The
University of Linz, Department of Business Information Systems, Communications
Engineering performs teaching and research activities in the area of Interactive
Distributed, (mostly Web-based) Software Systems. Besides design and implementation
of such systems the holistic evaluation is of central interest. The development
procedure follows a model-based engineering approach. Head of the Communications
Engineering division is Chris Stary. He is currently full professor in Business
Information Systems. He achieved his PhD in Conceptual Modeling of Human-Computer
Interaction at the Vienna University of Technology in 1988, and was promoted
for associate professor in 1993 there ('Habilitation') before becoming full
professor in 1995 in Linz. He held several visiting professorships in Europe
and the US. His main interest is the methodological integration of HCI-design
with structured development techniques from software and knowledge engineering.
Prof. Stary has authored several articles and books on interactive systems and
usability engineering. He has been principle investigator in national and international
projects, such as the following ones (which are content-related to SCALEX)
User Interfaces for All - Design for All: Within the IST (Information Society
& Technology) track (5th framework programme) a thematic network has been
established and case studies are performed to exploit DESIGN FOR ALL (cf.
Stephanidis C.: User Interfaces for All, Lawrence Erlbaum, NJ, 2000) in an
interdisciplinary discourse (2000-2003).
AVANTI, an ACTS (Advanced Communication Technologies and Services) project
that has focussed on ‘Adaptive and Adaptable Interactions for Multimedia
Telecommunications Applications’ (AC 042). Herein, a multimedia information
kiosk has been evaluated and redesigned providing universal accessibility
to information and interaction devices (1996-1998).
ERGO-SCREEN was part of the LEONARDO DA VINCI program, focussing on occupational
education (‘Ergonomie als integraler Bestandteil beruflicher Bildung
- am Beispiel von Euromodulen für Bildschirmarbeit’ D/95/2/2720/
P/II.1.1.a/Continuum). A seminar has been developed for employees in order
to foster the implementation of principles stemming from software ergonomics
and usability engineering (1996-99).
ACCESS was running under TIDE (Information Technologies for Disabled and
Elderly People - TP 1001). ‘A Development Platform for Unified Access
to Enabling Environments' has been designed and validated for different user
groups (1996).
User Interface Design has been part of the COMETT II (Community Action Programme
in Education and Training for Technology) program. A course on User Interface
Design has been designed and implemented (1994).
Automated Test-Case Generation for Graphical User Interface Validation -
SIEMENS - Test Support Center (IDATG, FFF-project Zl. 7/590/3069 until 1998)
(1996-2000).
Styleguide Development for Encoded Speech Applications (Call Center Development)
- ALCATEL Voice Processing Center, VIOLA-Multimedia Platform, FFF-project
Zl. 3/10797/154) (1995).
Speech-based Faxtool - ALCATEL, VIOLA-Multimedia Platform, FFF-project Zl.
3/10797/154 (1995).
Subsymbolic Knowledge Processing for the Generation of Activity-Based Adaptive
User Models - Upper Austrian Region Funding GZ Bi-220135/2-2000 (2000-2002).
See Me - Hear Me - Touch Me: Pictorial Tele-Cooperation for Multiply Impaired
Users - The Austrian National Bank Fund No. 8411 (2000-2001).
Historical Mindmap Developments (HIST-MAP) - The Austrian Society for the
History of Computer Science ÖGIG - Virtual Museum Design (1999-2002).
SCHOLION - Collaborative Scaleable Technologies for Teleteaching and Telelearning
- BMWV, contract GZ.50.004/2-III/9/99 and University of Linz (1999-2001).
Logistic Chain Support through ICTs - Austrian Ministry of Public Affairs
and Traffic and ITF (Innovations- und Technologieförderungsfonds - umbrella
project ‘Logistik-Leitsysteme’ GZ 527.023/-V/A/61/95 (24.11.95)
WP 3600) (1996-1998).
Guidelines for Evaluating VDU-Workplaces - Austrian Ministry of Social Affairs
and Employment under contract GZ 120/19-GrA/95 in the course of implementing
EU-directive EEC/90/270 on human-computer interaction (1995-1996).
Reviewing Instruments for the Evaluation of VDU-Workplaces - Austrian Ministry
of Science and Research in preparation of implementing EU-directive EEC/90/270
on human-computer interaction (contract GZ 190.134/2-II/8/94) (1994-1995).
Cooperative Group Decision Support Systems for Surgery Planning - Austrian
National Science Foundation (Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen
Forschung (FWF)) under contract P7743-PHY (1989-1993).
Hybrid Knowledge Representation through Rules - Austrian National Science
Foundation (Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (FWF))
under contract P7762-HIS (1990-1992).
The results have been awarded as follows:
COMDEX’92: N-JOY: Innovation award for 1st integrated package for Presentation
Manager (Vienna Software Publishing AG)
EU-CON II (Usability Testing according to EU-Directive 90/270/EEC): Research
award by Arbeiterkammer Oberösterreich, together with Thomas Riesenecker-Caba
(WORC - Working Life Research Center Vienna).
Key Persons:
Prof. Dr. Chris Stary is full professor in Business Informatics and working
in the field of task- and user-centred design of interactive system for over
10 years. He has been working as a principal investigator in several EC-projects
(AVANTI, ACCESS, ERGO-SCREEN) related to usability engineering issues. He achieved
his PhD in Conceptual Modeling of Human-Computer Interaction at the Vienna University
of Technology in 1988, and was promoted for associate professor in 1993 there
('Habilitation') before becoming full professor in 1995 in Linz. He held several
visiting professorships in Europe and the US. His main interest is the methodological
integration of HCI-design with structured development techniques from software
and knowledge engineering. Prof. Stary has authored several articles and books
on interactive systems and usability engineering.
Mag. Peter Eberle is research assistant at the Univ. of Linz and working
in the field of adaptive systems, in particular user modeling and ontology definition.
His main contribution will lie in the design of dynamic user models required
for SCALEX .
