The Design of Future Educational Interfaces

Fully revised to incorporate recent developments in world politics, the second edition of Understanding Global Security analyzes the variety of ways in which people's lives are threatened and/or secured in contemporary global politics. The traditional focus of Security Studies texts - war, deterrence and terrorism - are analyzed alongside non-military security issues such as famine, crime, disease, disasters, environmental degredation and human rights abuses to provide a comprehensive survey of how and why people are killed in the contemporary world. New features to this edition include: analysis of key international political events of recent years such as the War in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina and the Israeli incursion into Lebanon recent developments in the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and the 'war against terror' new data on deaths attributable to global warming and the contribution played by this in 'securitizing' the issue on the agendas of sceptical states examinations of 'lifestyle illnesses', largely spread by the diffusion of Western culture, like smoking or diabetes greater analysis of recent diplomatic and institutional developments in the area of security: the Human Security Network and the UN Commission on Human Security. User friendly and easy to follow, this textbook is designed to make a complex subject accessible to all. Key features include: 'top ten' tables highlighting the most destructive events or forms of death in that area throughout history boxed descriptions elaborating key concepts in the field of security and International Relations 'biographical boxes' of key individuals who have shaped world events further reading and websites at the end of each chapter guiding you towards the most up-to-date information on various topics glossary of political terminology. This highly acclaimed and popular academic text will continue to be essential reading for everyone interested in security.

Table of Contents:
Section I: Evolutionary and Neurological Basis for Educational Interface Design Chapter 1. Innovative Tool Use, Cognitive Evolution, and Implications for Educational Interfaces Section II: Existing and Future Interfaces Chapter 2. Keyboard Interfaces: The Bottleneck Constricting Communication and Performance Chapter 3. Rethinking the Interface as a Communications Power Tool for Stimulating Ideas and Problem Solving Chapter 4. Rethinking the Interface as a Communications Power Tool for Supporting Inferential Reasoning Chapter 5. Emerging Interface Directions for Supporting Conceptual Change Section III: Foundational Elements of Communications Interface Design Chapter 6. Support for Multiple Representations Chapter 7. Support for Multiple Modalities Chapter 8. Support for Multiple Linguistic Codes Chapter 9. Theoretical Frameworks for Advancing Educational Interfaces Section IV: Building Educational Interfaces of the Future Chapter 10. Designing Integrated Interfaces that Stimulate Activity Chapter 11. Fostering Meta-Awareness about Technology and Its Impact Chapter 12. Implications for Future Empirical, Theoretical & Policy Directions

About the Author :
Sharon Oviatt is well known for her extensive work in educational interfaces, human-centered interface design, multimodal and mobile interfaces, and communications interfaces. She has been recipient of a National Science Foundation Special Creativity Award for pioneering work on mobile multimodal interfaces, and first place recipient of the Ina Coolbrith Award. She has published over 130 scientific articles in a wide range of venues in the computational, learning, and cognitive sciences. She is an Associate Editor of the main journals and edited book collections in the field of human interfaces, including The Human-Computer Interaction Handbook. She was a founder of the International Conference on Multimodal Interfaces (ICMI), which became an annual ACM-sponsored international conference series under her guidance. In 2007, she founded Incaa Designs (http://www.incaadesigns.org/), a Seattle-area nonprofit that researches, designs, and evaluates the impact of innovative new educational interfaces.

Review :
It can be very easy to lapse into academic jargon but it is a trap that Understanding Global Security avoids superbly. As with the first edition, this new version with new features acts not only as an excellent guide but also as a book of signposts as to where the student should go next. The transition to University can be a difficult one, but it would be easier for all students if their subject area had a book of this clarity and comprehensive content. Lloyd Pettiford, Associate Dean and Professor of International Relations at Nottingham Trent University, UK