obtained with the analysis, a list of recommendations was prepared for a possible reconstruction of the investigated systems (website and blog). / A internet, juntamente com as ferramentas disponíveis para a Web, tem sido um meio bastante utilizado pelas organizações para as funções de acesso, uso e disseminação da informação. Por outro lado, a expansão da web tem gerado determinadas barreiras informacionais, tais como o acúmulo excessivo de informações e a concepção de sistemas interativos inadequados e/ou mal estruturados. Diante deste fato, esta pesquisa teve por objetivo analisar o ambiente informacional digital do Centro de Humanidades (CH) da Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, composto de website e blog, com base na inter-relação dos princípios da Arquitetura da Informação e dos critérios de usabilidade, visto que interfaces não estruturadas adequadamente podem gerar insatisfação nos usuários e rejeição quanto a sua utilização. Enquanto a Arquitetura da Informação vislumbra a construção de sistemas com estruturas informacionais otimizadas, a Usabilidade visa facilitar a utilização das interfaces por seus usuários, de forma eficiente e eficaz dentro de um contexto específico de uso. Como resultado, obteve-se um estudo de natureza descritiva, cuja metodologia se fundamentou no processo de triangulação metodológica, refletida na escolha de diferentes métodos empregados na coleta e análise de dados. A coleta de dados se deu com a aplicação de um questionário de avaliação subjetiva aos coordenadores do Centro de Humanidades/UFCG, grupo representativo dos usuários do ambiente informacional digital daquele Centro, e com uma inspeção baseada em um checklist formulado a partir de critérios e recomendações condizentes aos objetivos da pesquisa. Após a análise quantitativa e qualitativa dos dados obtidos, verificaram-se similaridades entre os principais pontos destacados nas repostas fornecidas pelos usuários participantes da pesquisa e os resultados gerados com a avaliação por checklist, entre os quais estão: a estruturação inadequada e a ausência ou desatualização do conteúdo informativo do website/blog do CH. A partir do resultado obtido com a análise, foi elaborada uma lista de recomendações para uma possível reconstrução dos sistemas investigados (website e blog).

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / With the rapid growth in wireless mobile communication technology, Vehicular Ad-hoc Network (VANET) has emerged as a promising method to effectively solve transportation-related issues. So far, most of researches on VANETs have been conducted with simulations as the real-world experiment is expensive. A core problem affecting the fidelity of simulation is the mobility model employed. In this thesis, a sophisticated traffic simulator capable of generating realistic vehicle traces is introduced. Combined with network simulator NS-2, we used this tool to evaluate the general performance of several routing protocols and studied the impact of intersections on simulation results. We show that static nodes near the intersection tend to become more active in packet delivery with higher transferred throughput.

Thesis (MPhil (Information Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) is South Africa’s statutory research agency dedicated to the social sciences. Information Services (IS) plays a significant role in advancing social science research through the provision of its proactive desk research and its library service. HSRC IS is looking at implementing a library solution that will better serve its users. The existing library system no longer meets the needs of the HSRC Library staff or the research staff. The functionality and efficiency of an ILS is critical to the smooth operation of IS in fulfilling its mandate within the HSRC, i.e. to provide access to information, in an efficient, useful, and timely manner, the focus being on ease of accessibility to a whole range of library and other online resources. The ILS must be able to handle many formats, accommodate searching on the Internet, provide a variety of functions including manipulating electronic data, working with graphics and expediting resource sharing. IS identified the following three ILS solutions, together with their add-on components 1) Innovative Interfaces’ Millennium solution, 2) SIRSI’s Unicorn solution and 3) Ex Libris’s ALEPH solution. The user and system requirements for ILS at the HSRC are sketched. The unique requirements, as well as the requirements the HSRC shares with other research organisations, are pointed out. The three ILS are evaluated against the criteria established. All three the ILS suppliers specialise exclusively in library automation software and have many years of experience in the provision and support of ILS, Innovative Interfaces Inc and Ex Libris for 25 years each and SIRSI for 15 years. Innovative Interfaces Inc has the largest customer base in South Africa. Ex Libris has one academic consortium as a client (CALICO) and some smaller utilisers, while SIRSI is just breaking into the South African market. All three systems comply fully with all the Cataloguing, Serials and Acquisitions modules requirements, that is, the more traditional library functionalities. When it comes to the more ‘non-traditional’ functionalities, such as full-text searching and discussion forum functionality, these systems still fall short. It is either not supported at all, or additional modules or add-ons are required. The various systems requirements are aligned to the current information technology environment at the HSRC. The conclusion is that the actual differences between the systems are few and far between, but that there are some specific requirements and add-on possibilities which makes Millennium the most attractive choice.

Fahrerablenkung ist ein Begriff, der in den vergangen Jahren verstärkt in das Blickfeld der Öffentlichkeit geraten ist. Dies ist im Wesentlichen zurückzuführen auf die deutlich steigende Verbreitung und Nutzung von Fahrerinformationssystemen. Gleichzeitig führt die steigende Automatisierung im Fahrzeug dazu, dass dem Fahrer in seiner subjektiven Wahrnehmung mehr Ressourcen zur Verfügung stehen, um sich anderen Aktivitäten wie etwa Essen, Rauchen oder Telefonieren zuzuwenden. Die steigende Aktualität dieser Problematik wirft viele Fragen auf. Wie häufig tritt Fahrerablenkung auf? Welche Konsequenzen hat sie? Welche kognitiven Prozesse zeichnen für diese Konsequenzen verantwortlich? Und wie kann man Fahrerablenkung messen? Die vorliegende Dissertation besteht aus drei empirischen Beiträgen, sowie einer kurzen Einführung, die die grundlegenden Fragen und Befunde zum Thema Fahrerablenkung betrachtet. Das Augenmerk des ersten Beitrags liegt auf der Überprüfung theoretischer Annahmen zur Fahrerablenkung. Eine Vielzahl von Untersuchungen zeigt, dass sich kognitiv beanspruchende Zweitaufgaben negativ auf die Fahrleistung auswirken. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird davon ausgegangen, dass dieser Effekt eine Folge von Interferenzen zwischen den Funktionen des Arbeitsgedächtnisses, die dazu dienen das Situationsmodell der Verkehrssituation aktuell zu halten, und den bearbeiteten Zweitaufgaben ist. Im Rahmen einer Simulatorstudie wurde diese Annahme überprüft. Es zeigte sich, dass die Probanden, die eine Zweitaufgabe ausführten, die speziell die Integration von neuen Informationen in das bestehende Situationsmodell behindern sollte, später auf antizipierbare kritische Ereignisse reagierten als Vergleichsgruppen. Im Gegensatz dazu ergaben sich für unvorhersehbare Ereignisse keine Unterschiede. Diese Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass die negativen Effekte kognitiver Belastung tatsächlich auf Interferenzen mit spezifischen Arbeitsgedächtnisprozessen zurückzuführen sind. Die beiden weiteren Beiträge befassen sich mit messmethodischen Fragen in Bezug auf Fahrerablenkung. In Beitrag zwei wird die Lane Change Task (LCT) thematisiert, eine Labormethode zur Erfassung von Ablenkung. Aufgabe der Probanden ist die Steuerung eines virtuellen Fahrzeuges mittels Lenkrad, und dabei konkret die Ausführung von Spurwechseln, bei gleichzeitiger Bearbeitung von Zweitaufgaben. Trotz eines standardisierten Versuchsaufbaus sind allerdings starke Messvarianzen zwischen verschiedenen Testreihen zu beobachten. Der Übungsgrad der Versuchsteilnehmer wurde dabei als eine mögliche Ursache identifiziert. In zwei Experimenten wurde dieser Vermutungnachgegangen. Probanden bearbeiteten parallel zur LCT Zweitaufgaben verschiedener Schwierigkeitsstufen, nachdem sie zuvor trainiert wurden. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass der Grad der Übung tatsächlich einen Einfluss auf die Spurwechselperformanz hat, und dass dieser Einfluss auch Monate später noch zu finden ist. Es ist jedoch zweifelhaft, dass dieser Effekt allein ursächlich für die zu beobachtenden Messvarianzen ist. Im dritten Beitrag wird die Critical Tracking Task (CTT) betrachtet, ein Verfahren, das im Kontext Fahrerablenkung bisher kaum Beachtung fand. Die CTT ist eine einfache Trackingaufgabe, welche vom Nutzer die Stabilisierung eines dynamischen, instabilen Elementes auf einem Bildschirm fordert. Die zur Bearbeitung der Aufgabe auszuführenden Tätigkeiten der kontinuierlichen visuellen Überwachung und manuellen Kontrolle sind grundsätzlich vergleichbar mit basalen Anforderungen der Fahraufgabe. Ziel war es, das Potenzial der CTT als Messverfahren von Fahrerablenkung durch Fahrerinformationssysteme zu überprüfen. Die Ergebnisse der vier durchgeführten Experimente, in denen sowohl künstliche als auch reale Aufgaben und Systeme bearbeitet und bedient wurden, legen den Schluss nahe, dass die CTT in der Tat in der Lage ist, das Ausmaß von Ablenkung ausgelöst durch Fahrerinformationssysteme zu quantifizieren.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Our connections to the digital world are invoked by brands, but the intersection of branding and interaction design is still an under-investigated area. Particularly, current websites are designed not only to support essential user tasks, but also to communicate an institution's intended brand values and traits. What we do not yet know, however, is which design factors affect which aspect of a brand. To demystify this issue, three sub-projects were conducted. The first project developed a systematic approach for evaluating the branding effectiveness of content-intensive websites (BREW). BREW gauges users' brand perceptions on four well-known branding constructs: brand as product, brand as organization, user image, and brand as person. It also provides rich guidelines for eBranding researchers in regard to planning and executing a user study and making improvement recommendations based on the study results. The second project offered a standardized perceived usability questionnaire entitled DEEP (design-oriented evaluation of perceived web usability). DEEP captures the perceived website usability on five design-oriented dimensions: content, information architecture, navigation, layout consistency, and visual guidance. While existing questionnaires assess more holistic concepts, such as ease-of-use and learnability, DEEP can more transparently reveal where the problem actually lies. Moreover, DEEP suggests that the two most critical and reliable usability dimensions are interface consistency and visual guidance. Capitalizing on the BREW approach and the findings from DEEP, a controlled experiment (N=261) was conducted by manipulating interface consistency and visual guidance of an anonymized university website to see how these variables may affect the university's image. Unexpectedly, consistency did not significantly predict brand image, while the effect of visual guidance on brand perception showed a remarkable gender difference. When visual guidance was significantly worsened, females became much less satisfied with the university in terms of brand as product (e.g., teaching and research quality) and user image (e.g., students' characteristics). In contrast, males' perceptions of the university's brand image stayed the same in most circumstances. The reason for this gender difference was revealed through a further path analysis and a follow-up interview, which inspired new research directions to unpack even more the nexus between branding and interaction design.