Browsing by Author "Chilana, Parmit"

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Acceptance of Commercially Available Wearable Activity Trackers Among Adults Aged Over 50 and With Chronic Illness: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation
(JMIR Mhealth Uhealth., 2016-01-27) Mercer, Kathryn; Grindrod, Kelly; Schneider, Eric; Li, Melissa; Chilana, Parmit; Giangregorio, Lora M.
Background: Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior increase the risk of chronic illness and death. The newest generation of “wearable” activity trackers offers potential as a multifaceted intervention to help people become more active. Objective: To examine the usability and usefulness of wearable activity trackers for older adults living with chronic illness. Methods: We recruited a purposive sample of 32 participants over the age of 50, who had been previously diagnosed with a chronic illness, including vascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, and osteoporosis. Participants were between 52 and 84 years of age (mean 64); among the study participants, 23 (72%) were women and the mean body mass index was 31 kg/m2 . Participants tested 5 trackers, including a simple pedometer (Sportline or Mio) followed by 4 wearable activity trackers (Fitbit Zip, Misfit Shine, Jawbone Up 24, and Withings Pulse) in random order. Selected devices represented the range of wearable products and features available on the Canadian market in 2014. Participants wore each device for at least 3 days and evaluated it using a questionnaire developed from the Technology Acceptance Model. We used focus groups to explore participant experiences and a thematic analysis approach to data collection and analysis. Results: Our study resulted in 4 themes: (1) adoption within a comfort zone; (2) self-awareness and goal setting; (3) purposes of data tracking; and (4) future of wearable activity trackers as health care devices. Prior to enrolling, few participants were aware of wearable activity trackers. Most also had been asked by a physician to exercise more and cited this as a motivation for testing the devices. None of the participants planned to purchase the simple pedometer after the study, citing poor accuracy and data loss, whereas 73% (N=32) planned to purchase a wearable activity tracker. Preferences varied but 50% felt they would buy a Fitbit and 42% felt they would buy a Misfit, Jawbone, or Withings. The simple pedometer had a mean acceptance score of 56/95 compared with 63 for the Withings, 65 for the Misfit and Jawbone, and 68 for the Fitbit. To improve usability, older users may benefit from devices that have better compatibility with personal computers or less-expensive Android mobile phones and tablets, and have comprehensive paper-based user manuals and apps that interpret user data. Conclusions: For older adults living with chronic illness, wearable activity trackers are perceived as useful and acceptable. New users may need support to both set up the device and learn how to interpret their data.
Beyond the Dataset: Understanding Sociotechnical Aspects of the Knowledge Discovery Process Among Modern Data Professionals
(University of Waterloo, 2017-05-01) Ho, Anson; Burns, Catherine; Chilana, Parmit
Data professionals are among the most sought-out professionals in today’s industry. Although the skillsets and training can vary among these professionals, there is some consensus that a combination of technical and analytical skills is necessary. In fact, a growing number of dedicated undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs are now offering such core skills to train modern data professionals. Despite the rapid growth of the data profession, we have few insights into what it is like to be a data professional on-the-job beyond having specific technical and analytical skills. We used the Knowledge Discovery Process (KDP) as a framework to understand the sociotechnical and collaborative challenges that data professionals face. We carried out 20 semi-structured interviews with data professionals across seven different domains. Our results indicate that KDP in practice is highly social, collaborative, and dependent on domain knowledge. To address the sociotechnical gap, the need for a translator within the KDP has emerged. The main contribution of this thesis is in providing empirical insights into the work of data professionals, highlighting the sociotechnical challenges that they face on the job. Also, we propose a new analytic approach to combine thematic analysis and cognitive work analysis (CWA) on the same dataset. Implications of this research will improve the productivity of data professionals and will have implications for designing future tools and training materials for the next generation of data professionals.
Design and Evaluation of Social CheatSheet: A Community-Curated Software Help Overlay
(University of Waterloo, 2017-08-15) Vermette, Laton; Chilana, Parmit; Vogel, Daniel
Software users can often find it difficult to sift through dense help pages, tutorials, Q&A sites, blogs, and other resources, trying to locate useful task-specific instructions for the applications they use. We present Social CheatSheet, an interactive information overlay that can appear atop any existing web application and retrieve relevant step-by-step instructions, tips, and tutorials curated by a community of software users. Based on the findings from two formative studies, the system offers several features for users to search, browse, filter, and bookmark community-generated help content, and to ask questions and seek clarifications. Furthermore, Social CheatSheet includes embedded curation features for users to generate, annotate, and categorize their own visual notes and tutorials, which can be kept private or shared publicly with the user community. A week-long deployment study with 15 participants showed that users were able to easily add and curate their own content and locate help resources generated by other users. They found the social curation approach to be helpful in a variety of contexts, and the majority of users wanted to keep using the system beyond the deployment. We discuss the potential of Social CheatSheet, as an application-independent platform driven by community curation efforts, to lower the barriers in finding relevant help and instructions for feature-rich applications.
Understanding and Supporting Newcomers to 3D Modelling and Digital Fabrication
(University of Waterloo, 2016-08-31) Hudson, Nathaniel; Chilana, Parmit
Interest in understanding and facilitating 3D digital fabrication is growing in the HCI research community. However, most of our insights about end-user interaction with fabrication are currently based on interactions of professional users, makers, and technology enthusiasts. This thesis documents my studies of newcomers to 3D modelling and printing, users who have no prior experience with fabrication and mainly explore walk-up-and-use 3D printing services at public print centers, such as libraries, universities, and schools. I first carried out exploratory research consisting of 32 interviews with newcomers to 3D printing, print center operators, and fabrication experts to better understand the motivations, workflows, and barriers newcomer face in appropriating 3D printing technologies. A major theme in these interviews was the use of online platforms to retrieve and print premade models as an alternative to the complex 3D modelling workflow. I conducted further investigation into Thingiverse, the largest online 3D design sharing community, investigating users’ activities and their conversations by using quantitative and qualitative analyses. Finally, based on my observations with newcomers and the conversations on Thingiverse, I developed MarmalAid, an online 3D modelling system integrated with contextual help that can facilitate conversations and help seeking throughout the 3D modelling process.