HCI Seminar 310-89

Day 2 Notes

8/30/99

 

  1. Note, no class labor day (next week).  Handout readings for next weeks
  2. One-minute paper debriefing

Big Points:

User considerations in design, other issues in design

Design is a process, but products do emerge

Levels of research

 

Questions:

Projects?

More on augmentation

Is HCI more SS or science?

Is good design possible with current lack of standards?

Is current desktop metaphor the best one?

IT productivity studies show little gains---how much is due to bad interfaces? (see Landauer)

How will I manage class diversity?

 

  1. Shackel: our data show dip in document growth in early 90s

Agree with his point of view on hypertext (discrete, linked chunks good for manuals, reference but not scientific papers, essays, etc.)?

What do you think about his suggestion that smartcard will play roles in future HCI?

 

  1. Engelbart: see process hierarchies slides (G drives)

 

  1. Meister: Have his predictions about computer literate populace solved any of the HCI problems?  (design affects moving targets)  The causes of disorientation: infrastructure is too visible, lack of road signs, no feedback, bad manuals, lack of standards—are there others? (e.g., distraction, technical inertia)

 

  1. Perspective on Information seeking

6.1.  Informationŕ change <human?> knowledge state

Process (the act of informing)

Knowledge in the head (reduction in uncertainty)

Artifact (external manifestation of above)

6.2.  Information seeking: purposeful change in knowledge state

Search (two senses)

            Behavioral manifestation of information seeking (human)

            Algorithmic process (human or machine)

            Heuristic process (human or machine)

Figure 1. Information processes

6.3.  The Personal Information Infrastructure: Human Capabilities & Experiences (See Figure)

6.3.1. Physical (see Card et al human processor model)

            Speech (speak and listen) averages 120 wpm

            Reading averages 200-300 wpm

            Vision 100M bits/glance; 50 ms recognition

Human performance differences vary enormously by task (see Egan, 1988)

            2:1 fastest to slowest worker ratio for common tasks (grocery checkers, cigar rollers, etc.); BUT 20:1 for programming; 10:1 for information search, 5:1 for text editing

Age matters

6.3.2. Experience and Knowledge (mental models)

            General skills and aptitudes (memory, spatial ability, reasoning, etc.)

            Domain knowledge

            System knowledge

            Information-seeking knowledge

6.3.3. Context/Setting

            Motivation/attitude

            Material resources (time, money, equipment, info access)

6.4.  Information-seeking Process

Recognize and accept

Define problem (address ASK)

Select source

Formulate query (Taylor’s levels: visceral, conscious, formalized, compromised)

Execute query

Examine results

Extract information

Reflect/iterate/stop

6.5.  Information-seeking strategies: Analytical and Browse (figure of continua)

6.6.  Browsing (see transparencies)

 

  1. One-minute paper

What was the big point you learned in class today?

What is the main, unanswered question you leave class with today?