Designing Visual and Interactive Self-Monitoring Interventions to Facilitate Learning: Insights from Informal Learners and Experts.

Informal learners of computational skills often fi nd it difficult to self-direct their learning pursuits, which may be spread across different mediums and study sessions. Inspired by self-monitoring interventions from domains such as health and productivity, we investigate key requirements for helping informal learners better self-reflect on their learning experiences. We carried out two elicitation studies with paper-based and interactive probes to explore a range of manual, automatic, and semi-automatic design approaches for capturing and presenting a learner's data. We found that although automatically generated visual overviews of learning histories are initially promising for increasing awareness, learners prefer having controls to manipulate overviews through personally relevant filtering options to better reflect on their past, plan for future sessions, and communicate with others for feedback. To validate our findings and expand our understanding of designing self-monitoring tools for use in real settings, we gathered further insights from experts, who shed light on factors to consider in terms of data collection techniques, designing for reflections, and carrying out field studies. Our findings have several implications for designing learner-centered self-monitoring interventions that can be both useful and engaging for informal learners.

Using content-based image retrieval of dermoscopic images for interpretation and education: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Dermoscopic content-based image retrieval (CBIR) systems provide a set of visually similar dermoscopic (magnified and illuminated) skin images with a pathology-confirmed diagnosis for a given dermoscopic query image of a skin lesion. Although recent advances in machine learning have spurred novel CBIR algorithms, we have few insights into how end users interact with CBIRs and to what extent CBIRs can be useful for education and image interpretation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We developed an interactive user interface for a CBIR system with dermoscopic images as a decision support tool and investigated users' interactions and decisions with the system. We performed a pilot experiment with 14 non-medically trained users for a given set of annotated dermoscopic images. RESULTS: Our pilot showed that the number of correct classifications and users' confidence levels significantly increased with the CBIR interface compared with a non-CBIR interface, although the timing also increased significantly. The users found the CBIR interface of high educational value, engaging and easy to use. CONCLUSION: Overall, users became more accurate, found the CBIR approach provided a useful decision aid, and had educational value for learning about skin conditions.

Acceptance of Commercially Available Wearable Activity Trackers Among Adults Aged Over 50 and With Chronic Illness: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior increase the risk of chronic illness and death. The newest generation of "wearable" activity trackers offers potential as a multifaceted intervention to help people become more active. OBJECTIVE: To examine the usability and usefulness of wearable activity trackers for older adults living with chronic illness. METHODS: We recruited a purposive sample of 32 participants over the age of 50, who had been previously diagnosed with a chronic illness, including vascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, and osteoporosis. Participants were between 52 and 84 years of age (mean 64); among the study participants, 23 (72%) were women and the mean body mass index was 31 kg/m(2). Participants tested 5 trackers, including a simple pedometer (Sportline or Mio) followed by 4 wearable activity trackers (Fitbit Zip, Misfit Shine, Jawbone Up 24, and Withings Pulse) in random order. Selected devices represented the range of wearable products and features available on the Canadian market in 2014. Participants wore each device for at least 3 days and evaluated it using a questionnaire developed from the Technology Acceptance Model. We used focus groups to explore participant experiences and a thematic analysis approach to data collection and analysis. RESULTS: Our study resulted in 4 themes: (1) adoption within a comfort zone; (2) self-awareness and goal setting; (3) purposes of data tracking; and (4) future of wearable activity trackers as health care devices. Prior to enrolling, few participants were aware of wearable activity trackers. Most also had been asked by a physician to exercise more and cited this as a motivation for testing the devices. None of the participants planned to purchase the simple pedometer after the study, citing poor accuracy and data loss, whereas 73% (N=32) planned to purchase a wearable activity tracker. Preferences varied but 50% felt they would buy a Fitbit and 42% felt they would buy a Misfit, Jawbone, or Withings. The simple pedometer had a mean acceptance score of 56/95 compared with 63 for the Withings, 65 for the Misfit and Jawbone, and 68 for the Fitbit. To improve usability, older users may benefit from devices that have better compatibility with personal computers or less-expensive Android mobile phones and tablets, and have comprehensive paper-based user manuals and apps that interpret user data. CONCLUSIONS: For older adults living with chronic illness, wearable activity trackers are perceived as useful and acceptable. New users may need support to both set up the device and learn how to interpret their data.

Characterizing Data Discovery and End-User Computing Needs in Clinical Translational Science.

In this paper, the authors present the results of a qualitative case-study seeking to characterize data discovery needs and barriers of principal investigators and research support staff in clinical translational science. Several implications for designing and implementing translational research systems have emerged through the authors' analysis. The results also illustrate the benefits of forming early partnerships with scientists to better understand their workflow processes and end-user computing practices in accessing data for research. The authors use this user-centered, iterative development approach to guide the implementation and extension of i2b2, a system they have adapted to support cross-institutional aggregate anonymized clinical data querying. With ongoing evaluation, the goal is to maximize the utility and extension of this system and develop an interface that appropriately fits the swiftly evolving needs of clinical translational scientists.

iCODEHOP: a new interactive program for designing COnsensus-DEgenerate Hybrid Oligonucleotide Primers from multiply aligned protein sequences.

PCR amplification using COnsensus DEgenerate Hybrid Oligonucleotide Primers (CODEHOPs) has proven to be highly effective for identifying unknown pathogens and characterizing novel genes. We describe iCODEHOP; a new interactive web application that simplifies the process of designing and selecting CODEHOPs from multiply-aligned protein sequences. iCODEHOP intelligently guides the user through the degenerate primer design process including uploading sequences, creating a multiple alignment, deriving CODEHOPs and calculating their annealing temperatures. The user can quickly scan over an entire set of degenerate primers designed by the program to assess their relative quality and select individual primers for further analysis. The program displays phylogenetic information for input sequences and allows the user to easily design new primers from selected sequence sub-clades. It also allows the user to bias primer design to favor specific clades or sequences using sequence weights. iCODEHOP is freely available to all interested researchers at https://icodehop.cphi.washington.edu/i-codehop-context/Welcome.