Multi-Purpose Mobile Artefacts

Paper-based artefacts (e.g., forms, manuals, questionnaires) are used ubiquitously and pervasively to support a wide set of activities. Education and Health Care are major examples of such endeavour. However, given the passiveness of the medium itself, several problems (e.g., communication, adjustment, lack of interactivity) are usually encountered within these activities which hinder human efficiency or prevent users from achieving desired goals. This paper presents a framework that provides common users with tools to create interactive and adjustable digital artefacts for mobile devices. The artefacts can be adjusted to the users’ needs, introducing different configurations regarding their look, interaction and behaviour, providing support to various purposes by coping with and enhancing different procedures. The framework has been validated through two case studies by providing support to mobile learning, and within psychotherapy, by offering means to achieve ubiquitous cognitive behavioural therapy.