Melanie A. Kilian, Markus Kattenbeck, Matthias Ferstl, Bernd Ludwig and Florian Alt
Performing tasks in public spaces can be demanding due to task complexity. Systems that can keep track of the current task state may help their users to successfully fulfill a…
Abstract
Purpose
Performing tasks in public spaces can be demanding due to task complexity. Systems that can keep track of the current task state may help their users to successfully fulfill a task. These systems, however, require major implementation effort. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if and how a mobile information assistant which has only basic task-tracking capabilities can support users by employing a least effort approach. This means, we are interested in whether such a system is able to have an impact on the way a workflow in public space is perceived.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors implement and test AIRBOT, a mobile chatbot application that can assist air passengers in successfully boarding a plane. The authors apply a three-tier approach and, first, conduct expert and passenger interviews to understand the workflow and the information needs occurring therein; second, the authors implement a mobile chatbot application providing minimum task-tracking capabilities to support travelers by providing boarding-relevant information in a proactive manner. Finally, the authors evaluate this application by means of an in situ study (n = 101 passengers) at a major European airport.
Findings
The authors provide evidence that basic task-tracking capabilities are sufficient to affect the users’ task perception. AIRBOT is able to decrease the perceived workload airport services impose on users. It has a negative impact on satisfaction with non-personalized information offered by the airport, though.
Originality/value
The study shows that the number of features is not the most important means to successfully provide assistance in public space workflows. The study can, moreover, serve as a blueprint to design task-based assistants for other contexts.
Details
Keywords
M. Maina Olembo, Timo Kilian, Simon Stockhardt, Andreas Hülsing and Melanie Volkamer
The purpose of this study was to develop and test SCoP. Users find comparing long meaningless strings of alphanumeric characters difficult. While visual hashes – where users…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to develop and test SCoP. Users find comparing long meaningless strings of alphanumeric characters difficult. While visual hashes – where users compare images rather than strings – have been proposed as an alternative, people are unable to sufficiently distinguish more than 30 bits, which does not provide adequate security against collision attacks. Our goal is to improve the situation.
Design/methodology/approach
A visual hash scheme was developed using shapes, colours, patterns and position parameters. It was evaluated in a series of pilot user studies and improved iteratively, leading to SCoP, which encodes 60 distinguishable bits. We tested SCoP further in two follow-up studies, simulating verifying in remote electronic voting and https certificate validation.
Findings
Participants attained an average accuracy rate of 97 per cent with SCoP when comparing two visual hash images, one placed above the other. From the follow-up studies, SCoP was seen to be more promising for the https certificate validation use case, with direct image comparison, while a low average accuracy rate in simulating verifiability in remote electronic voting limits its applicability in an image-recall use case.
Research limitations/implications
Participants achieved high accuracy rates in unrealistic situations, where the images appeared on the screen at the same time and in the same size. Studies in more realistic situations are therefore necessary.
Originality/value
We identify a visual hash scheme encoding a higher number of distinguishable bits than previously reported in literature, and extend the testing to realistic scenarios.
Details
Keywords
Giulia Signorini, Nikolina Davidovic, Gwen Dieleman, Tomislav Franic, Jason Madan, Athanasios Maras, Fiona Mc Nicholas, Lesley O'Hara, Moli Paul, Diane Purper-Ouakil, Paramala Santosh, Ulrike Schulze, Swaran Preet Singh, Cathy Street, Sabine Tremmery, Helena Tuomainen, Frank Verhulst, Jane Warwick, Dieter Wolke and Giovanni de Girolamo
Young people transitioning from child to adult mental health services are frequently also known to social services, but the role of such services in this study and their interplay…
Abstract
Purpose
Young people transitioning from child to adult mental health services are frequently also known to social services, but the role of such services in this study and their interplay with mental healthcare system lacks evidence in the European panorama. This study aims to gather information on the characteristics and the involvement of social services supporting young people approaching transition.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey of 16 European Union countries was conducted. Country respondents, representing social services’ point of view, completed an ad hoc questionnaire. Information sought included details on social service availability and the characteristics of their interplay with mental health services.
Findings
Service availability ranges from a low of 3/100,000 social workers working with young people of transition age in Spain to a high 500/100,000 social workers in Poland, with heterogeneous involvement in youth health care. Community-based residential facilities and services for youth under custodial measures were the most commonly type of social service involved. In 80% of the surveyed countries, youth protection from abuse/neglect is overall regulated by national protocols or written agreements between mental health and social services, with the exception of Czech Republic and Greece, where poor or no protocols apply. Lack of connection between child and adult mental health services has been identified as the major obstacles to transition (93.8%), together with insufficient involvement of stakeholders throughout the process.
Research limitations/implications
Marked heterogeneity across countries may suggest weaknesses in youth mental health policy-making at the European level. Greater inclusion of relevant stakeholders is needed to inform the development and implementation of person-centered health-care models. Disconnection between child and adult mental health services is widely recognized in the social services arena as the major barrier faced by young service users in transition; this “outside” perspective provides further support for an urgent re-configuration of services and the need to address unaligned working practices and service cultures.
Originality/value
This is the first survey gathering information on social service provision at the time of mental health services transition at a European level; its findings may help to inform services to offer a better coordinated social health care for young people with mental health disorders.