title: Using shared displays to support group design; A study of the use of informal user interface designs when learning to program

authors: Plimmer, Beryl

abstract: Hand-drawn sketches have traditionally been used to depict design ideas because they are quick to draw and can include as much or little detail as is required to convey the essence of the ideas. Computer tools are now an alternative and offer advantages for editing, storing and transmitting designs. However, designers consistently reject using current computer tools because these tools interrupt the creative process. Various studies have supported the designer's position, consistently showing that traditional tools produce more and better design ideas. 

This thesis describes the development and evaluation of a design-friendly computer tool that focuses specifically on the needs of the novice programmer who is designing user interfaces. From an extensive review of the literature on design, learning to programming and previous sketch tools we extracted the specifications for a tool that: compares favourably as a design medium with traditional tools such as the pen, paper and whiteboards, provides the editing and storage support expected of computer tools, helps students to gain a better understanding of programming problems and integrates seamlessly into a program development environment.

Freeform, the tool we have developed to these specifications, has had two iterations of development and usability testing. This tool is unique in that it: is integrated into a commercial program development environment, uses a digital whiteboard for interaction and includes character recognition. Using Freeform, students can both quickly hand-draw user interface designs and interact with the design while it is still rendered as a sketch. When satisfied with the design the student invokes the recognition engine. The sketch is then overlaid with recognition data. Any incorrect interpretations can be altered by the student. The student can then instruct Freeform to create the formal user interface in the program development environment. The translation of sketch glyphs to user interface widgets is achieved by parsing the sketch and recognition data with transformation rules. 

We have conducted two evaluation studies using Freeform. The first study directly compared Freeform to a traditional alternative. We found that, although the design quality was similar, the students believed that when they were using Freeform they both understood the problem better and enjoyed the experience more. We noted during this study that the interactive checking available in Freeform prompted more changes to the designs than the static checking done on a standard whiteboard. In the second study, we asked students to check designs rendered as both sketches in Freeform and as formal diagrams in a user interface builder. The students made significantly more revisions to the Freeform sketches and therefore produced better designs from Freeform. 

The usability tests and evaluation studies we have conducted suggest that computer-based low-fidelity design tools: can compete favourably with traditional tools as a design medium, offer better support for editing and storage, and may have advantages for checking over both traditional sketch mediums and formal interactive computer designs.

text: Using shared displays to support group design; A study of the use of informal user interface designs when learning to program Hand-drawn sketches have traditionally been used to depict design ideas because they are quick to draw and can include as much or little detail as is required to convey the essence of the ideas. Computer tools are now an alternative and offer advantages for editing, storing and transmitting designs. However, designers consistently reject using current computer tools because these tools interrupt the creative process. Various studies have supported the designer's position, consistently showing that traditional tools produce more and better design ideas. 

This thesis describes the development and evaluation of a design-friendly computer tool that focuses specifically on the needs of the novice programmer who is designing user interfaces. From an extensive review of the literature on design, learning to programming and previous sketch tools we extracted the specifications for a tool that: compares favourably as a design medium with traditional tools such as the pen, paper and whiteboards, provides the editing and storage support expected of computer tools, helps students to gain a better understanding of programming problems and integrates seamlessly into a program development environment.

Freeform, the tool we have developed to these specifications, has had two iterations of development and usability testing. This tool is unique in that it: is integrated into a commercial program development environment, uses a digital whiteboard for interaction and includes character recognition. Using Freeform, students can both quickly hand-draw user interface designs and interact with the design while it is still rendered as a sketch. When satisfied with the design the student invokes the recognition engine. The sketch is then overlaid with recognition data. Any incorrect interpretations can be altered by the student. The student can then instruct Freeform to create the formal user interface in the program development environment. The translation of sketch glyphs to user interface widgets is achieved by parsing the sketch and recognition data with transformation rules. 

We have conducted two evaluation studies using Freeform. The first study directly compared Freeform to a traditional alternative. We found that, although the design quality was similar, the students believed that when they were using Freeform they both understood the problem better and enjoyed the experience more. We noted during this study that the interactive checking available in Freeform prompted more changes to the designs than the static checking done on a standard whiteboard. In the second study, we asked students to check designs rendered as both sketches in Freeform and as formal diagrams in a user interface builder. The students made significantly more revisions to the Freeform sketches and therefore produced better designs from Freeform. 

The usability tests and evaluation studies we have conducted suggest that computer-based low-fidelity design tools: can compete favourably with traditional tools as a design medium, offer better support for editing and storage, and may have advantages for checking over both traditional sketch mediums and formal interactive computer designs.

year: 2004

title: Intramolecular dehydrofluorinative coupling of η⁶-arene and fluoroarylphosphine ligands in ruthenium complexes

authors: McGibbon, Angela

subjects: ruthenium

abstract: NMR studies of reactions between a series of arene ruthenium(II) fluoroarylphosphine complexes and Proton Sponge have revealed the necessary conditions for intramolecular dehydrofluorinative ligand coupling. The complex must be cationic, and the phosphine need have only one fluoroaryl substituent. The reaction is rapid and clean for [(η⁶-toluene)RuCl(dfppe)]BF₄, [(η⁶-mesitylene)RuCl{(C₆F₅)₂PC₆H₄SMe}]BF₄ and the diastereomer of [(η⁶-toluene)RuCl{Ph₂PC₂H₄PPh(C₅F₄N-4)}]BF₄ in which the tetrafluoropyridyl substituent is close to the η6-arene. [(η⁶-p-cymene)RuCl(dfppe)]BF₄ reacts in the presence of Proton Sponge to give a mixture of unidentified compounds. The neutral complex [(η⁶-toluene)RuCl₂{Ph₂P(C₆F₅)}] and the diastereomer of [(η⁶-toluene)RuCl{Ph₂PC₂H₄PPh(C₅F₄N-4)}]BF₄ in which the tetrafluoropyridyl substituent is distant to the η⁶-arene do not undergo reaction.

text: Intramolecular dehydrofluorinative coupling of η⁶-arene and fluoroarylphosphine ligands in ruthenium complexes NMR studies of reactions between a series of arene ruthenium(II) fluoroarylphosphine complexes and Proton Sponge have revealed the necessary conditions for intramolecular dehydrofluorinative ligand coupling. The complex must be cationic, and the phosphine need have only one fluoroaryl substituent. The reaction is rapid and clean for [(η⁶-toluene)RuCl(dfppe)]BF₄, [(η⁶-mesitylene)RuCl{(C₆F₅)₂PC₆H₄SMe}]BF₄ and the diastereomer of [(η⁶-toluene)RuCl{Ph₂PC₂H₄PPh(C₅F₄N-4)}]BF₄ in which the tetrafluoropyridyl substituent is close to the η6-arene. [(η⁶-p-cymene)RuCl(dfppe)]BF₄ reacts in the presence of Proton Sponge to give a mixture of unidentified compounds. The neutral complex [(η⁶-toluene)RuCl₂{Ph₂P(C₆F₅)}] and the diastereomer of [(η⁶-toluene)RuCl{Ph₂PC₂H₄PPh(C₅F₄N-4)}]BF₄ in which the tetrafluoropyridyl substituent is distant to the η⁶-arene do not undergo reaction.

year: 2011

title: How differing methods of ascribing ethnicity and socio-economic status affect risk estimates for hospitalisation with infectious disease

authors: Hobbs, Mark R.

subjects: Ethnicity/race

abstract: Significant ethnic and socio-economic disparities exist in infectious diseases (IDs) rates in New Zealand, so accurate measures of these characteristics are required. This study compared methods of ascribing ethnicity and socio-economic status. Children in the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal cohort were ascribed to self-prioritised, total response and single-combined ethnic groups. Socio-economic status was measured using household income, and both census-derived and survey-derived deprivation indices. Rates of ID hospitalisation were compared using linked administrative data. Self-prioritised ethnicity was simplest to use. Total response accounted for mixed ethnicity and allowed overlap between groups. Single combined ethnicity required aggregation of small groups to maintain power but offered greater detail. Regardless of the method used, Māori and Pacific children, and children in the most socio-economically deprived households had a greater risk of ID hospitalisation. Risk differences between self-prioritised and total response methods were not significant for Māori and Pacific children but single-combined ethnicity revealed a diversity of risk within these groups. Household income was affected by non-random missing data. The census derived deprivation index offered a high level of completeness with some risk of multicollinearity and concerns regarding the ecological fallacy. The survey-derived index required extra questions but was acceptable to participants and provided individualised data. Based on these results, the use of single-combined ethnicity and an individualised survey-derived index of deprivation are recommended where sample size and data structure allow it.

text: How differing methods of ascribing ethnicity and socio-economic status affect risk estimates for hospitalisation with infectious disease Significant ethnic and socio-economic disparities exist in infectious diseases (IDs) rates in New Zealand, so accurate measures of these characteristics are required. This study compared methods of ascribing ethnicity and socio-economic status. Children in the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal cohort were ascribed to self-prioritised, total response and single-combined ethnic groups. Socio-economic status was measured using household income, and both census-derived and survey-derived deprivation indices. Rates of ID hospitalisation were compared using linked administrative data. Self-prioritised ethnicity was simplest to use. Total response accounted for mixed ethnicity and allowed overlap between groups. Single combined ethnicity required aggregation of small groups to maintain power but offered greater detail. Regardless of the method used, Māori and Pacific children, and children in the most socio-economically deprived households had a greater risk of ID hospitalisation. Risk differences between self-prioritised and total response methods were not significant for Māori and Pacific children but single-combined ethnicity revealed a diversity of risk within these groups. Household income was affected by non-random missing data. The census derived deprivation index offered a high level of completeness with some risk of multicollinearity and concerns regarding the ecological fallacy. The survey-derived index required extra questions but was acceptable to participants and provided individualised data. Based on these results, the use of single-combined ethnicity and an individualised survey-derived index of deprivation are recommended where sample size and data structure allow it.

year: 2019