Catálogo de publicaciones - libros

Diverse safety and health operation data collected and stored in different departments have not been fully integrated and utilized by managers due to poor design of safety and health information system. The safety and health management system can be depicted, conceptually, as an organic system with circulation of information flow which carries required data and information to specified workers and initiates appropriate responses respectively. This study is targeting to solve the problems of current safety and health management system through the integration of human information processing theory, certified safety and health management assessment guidelines and regulations, and IT techniques. The objective of this study is to propose a framework of computer integrated safety and health management system.

The increasing variety of user device technologies has raised the necessity for ubiquitous content provision, which is characterized by “intelligent” content delivery to end users, irrespectively of their device. Moreover, changes in the user environment create the necessity of appropriately adapting the content and its presentation so that it can be more easily perceived. In this paper, we present a multimodal and adaptive system for Web user interfaces that deals with these challenges. Using as input a generic and abstract form of Web content, our system transforms it to a specific data format suitable for the client device. In addition, it uses contextual information, gathered from the user environment through a wireless sensor network, in order to present the served content in an optimal way under the current environmental conditions.

Senior citizens using IT services have two types of barriers; difficulty of machine use and lack of motivation to use service. External support is necessary to lower these two barriers by enhancing interface usability and promotion of use. In this paper, experiments that were performed to prove the effectiveness of such supports were discussed. The results of the experiment showed that promotion of communication among users was effective to lower both of the two barriers.

There are two issues that are challenging in the life-cycle of Digital Talking Books (DTB): the automatic labeling of text formatting meta-data in documents and the multimodal representation of the text formatting semantics. We propose an augmented design-for-all approach for both the production and the reading processes of DAISY compliant DTBs. This approach incorporates a methodology for the real-time extraction and the semantic labeling of text formatting meta-data. Furthermore, it includes a unified approach for the multimodal rendering of text formatting, structure and layout meta-data by utilizing a Document-to-Audio platform to render the acoustic modality.

Text transcriptions of the spoken word can benefit deaf people and also anyone who needs to review what has been said (e.g. at lectures, presentations, meetings etc.) Real time captioning (i.e. creating a live verbatim transcript of what is being spoken) using phonetic keyboards can provide an accurate live transcription for deaf people but is often not available because of the cost and shortage of highly skilled and trained stenographers. This paper describes the development of a system that can provide an automatic text transcription of multiple speakers using speech recognition (SR), with the names of speakers identified in the transcription and corrections of SR errors made in real-time by a human ‘editor’.

With the popularization of graphical user interfaces (GUIs), pointing devices have become standard equipment of most computer systems. However, for people with motor impairments, accurate cursor control is often difficult or impossible to achieve. The focus of this study is to empirically compare effectiveness of three different pointing devices on children with cerebral palsy in order to select the most efficient device for each individual. Computerized Assessment Tool was developed to assess clients’ cursor control performance and to provide proper recommendations of pointing devices based on the results of assessments. Performance of pointing, clicking, and dragging of using different devices was measured. The results of this study indicated that Joystick seems to be the most effective device for children with cerebral palsy to perform cursor control tasks. However, factors such as each participant’s experience and preference may be related. The instrument use in this study, CAT, seems to be a convenient tool for rehabilitation therapists to assess clients’ cursor control performance. Replication of this study using a larger sample size, or recruiting clients with different diagnosis and various ages should be developed.

The emergence of the accessible knowledge society for all underlines the need for all to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for inclusion. One way to do so is through e-learning, which itself should be accessible to all intended users. The mere provision of knowledge systems is not enough, since the need is for active and accessible learning that engages the participants effectively. This study explores the hypotheses that the solution is to be found in systems that: (i) support rather than replace the tutor, (ii) are accessible to the intended populations of users, (iii) can be adapted to the needs and individual characteristics of diverse users, (iv) are smart enough to adapt in real time to changing user needs, (v) reflect best practice in learning psychology, (vi) provide a high quality student experience, (vii) provide a high quality tutor experience and (viii) use valid student modeling. These hypotheses are evaluated through the five case studies. Accessibility and student modeling turnout to be the weakest points. All the other features are well represented in the case studies. None placed any kind of substantial emphasis upon accessibility. Only one of the case studies (case study 2; Cognitive Tutor Authoring Tools) makes a substantial effort in user modeling, being based upon the generic, cognitive model ACT. Even then, the focus tends to be on the typical or average user and does not address the problems of user diversity. Clearly, accessibility and user modeling need much more work in e-learning.

Advances in mobile computing allow new ways of any-time and any-where, networked and dislocated knowledge transfer. Such new ways of instant learning access are especially required in the field of engineering, due to its increasing complexity and diversification of tasks, and the resulting skill profiles of engineers. Qualification support has been achieved by providing an integrated e-/m-learning solution in the ELIE project (-earning n ngineering). It adapts didactically relevant content to both, the technical properties of multiple devices, and the situation of the learner. The structuring process for content is based on elicited experiences of coaches. In this way, it ensures high didactic value of learning material. Since this expert knowledge can be encoded into content directly, self-directed transfer processes can be triggered and managed effectively. The procedure for content development we propose enables coaches not only to follow the implementation of their knowledge in a transparent way, but also to reuse content, either as marked as didactic entities, redesigning them, or re-assigning didactic qualities to content. As technical enabler XML data structures have been developed for the encoding at the environment level. Both, in the web and the mobile learning setting, data are displayed sensitive to the user, the transfer situation, and the device at hand. In addition, users might link content elements to individually selected communication elements, such as entries in a discussion forum. The evaluation performed so far indicate several benefits for learners and coaches.

In order to guarantee equal opportunities to all students, the accessibility of ICT educational tools is worldwide considered a major issue. Nowadays, visually impaired students can take advantage of a large number of effective assistive technologies but, while using electronic material for learning purposes, they often encounter a number of different accessibility and usability problems. The variety of obstacles they may find on their way is quite large mainly because the term “visually impaired” encompasses a wide range of deficits, ranging from blindness to a number of other multifaceted, although less severe, visual impairments. The accessibility requirements for e-learning products established by the laws in force in the different European and non-European countries can be considered an important step onwards; further measures, nevertheless, are still needed to foster the actual “usability” of such products by sight impaired people.

This work introduces a new concept of supporting elderly at their homes. The whole framework is being developed under OLDES project: Older People’s e-services at home. OLDES aims at developing a designed to ease the life of older people in their homes. The platform is based on a PC corresponding to of a € 100 device, giving the guarantee of an affordable system. OLDES provides: services, through easy-to-access thematic channels and special interest forums supported by animators; and based on established Internet and tele-care communication standards. As an example of OLDES platform implementation, two pilot projects are addressed: 100 clients pilot including 10 people with cardiological problems in Bologna, Italy and diabetes pilot in Prague, Czech Republic.