March 2025
·
1 Read
What is this page?
This page lists works of an author who doesn't have a ResearchGate profile or hasn't added the works to their profile yet. It is automatically generated from public (personal) data to further our legitimate goal of comprehensive and accurate scientific recordkeeping. If you are this author and want this page removed, please let us know.
Publications (87)
February 2025
·
10 Reads
Recent advancements have led to the emergence of a few block-based programming environments that are accessible to individuals with visual impairments, featuring both touchscreen-based and keyboard-based modalities. However, there remains a shortage of empirical evidence concerning the usability of these systems, particularly the keyboard-based versions. This paper details the design and evaluation of Accessible Blockly, a block-based programming library that supports keyboard inputs and screen reader output as alternative interaction modalities. We also present empirical data showing that persons who are blind can effectively navigate, comprehend, create, and edit block-based code using only a keyboard and screen reader within reasonable time constraints. Accessible Blockly was developed iteratively, guided by two empirical studies. In the first empirical study, the initial prototype of Accessible Blockly was evaluated for block-based code navigation and comprehension in a study involving twelve blind programmers. Insights from the first study were used to refine the keyboard and screen reader interactions. A subsequent study with eleven blind programmers tested the enhanced version, focusing on the usability of the keyboard and screen reader for code creation and editing tasks. This research contributes to the ongoing efforts to design and develop accessible block-based programming environments by introducing a functional prototype of an accessible block-based programming library that uses the keyboard and the screen reader for interaction, and by offering foundational empirical data that can serve to establish guidelines and design considerations for building accessible block-based programming environments.
February 2025
·
5 Reads
November 2024
·
44 Reads
Many standards and guidelines are available to promote the accessibility of digital products and services, yet developers may still struggle to comprehend how they can be applied. In this study, we investigate Stack Overflow posts in order to comprehend the challenges developers confront in the context of web accessibility. Our analysis involved manually labeling 5,092 posts associated with web accessibility to ensure the credibility and consistency of our results. In addition, a formal open-coding approach was employed to generate a taxonomy that delineates the various aspects developers discuss concerning accessibility in web applications. Our analysis revealed that accessibility posts had increased significantly through the years and that approximately 18.36% of the accessibility issues were associated with screen reader behavior. Our study also indicates that most discussions are a call to assistance to improve their application accessibility for visual impairments. The analysis of developers’ queries on Stack Overflow reveals several distinct trends. These findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges that developers face when it comes to web accessibility.
October 2024
·
7 Reads
·
1 Citation
September 2024
·
6 Reads
July 2024
·
2 Reads
Communications of the ACM
May 2024
·
353 Reads
Mobile applications have become essential in today's digital landscape so optimizing their User eXperiences (UX) is essential. Our study explored the application of Large Language Models (LLMs), including some Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) family architectures and advanced pre-trained models like Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) by OpenAI GPT-3.5, GPT-4, and Llama 2 by Meta (zero and few-shot), for detecting usability issues in user reviews. The methodology encompassed data preprocessing, sentiment analysis, fine-tuning LLMs, and interpretability techniques, notably Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIME). The findings indicated that the fine-tuned LLMs, particularly, Robustly Optimized BERT Approach (RoBERTa), XLNet, and DistilBERT were relatively successful in identifying the usability issues, achieving an accuracy rate of 96%. The study also assessed advanced pre-trained models Llama 2, GPT-3.5, and GPT-4, which generally fell short of the performance achieved by fine-tuned models. Finally, we also discovered the use of LIME that helped in understanding the decision-making processes of the fine-tuned models.
January 2024
·
20 Reads
December 2023
·
14 Reads
Citations (57)
... Stack Overflow datasets are a particular source of information that has gained popularity in numerous research studies owing to their comprehensive coverage of technical and practical programmer issues and concerns. For example, Alghamdi et al [2] examined 5,092 Stack Overflow posts to identify developers' challenges with web accessibility guidelines. The findings revealed that about 60% of the discussions on the perceivable guideline focused on customizing time-based media and screen reader accessibility. ...
- Citing Conference Paper
October 2024
... Usability questions were based on Jakob Nielsen's 10 HCI heuristics [11]. We selected this framework based on its relevance in other studies analyzing the usability of educational applications for children, including IDEs [16], [35]. Prior to conducting the interviews and thematic analysis, the researchers familiarized themselves with Nielsen's heuristics and their applications [36]. ...
- Citing Conference Paper
- Full-text available
October 2023
... However, assertion methods can also negatively impact code quality. Specifically, the test smell Assertion Roulette, where a test method contains multiple assertions without providing context for failures [10], is associated with increased change-proneness in test code [11], [12] and challenges in code comprehension [13]. These problems cannot be addressed without a stronger understanding of assertion messages, including how they are used and how they support comprehension. ...
- Citing Conference Paper
- Full-text available
May 2023
... Login plays a critical role in Android apps, typically representing the first point of interaction between the application and the users [1]. Issues in login processes can significantly degrade the user experience [2]- [5]. ...
- Citing Article
- Full-text available
January 2023
International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications
... The author in [62] outlined the essential features and functionalities that should be incorporated into smartphone applications designed for those who are DHH, including vibrating alerts, visual notifications, and customizable volume control. We considered suggestions in [63,64] as a framework for the development of the AsEar app, adopting concepts that align with the app's objectives and cater to the needs of DHH clients, including button size, text size, usability, real-time communication, and privacy. ...
- Citing Conference Paper
- Full-text available
April 2023
... Hearing impairments, for instance, pose significant communication barriers. Traditional and online classrooms often rely heavily on auditory instruction, leaving students with hearing impairments struggling to access information and fully engage in discussions [7]. The lack of consistent availability and integration of assistive technologies, such as real-time captioning, further exacerbates these challenges, leading to feelings of isolation and exclusion from classroom interactions critical for learning and social development. ...
- Citing Conference Paper
- Full-text available
February 2023
... Various approaches to teaching accessibility in computing education have been documented. Exclusive courses on accessibility and assistive technology [19,23,36], and the inclusion of accessibility topics in existing courses such as web development [14,29,38], software engineering [12,21,30], programming fundamentals [11,15], artificial intelligence [35], and mobile app development [10] have been employed. These courses aim to teach accessibility awareness, technical knowledge such as the web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) [2], empathy, and awareness about careers in the field of accessibility largely through traditional lecture-based pedagogy. ...
- Citing Conference Paper
- Full-text available
February 2022
... Blocks are unique visual elements that symbolize specific programming constructs and vary in shape and color according to their functions [4]. There are primarily two categories of blocks based on their structure: container blocks and non-container blocks. ...
- Citing Conference Paper
October 2022
... Finally, future research on Parsons problems should explore paradigms such as Grid-Coding, speech-driven programming, and the use of problem-solving stages to improve accessibility for neurodiverse programmers, sighted, blind, and low-vision (BLV) programmers, and programmers with motor impairments [15,43]. ...
- Citing Conference Paper
October 2022
... Accessibility in digital environments refers to designing and developing products, services, and content that can be perceived, understood, and operated by a wide range of users, regardless of their physical, intellectual, or cognitive abilities [7,23,33]. Despite the widespread accessibility adoption in web applications over the years, studies have shown that most web applications still present many accessibility violations. 1 Accordingly, some researchers surveyed people involved in software development and identified many barriers to the adoption of accessibility during the development process: lack of awareness or knowledge, lack of time and support from high-level management, lack of accessibility requirements, and lack of understanding of accessibility standards and guidelines [9,14,18,25,28]. Most barriers are related to the development process or individual perspectives, leaving a gap in the technical challenges developers find when they try to incorporate accessibility into their design. ...
- Citing Chapter
October 2022
Lecture Notes in Computer Science