H. Albert Napier

Hidden Costs of Graphical User Interfaces: Failure to Make the Transition from Menus and Icon Toolbars to Keyboard Shortcuts

Graphical interfaces allow users to issue commands using pull-down menus, icon toolbars, and keyboard shortcuts. Menus and icon toolbars are easier to learn, whereas keyboard shortcuts are more efficient. It would seem natural for users to migrate from the use of easy-to-learn menu and icon methods to the more efficient method of keyboard shortcuts as they gain experience. To investigate the extent to which this transition takes place, 251 experienced users of Microsoft Word were given a questionnaire assessing their choice of methods for the most frequently occurring commands. Contrary to our expectations, most experienced users rarely used the efficient keyboard shortcuts, favoring the use of icon toolbars instead. A second study was done to verify that keyboard shortcuts are, indeed, the most efficient method. Six participants performed common commands using menu selection, icon toolbars, and keyboard shortcuts. The keyboard shortcuts were, as expected, the most efficient. These studies show that even experienced users are inefficient in their use of graphical interfaces. One possible way to improve user efficiency is for training programs to provide a roadmap for users to make the transition from using pull-down menus and clicking icon toolbars to issuing keyboard shortcuts.

Impact of a restricted natural language interface on ease of learning and productivity

People process natural language in real time and with very limited short-term memories. This article describes a computational architecture for syntactic performance that also requires fixed finite resources.

An experiment in applying the adaptive design approach to DSS development.

Abstract The very nature of a DSS requires a design method different from the traditional “life cycle” approach for the development of transaction processing systems. An approach proposed here as most appropriate for DSS development is adaptive design. This article discusses the process and application of the adaptive design approach to DSS development. First, the conceptual issues of adaptive design are explored. Then a case study is described of the use of the adaptive design approach. In applying this to DSS development, some important conclusions were made: 1. 1. The adaptive design approach requires a high level of user participation and involvement. 2. 2. Rapid progress in defining the user requirements and developing DSS capabilities during the early stages of the development process establishes the credibility of the DSS builder and leads to user cooperation. 3. 3. DSS generator is a critical factor in the application of the approach. 4. 4. The adaptive design approach seems to reduce the requirement for formal user training. 5. 5. The perceived value of the DSS during the early stages of the adaptive design process seems to be necessary incentive for its adoption by a user.

Predicting the skilled use of hierarchical menus with the keystroke-level model

This article addresses a key question in the application of Card, Moran, and Newells (1983) keystroke-level model to software in which users specify a command by working through a system of hierarchical menus. For example, to insert a row in Lotus 1-2-3®, the user makes three menu choices: W for worksheet, I for insert, and R for row. In the keystroke-level model, it is assumed that a time-consuming mental operation precedes each command. The question in the application of the keystroke-level model to hierarchical menu systems is whether the keystrokes WIR in the previous example constitute the execution of three commands and thus require three mental operations or whether WIR acts as a single command and requires only one mental operation. Data were collected from four highly experienced Lotus 1-2-3 users as they went about their day-to-day work. Strong evidence that only one mental operation is involved in choosing from a hierarchical menu system was obtained. We hypothesize that the discrepancy of our results from the data of others is due to the fact that our subjects were more experienced. The implications of our findings for the design of menus is discussed.

An empirical study of occupational stress, attitudes and health among information systems personnel

Abstract This paper investigates occupational stress, Type A behavior pattern, work attitudes, health symptoms, and health behaviors among information systems personnel. Hundreds of research studies have been conducted on the stress associated with working in various occupations. Unfortunately, information systems is one occupation that has not been included in these stress studies. The present study investigated the stress, work attitudes, and health behaviors of 446 information systems personnel employed in 18 different organizations. Type A behavior pattern was found to be a significant moderator for some of the stressor-criterion associations. The findings suggest that more managerial understanding of person-environment fit in general and the individual employees predisposition toward the Type A behavior pattern specifically may be beneficial in attempting to initiate, nurture, and sustain a productive and healthy work atmosphere.

A team approach to managing the development of a decision support system

Decision support systems (DSS) often fail when their development lacks a thorough problem definition and/or an adequate commitment of individuals from the associated functional areas. A team-oriented structure for developing a DSS, like the one described in this article, can reduce such problems by outlining the tasks that managers, operating personnel, and information systems personnel should complete during the DSSs definition, design, and implementation stages.

Basic Dual Feasible Solutions for a Class of Generalized Networks

The generalized network problem and the closely related restricted dyadic problem occur frequently in applications of linear programming. Although they are next in order of computational complexity after pure network or distribution problems, the jump in degree of difficulty is such that, in the most general problem, there exist no algorithms comparable in speed to those for pure networks. In this paper we characterize the properties of a special class of generalized network problems that permit a dual feasible basic solution to be determined in one “pass” through the network. In particular, this class includes the class of pure network problems for which no such procedure has previously existed. Our algorithm also makes it possible to apply Lemkes dual method and the poly-ω technique of Charnes and Cooper in an efficient manner to solve capacitated (pure) network problems.

Knowledge of command usage in a spreadsheet program

Knowledge of how software is actually used by people can assist software developers and internal MIS application development personnel to improve the user-interface of existing software, in creating new user interface styles for existing software packages, and to improve the training for personnel using software packages. This article reports results from a study that examined the use of a popular spreadsheet software by 40 experienced users in their work environment. Of the 505 commands that could be used, 18 (3.6%) accounted for over 80% of the usage. More than 50% of the available commands were never used. Most of the command usage was related to creating, maintaining, and printing spreadsheets.

The Computer Use Scale: Four Dimensions of How People Use Computers.

An instrument to measure the various ways people use computers was developed and evaluated. Computers can be used as word processors, game machines, communication tools, accounting tools, and for a myriad of other applications. The Computer Use Scale (CUS) measures how people use computers across four dimensions: Enthusiasm, Entertainment, Efficiency, and Communication. These scales measure the extent to which individuals use computers as “cutting-edge” technology, as playthings, as tools to create better work in less time, or to communicate with others. The scale was found to be reliable and was able to detect differences among various classes of users. Applications of the scale to computer training, software design, and job placement are discussed.