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Browsing by Author "Belcaid, Mahdi"

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    2D Jupyter: Design and Evaluation of 2D Computational Notebooks
    Christman, Elizabeth (Virginia Tech, 2023-06-12)
    Computational notebooks are a popular tool for data analysis. However, the 1D linear structure used by many computational notebooks can lead to challenges and pain points in data analysis, including messiness, tedious navigation, inefficient use of screen space, and presentation of non-linear narratives. To address these problems, we designed a prototype Jupyter Notebooks extension called 2D Jupyter that enables a 2D organization of code cells in a multi-column layout, as well as freeform cell placement. We conducted a user study using this extension to evaluate the usability of 2D computational notebooks and understand the advantages and disadvantages that it provides over a 1D layout. As a result of this study, we found evidence that the 2D layout provides enhanced usability and efficiency in computational notebooks. Additionally, we gathered feedback on the design of the prototype that can be used to inform future work. Overall, 2D Jupyter was positively received and users not only enjoyed using the extension, but also expressed a desire to use 2D notebook environments in the future.
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    Traces of Time through Space: Advantages of Creating Complex Canvases in Collaborative Meetings
    Kirshenbaum, Nurit; Davidson, Kylie; Harden, Jesse; North, Christopher L.; Kobayashi, Dylan; Theriot, Ryan; Tabalba, Roderick; Rogers, Michael; Belcaid, Mahdi; Burks, Andrew; Bharadwaj, Krishna; Renambot, Luc; Johnson, Andrew; Long, Lance; Leigh, Jason (ACM, 2021-11-05)
    Technology have long been a partner of workplace meeting facilitation. The recent outbreak of COVID-19 and the cautionary measures to reduce its spread have made it more prevalent than ever before in the form of online-meetings. In this paper, we recount our experiences during weekly meetings in three modalities: using SAGE2 - a collaborative sharing software designed for large displays - for co-located meetings, using a conventional projector for co-located meetings, and using the Zoom video-conferencing tool for distributed meetings. We view these meetings through the lens of effective meeting attributes and share ethnographic observations and attitudinal survey conducted in our research lab. We discuss patterns of content sharing, either sequential, parallel, or semi-parallel, and the potential advantages of creating complex canvases of content. We see how the SAGE2 tool affords parallel content sharing to create complex canvases, which represent queues of ideas and contributions (past, present, and future) using the space on a large display to suggest the progression of time through the meeting.