Journal of Integrated Design and Process Science - Volume 9, issue 2

Authors: Yang, Fan | Krämer, Bernd J. | Han, Peng | Shen, Ruimin

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: E-learning settings such as on-line courses offered in China often involve large numbers of geographically dispersed students who have diverse professional background, learning preferences, and disparate learning needs. However, current e-learning and classroom teaching methods are extremely limited with respect to personalized learning as they typically provide the same content to all students. Hence, students are finding it difficult to make a decision about which learning materials best meet their personal demands, …whilst instructors are finding it almost impossible to recommend personalized materials most appropriate to students since the individual study situations are disparate and hard to analyze. This paper proposes an e-learner Community Building strategy based on Hebbian Learning Rule, which helps learners to set up trusted neighbor connections to peer students with similar study situations. In addition, students can get useful recommendations for proper learning resources from their peers. Based on this theory a recommendation platform has been developed that enables a learner to enquire recommendations, vote on recommended resources and communicate with neighbor learners. Experimental results derived from real learner data have shown that this system can organize learners properly and efficiently, and the cooperative recommendation service indeed improves the students' learning achievements. Show more

Keywords: personalized e-learning, distributed e-learner community, Hebbian learning

Citation: Journal of Integrated Design & Process Science, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 1-11, 2005

Authors: Gonsalves, Tad | Kawabata, Ryo | Nakagawa, Kengo | Ishikawa, Yuuki | Itoh, Kiyoshi

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: In collaborative engineering, different engineers or organizations collaborate to achieve the goal of planning and accomplishing an engineering task. Collaborative engineering covers not only the technical aspects of building a product, but also management issues, such as planning, scheduling, and budgeting. It is essential for the collaborators to come together periodically in the form of a conference to discuss urgent matters and to make decisions. However, collaborators are often spread over vast geographical …distances making these attempts of holding a conference difficult, if not altogether impossible. In this paper, we present "Computer-Mediated Collaborative Engineering System" (CMCES) that we have designed to conduct online collaborative engineering meetings, and to aid the various phases of collaboration engineering. The purpose of CMCES is twofold – to hold an online collaborative engineering meeting and to support the various stages in collaborative engineering that is done in a distributed environment. CMCES is chiefly used in synchronous mode, but it can be used asynchronously as well. There are commercially available video conferencing systems, but CMCES is designed to support distance collaborative engineering stages from the planning to product-making, viz., planning, designing, scheduling and prototyping. CMCES also stands for Computer-Mediated Collaborative Educational System. The same features that are used for distance collaborative engineering can be used for distance education. Real in-depth learning takes place in a collaborative setting, where the students take the lead in teaching one another in the presence of the instructor rather than being in a position of receiving passively from the instructor. The salient features of CMCES support the teacher-students interaction, students-teacher interaction and students-students interaction that comprise a sound collaborative pedagogy. CMCES is a low-cost and user-friendly online system with whiteboard, text, audio and video functions. It is built by using Visual Basic and Direct X. Direct X can be downloaded free of charge from Microsoft and can be run in the Windows environment. CMCES can be easily executed on Windows platform. Show more

Keywords: collaborative engineering, collaborative engineering meeting, groupware, collaborative education

Citation: Journal of Integrated Design & Process Science, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 13-31, 2005

Authors: Wang, Hui | Zhang, Fengjun | Jin, Hong | Wang, Danli | Wang, Hongan | Da, Guozhongi

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: We are entering the age of Ubiquitous Computing, and its most distinguished advantage is invisibility of computing. The essence of invisible computing is the invisibility of Human-computer Interaction, as people can focus their attention on the content instead of the tools they are using. This paper studies how to make computers invisible, and proposes a framework of online invisible computing and offline invisible computing. Online invisible computing is Intelligent Human Computer Interaction, where the computers …function as intelligent agents; whereas offline invisible computing as in Natural Human Computer Interaction, people are able to use the computers without much conscious effort. This paper focuses the study on offline invisible computing which needs only minimal users' attention when the users are using computers. The paper attempts to realize invisible computing with Affordances, especially designing Action Affordances in computers. In the Ubiquitous Computing age, the computers would not only be invisible but also be embedded in the environment where people are living, so Human-Computer Interaction could not be separated from the environment any more; User & Environment Centred Design (UECD), a new designing method for ubiquitous computing is also proposed in this paper. A Pen Based User Interface system is developed as the first step to invisible computing. Show more

Keywords: human-computer interaction, ubiquitous computing, invisible computing, affordance

Citation: Journal of Integrated Design & Process Science, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 33-46, 2005

Authors: Nakamura, Keiichi | Yaegashi, Rihito | Suzuki, Satoshi | Nakamaru, Manabu | Ido, Takaaki | Komiya, Seiichi

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Group Problem Solving is a mechanism which all the participants collaboratively solve a problem by utilizing their knowledge and experience. Therefore, if this mechanism is used skilfully for problem solving, it is more effective in solving a problem than solving the problem for oneself. However, since it is not easy to use the mechanism effectively, the success of Group Problem Solving depends on whether or not a coordinator is skill. Therefore, it is desired to implement …a system to support group problem solving process strongly, so that all the participants can effectively utilize their knowledge and experiences in the process. The authors introduced Kepner-Tregoe program (strictly speaking, only "Problem Analysis"), which is a method for management, into the system as a method, and then they developed the system over WWW. They conducted an experiment on usability of the implemented system, and then they elicited some issues about coordinator support facilities of the implemented system, and improved the system. Furthermore, they conducted an experiment on usability of the improved system, and showed that the coordinator support facilities of the improved system were effective. Show more

Keywords: Kepner-Tregoe program, group problems solving, group coordination, WWW

Citation: Journal of Integrated Design & Process Science, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 47-64, 2005

Authors: Ganguly, Sandipan | Wu, Teresa

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Modularization of design and the decreasing time-to-market of new products have placed increased emphasis on Collaborative Product Development (CPD) for success in the global market. We recognize the need for a general framework for design negotiation during CPD. In this research, we propose a principal-agent model for negotiation. The model incorporates a penalty induced negotiation (PIN) mechanism that decomposes the collaborative design into a sequence of decision making stages. The PIN mechanism introduces two types of …agents: a principal agent that monitors and controls the iterative negotiation process, and design agents that represent the participants in the collaboration. The principal agent uses a multi-attribute utility based approach to penalize design agents that violate global constraints. The design agents are rational and react to penalties imposed on them by compromising their design in order to satisfy the violated global constraints. We illustrate the use of the mechanism on a pressure vessel design example. Show more

Keywords: collaborative product development, design negotiation, multi-attribute utility

Citation: Journal of Integrated Design & Process Science, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 65-74, 2005

Authors: Engin, Ali Erkan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The judicial systems of the United States and Canada very frequently utilize expert witnesses in engineering as well as most disciplines of science. Only in the last three decades biomechanists have been recognized and admitted to the courts as expert witnesses to provide opinions in the forensic biomechanics field. Thanks to the efforts of a few individuals, the science of biomechanics is now well accepted by the officers of the court systems of North America. Biomechanists …possess the combined knowledge of engineering mechanics, biology, human anatomy, and physiology that makes it possible for them to reconstruct and analyze accidents of all kinds. In spite of the fact that the most obvious utilization of forensic biomechanics is in the area of analyses of injury mechanisms associated with motor vehicle accidents, there are other areas such as occupational, sports and recreational, slip/trip and fall accidents, and various product liability cases where forensic biomechanics expertise is required. In this paper, one litigation case is presented with some technical details and several other cases from different areas are briefly outlined. Because of obvious reasons, cases are presented in a generic format without referring to a particular company or organization. Show more

Keywords: biomechanics, forensic biomechanics, ATV, helmet, head impact

Citation: Journal of Integrated Design & Process Science, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 75-85, 2005