**4. Collaborative production of textbooks**

The Latin project has developed an environment for the collaboration and production of a series of textbook in computer science such as the HCI book (**Figure 3**), and then the teachers can contribute whit sections or chapters to be put together into custom textbooks for the whole community.


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**Figure 4.**

*HCI writing team in the Latin platform.*

*Collaborative Production Model of Educational Resources for Human-Computer Interaction…*

The previous figure shows an excerpt from the HCI textbook titled *Temas de Diseño en Interacción Humano-Computadora*, in which the index and the whole content of this book is written in Spanish language with creative common license. All the chapters have a similar structure, namely, the objective of the document with theoretical and practical sections with solved exercises, self-evaluation, and bibliography [4]. The solved exercises illustrate how to apply the theoretical knowledge, and the evaluation sections allow the future readers a self-evaluation of HCI subjects.

The writing textbook process starts with the formation of teams of collaborative work among the researcher teachers related with their knowledge area. The Latin project has built an application for collaboration and production of the HCI book, so that teachers and authors can contribute whit sections or chapters to be

**Figure 4** shows several professors and researchers of different HCI; they were members of an HCI writing group, thanks to the collaborative tools available. In addition, we defined a first title about the proposal and some ideas as a part of first process iterations, being consisted in whole writing group information's HCI

On the other hand, **Figure 5** shows the color-coded roles of the actors: the general manager is represented in brown, the communicator in green, the idea generator in purple, etc. The different parts of this structure can be assigned to one or more authors as a coordination process for writing. Author "A" can work or comment anywhere in the document, while author "B" is allowed to read just any part of a chapter, and author "C" cannot see that the rest of the document has not been assigned. However, the teachers participating in the book of HCI held different roles. **Figure 5** also illustrates the distribution of set chapters of HCI book as a result

Then, the specific process to produce the HCI textbook is composed of four phases according to the proposed model of **Figure 2**. In the first phase a call for participation was proposed for the collaborative teamwork among HCI teachers of several higher education institutions who want to have educational resources such

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90992*

**4.1 Collaborative applications**

textbook.

assembled into custom books for the whole community.

of interactions and collaborative activities of authors.

#### **Figure 3.**

*Excerpt of Chapter 1 from the HCI textbook [11].*

*Collaborative Production Model of Educational Resources for Human-Computer Interaction… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90992*

The previous figure shows an excerpt from the HCI textbook titled *Temas de Diseño en Interacción Humano-Computadora*, in which the index and the whole content of this book is written in Spanish language with creative common license. All the chapters have a similar structure, namely, the objective of the document with theoretical and practical sections with solved exercises, self-evaluation, and bibliography [4]. The solved exercises illustrate how to apply the theoretical knowledge, and the evaluation sections allow the future readers a self-evaluation of HCI subjects.

## **4.1 Collaborative applications**

*Human 4.0 - From Biology to Cybernetic*

each specific learning/teaching situation [5].

**4. Collaborative production of textbooks**

together into custom textbooks for the whole community.

of the course.

Latin America.

focuses on the validation of new educational resources at the design level before launching a massive development of these resources. The construct phase is for the development of educational resources using collaborative environment; the process is directly influenced by learning and social networks, involving practice communities and collaborative tools. The fourth phase is for the evaluation of HCI educational resources using repositories to allow the content that is retrieved, recommended, appointed, grouped, and so on to be a contender to the future versions

Of note the collaborative applications, services, and online repositories are located in the center of the proposed model in **Figure 1**; at least one of these key elements is necessarily used by the participants in every phase of the development of educational resources. In fact, a multidisciplinary team is required to implement the previous model, including teachers, reviewers, researchers, content organizer, and content producer. They are involved in a huge effort of creating resources that are designed for use in formal and non-formal educational situations. The whole responsibility lies with the multidisciplinary team to provide creative content and give certain guarantee that it is the most suitable content that could be offered to

The next two subsequent sections implement the previous model in two real case studies where teachers and researchers from several universities cooperate in order to produce educational resources in Spanish language to the HCI community of

The Latin project has developed an environment for the collaboration and production of a series of textbook in computer science such as the HCI book (**Figure 3**), and then the teachers can contribute whit sections or chapters to be put

**108**

**Figure 3.**

*Excerpt of Chapter 1 from the HCI textbook [11].*

The writing textbook process starts with the formation of teams of collaborative work among the researcher teachers related with their knowledge area. The Latin project has built an application for collaboration and production of the HCI book, so that teachers and authors can contribute whit sections or chapters to be assembled into custom books for the whole community.

**Figure 4** shows several professors and researchers of different HCI; they were members of an HCI writing group, thanks to the collaborative tools available. In addition, we defined a first title about the proposal and some ideas as a part of first process iterations, being consisted in whole writing group information's HCI textbook.

On the other hand, **Figure 5** shows the color-coded roles of the actors: the general manager is represented in brown, the communicator in green, the idea generator in purple, etc. The different parts of this structure can be assigned to one or more authors as a coordination process for writing. Author "A" can work or comment anywhere in the document, while author "B" is allowed to read just any part of a chapter, and author "C" cannot see that the rest of the document has not been assigned. However, the teachers participating in the book of HCI held different roles. **Figure 5** also illustrates the distribution of set chapters of HCI book as a result of interactions and collaborative activities of authors.

Then, the specific process to produce the HCI textbook is composed of four phases according to the proposed model of **Figure 2**. In the first phase a call for participation was proposed for the collaborative teamwork among HCI teachers of several higher education institutions who want to have educational resources such

**Figure 4.** *HCI writing team in the Latin platform.*

**Figure 5.** *Diagram of collaborative production by teachers from several universities of Latin America.*

as textbooks. The second phase starts with the reception of book proposals by the defined collaborative work groups; these groups through social interactions define the theme on which they will create their contents and make contributions on ideas that will be useful to them through the use of chats, forums, messages, discussion groups, etc. The third phase is the production process of open textbooks. Once the collaborative team has the green light to create a proposed book, then it is possible to use of synchronous and asynchronous tools and activate the functionalities that provide collaboration services for an appropriate work, for example, text editors, review templates, and communication tools. Examples of these last tools are chats, mails, blogs, forums, resource sharing, ideas, etc.

The evaluation of open textbooks is the fourth phase. Once the textbook is complete, it will be submitted to an evaluation process where a technical evaluation is carried out. The reviewers and members committee have used this platform to make technical evaluation about the proposed books. After the technical evaluation, a resolution of acceptance or rejection of the proposed textbook is issued. It recognizes also the authorship of the collaborative team members. Finally, the open textbook is released under an online version.

#### **4.2 Services**

The technology of service-oriented architecture [12, 13] was exploited to identify several web services to support the main process of the collaborative production of an HCI textbook such as collaborative textbook production and textbook management (see **Figure 6**). The web services for the first process are as follows: defining textbook chapters, collaborating textbook design, planning meeting, and collaborative edition of textbooks. The second process of textbook management is supported by the web services: call for a new textbook, define collaborative team, identify authors, identify reviewers, evaluate textbook proposal, review textbook versions, and release new textbook.

In this case study, the collaborative production of educational resources is concreted in the repository of HCI textbook from the Latin project. In addition, the participants in the HCI webinars become members of the LACLO community [14].

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**Figure 7.**

**4.3 Repository**

**Figure 6.**

graduate levels.

one or more authors as a coordination.

*List of chapters from the HCI textbook [11].*

*Web services for collaborative production of HCI textbook.*

*Collaborative Production Model of Educational Resources for Human-Computer Interaction…*

A repository for textbook was built where the HCI book is located. The HCI textbook [11] is composed of a set of important chapters such as the foundations and specialized topics in HCI, including chapters about design, development, and evaluation of interactive applications (see **Figure 7**). The book can be used as a basic support of a study material for HCI courses at both undergraduate and

The structure of the textbook consists of several elements that are common among the publishing features of a printed book, such as the cover, foreword, preface, introduction, etc. The different parts of this structure can be assigned to

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90992*

*Collaborative Production Model of Educational Resources for Human-Computer Interaction… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90992*

#### **Figure 6.**

*Human 4.0 - From Biology to Cybernetic*

as textbooks. The second phase starts with the reception of book proposals by the defined collaborative work groups; these groups through social interactions define the theme on which they will create their contents and make contributions on ideas that will be useful to them through the use of chats, forums, messages, discussion groups, etc. The third phase is the production process of open textbooks. Once the collaborative team has the green light to create a proposed book, then it is possible to use of synchronous and asynchronous tools and activate the functionalities that provide collaboration services for an appropriate work, for example, text editors, review templates, and communication tools. Examples of these last tools are chats,

*Diagram of collaborative production by teachers from several universities of Latin America.*

The evaluation of open textbooks is the fourth phase. Once the textbook is complete, it will be submitted to an evaluation process where a technical evaluation is carried out. The reviewers and members committee have used this platform to make technical evaluation about the proposed books. After the technical evaluation, a resolution of acceptance or rejection of the proposed textbook is issued. It recognizes also the authorship of the collaborative team members. Finally, the open

The technology of service-oriented architecture [12, 13] was exploited to identify several web services to support the main process of the collaborative production of an HCI textbook such as collaborative textbook production and textbook management (see **Figure 6**). The web services for the first process are as follows: defining textbook chapters, collaborating textbook design, planning meeting, and collaborative edition of textbooks. The second process of textbook management is supported by the web services: call for a new textbook, define collaborative team, identify authors, identify reviewers, evaluate textbook proposal, review textbook

In this case study, the collaborative production of educational resources is concreted in the repository of HCI textbook from the Latin project. In addition, the participants in the HCI webinars become members of the LACLO community [14].

mails, blogs, forums, resource sharing, ideas, etc.

textbook is released under an online version.

versions, and release new textbook.

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**4.2 Services**

**Figure 5.**

*Web services for collaborative production of HCI textbook.*

#### **4.3 Repository**

A repository for textbook was built where the HCI book is located. The HCI textbook [11] is composed of a set of important chapters such as the foundations and specialized topics in HCI, including chapters about design, development, and evaluation of interactive applications (see **Figure 7**). The book can be used as a basic support of a study material for HCI courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

The structure of the textbook consists of several elements that are common among the publishing features of a printed book, such as the cover, foreword, preface, introduction, etc. The different parts of this structure can be assigned to one or more authors as a coordination.

**Figure 7.**

*List of chapters from the HCI textbook [11].*
