Evelyn P. Rozanski

eyePatterns: software for identifying patterns and similarities across fixation sequences

Fixation sequence analysis can reveal the cognitive strategies that drive eye movements. Unfortunately this type of analysis is not as common as other popular eye movement measures, such as fixation duration and trace length, because the proper tools for fixation sequence analysis are not incorporated into most popular eye movement software. This paper describes eyePatterns, a new tool for discovering similarities in fixation sequences and identifying the experimental variables that may influence their characteristics.

Here, there, anywhere: remote usability testing that works

Usability testing is regarded as a key element in user-centered design. Several studies from the Standish Group have shown that usability testing increases the chance of developing usable software. Companies are faced with many challenges: their customers demand usable products at reasonable costs and the customer base is distributed and diverse. Unfortunately, usability testing is often perceived as impractical due to the remote and distributed location of users, limited access to representative users, or a work context that is difficult to reproduce in a laboratory setting. Additionally, for some companies, the cost of transporting users or developers to remote locations can be prohibitive. Interest in remote usability testing has grown in response to these concerns. As the user advocate, the Information Technology student needs to be provided not only with hands-on experience in usability testing, but also with its nuances. These include an understanding of the wide range of formats and options available such as remote usability testing. Moreover, a remote format may be a solution for universities that do not have the resources to set up formal laboratories. There is a need to understand how best to facilitate remote testing in a classroom environment. The focus of our study was to identify appropriate tools and define methodologies for efficient and effective remote testing environments. We investigated commercial tools to determine their usefulness and cost-effectiveness for the classroom and then conducted an empirical study to compare traditional and remote usability testing of a web site using one of these tools. This paper will report on advantages and disadvantages of various remote testing tools, modifications to procedures and protocols of traditional testing, and the project findings, including usability problem identification, which establish the effectiveness of remote usability testing. Recommendations will be made for providing a credible environment for remote testing.

The many facets of HCI

In the last ten years HCI, the study and practice of usability, has emerged as a multidisciplinary, multifaceted field. HCI is an essential knowledge area that pervades the computing field and should be included in every computing professionals education. Computing professionals need to create software, and other technologies, so that users will want to use them and will be able to effectively use them. User advocacy distinguishes the Information Technology discipline from the other computing disciplines. Graduates need to understand the many facets of HCI. These include not only understanding the design of the interface, but also the broader issues of the user experience, process and business concerns, challenges of distributed computing, the emergence of supportive technologies, and the impact of ubiquitous computing. This paper will introduce the key HCI concepts, and discuss the challenges, issues and future developments of the field that will drive Information Technology curriculum development.

Integrating usability engineering into the computer science curriculum: a proposal

The authors propose a model for incorporating usability engineering into the undergraduate computer science curriculum using an example curriculum from an accredited undergraduate computer science program in the United States. This model proposes that human-computer interaction and usability engineering concepts be integrated throughout the computer science curriculum rather than treated as disjoint topics.

SIMPLIFIED EYE TRACKING ENHANCES PROBLEM UNDERSTANDING AND SOLUTION DISCOVERY IN USABILITY TESTING

Identifying problems and generating recommendations for product user interface redesign are primary goals of usability testing. Typical methods seem inadequate for the deep understanding of usability problems needed for developing effective solutions. Sporadically over the past 50 years, usability teams have tracked user eye movements to achieve this deeper understanding, but high cost and complexity have prevented the widespread use of this technology. We investigated whether simplified eye tracking techniques, in combination with traditional usability testing methods, could enhance problem discovery and understanding. These techniques included: using a video-based eye tracking system, tracking only a few participants, and encoding gaze durations (not individual fixations) on only a few areas of interest. For each of three interface versions, we studied twelve participants with traditional usability testing techniques and eye tracked just two. Eye tracking yielded discovery of additional usability problems and detailed characterizations which led to more focused and appropriate solutions.

Using Java in computer science education (panel)

The Java programming language burst onto the scene in May 1995 and became an instant celebrity. Development of this platform independent programming language began at Sun Microsystems in 1991 as part of a research project for consumer electronic devices with the design goals that Java be small, fast, efficient and easily portability to a wide range of devices. Although originally intended for use in programming such devices, Java has turned out to be a useful language for distributed network environments as well. It is well known as a tool for creating applets that run inside World Wide Web (Web) pages, but is also a powerful, general purpose, object-oriented language useful for a wide variety of applications. This panel discussed approaches to using Java in computer science education and, in doing so, considered the following questions:

Student information consumption strategies: implications of the Google effect

Previous research in the area of distributed cognition within the educational process has revealed several new and emerging phenomena regarding student behavior. Students appear to be strategically discriminating in their learning strategies, taking the opportunity to offload learning when information is easily accessible and retrievable. This paper reviews several current research findings, and offers societal implications.

Accreditation: does it enhance quality?

Accreditation, considered to be the one formal mechanism for assessing quality in the postsecondary environment, focuses on determining and encouraging acceptable levels of educational quality. In particular, specialized program accreditation is purported to enhance program quality. This exploratory study used a nationwide mail questionnaire to a stratified random sampling of 100 department heads of the units administering baccalaureate Computer Science programs. The purpose was to gain an understanding of how Computer Science programs and departments were related to selected indicators of faculty and program quality. Several differences and some similarities exist between the accredited and non-accredited groups. The median of the data for each indicator suggested a quality breakpoint to be used in defining two indices. It was found that for each of the two indices, the accredited group outperformed the non-accredited group by thirty percent. The implication is that Computer Science programs that follow accreditation guidelines have the potential for increasing their quality indicators.