James  Helfrich Author of Evaluating Organization Development
FEATURED AUTHOR

James Helfrich

Professor
Brigham Young University - Idaho

James Helfrich earned his BS and MS in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania, and his PhD from Idaho State University. After working as a Software Development Engineer and a Program Manager at Microsoft on the Office family of products, he has been teaching Computer Science at BYU-Idaho since 2006. His specialties include software development, Human-Computer Interaction, and Security.

Biography

James Helfrich graduated Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a BS in Computer Science in Engineering in 1994. He also received his MS as a Dean’s fellow in Computer and Information Science from the University of Pennsylvania in 1995. James received his PhD from Idaho State University in 2010.

James spent 11 years working on the Office family of products at Microsoft, shipping 6 versions of Microsoft Word and 1 version of Microsoft Publisher. Today he is the associate department chair in the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering department at Brigham Young University - Idaho.

James was the team captain on his high school Track and Cross Country teams, taking both teams to the Nevada state championship meet. He was on the varsity Lightweight Crew team at the University of Pennsylvania and on several competitive cycling teams. Today he still enjoys all types of cycling but has branched out to mountain climbing and backpacking.

James has been married to Rachel since 1997 and have four daughters.

Education

    BS, University of Pennsylvania, 1994
    MS, University of Pennsylvania, 1995
    PhD, Idaho State University, 2010

Areas of Research / Professional Expertise

    Software Engineering, Computer Security, Human-Computer Interaction

Personal Interests

    James love cycling above all other recreational pursuits. He prefers his road bike, but also loves mountain biking and gravel.

    James is an avid mountaineer, averaging one "major" peak every month. It does not take much to convince James to head to the mountains.

    James also loves backpacking and hiking.

Books

Featured Title
 Featured Title - Security for Software Engineers - 1st Edition book cover

Articles

CSEIT 2018

Measurements of Modularization Modern Definions and Metrics for Cohesion and Coupling


Published: Oct 21, 2018 by CSEIT 2018
Authors: Helfrich, J
Subjects: Computer Science & Engineering

The standard measurements of modularization that are a mainstay of CS1 programming classes were defined in the late 1960s. Though a great deal has transpired in the ways of programming techniques and language technology, these measurements have remained largely unchanged. The purpose of this paper is to address shortcomings in these traditional measurements and to offer improvements to make them relevant in modern programming contexts

CSEIT 2015

The Effect of Desk Check on Exam Performance


Published: Oct 18, 2015 by CSEIT 2015
Authors: Helfrich, J
Subjects: Computer Science & Engineering

Abstract—An important skill in developing computer science students is the ability to read source code. Though many have developed tools and techniques to help with this process little work has been done to measure the effectiveness of these techniques. The purpose of this study is to measure the effectiveness of the desk check technique as a tool to help novice programmers understand code.

AACE E-Learning

The Influence of Interactivity on Student Achievement


Published: Oct 27, 2014 by AACE E-Learning
Authors: Helfrich, J.; Coffland, D
Subjects: Computer Science & Engineering

nteractivity in the educational context is the measure of how much control a student has over the learning process. Though recent trends have led us to believe that interactivity is always beneficial and yields greater student outcomes, the literature does not completely support this assertion. This study compared two forms of interactivity on otherwise identical electronic lessons to measure the impact of interactivity on student achievement.

HCI International 2013

The Variables of Usability


Published: Jul 17, 2013 by HCI International 2013
Authors: Helfrich, J.
Subjects: Computer Science & Engineering

Though many have proposed heuristics, maximums, and guidelines to describe the various aspects of heuristic usability analysis, none offer a comprehensive variable set that is both valid and reliable. This paper proposes an eight-variable criteria-set through which usability inspections can be performed. Each variable will be compared with prior work and a precise definition through which each variable can be identified will be proposed.

2012 eCrime Researchers Summit

Dual canonicalization: An answer to the homograph attack


Published: Oct 12, 2012 by 2012 eCrime Researchers Summit
Authors: Helfrich, J.; Neff, R.

Phishing attacks have frequently used homographs since they were first described a decade ago. Though a wide variety of tools and techniques have been used to mitigate the effectiveness of these attacks, none have offered a comprehensive solution. This paper describes the homograph attack as a mathematical problem, identifies the various flavors of the attack, and provides a solution applicable to a wide variety of scenarios.

AACE E-Learning

Signaling for Electronic Textbooks


Published: Oct 25, 2010 by AACE E-Learning
Authors: Helfrich, J.
Subjects: Computer Science & Engineering

The effectiveness of this digital content is influenced not only in the content itself or the text in which it is written, but also by formatting and organizational tools used to present the text. These tools, called signals, could facilitate or distract from the readability and thus utility of the content. This paper will explore what e-text signals are available to facilitate reading.

AACE E-Learning

Leveraging Interactivity to Increase E-Learning Effectiveness


Published: Oct 17, 2009 by AACE E-Learning
Authors: Helfrich, J.; Moulten, S.
Subjects: Computer Science & Engineering

While most would agree that interactivity is a powerful tool to increase the effectiveness of learning objects, it has quickly becoming apparent that all forms of interaction are not equal. This article synthesizes several different attempts that have been made to describe variables of interaction for online learning objects and relates them to achieving learning outcomes.