abstract: ABSTRACT The cold and the flu are two of the most prevalent diseases in the world. Many over the counter (OTC) medications have been created to combat the symptoms of these illnesses. Some medications take a holistic approach by claiming to alleviate a wide range of symptoms, while others target a specific symptom. As these medications become more ubiquitous within the United State of America (USA), consumers form associations and mental models about the cold/flu field. The goal of Study 1 was to build a Pathfinder network based on the associations consumers make between cold/flu symptoms and medications. 100 participants, 18 years or older, fluent in English, and residing in the USA, completed a survey about the relatedness of cold/flu symptoms to OTC medications. They rated the relatedness on a scale of 1 (highly unrelated) to 7 (highly related) and those rankings were used to build a Pathfinder network that represented the average of those associations. Study 2 was conducted to validate the Pathfinder network. A different set of 90 participants with the same restrictions as those in Study 1 completed a matching associations test. They were prompted to match symptoms and medications they associated closely with each other. Results showered a significant negative correlation between the geodetic distance (the number of links between objects in the Pathfinder network) separating symptoms and medications and frequency of pairing symptoms with medication. This provides evidence of the validity of the Pathfinder network. It was also seen that, higher the relatedness rating between symptoms and medications in Study 1, higher the frequency of pairing symptom to medication in Study 2, and the more directly linked those symptoms and medications were in the Pathfinder network. This network can inform pharmaceutical companies about which symptoms they most closely associate with, who their competitors are, what symptoms they can dominate, and how to market their medications more effectively. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Engineering 2020

Comparing to traditional cartography, big data geographic information processing is not a simple task at all, it requires special methods and methods. When existing geovisualization systems face millions of data, the zoom function and the dynamical data adding function usually cannot be satisfied at the same time. This research classify the existing methods of geovisualization, then analyze its functions and bottlenecks, analyze its applicability in the big data environment, and proposes a method that combines spatial data structure and iterative calculation on demand. It also proves that this method can effectively balance the performance of scaling and new data, and it is significantly better than the existing library in the time consumption of new data and scaling<br>

Chatbots are an increasingly popular technique that has seen recent steps in development thanks to artificial intelligence. There is research conducted about chatbots in different areas, but one area that is overlooked is the presentation of data collected by the chatbot. This study aimed to explore what to think about in terms of visualizations when designing an interface in order to present chatbots results to novice users. Conducting a user study with several iterations of design, the research question was: How do you visualize the results of a chatbot survey for novice users to facilitate the understanding of the data? To answer this question, four design iterations with a total of 17 participants were conducted, resulting in a final prototype. The data gathered was then analyzed using thematic analysis. The results failed to help answering the research question, but did give some suggestions on interface visualization, mainly the importance of using visualizations that are carefully selected to improve the understanding of the data presented. Moreover, this study suggests the importance of focusing on the participant’s deeper level of understanding and their conceptual models.

The thesis concerns mainly the construction of a pipeline that enables the analyzing,visualizing, and forecasting of time-series data in an intuitive and streamlined process.The main data set consists of four measurements: purchased heating, purchasedelectricity, and purchased cold water from select buildings at the Lule ̊a Universityof Technology campus as well as the outside temperature of the campus. This isused to establish a proof of concept, demonstrating the validity of this pipeline andits subsystems. Using this pipeline you are able to upload data, visualize data andanalyze data online and also create future forecasts of these measurements which arealso displayed online.As the global demand for energy efficiency increases, tools, like this one, is moreimportant than ever in order to give the decision-makers more insight. In the caseof the campus buildings, you might be able to more easily identify anomalous valueswhich point to some oversight that can then be amended. For instance, if two identicalbuildings exist and one of them consumes 50% more heating, you can conclude thata problem exists and now you know where the problem lies so you can amend theissue.Forecasting future consumption is also helpful since it would allow you to reducethe purchasing of fossil fuels, such as gas, which is the case at La Trobe Universityin Melbourne. Using forecasting they can better predict how much gas they need topurchase and when the peak consumption hours are so that they can adjust their solarproduction accordingly. Thus, forecasting future consumption can further reduce theglobal need and impact of fossil fuels.To conclude, this pipeline can be used as a tool to reduce the environmental impactof the Lule ̊a University of Technology campus buildings. The pipeline can then beapplied to other areas to help them solve their problems. Some of the findings ofthis thesis include comparisons of common forecasting algorithms and the benefits ofusing weekday/weekend models.In the future, this might also inspire others to make similar projects, just like LaTrobe University inspired us at the Lule ̊a University of Technology.

Background: Organizations today are having to initiate the necessary changes as they are pressured to keep up with market environments that often yield unpredictable and complex events. When initiating, and more importantly, attempting to implement these changes, the theory states that 70% of these efforts fail. One of the reasons behind this high rate of failure is the ineffective internal communication during strategic change, which results in misunderstandings and perhaps even resistance among employees. Here, building on previous research, it is argued that visual management can play an important role. However, the current theory lacks empirical research that investigates or examines the current usage of visualizations as a strategic tool during change, as the majority focuses on providing literature reviews or theoretical frameworks. Research question: To what extend do organizations use visualizations within the process of organizational change? Purpose: The purpose of this dissertation is to get a better understanding of the usage of visualizations as a strategic tool during the process of organizational change. Method: In order to fulfil the purpose of the thesis and to be able to explore the research question, a quantitative research design was chosen. The data for this thesis was collected through a web-based questionnaire among organizations situated in The Netherlands. A specification was made towards organizational structure whereas the retail sector can be characterised as having multiple hierarchical levels. The survey consisted of three parts each dedicated to a sub-question relating to the main research question. In total, 282 respondents participated in the research. Theoretical framework: An overview of the current literature is provided starting with describing the topic of change, where several aspects such as the factors supporting and hampering change and the process of strategic change are discussed. In addition, a specification is made towards communication, where especially internal communication during change is highlighted. The final component in this theoretical framework is visualizations, which is discussed by summarizing what the current theory states regarding characteristics, types, strategic usage and the field of visual management. All of this through a strategic scope and within the setting of organizational or strategic change. Findings: In this dissertation, it was discovered that a very low amount of organizations perceives their change efforts to be successful. This may be due to things not always going according to plan, where interestingly, a high number of organizations did state that plans are created during strategic or organizational change. Secondly, the data showed how organizations are already showing a significant use of visualizations as a strategic tool during change. However, the more ‘complex’ visualizations scored noticeably lower on usage and frequency. Lastly, within the findings of this thesis it became apparent that organizations perceive the usage of visualizations during change to be very positive. Especially high numbers were found on how using visualizations can lead to employees better understanding why the changes are needed.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Community Health Centers (CHCs) play a pivotal role in delivery of primary healthcare to the underserved, yet have not benefited from a modern data analytics platform that can support clinical, operational and financial decision making across the continuum of care. This research is based on a systems redesign collaborative of seven CHC organizations spread across Indiana to improve efficiency and access to care. Three research questions (RQs) formed the basis of this research, each of which seeks to address known knowledge gaps in the literature and identify areas for future research in health informatics. The first RQ seeks to understand the information needs to support operations at CHCs and implement an information architecture to support those needs. The second RQ leverages the implemented data infrastructure to evaluate how advanced analytics can guide open access scheduling – a specific use case of this research. Finally, the third RQ seeks to understand how the data can be visualized to support decision making among varying roles in CHCs. Based on the unique work and information flow needs uncovered at these CHCs, an end to-end analytics solution was designed, developed and validated within the framework of a rapid learning health system. The solution comprised of a novel heterogeneous longitudinal clinic data warehouse augmented with big data technologies and dashboard visualizations to inform CHCs regarding operational priorities and to support engagement in the systems redesign initiative. Application of predictive analytics on the health center data guided the implementation of open access scheduling and up to a 15% reduction in the missed appointment rates. Performance measures of importance to specific job profiles within the CHCs were uncovered. This was followed by a user-centered design of an online interactive dashboard to support rapid assessments of care delivery. The impact of the dashboard was assessed over time and formally validated through a usability study involving cognitive task analysis and a system usability scale questionnaire. Wider scale implementation of the data aggregation and analytics platform through regional health information networks could better support a range of health system redesign initiatives in order to address the national ‘triple aim’ of healthcare.

This thesis explores the use and potential of digital timelines in public history projects. Digital timelines have become a popular and accessible ways for institutions and individuals to write history. The history of timelines indicates that people understand timelines as authoritative information visualizations because they represent concrete events in absolute time. The goals of public history often conflict with the linear, progressive nature of most timelines. This thesis reviews various digital timeline tools and uses The Print Center's Centennial Timeline as an in-depth case study that takes into account the multifaceted factors involved in creating a digital timeline. Digital history advocates support digital scholarship as an alternative to traditional narrative writing. This thesis illustrates that digital timelines can enable people to visualize history in unexpected ways, fostering new arguments and creative storytelling. Despite their potential, digital timelines often replicate the conventions of their paper counterparts because of the authoritative nature of the timeline form. / History

Com este estudo, procurou-se pesquisar o processo de integração de visualizações em sala de aula e conhecer o impacto de um curso de formação continuada, que visa discutir e promover o uso de visualizações no ensino de Química e Física, nas concepções de professores em serviço de Química no Brasil e Física e Química em Portugal. Pretendeu-se identificar as concepções prévias que estes professores apresentaram no início do curso sobre o uso de visualizações, e as possíveis mudanças que ocorreram após o envolvimento no curso. Procurou-se, igualmente, caracterizar as abordagens pedagógicas que os professores utilizaram e as dificuldades que estes encontraram durante o uso de visualizações no ensino de Química e Física. Neste trabalho foi usada uma metodologia que tem as suas raízes na investigação qualitativa com orientação interpretativa, tendo participado catorze professores de Química e Ciências Naturais do Ensino Fundamental e Médio de catorze escolas públicas pertencentes à região da Grande São Paulo e catorze professoras de Física e Química do Ensino Básico e Secundário de oito escolas públicas pertencentes à região da Grande Lisboa. Dado que este estudo foi aplicado em dois contextos a estratégia escolhida foi de estudo de dois casos, o caso do Brasil e o caso de Portugal. Usaram-se vários instrumentos de coleta de dados: observação naturalista, questionários, entrevistas e documentos escritos. Na análise de dados, utilizou-se o método do questionamento e comparação constantes até à saturação das categorias. Os resultados revelaram a existência de mudanças nas concepções acerca do uso de visualizações. No caso do Brasil, as mudanças foram mais acentuadas nos motivos para o uso das visualizações e nos critérios de seleção destes recursos. Neste grupo, após a formação os professores mostraram-se mais conscientes do impacto das visualizações na construção do conhecimento, para além, do papel motivacional. Da mesma forma, revelaram-se mais criteriosos na escolha destes recursos. No caso de Portugal, as mudanças centraram-se nos critérios de seleção e nas potencialidades destes recursos. Neste caso, os professores manifestaram critérios mais apertados para a seleção destes recursos, além de reconhecerem outras potencialidades, nomeadamente ao nível do desenvolvimento de competências. Em relação às abordagens utilizadas, em ambos os casos prevaleceram abordagens que procuravam desviar-se do ensino por transmissão de conhecimentos, tentando os professores incorporar estratégias nas suas sequências didáticas de base construtivista. No que diz respeito às dificuldades apresentadas pelos professores para integrarem estes recursos nas suas práticas, no caso do Brasil estas se situaram quer no plano técnico, quer no plano pedagógico. As dificuldades no plano técnico estão relacionadas com o uso de visualizações incorporadas em tecnologia (simulações, animações) e as dificuldades pedagógicas estão relacionadas com a insegurança quanto ao papel destes recursos na aprendizagem. No caso de Portugal, estas dificuldades, foram mais evidentes no plano pedagógico, nomeadamente no papel do professor em relação a estes recursos. Neste estudo apresentou-se e testou-se um modelo de formação continuada assente nos desafios teóricos e práticos que se colocam aos professores cujo impacto foi considerado positivo. Desta forma, foi possível colocar em evidência algumas concepções e dificuldades de professores para integrar visualizações em sala de aula e apresentar sugestões para caminhos de pesquisas futuras. / With this study, we tried to find out the integration process of visualizations in the classroom and see the impact of a teacher training, to discuss and promote the use of visualizations in the Chemistry and Physics, on the conceptions of in service teachers in Brazil and in Portugal. One aimed to identify the preconceptions that these teachers presented early in the training, about the use of visualizations, and the possible changes that occurred after the involvement in the course. One tried also to characterize the pedagogical approaches that teachers used and the difficulties they encountered during the use of visualizations in the Chemistry and Physics teaching. In this study, we used a methodology that has its roots in qualitative research with interpretive guidance. In Brazil fourteen teachers of Chemistry and Natural Sciences of the Elementary and Secondary Education, distributed by fourteen schools belonging to the Greater São Paulo participated in this study. In Portugal had participated fourteen Physics and Chemistry teachers of Elementary and Secondary Education, distributed by eight public schools belong to the region of Lisbon. Since this study was applied in two contexts the strategy chosen was to two study cases, the case of Brazil and the case of Portugal. One used various instruments to collect data: naturalistic observation, questionnaires, interviews and written documents. In data analysis, we used the method of constant questioning and comparison to the saturation of the categories. The results revealed the existence of changes in conceptions about the use of visualizations. In Brazil\'s case the changes were more pronounced in the reasons for the use of visualizations and on the selection criteria of these resources. In this group, after training the teachers were more aware of the impact of visualizations in knowledge construction, in addition to the motivational role. Likewise, they proved to be more discriminating in the choice of these resources. In the case of Portugal, the changes focused on the selection criteria and the potential of these resources. In this case, the teachers showed tighter criteria for selection of these resources, and recognize other potentials, especially in terms of skills development. Regarding the approaches used in both cases prevailed the ones that deviated more from traditional teaching. Teachers tried to incorporate strategies into their teaching sequences based on constructivist views in order to involve students in their learning. Regarding the difficulties faced by teachers to integrate these resources into their practices, in the case of Brazil they stood either on the technical and pedagogical ones. The technical difficulties were related to the use of technology (simulations, animations) and the pedagogical difficulties were related to the uncertainty about the role of these resources in learning. In the case of Portugal, these difficulties were evident in the pedagogical level, including the role of the teacher in relation to these resources. This study presented and tested a model of teacher training based on the theoretical and practical challenges faced by teachers whose impact was considered positive. Thus, it was possible to put in evidence some teachers\' conceptions and difficulties to integrate visualizations in the classroom and make suggestions for future research paths.

Com este estudo, procurou-se pesquisar o processo de integração de visualizações em sala de aula e conhecer o impacto de um curso de formação continuada, que visa discutir e promover o uso de visualizações no ensino de Química e Física, nas concepções de professores em serviço de Química no Brasil e Física e Química em Portugal. Pretendeu-se identificar as concepções prévias que estes professores apresentaram no início do curso sobre o uso de visualizações, e as possíveis mudanças que ocorreram após o envolvimento no curso. Procurou-se, igualmente, caracterizar as abordagens pedagógicas que os professores utilizaram e as dificuldades que estes encontraram durante o uso de visualizações no ensino de Química e Física. Neste trabalho foi usada uma metodologia que tem as suas raízes na investigação qualitativa com orientação interpretativa, tendo participado catorze professores de Química e Ciências Naturais do Ensino Fundamental e Médio de catorze escolas públicas pertencentes à região da Grande São Paulo e catorze professoras de Física e Química do Ensino Básico e Secundário de oito escolas públicas pertencentes à região da Grande Lisboa. Dado que este estudo foi aplicado em dois contextos a estratégia escolhida foi de estudo de dois casos, o caso do Brasil e o caso de Portugal. Usaram-se vários instrumentos de coleta de dados: observação naturalista, questionários, entrevistas e documentos escritos. Na análise de dados, utilizou-se o método do questionamento e comparação constantes até à saturação das categorias. Os resultados revelaram a existência de mudanças nas concepções acerca do uso de visualizações. No caso do Brasil, as mudanças foram mais acentuadas nos motivos para o uso das visualizações e nos critérios de seleção destes recursos. Neste grupo, após a formação os professores mostraram-se mais conscientes do impacto das visualizações na construção do conhecimento, para além, do papel motivacional. Da mesma forma, revelaram-se mais criteriosos na escolha destes recursos. No caso de Portugal, as mudanças centraram-se nos critérios de seleção e nas potencialidades destes recursos. Neste caso, os professores manifestaram critérios mais apertados para a seleção destes recursos, além de reconhecerem outras potencialidades, nomeadamente ao nível do desenvolvimento de competências. Em relação às abordagens utilizadas, em ambos os casos prevaleceram abordagens que procuravam desviar-se do ensino por transmissão de conhecimentos, tentando os professores incorporar estratégias nas suas sequências didáticas de base construtivista. No que diz respeito às dificuldades apresentadas pelos professores para integrarem estes recursos nas suas práticas, no caso do Brasil estas se situaram quer no plano técnico, quer no plano pedagógico. As dificuldades no plano técnico estão relacionadas com o uso de visualizações incorporadas em tecnologia (simulações, animações) e as dificuldades pedagógicas estão relacionadas com a insegurança quanto ao papel destes recursos na aprendizagem. No caso de Portugal, estas dificuldades, foram mais evidentes no plano pedagógico, nomeadamente no papel do professor em relação a estes recursos. Neste estudo apresentou-se e testou-se um modelo de formação continuada assente nos desafios teóricos e práticos que se colocam aos professores cujo impacto foi considerado positivo. Desta forma, foi possível colocar em evidência algumas concepções e dificuldades de professores para integrar visualizações em sala de aula e apresentar sugestões para caminhos de pesquisas futuras. / With this study, we tried to find out the integration process of visualizations in the classroom and see the impact of a teacher training, to discuss and promote the use of visualizations in the Chemistry and Physics, on the conceptions of in service teachers in Brazil and in Portugal. One aimed to identify the preconceptions that these teachers presented early in the training, about the use of visualizations, and the possible changes that occurred after the involvement in the course. One tried also to characterize the pedagogical approaches that teachers used and the difficulties they encountered during the use of visualizations in the Chemistry and Physics teaching. In this study, we used a methodology that has its roots in qualitative research with interpretive guidance. In Brazil fourteen teachers of Chemistry and Natural Sciences of the Elementary and Secondary Education, distributed by fourteen schools belonging to the Greater São Paulo participated in this study. In Portugal had participated fourteen Physics and Chemistry teachers of Elementary and Secondary Education, distributed by eight public schools belong to the region of Lisbon. Since this study was applied in two contexts the strategy chosen was to two study cases, the case of Brazil and the case of Portugal. One used various instruments to collect data: naturalistic observation, questionnaires, interviews and written documents. In data analysis, we used the method of constant questioning and comparison to the saturation of the categories. The results revealed the existence of changes in conceptions about the use of visualizations. In Brazil\'s case the changes were more pronounced in the reasons for the use of visualizations and on the selection criteria of these resources. In this group, after training the teachers were more aware of the impact of visualizations in knowledge construction, in addition to the motivational role. Likewise, they proved to be more discriminating in the choice of these resources. In the case of Portugal, the changes focused on the selection criteria and the potential of these resources. In this case, the teachers showed tighter criteria for selection of these resources, and recognize other potentials, especially in terms of skills development. Regarding the approaches used in both cases prevailed the ones that deviated more from traditional teaching. Teachers tried to incorporate strategies into their teaching sequences based on constructivist views in order to involve students in their learning. Regarding the difficulties faced by teachers to integrate these resources into their practices, in the case of Brazil they stood either on the technical and pedagogical ones. The technical difficulties were related to the use of technology (simulations, animations) and the pedagogical difficulties were related to the uncertainty about the role of these resources in learning. In the case of Portugal, these difficulties were evident in the pedagogical level, including the role of the teacher in relation to these resources. This study presented and tested a model of teacher training based on the theoretical and practical challenges faced by teachers whose impact was considered positive. Thus, it was possible to put in evidence some teachers\' conceptions and difficulties to integrate visualizations in the classroom and make suggestions for future research paths.

Karst environments are interconnected landscapes vulnerable to degradation. Many instances of anthropogenic karst disturbance are unintentional, and occur because of the public's lack of understanding or exposure to karst knowledge. When attempts are made to educate the general public about these landscapes, the concepts taught are often too abstract to be fully understood. Thus, karst educational pursuits must use only the most efficient and effective learning materials. A technique useful for assessing educational effectiveness of learning materials is eye-tracking, which allows scientists to quantitatively measure an individual's points of interest and eye movements when viewing a 2D or 3D visualization. Visualization developers use eye-tracking data to create graphics that hold the observer's attention and, thereby, enhance learning about a particular concept. This study aimed to assess and improve the educational effectiveness of 2D karst visualizations by combining eye-tracking techniques with Geographic Information Systems, knowledge assessments, and semi-structured interviews. The first phase of this study consisted of groups of 10 participants viewing 2D karst visualizations with one category of manipulated visual stimuli. The second phase consisted of groups of 10-15 participants viewing 2D karst visualizations that were created based on the results from the first phase. The results of this study highlighted both effective stimuli in karst visualizations and stimuli that hinder the educational effectiveness of visualizations.