Does User Choice of Device Impact the Results of Online Surveys?

This article investigates how and to what extent the data collected, the dropout rate, and the completion time in online surveys is influenced by the device used to fill out the questionnaire. To that end, an extensive online study with N=1493 was carried out. To address difficulties associated with the use of devices with smaller displays, different layout variants aimed at optimizing questionnaire usability for smartphones were developed and analyzed. Completion time, drop-out rate, and response patterns were compared across different display sizes and layout variants. Results show significantly lower completion times and drop-out rates when the questionnaire was answered on a larger display. Also, different answering patterns emerged among participants using mobile devices. Likewise, the study revealed effects of different questionnaire layouts. The authors discuss implications for the design of online questionnaire in order to obtain reliable data from online surveys.

How Game Designers Can Account for Those With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) When Designing Game Experiences

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disability among gamers where individuals belonging to this group of conditions have difficulty understanding non-verbal cues. Though game accessibility is a focal point in the games industry, there has been a keen focus placed on developing accessibility. Consequently, this study examines the perspective of video games from individuals who have autism to gain further insight into the needs of these individuals. The preliminary study is to discover if autistic users' difficulty reading non-verbal cues extends to their perception of a game environment and if these individuals can experience sensory distress while playing video games. A prototype was created to further understand the non-verbal cues to help shape the foundation of accessibility framework. The preliminary results concluded that autistic users frequently misread or fail to pick up on the non-verbal cues used by developers to drive game flow and narrative (e.g., sign-posting), in addition to experiencing sensory distress while playing video games.

Inculcating Trust in Hybrid Routing Approach for Securing MANET

The rudimentary notion of using MANET is that the exchange of information in between the portable nodes count on the swift arrangement of a momentary network. Also, each node in a MANET can travel spontaneously in any direction and can change its links to the other nodes repeatedly. In hybrid protocols, initially, the routing is established with the help of some proactively prospected routes and later on serves the request with the help of reactive flooding. In MANET, the security and the routing are the two most crucial and challenging aspects that open up a vast area for improvement. Security includes a set of considerations that are adequately funded. Designing a competent routing protocol for wireless ad-hoc network along with the fulfilment of security aspects is a challenging task. MANET demands for a new set of networking strategies to be adopted in order to provide competent and secure overhead free end-to-end communication. In MANET, hybrid routing protocols are considered to be the most effective types of protocols as they take the advantage of both proactive and reactive routing protocols. After performing an intense literature survey, it could be concluded that there is a specific requirement of a protocol hybrid in nature that could include the two most specific factors for MANET (i.e., routing and security). The existing hybrid routing protocols suffers from the problems like optimisation control, images detection, and image quantization. To solve the above-mentioned issues of hybrid routing protocols, various optimization algorithms have been proposed that are natural genetics-inspired. The various techniques that can be used to enhance the security are cryptography, bio-metric, trust-based approach, Hash function algorithm, etc.

Pokémon GO as a Cognitive and Societal Development Tool for Personalised Learning

The present research develops and tests a theoretical gamification model (GM) that explores the use of mobile learning (ML) and massively multiplayer online (MMO) games to strengthen group prospection of teams and improve retention. The GM used Pokémon GO to enable higher education students to engage in activities and challenges with a view to observe the impacts on health and wellbeing through collection of quantitative and qualitative data. The data that was collected involved a sample set (N = 50) of participants within the general educational sector. The model constructs were measured throughout the first academic semester, from September 2018 to February 2019. There is significant evidence to show that the use of ML in the classroom is beneficial depending on the influences from and engagement with participants. The contributions from these findings should provide the basics for further research into different studies involving MMOs and ML or gamification studies.

Analyzing the Effects of Reinforcement Learning to Develop Humanoid Robots

Reinforcement learning is a flourishing machine learning concept that has greatly influenced how robots are designed and taught to solve problems without human intervention. Robotics is not an alien discipline anymore, and we have several great innovations in this field that promise to impact lives for the better. However, humanoid robots are still a baffling concept for scientists, although we have managed to develop a few great inventions which look, talk, work, and behave very similarly to humans. But, can these machines actually exhibit the cognitive abilities of judgment, problem-solving, and perception as well as humans? In this article, the authors analyzed the probable impact and aspects of robots and their potential to behave like humans in every possible way through reinforcement learning techniques. The paper also discusses the gap between 'natural' and 'artificial' knowledge.

Combined Learning Models Based on Constructionism Applied in Modern Learning of Biology

The purpose of this research has been to identify modern and effective learning models, based on constructionism, in learning biological concepts. The author shows that the cognitive, formative, and emotional benefits, of combined learning models to obtain the best results in the construction of concepts, by students' effort, in accordance with Papert's constructionism ideas. The researcher recommends using the techno-empirio-psycho-sociocentric (TEPS) combined model, based on information and communication technologies (ICTs), in individual-and team-based rediscovery of new biological concepts. When no ICTs are used, the empirio-psycho-socio-centric model is recommended. As an alternative or in combination with, these learning models, the researcher promotes the techno-logo-psychocentric (TLP) model in presentations of science as a finished product when ICTs are used or the logo-psychocentric modernized (LPM) model, with attractive procedures, without ICTs.

A Survey on IoT (Internet of Things) Emerging Technologies and Its Application

In this article. the authors present a review on the IoT (Internet of Things) and its future scope in various areas. The IoT is one of the latest systems which provide a set of new services for upcoming technological innovations. It is said to be integration of cyber world with the physical world and empowered by the development of RFID, smart sensors, communication technology and internet protocols. The most important application of IoT is to deliver a class of application directly through smart sensors. Exponential development in mobile technology and machine to machine technologies has been done through the IoT only. In the near future, the IoT will be solely responsible for smart decision making and this will be implemented by incorporating new technologies with smart physical objects. Despite all these advancements by researchers, standardization bodies, industries, alliances and others there are still some problems while using IoT.

Exploring Accommodation Cluster and Tourism Development Based on GPS Positioning and GIS Analysis

This research aims to locate a set of points of B&B accommodations on a coffee cultivation area by using GPS positioning and GIS spatial analysis for responding to Porter's concept of industry cluster and to analyze the locational factors of B&B accommodation. Due to the coffee attractiveness, the B&B lodging establishments have sprung up in the area like mushrooms to service more and more tourists for the past 20 years. The spatial cluster of B&B establishments is displayed by specifying a set of GPS positioning points on different GIS raster surfaces to process point density analysis, buffer analysis and terrain analysis. To explore the locational characteristic of B&B establishments, overlay analysis is processed to examine the terrain, landscape, accessibility and tourist attractiveness factors. Instead of focusing on innovation atmosphere, knowledge intensive and technology transfer of new industry cluster factors, this research emphasizes traditional cluster concept of geography proximity on the benefits of agriculture and tourism linkage to available of tourist foods.

Framing Indigenous Knowledge in Digital Context

For more than three decades, designers have been increasingly involved in various design activities through a large number of participatory design projects in indigenous communities. To understand the indigenous information taxonomies, the designers need active participation and engagement of the local community in the design process. Designers are in the continuous quest for methods and tools that can work as “all-in-one solutions.” However, every project is unique, and it is necessary to decide which design approach, method and tool to use in a specific context. This article covers the experiences of the community-driven design process in the development of indigenous knowledge management systems in a rural site of Borneo. The authors' endeavors lead them to question the validity of techniques and interpretations of interactions originating from a Western scientific paradigm and pursue the creation of an indigenous HCI paradigm to frame design methods. It hoped that the experience will help designers to understand the importance of local communities' active engagement in the design process.

Application Of The Criterion Of Links Distribution Between Elements In A Complex System For Evaluation Of Holistic Text Perfection

It is known that texts can be examined as complex social systems and Zipf's law is used when applied for the evaluation of their perfection. It is proposed to add distribution of links between the objects of the system to the list of perfection criteria of texts viewed as complex systems. An empirical law of syntactic and linking words distribution in texts is also proposed. The examples of complex systems are examined in order to define a mathematical representation of this law. The models of such systems are associated with the graph theory, exchange of messages at internet forums, distribution of urban population across city districts, and transportation networks. At the “engineering level of rigor” it is shown that in these systems, the empirical law of links distribution between the objects has a general mathematical representation. Non-linguistic models are provided to prove the system-wide character of the distribution of links ranks feature, but the models are also suitable for the self-consistent use in the corresponding applications. The golden proportion in the number of syntactic and significant words is proposed as an additional criterion of text perfection. Perfection criteria are useful in the analysis of the quality of texts posted in the internet and in the development of recommendations for the improvement of texts used for school purposes.