Research
The Acoustic User Interface for the Blind
We propose to develop an acoustic user interface to enable students at the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired to better access, navigate and manage educational content delivered through the Internet or through personal computers. This interface will be conceptualized and evaluated through a long-term collaboration with the students and staff of the ISBVI on computer workstations equipped with touch screens, User testing and evaluation data gained in the process will be used to substantiate scholarly publications and future grant applications to other public and private agencies.
Successful development and implementation of the acoustic user interface platform will measurably improve the educational experience for ISBVI students, enhance their ability to utilize computers and better prepare them for career opportunities that depend on this ability. We also propose to disseminate the AUI platform in scholarly publications and in various venues dedicated to the visually impaired.
The Indiana Cancer TRAIN
Translating Research – the Answers and Information Network): A Web Portal Linking IUCC Patients, Clinicians and Service Providers
Cancer is one of the most prevalent chronic illnesses in this country. Cancer patients and their families have significant needs for information about diagnosis and treatment. Research has demonstrated that increased knowledge of cancer enhances coping in cancer patients. Provision of cancer-related information helps patients and their families to accept their diagnosis, improve symptom management and compliance, and reduce anxiety and uncertainty, thus increasing overall quality of life.
Over 2 million people living with cancer use the Internet to obtain health information. Although countless Web sites exist that address patients’ questions about cancer prevention and treatment, the information is often without a strong research base and can be difficult to interpret. At best, many Web sites deliver information that is not individualized to a specific patient concern and offer no opportunity for interaction with health care professionals. At worst, they deliver information that may be detrimental. The purpose of this project is to establish a secure web portal for Indiana University Cancer Center (IUCC) patients and families to serve as a platform for translation of evidence-based cancer control behavioral interventions and information dissemination.
The specific aims of this project are: (1) to develop and test a customized web portal for the delivery of personalized cancer information to IUCC patients and their families; (2) to adapt a previously tested symptom monitoring and management system that links patients and their providers for web-based delivery; (3) to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, satisfaction and usability of the Indiana Cancer TRAIN web portal for delivery of an evidence-based symptom monitoring and management system.
This overall research program will unfold in several phases. In the first phase, we will develop and test a web portal using existing information technology. The portal will provide two levels of interaction. The public level will allow any user to obtain quality-filtered, evidence based cancer information through the web site. A second, secure layer will require authorized access to specific applications that deliver customized cancer control interventions. We will pilot test a previously tested symptom management system that has been modified for delivery via the web. The outcome of this project will be a functional web portal that can be used by interdisciplinary teams of investigators in subsequent years.
The IUCC web portal will serve as a platform for accelerating the translation of efficacious interventions directly to patients and their families, who experience complex knowledge management challenges. By leveraging existing resources on the Indianapolis campus, this project will advance research efficiently and cost-effectively. Furthermore, the portal will increase outreach, education, and cancer information to our larger community, an expectation of NCI comprehensive cancer centers.
Computerized Education to Prevent Hypoglycemia When Driving
Our long-term goal is to decrease the risk for driving accidents associated with severe hypoglycemia among adolescents/young adults with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. The specific aims are to: develop a brief computer-assisted blood glucose awareness training program (BGAT) for adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and their parents to increase their knowledge about preventing hypoglycemia when driving; demonstrate patient and parent satisfaction, increased knowledge changes in perceived susceptibility, perceived seriousness/threat, perceived benefits to taking action, and barriers to taking action; collect pilot data to support a subsequent application for external funding to create a more intensive web-base version to be used by adolescents throughout the U.S. Type 1 diabetes is a common chronic disease affecting millions of US children and adolescents. Although maintaing blood sugar levels near normal will decrease the risk for long-term complications of blindness and kidney failure, tight control carries the risk of severe hypoglycemia (low levels of blood sugar) which may result in impaired judgment, loss of consciousness and seizures. If this occurs while driving, it may result in severe injury and death.
Intensive group-based BGAT has been shown to decrease the risk for hypoglycemia when driving for adults but the existing program not been designed or tested with adoelscents. This interdisciplinary project will develop and test a unique computer-based delivery system to provide the initial education about driving and hypoglycemia to adolescents and their parents using combined audio/visual formats provided on a lap top computer. Multi-media computer-based health education is effective with adolescents and can increase the capacity of the health team to provide health education with minimal cost. In Phase 1 an existing BGAT program for adults will be substantially modified and adapted for adolescents, computer programs written, attitudinal/behavioral measures develop; these will then be piloted and modified as needed. In Phase 2 we will recruit at least 150 adolescents and a parent to take the educational module and evaluate its impact on increasing knowledge, changing attitudes related to hypoglycemia and assisting adolescents and parents develop personal guidelines for preventing hypoglycemia while driving. The final task in Phase 2 is to prepare an application for extramural support to expand the intervention to a web-base format for use in a multi-center collaborative study.
Preparing Residents for the Next Revolution in Medicine – Genetics and the Promise of Personalized Medicine
The objective of this project is to improve the quality of education provided to residents in the area of genomic medicine at Clarian and Indiana University School of Medicine sites and thereby improving the care provided to patients at Clarian facilities. Recent literature has identified grave deficiencies in the knowledge of genetics in practicing physicians and in the care provided to patients with hereditary conditions. To address this need, innovative methods including computer-aided instruction will be used to develop efficient and easily accessible ways of teaching relevant information and skills. These modules would eventually be made available online through the Indiana University School of Medicine Office of Continuing Medical Education for Clarian and community physicians.
The specific aims of this project are (1) to increase the physician’s knowledge of specific diseases for which genetic testing and/or personalized therapy is available and indicated on a clinical basis; (2) to increase the physician’s knowledge of technologies used in genetic testing including the capabilities and limitations of each; (3) to increase the physician’s knowledge of how ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) are interwoven with genetic testing; and (4) to improve the physician’s skills in communicating complex medical information to patients. A needs assessment will be conducted by polling the residency program directors of the target training programs (Internal Medicine, Medicine/Pediatrics and Pediatrics) and local clinical geneticists. Computer-based modules in a case-based format will be developed to address these goals and objectives. Each module will be designed to be completed in 15 to 20 minutes and will consist of a pre- and post- test; a list of learning objectives; patient cases incorporating video clips highlighting important issues; and references to primary literature sources. Positive communication skills as well as common mistakes will be demonstrated through video clips. Ethical, legal and social issues involved in genetic testing will be highlighted in each module. To assess the effectiveness of the modules, pre- and post-test questions will be used to gauge improvement in physicians’ knowledge. Feedback from evaluation data for each module will be assessed continually and used to frequently modify the modules. These modules would eventually be packaged and made available online to Clarian and community physicians through the Office of Continuing Medical Education, Indiana University School of Medicine.
Best Practices of Connecting to the Community and Patients with Videos on U.S. Hospital Web Sites
U.S. hospitals are undergoing a dramatic change in connecting to the community and patients via online videos in different areas instead of using text and still photos. Such a change, however, is not even across different economic strata, and the practice itself still seeks a clear direction. This study was engaged in a content analysis on the U.S. hospital Web sites in search for an ideal model of using videos to connect to the community and provide outstanding healthcare services to patients.
Teaching Button-pushing vs. Teaching Thinking: The State of New Media Education in U.S. Universities
Using content analysis and survey, this study examines how the teaching of thinking skills and that of technological skills have been balanced in U.S. new media programs to produce both employable graduates and life-long learners. Findings show that most programs have balanced the two skill sets but that more effort should be made to integrate the teaching of both skill sets in individual courses to give students an expedited, holistic learning experience. (Convergence. May 2009)
Making Youths Happy News Consumers
Based on the uses and gratifications theory and the Delphi technique, this study did an in-depth investigation among 28 college and high school students on youths’ rationales behind their news consumption behavior. The study concludes that, in years to come, the news industry needs to realize a true convergence online by providing to the younger generation an experience of consuming multimedia news that is customizable and relevant to them with an opportunity for participatory journalism. (Convergence. February 2009)
Searching for an Ideal High-definition Video Streaming Technology
With the readiness of infrastructure and the demonstrated feasibility, high-definition video streaming will soon become a standard for online video delivery. This study has compared four online HD video streaming technologies, Flash HD, QuickTime HD, Vividas, and Windows Media HD to search for an ideal technology. The purpose of the study is to help companies, schools and organizations to make informed decisions regarding producing a satisfying online HD video watching experience. The study concludes that Flash is the best solution for HD video streaming.
A DVD Dilemma: Ripping for Teaching
Ripping Macrovision or CSS-protected DVDs for teaching is made illegal by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). This legal analysis has compared the DMCA with the TEACH Act and the fair use doctrine in the Copyright Act in an attempt to find a viable solution to this dilemma faced by many professors. The study has provided some alternative and creative approaches to DVD ripping while finding it necessary to pursue a legal amendment to the DMCA. (Convergence, 13(2), 129-141, 2007)
Bridging the Situation Space to Decision Space Gap
In command and control situations, decision makers would love having a crystal ball that describes future events not under their control, and how these events would affect each of the courses of action (COAs) being considered. Further, decision makers would appreciate knowing the potential cost of each COA—e.g, via a metric based on the numbers of resources used and the damage, injury, and deaths that may result. While crystal ball technology remains as elusive as ever, general methods are being developed for identifying robust COAs by using simulation models that determine the plausible consequences of each COA under a wide range of possible futures. Because the simulation models must be run many times for each of the (possibly many) COAs, these techniques are computationally intensive, sometimes taking hours, days or weeks. Since tactical commanders need to make decisions in minutes or seconds, we have been manipulating the models underlying two different simulations to determine what computational shortcuts and visualization methods can be made that do not compromise the decision quality of the recommendations. (Papers: Drury, J. L., Klein, G. L, Pfaff, M. S., More, L. D. (in press). Data Visualizations for Dynamic Decision Support. Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI 2009), Sanibel Island, FL, February 8 – 11, 2009.)
Effects of Mood and Stress on Group Communication and Performance in a Simulated Task Environment
This study explored the interactions between mood and stress in a team-based emergency management simulation called NeoCITIES. Mood and stress manipulations were applied in two within-subjects team experiments to test whether mood would mediate or moderate the effects of stress on team performance. In the first experiment, mood mediated the relationship between task overload and performance. In the second, it moderated the effects of a performance pressure stressor. Additional relationships between mood and multiple communications behaviors revealed a relationship between negative affect and diminished team perspective. This research provided insight into team cognition under stress that points toward design recommendations for systems and procedures used in technologically complex work. (Office of Naval Research - Exploratory and Foundational Grant) Papers: Pfaff, M. S. (in press). Effects of mood and stress on team cognition in a simulated task environment. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomic Science.
R-CAST-MED
Decision-making is a crucial aspect of emergency response during mass casualty incidents (MCIs). MCIs require rapid decisions to be taken by geographically-dispersed teams in an environment characterized by insufficient information, ineffective collaboration and inadequate resources. Despite the increasing adoption of decision support systems in healthcare, there is limited evidence of their value in large-scale disasters. We conducted focus groups with emergency medical services and emergency department personnel who revealed that one of the main challenges in emergency response during MCIs is information management. Therefore, to alleviate the issues arising from ineffective information management, we propose R-CAST-MED, an intelligent agent architecture built on Recognition-Primed Decision-making (RPD) and Shared Mental Models (SMMs). A simulation of R-CAST-MED showed that this tool enabled efficient information management by identifying relevant information, inferring missing information and sharing information with other agents, which led to effective collaboration and coordination of tasks across teams. (Sponsor: Internally-funded Smart Systems for Scenarios, Simulation, and Response (S4R), The Pennsylvania State University) (Papers: Zhu, S., Abraham, J., Paul, S., Reddy, M., Yen, J., Pfaff, M. S., DeFlitch, D. (2007). R-CAST-MED: Applying intelligent agents to support emergency medical decision making teams. Proceedings of the 11th Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, (AIME 2007), Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 24-33.)
The Impact of Interactive Multimedia in Health Education for Adolescents
As technology continues to evolve, the accessibility and anonymity of the Internet continue to draw adolescents to use online sources for health information. This research investigates the relationship between health, technology, and adolescents, and it also examines the role of interactive multimedia in health education. Although interactivity exists on the Internet, many online health resources seem to lack the interactive multimedia that provides adolescents with more engaging and meaningful ways of learning. The aim is to discuss the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of an interactive multimedia website that was created to educate adolescents about the human digestive and urinary system. The data collected from the evaluation was used to examine the impact of the interactivity and multimedia elements of the website. Although further research is recommended, findings from this investigation suggest the potential benefits of web-based interactive multimedia in health education for adolescents.
Cyber-Sight Learning Management System DVD Development Project
This paper will discuss the strategy and component characteristics needed in order to design and implement a learning management system. The online curriculum currently being used by Orbis International will be re-designed and developed using an authoring system for DVD production. The purpose of this project is to convert a learning management system that consists of more than 28,700 pages with interactive testing materials into a freely-distributable DVD. The scope of this project is international in that current educational/instructional efforts are being delivered to under-developed countries who lack the information technology (IT) infrastructure to deliver at successful levels.
“Infosuasive” Design: Modelling Branding and Communication Requirements for Web Applications
An “infosuasive” web application is mainly intended to be at the same time informative and persuasive, i.e., it aims at supporting knowledge needs and it has also the goal of influencing user’s opinions, attitudes and behaviors. We aim at investigating the complex set of elements that informs the very early design of infosuasive web applications. We are defining a conceptual framework aimed at supporting the actors involved in this process to integrate their different viewpoints, to organize the variety of modelling issues that need to be analyzed, to find a direction in the numerous design options, and to represent the results of this activity in an effective way. Our approach is value-driven since it is centered around the concept of brand and communication value, regarded as a vehicle to fulfill communication goals on specific communication targets. Current research is focusing on two aspects: (a) understanding and modeling the impact of brand value communication on the design of the information architecture and overall navigation strategies; (b) studying the influence of usability on brand values perception. (Source: Partially funded through a fellowship of the Swiss National Science Foundation) (Papers: Bolchini, D., Garzotto, F., Paolini, P., Branding Meets Value-Centered Design, in Workshop of the International Conference on Human Factors in Computing - CHI 2008: Values, Value and Worth, Florence, Italy, April 2008.
