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The Department of Applied Computing (previously the Applied Computer Studies Division) came into existence on 1st August 1997. In the 1996 research assessment exercise, the department was awarded a 5 rating, with all the academic staff being research active, making it one of the top computing departments in Scotland.
It includes nearly 40 staff members and PhD students, from diverse backgrounds including Computer Science, Engineering, Psychology, Speech Therapy and Education.
The departmentís mission is to provide a distinctive, balanced, and enjoyable learning environment,
which emphasises the application of user-centred computing in areas of high social impact.
The Department of Applied Computing contains one of the largest and most influential academic groups in the world researching into communication systems for disabled people, and has very strong international and national reputations in other aspects of human computer interaction research., medical informatics and signal processing. We are committed to the principles of Usability Engineering with a focus on developing academic and practical insights, and producing software which can be commercialised.
Our undergraduate programme (BSc Applied Computing) aims to attract students from a wide range of backgrounds, and train them to become high quality software engineers who have an appreciation of the role of the user in the design process. Students study computer programming and design, information technology, software engineering, usability engineering, computer systems and a range of specialist final year options. They undertake individual and team projects, and transferable skills are emphasised throughout.
The department provides Information Technology courses at various levels, including an extra-curricular course available to all students, a 1st BSc/1st MA credit course and a 2nd BSc level course.
The departmentís conversion course (MSc Applied Computing) is designed for graduates of any discipline who wish to add computing to their existing qualifications.
In 1980 Alan Newell moved from Southampton University to the department of Electrical Engineering & Electronics at Dundee University. His rapidly expanding research group moved into the MicroCentre building in 1983, and in 1987 the group combined with Mathematics to form the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. The group took over the newly refurbished Jam Factory at the end of 1996, and on 1st August 1997 became a department in their own right.
Several research projects have produced commercial products, including PAL (Lander Software), Talk:About (Don Johnston Inc.), ChatterBox (Intelligent Interaction), PredictAbility (Inclusive Technology, RNR) and TalkBoards (Mayer Johnson Co.).
A team of industrialists supports the departmentís teaching, including the retired managing director of Digital Europe - Dave Lawrence, Alison Armstrong of NCR and Russell Kay from Visual Sciences.
The department's computer systems are supported by Derek Brankin, Andy Cobley and Nick Dawes.
Louisa Cross is the courses administrator.
Barbara Johnston is the departmental secretary, Ann Kenny is the research funding co-ordinator, and Rhonda Armstrong-Payne is the clerical assistant.
Many staff members have been recognised for their achievements, including Alan Newell, John Arnott and Alistair Cairns being Winston Churchill Travel Fellows. Alan Newell being awarded The Lloyd of Kilgerran Prize in 1995 and Annalu Waller the Shirley McNaughton Award in 1996. Norman Alm, John Arnott and Alan Newell were awarded the ìoutstanding paperî prize at the IEEE Conference in San Antonio.
Recently produced books from the department include Glenn Roweís Introduction to data structures and algorithms with Java, Ian Rickettsí Managing Your Software Project - A Studentís Guide and Andy Cobleyís The Complete Guide to Java.
Figure 1 A sample screen from PredictAbility (Inclusive Technology & RNR)
We work very closely with speech and language therapists, and other user groups within Tayside, including clinicians in the Medical School, and staff in the University Departments of Psychology, APEME and Social Work.
Tayside Region, in collaboration with the BT Tayside Region ìAssist Centreî fund the secondment of a teacher in special educational needs, who also works within the Department.
Extra-ordinary human-computer interaction: we have developed the concept within the field of human-computer interaction that extra-ordinary (disabled) people, operating in ordinary environments, pose similar design challenges to able-bodied (ordinary) people operating in extraordinary (high workload, environmentally unfriendly) situations.
Research here has shown how multiple simultaneous input devices, in combination with user monitoring and plan recognition, can enhance the reliability of human-computer interaction both for pilots, air traffic controllers, and for people with disabilities.
Information Technology for assisting disabled and elderly people: by producing models of language and conversation, we have developed a number of computer based systems which can assist people with poor literacy and language skills, including those with dyslexia, aphasia and dementia. Prediction engines, such as PredictAbility (Figure 1), are used to suggest words the user may want to type, reducing the keystrokes needed by up to 50%, and changing the task from word production to word recognition.
Our conversation prediction systems include databases of stories related to the user, coupled to semantically-based information retrieval systems which predict the most suitable, given the situation and the conversation partner. The user can then select the most appropriate to be spoken via a speech synthesiser.
We also have world leading research into the development of phonetic models of speech, which can add emotion to synthetic speech.
Computer-supported interpersonal communication, learning and training: models of the structuring of human-human interviews have been used to develop generic software to conduct computer facilitated interviews. A project on applied computing teaching is developing Java-based interactive computer-based learning systems and automated systems for marking learners' computer programs.
Signal and Image Processing: our research has advanced the frontiers in automated inspection of x-ray and microscope slide images for medical diagnosis and inspection. Other research is focused on the collection of data in space and from remote sensing vehicles and its processing and interpretation on Earth.
Medical Informatics: work has been done on systems for analysing child growth, clinical management and audit of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and cystic fibrosis, and the linkage between asthma and poor growth. We are currently providing decision support systems for asthma management by general practitioners.
Telecommunication service provision and access: we have investigated ways in which disabled and elderly people can be assisted using broadband communication. Special services have been developed for telecommunication use, incorporating speed enhancing techniques, and have demonstrated the advantages of novel graphical forms of communication as an alternative to live video links.
We are always seeking novel publicity opportunities, and now have a termly newsletter, a flight simulator series of posters, mouse mats and t-shirts.
For more information, contact the department.
