Ubiquitous Computing Scenario

 

Weight: 45%

  

This is a group exercise that will be carried out in groups. The exercise involves the identification, description and presentation of a Ubiquitous Computing scenario. You can choose any problem/challenge within the broad remit of supporting Teaching Staff and Students in a University Environment.  However, the problem should include aspects of human-computer interaction, mobility of user/device/application, use of sensing technology and support for collaborative computer mediated human interaction. You will be required to undertake the following:

 

1.      Background Study and Requirements (15%). This involves the production of a brief report (up to 5 a4 pages 12 pt font) that outlines your chosen scenario, any related work in the area of employing ubiquitous computing technologies in an educational context, focusing in particular to the any work relevant for your chosen scenario, and identifies the requirements that your scenario aims to address. In finding about related work in the area it may be useful to consult the IEEE Pervasive Computing magazine, the Journal of Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, and the Journal of Pervasive and Mobile Computing, as well as the proceedings of the main conferences in the area, i.e. the International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp), the IEEE International Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communications (PerCom) and the International Conference on Pervasive Computing. In identifying the requirements for your scenario it may help to consider what are the stakeholders of a university environment, what kind of activities take place within the environment, what kind of facilities are utilised by these activities and what are common difficulties and problems faced by the stakeholders.

 

You should bring a printed copy of your report at the beginning of the lecture on the day of the deadline. The report should have a cover page with the names and student numbers of all the group members and the statement “Except where explicitly stated, this report is our own work” signed by all members of the group.

 

Your report will be assessed on the quality and novelty of the chosen scenario, the thoroughness of the background study, and the depth of the requirement analysis.

 

2.      Detailed Scenario Description (30%). This involves producing a detailed report that describes your identified scenario. The report must include a detailed analysis of the contextual requirements of the scenario using the context model presented in [‎1], a breakdown of the technology to be used, including a description of sensing requirements and how these may be realised, as well as the mode of use for a given user. It should also include an analysis of the privacy and security implications of the deployed technology, and some discussion on the implementation costs and the deployment challenges. The report should be between 15 and 20 pages long in 12pt font.

 

You should submit your report to the departmental office. The report should have a cover page with the names and student numbers of all the group members and the statement “Except where explicitly stated, this report is our own work” signed by all members of the group.

 

You should email your presentation slides to the class lecturer.

 

Your report will be assessed on the extent and appropriateness of the context information utilised, the justification of the technologies chosen and the quality of their technical description, the depth and quality of the analysis of the security and privacy implications of your scenario, and the coverage and depth of the discussion on implementation costs, and the depth of the analysis of the deployment challenges.

 

3.      Scenario Presentation. This involves making a 15-20 minute presentation of your scenario in the class. Your presentation should use PowerPoint slides.

 

A schedule for the presentations will be devised closer to the submission date.

 

Your presentation is assessed on the structure and organisation of the presented material, the clarity of the content in the slides and the quality of their presentation, the coverage of your detailed scenario, and the style and rhythm of the presentation itself. Note that the presentation is part of the 30% for the detailed scenario description.

 

4.      Self and Peer-assessment. Each group member should complete individually the self- and peer- assessment form. You should assess your own performance and the performance of each other member of the group allowing the following four criteria:  (a) Level of enthusiasm/participation, (b) Suggesting ideas, (c) Understanding of what was required and (d) Organising the group and ensuring that things got done. For each criterion you should award 3 marks for better than most in this respect, 2 marks for about average in this respect, 1 mark for not as good as most in this respect, 0 marks for no help at all in this respect and if necessary, you can award -1 marks for a hindrance to the group in this respect.

 

You should email your completed form to the class lecturer.

 

Deadlines

 

Background study and requirements: 14/3/2011

 

Detailed scenario description: 18/4/2011 at 16:00

 

Self and peer-assessment: 18/4/2011 at 16:00

 

Presentation slides: 18/4/2011 at 16:00

 

Presentation: 19 or 26/4/2011

 

References

 

1.      N. A. Bradley and M. D. Dunlop, Towards a Multidisciplinary Model of ‘Context’ to Support Context-Aware Computing. Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 20 (4), pp. 403-446, 2005.

2.      K. Henricksen and J. Indulska, Developing context-aware pervasive computing applications: Models and approach, Pervasive and Mobile Computing, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 27-64, 2006.

3.      http://www.xbow.com/Products/wproductsoverview.aspx for information about Motes.

4.      http://www.sics.se/accord/technology.html for additional information on available technologies.

5.      GLOSS Scenario an example scenario.