Romanian Journal of Human - Computer Interaction Vol.1, No.2, 2008 ISSN 1843-4460
	Contents Web-based application for the management of online debates. Oana Secaşiu, Vlad Posea, Stefan Trăuşan-Matu   91-110 The educational added value of augmented reality technology for a school environment. Dragoş Daniel Iordache, Ioan Neacşu   111-132 The Role and the Importance of Adaptated Information Technology (AIT) in the Process of Social Integration of Persons with Disabilities Maria-Elena Osiceanu, Silviu Ghioc   133-144 Colaboration within co-operative tasks: the use of augmented reality in schools environments Irina Cristescu   145-162 Access control in e-Commerce applications by using state machines Mihaela Ordean, Dorian Gorgan 163-186   Abstracts Web-based application for the management of online debates Oana Secaşiu, Vlad Posea , Ştefan Trăuşan-Matu Universitatea Politehnica Bucuresti oana.secasiu@gmail.com, {vlad.posea, stefan.trausan}@cs.pub.ro Abstract. The current paper analyzes the main problems that we have when using online debate tools (forum, chat, video-cosnference). Then we propose a solution, based on Toulmin’s argumentation theory, that we believe it will improve the way these debates take place. The application that we have developed helps both the regular user and the moderator to construct a better structure of the conversation. This will allow users to track the ideas that have been changed and the evolution of the arguments that have been presented. Also, a debate that is structured using this tool will be much easier to understand by a user that hasn’t followed it from the beginning. All the steps of the debate: its data, conclusion and backing are available in a very easy to understand format. In order to achieve that we use advanced visualization tools. The paper also presents a pedagogical scenario where our tool can be successfully used. The paper presents the theory on which the application is based, the architecture of the application, the description of the way the application it is used, a pedagogical scenario and it ends with some conclusions and a short presentation of the future developments. Keywords: computer supported collaborative learning, forum, argumentation, Toulmin, Internet, community View full article   The educational added value of augmented reality technology for a school environment Dragoş Daniel Iordache1, Ioan Neacşu2 1Institutul Naţional de Cercetare-Dezvoltare în informatică – ICI Bucureşti Bd. Mareşal Averescu, Nr. 8-10, 011455, Bucureşti iordache@ici.ro 2Universitatea din Bucureşti Bd. Mihail Kogalniceanu, nr. 36-46 ioan.neacsu@medu.edu.ro Abstract. In the first part of this paper are presented a set of educational characteristics of some teaching systems based on augmented reality technology. Next sections presents some results from the user testing of an augmented reality technology adapted for biology and chemistry study in the scholar environment. The evaluation was focussed on effectiveness and efficiency measures of users who tested the augmented reality platform developed in ARiSE (Augmented Reality in School Environment) project. These results where determined based on analysis of log files for each user. In parallel with this activity, before and after testing sessions, has been evaluated those student’s knowledge at biology and chemistry which are related on the specific tasks of didactical scenario in augmented reality platform. By comparing the level of student’s knowledge before and after working with augmented reality platform, we tried to determine the eventually formative valences associated with this new technology. The results show that students achieved much better performances to the knowledge tests after working with augmented reality platform (ARTP). Therewith the quantitative measures obtained from log files analysis offered useful information regarding usability problems and task-solving behavior. Keywords: Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), learning environment, evaluation. View full article   The Role and the Importance of Adaptated Information Technology (AIT) in the Process of Social Integration of Persons with Disabilities Maria-Elena Osiceanu1, Silviu Ghioc2 1Institutul Naţional pentru Prevenirea şi Combaterea Excluziunii Sociale a Persoanelor cu Handicap – INPCESPH Str. Cezar Bolliac, nr. 42, sector 3, Bucureşti osiceanum@gmail.com 2 Institutul Naţional pentru Prevenirea şi Combaterea Excluziunii Sociale a Persoanelor cu Handicap – INPCESPH Str. Cezar Bolliac, nr. 42, sector 3, Bucureşti silviughioc@incluziune.ro Abstract. IT&C has a great impact on building social relations, becoming a research area in full development. Advances in technologies had allowed the development of new services, systems, products and applications for persons with disability. Since the development of technological systems can be considered an essential component of everyday life, a particular interest should be given to the role which it has in growth of personal autonomy. In the case of persons with disabilities, computers can be accessed more easily through the design of special software, suitable for a family as large users. Adaptated Information Technology (ATI) allows people with disabilities to use a computer reducing or removing obstacles arising from common interface for users. ATI facilitates access to information resources through an offsetting deficiency. The goal of ATI applications is to come to the aid of people with disabilities whose job involves using a computer, and to support their integration into the labour market, by providing a technological support. The purpose of this article is to show the importance of technologies/ devices for persons with disabilities, for the purpose of their integration into society. Keywords: Information technologies, technological support, persons with disability View full article   Collaboration within cooperative tasks: the use of augmented reality in school environment (ARiSE) Irina Cristescu Institutul Naţional de Cercetare-Dezvoltare în Informatică – ICI Bucureşti Bd. Mareşal Averescu, Nr. 8-10, 011455, Bucureşti irina.cristescu@ici.ro Abstract. Some circumstances have shown that pupils and students tend to better understand the information from their colleagues than their teachers or professors as cooperation contributes to achieving social development and interpersonal attitudes in the classroom. Because learning is an interactiv process of knowledge construction, social actors tend to negotiate and contribute to finding meanings concerning the information needed. In the same time the learning environment must provide the student with the help he needs to develop his own abilities concerning knowledge construction. The celerity of technology spreading and accessibility on the market contributes to fufiling these desiderata even in the educational area. The use of augmented reality platform is an example of computer supported collaborative learning method. With the help of the computer is presented the task’s context which influences the interaction among pupils and students through collaboration during task completion. This explains the different advantages regarding the analysis and understanding of the flux of information: stimulating the collaboration, reduced time for learning, negotiating the meanings of information analysis, negotiating the roles each individual plays in the context of collaboration. Keywords: collaboration, cooperation, social interaction, learning models, augmented reality. View full article   Access control in e-Commerce applications by using state machines Mihaela Ordean1, Dorian Gorgan2 1iQuest Technologies SRL Cluj-Napoca Calea Motilor nr 6-8, 400001, Cluj-Napoca mihaela.ordean@iquestint.com 2Technical University of Cluj-Napoca Gh. Bariţiu nr. 26-28, Cluj-Napoca dorian.gorgan@cs.utcluj.ro Abstract. The paper refers to a particular domain of authorization and proposes the SCAR-ACE model for role based access control in e-Commerce applications. Nowadays, there are an increasing number of Web applications that require authorization decisions. These applications include (but not limited to), e-Commerce applications, management and sharing of distributed resources, execution of downloaded code, etc. Authorizing these kinds of applications is significantly different of that of centralized systems and even of that of relatively small distributed systems. E-Commerce applications become increasingly more complex, requiring access to heterogeneous resources of users in different roles. Access control in e-Commerce applications is an important subject of nowadays scientific research. The current work proposes a safe model for role based access control without using cookies. The proposed model allows the access to system resources only for authorized users. In order to determine the flow and to control the access to the resources in a distributed application, is introduced the notion of role as an intermediary between a user and its permissions. Each role has attached a set of permissions (or privileges) to access the resources and operations. The model is validated by a set of tests and by experimental results. Keywords: access control, authorization, state machines. View full article