User Needs And Preferences

For the past five to ten years researchers have been developing tools and guidelines for developing accessible e-learning experiences for students with disabilities. Despite this, very few practitioners in higher education are confident that they know how to develop accessible e-learning experiences. This is prompting researchers to work with practitioners in order to develop meaningful approaches to addressing accessibility; ones that facilitate the development of a clear conceptualisation of why and how practice can be changed to meet the varied needs of students. This book describes these approaches and explores the extent to which they might challenge current thinking and understanding. Topics covered include: approaches to developing accessible multimedia and learning objects holistic approaches to developing accessible e-learning and blended learning experiences institutional and programme approaches to addressing accessibility issues. Exploration and discussion of these topics will challenge practitioners to reconceptualise their understanding of ‘best practice’ in relation to accessibility and e-learning and offer directions for future practice and development. This book was previously published as a special issue of Alt-J.

While high quality library and information services continue to thrive and strengthen economic and social development, much of the knowledge that exists on user’s needs and behaviors is fundamentally based on the results of users in English-speaking, western developed countries. Information Access and Library User Needs in Developing Countries highlights the struggles that developing countries face in terms of information gaps and information-seeking user behavior. The publication highlights ways in which users in developing countries can benefit from properly implementing LIS services. Researchers, academics, and practitioners interested in the design and delivery of information services will benefit from this collection of research.

The potential of software applications to solve an array of office and administrative problems is increasing faster than the ability of users to exploit it. We need to make systems easier to learn and more comfortable to use. This book reports a major advance in the effort to accomplish both goals. Flexcel enables users to modify access and dialog dynamics to their specific requirements. Relying on a plan recognition feature, the system proposes adaptations or uses of adaptations. The ongoing conflict between the adaptive and the adaptable is resolved in an integration: user and system share the responsibility for the initiatives, decision-making and execution. A "critic" component of the system then analyzes the user's handling of the adaptation tools and suggests improvements. The system offers an environment in which users can explore as they learn. HyPlan implements the context-sensitive help that facilitates learning on demand. When the PLANET plan-recognition feature identifies the kinds of support for work that may possibly be required, HyPlan provides, on request, specific assistance in the form of hypermedia or animated displays and tutorials. Developmental research has shown that users take advantage of opportunities to adapt interfaces only in conjunction with help-functions -- which are accepted when they do not interrupt work. And studies by social scientists have shown that adaptations of technical systems have to be integrated into the overall process of organizational innovation and undertaken cooperatively. This book will stimulate all those concerned with software -- from computational, cognitive, ergonomic, or organizational standpoints -- to reconceive the relationship between design and user support.

The second volume of this research monograph describes a number of applications of Artificial Intelligence in the field of Customer Relationship Management with the focus of solving customer problems. We design a system that tries to understand the customer complaint, his mood, and what can be done to resolve an issue with the product or service. To solve a customer problem efficiently, we maintain a dialogue with the customer so that the problem can be clarified and multiple ways to fix it can be sought. We introduce dialogue management based on discourse analysis: a systematic linguistic way to handle the thought process of the author of the content to be delivered. We analyze user sentiments and personal traits to tailor dialogue management to individual customers. We also design a number of dialogue scenarios for CRM with replies following certain patterns and propose virtual and social dialogues for various modalities of communication with a customer. After we learn to detect fake content, deception and hypocrisy, we examine the domain of customer complaints. We simulate mental states, attitudes and emotions of a complainant and try to predict his behavior. Having suggested graph-based formal representations of complaint scenarios, we machine-learn them to identify the best action the customer support organization can chose to retain the complainant as a customer.

Find out how the exciting new developments towards 4G mobile services and technologies will put the user at centre stage. Towards 4G Technologies provides a comprehensive explanation of future networking and service delivering technologies for next generation mobile systems. The authors explain how personalization, mobile middleware, peer-to-peer services, semantic computing, and content-awareness fit into this new concept and why they will become a necessity for future mobile services. The book presents the latest challenges and opportunities of Next Generation Mobile Systems, explaining new paradigms of service provisioning that include flexible and adaptable services. Towards 4G Technologies: Gives a comprehensive description of future networking and service delivering technologies. Covers hot topics such as intelligent user profiling, proactive service selection, context-aware service provisioning and ubiquitous computing. Introduces seemingly diverse technologies to show how they will play together to create a new user experience. Includes case studies to illustrate the theory. This invaluable guide will provide telecoms engineers in R&D departments, CTOs, and telecoms managers as well as academic researchers in electrical, electronic engineering and telecommunications with a comprehensive understanding of next generation mobile system technologies and services.

The confluence of Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) and Semantic Web technologies is nothing short of revolutionary. The profound impact of this synergy extends far beyond the realms of industry, research, and society; it shapes the very fabric of our future. Semantic Web Technologies and Applications in Artificial Intelligence of Things is a meticulously crafted reference that not only acknowledges this significance but also serves as a guide for those navigating the complexities of Industry 4.0 and AIoT. This curated compendium of cutting-edge technologies acts as a veritable knowledge base for future developments. As academics, scholars, and industry professionals, the ideal audience of this book, will find meticulously curated content that caters to their diverse interests and expertise, covering topics ranging from smart agriculture, manufacturing, industry, health sciences, and government. Seasoned academics, students, and visionary industry leaders, will find this book to be an indispensable guide that paves the way for innovation and progress.

This comprehensive introductory guide to urban design takes the reader systematically and logically through the many interacting theoretical, policy and practice-based dimensions of the subject.

"Design Thinking: A User-Centered Approach to Innovation" is a book that explores the process of design thinking and how it can be used to drive innovation. The book is written for anyone interested in design, innovation, or problem-solving, whether they are designers, entrepreneurs, or executives. The book begins by introducing the concept of design thinking and its key principles, which include empathy, experimentation, and iteration. It then goes on to explore the various stages of the design thinking process, including research, ideation, prototyping, and testing. Throughout the book, the authors use real-world examples and case studies to illustrate the power of design thinking in action. They also provide practical tools and techniques that readers can use to apply design thinking to their own projects and challenges. The book emphasizes the importance of a user-centered approach to innovation, and how design thinking can help teams create solutions that are not only effective, but also meet the needs and desires of the people they are intended for.