Georgios Fiotakis | University of Patras (original) (raw)

Papers by Georgios Fiotakis

JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGYAND SOCIETY, Apr 1, 2004

Studies of collaborative learning activities often involve analyses of dialogue and interaction a... more Studies of collaborative learning activities often involve analyses of dialogue and interaction as well as analyses of tasks and actors' roles through ethnographic and other field experiments. Adequate analysis tools can facilitate these studies. In this paper, we discuss key requirements of interaction and collaboration analysis tools. We indicate how these requirements lead to the design of new analysis environments. These environments support annotation and analysis of various kinds of collected data in order to study ...

Sixth IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT'06)

Abstract Observation and understanding of real world activities and phenomena is a basis of inqui... more Abstract Observation and understanding of real world activities and phenomena is a basis of inquiry and reasoning and subsequently building of scientific knowledge. This involves moving from the perception of real world phenomena to constructing and exploring qualitative and quantitative relations that hold among the main elements. The transition between the two phases is not always smooth for the learners involved. In this paper, we present tools and activities that attempt to bridge the gap between the physical world ...

In this article, we discuss key requirements for collecting behavioural data concerning technolog... more In this article, we discuss key requirements for collecting behavioural data concerning technology-supported collabora-tive learning activities. It is argued that the common practice of analysis of computer generated log files of user interac-tions with software tools is not enough for building a thor-ough view of the activity. Instead, more contextual informa-tion is needed to be captured in multiple media like video, audio files, and snapshots, in order to re-construct the learn-ing process. A software environment, Collaborative Analysis Tool, (ColAT) that supports interrelation of such resources in order to analyse the collected evidence and produce interpre-tative views of the activity is described.

Abstract. In this paper we discuss key requirements for collecting behavioral data concerning tec... more Abstract. In this paper we discuss key requirements for collecting behavioral data concerning technology supported learning activities. It is argued that the common practice of collecting machine generated logfiles of user actions is not enough for building a thorough view of the activity. Instead more contextual information is needed to be captured in heterogeneous media like video, audio files, snapshots, etc in order to re-construct the learning process. A software environment (Collaborative Analysis Tool ColAT) that supports inter-relation of such resources in order to analyse the collected evidence and produce interpretative views of the activity is described.

This paper provides an overview of the “Object-oriented Collaboration Analysis Framework (OCAF) ”... more This paper provides an overview of the “Object-oriented Collaboration Analysis Framework (OCAF) ” a method proposed for analysis and evaluation of collaborative problem solving activities of groups of actors, mediated by collaboration-support technology. This framework puts emphasis on the abstract and tangible objects that appear during the development of a solution to a given problem. The notions of the “objects ’ histories ” and “objects’ ownership ” are introduced by this analytical framework. In the paper tools that have been developed to support this framework are described, together with extracts of studies that have been undertaken, during which OCAF has been effectively used.

Analysis of collaborative problem solving involves analysis of dialogue and interaction, analysis... more Analysis of collaborative problem solving involves analysis of dialogue and interaction, analysis of tasks and social roles through ethnographic and other field studies. Use of tools to facilitate this process can be very useful. In this paper we discuss first the key requirements of a new generation of interaction and collaboration analysis tools. We then present how these requirements have lead to the design of prototype tools, recently developed. These tools can relate and synchronize various streams of field data. An important characteristic of the tools is their support for a multi-layer structure of annotations of various levels of abstraction, through which the activity can be interpreted and presented.

Abstract. In this paper we describe a novel method for producing interactive systems design patte... more Abstract. In this paper we describe a novel method for producing interactive systems design patterns form ethnographic studies involving these systems. It is argued that this process can lead to traceable production of design patterns. A software environment, ColAT, that can support the proposed process, is also described. 1

Abstract. In this paper, we describe a usability evaluation study of a system involving PDAs, des... more Abstract. In this paper, we describe a usability evaluation study of a system involving PDAs, designed to be used in a traditional historical / cultural museum. The system permits collaboration of small groups of museum visitors through mobile handheld devices. The key characteristics of the system are described first, which include a server and a client component and a tool that permits authoring of new activities. The usability evaluation study that involved typical users revealed some of the limitations of the design. The reported findings can be of use to practitioners interested in following similar approaches relating to evaluation of mobile technology. 1

An innovative framework of interaction and collaboration analysis is proposed, jointly with tools... more An innovative framework of interaction and collaboration analysis is proposed, jointly with tools to support the process. The proposed framework is based on a collaboration analysis first and individual task analysis subsequently, approach. The objective of this framework is to facilitate understanding of the group's and individual user's tasks and goals and associate the artifacts used with usability problems. An innovative aspect of the framework is the association of tasks to artifacts (tools) engaged by the users during the activity. The typical use of this framework is in interactive systems evaluation and design. The framework and the tools functionality are described in the paper. The framework is inspired by the Activity Theory perspective, which recognizes the importance of artifacts, actors and the context in which an activity takes place.

In this paper, we describe the experience of designing a collaborative learning activity for a tr... more In this paper, we describe the experience of designing a collaborative learning activity for a traditional historical/cultural museum. The activity, based on a “Mystery in the Museum ” story, involves collaboration of small groups of students through mobile handheld devices. An application has been built that permits authoring of such activities, while a usability evaluation study was performed that revealed some of the limitations of the design. The reported findings can be of use to those interested in following similar approaches in cultural and educational settings, and draw conclusions of general interest relating to interaction and collaboration through mobile technology.

The purpose of this paper is to present the main characteristics of ActivityLens (AL), an environ... more The purpose of this paper is to present the main characteristics of ActivityLens (AL), an environment that facilitates comparative usability evaluation of web sites. AL supports the usability evaluation process with innovative tools designed for this purpose. The comparative usability evaluation is based on a usability assessment model that is also described briefly. Finally, a comparative usability evaluation case study, using AL, of two competitive shipping companies is presented.

In this paper we discuss challenges of usability evaluation of mobile applications. We outline so... more In this paper we discuss challenges of usability evaluation of mobile applications. We outline some key aspects of mobile applications and the special characteristics of their usability evaluation that have recently lead to the laboratory vs field discussion. Then we review the current trend and practices. We provide an example of a usability evaluation study from our own background. We conclude with discussion of some open issues of usability evaluation of mobile applications. Author

An innovative framework of interaction and collaboration analysis is proposed, jointly with tools... more An innovative framework of interaction and collaboration analysis is proposed, jointly with tools to support the process. The proposed framework is based on a collaboration analysis first and individual task analysis subsequently, approach. The objective of this framework is to facilitate understanding of the group’s and individual user’s tasks and goals and associate the artifacts used with usability problems. An innovative aspect of the framework is the association of tasks to artifacts (tools) engaged by the users during the activity. The typical use of this framework is in interactive systems evaluation and design. The framework and the tools functionality are described in the paper. The framework is inspired by the Activity Theory perspective, which recognizes the importance of artifacts, actors and the context in which an activity takes place.

This symposium brings together a panel of researchers using contrasting case methodology to analy... more This symposium brings together a panel of researchers using contrasting case methodology to analyze computer-supported collaborative learning in a wide range of learning environments. Such analyses can help researchers better understand the differences in the collaborative processes by sharpening researchers' perception and facilitating the discovery of appropriate explanations for these differences.

This paper provides an overview of the “Object-oriented Collaboration Analysis Framework (OCAF)” ... more This paper provides an overview of the “Object-oriented Collaboration Analysis Framework (OCAF)” a method proposed for analysis and evaluation of collaborative problem solving activities of groups of actors, mediated by collaboration-support technology. This framework puts emphasis on the abstract and tangible objects that appear during the development of a solution to a given problem. The notions of the “objects’ histories” and “objects’ ownership” are introduced by this analytical framework. In the paper tools that have been developed to support this framework are described, together with extracts of studies that have been undertaken, during which OCAF has been effectively used.

In this paper, we describe a usability evaluation study of a system involving PDAs, designed to b... more In this paper, we describe a usability evaluation study of a system involving PDAs, designed to be used in a traditional historical/ cultural mu- seum. The system permits collaboration of small groups of museum visitors through mobile handheld devices. The key characteristics of the system are de- scribed first, which include a server and a client component and a tool that permits authoring of new activities. The usability evaluation study that in- volved typical users revealed some of the limitations of the design. The re- ported findings can be of use to practitioners interested in following similar ap- proaches relating to evaluation of mobile technology.

Analysis of interaction between computer artefacts and learning actors in the context of collabor... more Analysis of interaction between computer artefacts and learning actors in the context of collaborative problem solving is a tedious process, which needs to be supported by appropriate tools. In this paper we present tools, recently developed, that can support interrelation and synchronization of various streams of field data. A key characteristic of these tools is their support for a multi-level structure of annotations, through which the problemsolving activity can be interpreted and presented. This multi-level representation can be inter-related to the raw field data, and can drive the navigation of the researcher in the activity data. An example of use of these tools for analysis and evaluation of a collaborative problem solving activity is presented in the demo that accompanies this paper.

In this paper we describe a novel method for producing interactive systems design patterns form e... more In this paper we describe a novel method for producing interactive systems design patterns form ethnographic studies involving these systems. It is argued that this process can lead to traceable production of design patterns. A software environment, ColAT, that can support the proposed process, is also described.

In this article we discuss key requirements for collecting behavioural data concerning technology... more In this article we discuss key requirements for collecting behavioural data concerning technology-supported collaborative learning activities. It is argued that the common practice of analysis of computer generated logfiles of user interactions with software tools is not enough for building a thorough view of the activity. Instead more contextual information is needed to be captured in multiple media like video, audio files, snapshots, etc, in order to re-construct the learning process. A software environment (Collaborative Analysis Tool ColAT) that supports inter-relation of such resources in order to analyse the collected evidence and produce interpretative views of the activity is described. Collection of usage data by registering users' operations in the form of logfiles has become mundane during technology-supported learning activities these days. Many researchers assume that learning and cognitive processes can, in principle, be inferred from studying and analysing this re...

JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGYAND SOCIETY, Apr 1, 2004

Sixth IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT'06)

An innovative framework of interaction and collaboration analysis is proposed, jointly with tools... more An innovative framework of interaction and collaboration analysis is proposed, jointly with tools to support the process. The proposed framework is based on a collaboration analysis first and individual task analysis subsequently, approach. The objective of this framework is to facilitate understanding of the group’s and individual user’s tasks and goals and associate the artifacts used with usability problems. An innovative aspect of the framework is the association of tasks to artifacts (tools) engaged by the users during the activity. The typical use of this framework is in interactive systems evaluation and design. The framework and the tools functionality are described in the paper. The framework is inspired by the Activity Theory perspective, which recognizes the importance of artifacts, actors and the context in which an activity takes place.

This paper provides an overview of the “Object-oriented Collaboration Analysis Framework (OCAF)” ... more This paper provides an overview of the “Object-oriented Collaboration Analysis Framework (OCAF)” a method proposed for analysis and evaluation of collaborative problem solving activities of groups of actors, mediated by collaboration-support technology. This framework puts emphasis on the abstract and tangible objects that appear during the development of a solution to a given problem. The notions of the “objects’ histories” and “objects’ ownership” are introduced by this analytical framework. In the paper tools that have been developed to support this framework are described, together with extracts of studies that have been undertaken, during which OCAF has been effectively used.