Midterm Exam Reviewer for HCI Computer – are worthless unless they can be used

properly by humans.
Chapter 1: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
Overview: Interaction – refers to a dialogue generated by the
command and data input to the computer and the
HCI (Human – Computer Interaction) display, output of the computer.

- characterized as a dialogue or Courses – Engineering, Education, Psychology

interchange between the human and (Cognition), Computer Science Language.
the computer because the output of
one serves as the input for the other in Interface – is made up of a set of hardware devices
an exchange of actions and intentions. and software tools from the computer side and a
- the study of interaction between system of sensory, motor and cognitive process from
people (users) and computers. the human side.
- Concerned with the design evaluation
and implementation of interactive Donald Norman’s Model - concentrates on user’s
computing systems for human use and view of the interface.
with study of major phenomena.
- An interdisciplinary field in which 7 Stages
computer scientists, engineers,
Goal
psychologists, social scientists and
 User establishes the goal
design professional play important
Execution
roles.
 Formulates intention
HCI Components  Specifies actions at interfere
 Executes Action
 Human (Users) Evaluation
 Computers  Perceives system state
 Interaction  Interprets system state
 Evaluates system state with respect to
Goals of HCI

 To improve the interaction between

users and computers by making
computers more user friendly and
receptive to the user’s needs.

Model Human Processor (Card, Moran and Newell,

1983)

- Simplified view of the human goal

processing involved in interacting with
computer system.

Why do we need to understand humans?

- Cognitive mind or having cognition.

- Human cognition process is involved
when interacting with system like
attention, perception and recognition, User Interface (UI) - mediate the interaction (dialog)
memory, learning, reasoning problem between humans and computers.
solving and decision making.
- Identifies and explains the nature and Good UI Design:
causes of problems users encounter.
 Increase Efficiency
  Improves productivity  Task Analysis gathers both declarative and
 Reduce errors procedural knowledge.
 Reduce training  It is originally a tool for writing training
 Improves acceptance manuals.
A balance of two key features is needed for  Emphasizes users + existing tasks, rather
an effective user interface than desired system as in systems analysis
- Expressive – ability to achieve
specific tasks efficiently
- Intuitive- ease of use, degree of
effort required to lean. What you learn with task analysis:

Basic Goal of HCI  What your users’ goals are; what they are
trying to achieve
 Usability  What users actually do to achieve those
 Functional goals
 What experiences users bring to the tasks
A Usable System is:  How users are influenced by their physical
environment
 Easy to learn  How users’ previous knowledge and
 Easy to remember to use experience influence:
 Effective to use o How they think about their work
 Efficient to use o The workflow they follow to
 Safe to use perform the tasks
 Enjoyable to use
Purpose of task analysis
Chapter 5: Task Analysis
•Predict the time taken to learn a new task
TASK and become proficient user of the particular
application/machine
 a piece of work to be done, especially one
done regularly, unwillingly, or with •Predict the time taken for a proficient user
difficulty. to accomplish task

ANALYSIS •Predict the time taken for expert

execution of the set task
 a detailed examination of anything complex
in order to understand its nature or to •To improve the delivery of information to
determine its essential features. the user

TASK ANALYSIS Task Analysis helps in…

 It is the process of learning about ordinary •Identify the tasks that your website and
users by observing them in action to applications must support
understand in detail how they perform their
tasks and achieve their intended goals. •Refining or re-defining your site’s
 It is a systematic method of studying the navigation or search
tasks users perform in order to reach their
goals. •Website requirements gathering

Aim is to determine: •Developing your content strategy and site

structure
- What they do
- What things they use •Prototyping
- What they must know
•Performing usability test
Approaches to task analysis • Describe order of subtasks

• Knowledge-based techniques – what the user VARIANTS:

knows about the task, and how it is organized.
• Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) – the most
• Entity/Object based Analysis – relationships common
between objects, actions and the people who
perform them. • ConcurTaskTrees (CTT) – uses LOTOS temporal
operators
• Task decomposition – splitting task into
(ordered) subtasks. Hierarchical Task Analysis

KNOWLEDGE – BASED ANALYSIS  It is the procedure of disintegrating

tasks into subtasks that could be
AIMS: analyzed using the logical sequence for
execution
•To understand knowledge required for the task
TEXTUAL HIERARCHICAL TASK ANALYSIS
•Provide training material, how-to manuals

•Take advantage of common knowledge across

tasks

•Organize information and navigation in the

application

FOCUSES ON:

•Objects used in task

•Actions performed

Use Taxonomies:

•Represents levels of abstraction

•Organization (grouping) depends on

purpose

Declarative knowledge elicitation techniques:

• Established convention, existing

documentation

• Asking users to list objects; card sorting

 Structured interviews, listing nouns and

verbs

Task decomposition

AIMS:

• Describe the actions people do

• Structure them within task and subtask hierarchy

DIAGRAMMATIC HIERARCHICAL TASK ANALYSIS • Fixed sequence – 1.1 then 1.2 then 1.3

• Optional tasks – if the pot is full, 2

• Wait for events – when kettle boils, 1.4

• Cycles – do 5.1 and 5.2 while there are still

empty cups

• Time-sharing – do any of 3.1, 3.2, or 3.3 in

any order

• Mixtures – most plans involve several of the

above

REFINING THE HTA

• Checking matched actions

• Turn “off” without turning “on”?

• Restructuring

• “Make pot” might be a meaningful

task and group related actions

• Balancing complexity

• Is “pour tea” simpler than “make

pot”?

• Generalizing

• If we want to make one or more

cups?

MAIN CONSTRUCTS TO DEFINE PLANS