Muneo Kitajima

A Comprehension-based Model of Web Navigation and Its Application to Web Usability Analysis

CoLiDeS, a comprehension-based cognitive model of Web navigation, offers a theoretical explanation of the impasses users often encounter during information search and retrieval from the W W W, and also identifies the determinants of success cases. In this model, acting on a single Web page screen object is regarded as the outcome of a multi-step process: parsing the current display containing up to about 200 screen objects into five to ten top-level schematic objects; focusing on one of these top-level schematic objects; comprehending and elaborating the screen objects within the focused-on area; and then selecting one of the actual screen objects as the target for the next action, the object whose representation bears the highest degree of semantic similarity to the user’s goal.

Tool for accurately predicting website navigation problems, non-problems, problem severity, and effectiveness of repairs

The Cognitive Walkthrough for the Web (CWW) is a partially automated usability evaluation method for identifying and repairing website navigation problems. Building on five earlier experiments [3,4], we first conducted two new experiments to create a sufficiently large dataset for multiple regression analysis. Then we devised automatable problem-identification rules and used multiple regression analysis on that large dataset to develop a new CWW formula for accurately predicting problem severity. We then conducted a third experiment to test the prediction formula and refined CWW against an independent dataset, resulting in full cross-validation of the formula. We conclude that CWW has high psychological validity, because CWW gives us (a) accurate measures of problem severity, (b) high success rates for repairs of identified problems (c) high hit rates and low false alarms for identifying problems, and (d) high rates of correct rejections and low rates of misses for identifying non-problems.

A comprehension-based model of exploration

The linked model of comprehension-based action planning and instruction taking (LICAI) simulates performing by exploration tasks using applications hosted on systems with graphical user interfaces. The tasks are given to the user as written exercises containing no information about the correct action sequences. LICAIs comprehension and action-planning processes are based on Kintschs construction-integration (C-I) theory for text comprehension. The model assumes that comprehending instructions is a strategic process; instruction texts must be elaborated using specialized strategres that guide goal generation. LICAI comprehends the instructions and generates goals that are then stored in memory. The action-planning processes are controlled by goals retrieved from memory. Representations of goals that can guide exploration are restricted by the C-I architecture. The model predicts that successful exploration requires linking of the goal representation with the label on the correct object. The model is evaluated by comparing its predictions with results from an experimental study of learning by exploration by Franzke (1994, 1995). We discuss the implications of LICAI for designing instruction materials and interfaces that facilitate exploration.

Draw me the Web: impact of mental model of the web on information search performance of young users

The aim of this experiment conducted with 51 French children was to understand the relationships between childrens information search performances and their mental model of the Web. Each participant was individually asked (a) to complete a demographic questionnaire asking experience with the Web, (b) to draw a picture of her/his perception about the Web, and (c) to perform two search tasks. The results showed that several mental models existed for young users about the Web, independently of their experience with the Web. Moreover, the results confirmed that mental model of the Web could have an effect on the performance.

What, where and how are young people looking for in a search engine results page?: impact of typographical cues and prior domain knowledge

In this paper, we describe an experiment that uses the eye-tracking technique to help us understand how young people (recruited from Grade 5 to Grade 11) explore a search engine results page (SERP) to find information. In particular, we looked at how varying the typographical cuing in Web search results (With boldface versus No boldface) and the familiarity of the search topic (Familiar versus Unfamiliar) affected user visual strategies. Results have mainly showed that (1) typographical cuing and prior domain knowledge influence the visual exploration of a SERP, that (2) four different visual strategies can be identified for young people (F-shaped strategy, Exhaustive strategy, Cued visual jumps, and F-inverse strategy), and that (3) the distribution of these strategies depends on the grade level and on the degree of familiarity of the search topic (i.e., the level of prior domain knowledge).

The influence of web browsing experience on web-viewing behavior

The World Wide Web has become an important source of information, as much as traditional media like books, newspapers, and television. While there have been many studies on Web searching, research into Web-viewing behavior using eye-tracking systems has only recently begun [Pan et al., 2004]. Josephson and Holmes [2002] studied Web-viewing behavior focusing on the category of Web page visual design. They suggested that eye movements were affected by the following two factors: (1) visual design of Web pages and (2) habitually preferred path across the visual stimuli. However, these previous studies did not sufficiently consider the users experience. The purpose of this study is to investigate how past Web-browsing experience influences Web-viewing behavior. We used a detailed questionnaire to measure a users Web-browsing experience and analyzed the eye-tracking data based on the users prior Web experience.

A proposal of grasping information interface for remote pointing task

Grasping-and-moving are fundamental hand operations necessary for performing tasks using modern man-machine interfaces. However, behavioral information associated with grasping, such as force, posture, etc., has not been utilized for traditional interfaces. Although behavioral information should have potential utility in developing task-adaptive and operator-adaptive interfaces; it is known that how people grasp devices is dependent on the purpose of these tasks. This paper describes a computer mouse as a typical pointing device, whose approaching speed, or gain, is adjusted depending on the nature of the task. This paper suggests that the grasping-and-moving tasks should consist of two phases. The first or approaching phase is when the operator moves the mouse pointer close to the target with a small grasping force. The second or positioning phase follows when the operator makes a fine adjustment of the pointer to locate it within the target area using a larger grasping force. This proposed new computer mouse has a sensor to detect the operators grasping force and uses it to control the gain of the mouse. Two sets of experiments were conducted; one for confirming the assumption that the grasping force should be small while approaching the target and large while positioning it; and the other for confirming that the proposed mouse should be effective in reducing the time necessary for pointing various kinds of objects.

A Preparatory Study for Designing Web-Based Educational Materials for the Hearing-Impaired

Our aim is to design web-based interactive educational materials for the hearing-impaired based on their interaction style. We describe the results of an eye-tracking experiment that demonstrates behavioral differences between hearing-impaired and hearing persons when using web-based materials. We found that the hearing-impaired exhibited a smaller strategic scan pattern, and shallower and more intuitive text processing. These findings suggest that the design of web-based educational materials, which currently only consider textual or image substitutes for auditory information, is insufficient for the hearing-impaired.

Improving web usability for the hard-of-hearing

Recently, with continued advances in information technology, there is an ever-growing amount of information accumulated on the World Wide Web. At the same time, the need to make this information accessible to any person who needs it becomes a serious issue. This paper focuses on web content accessibility for the hard-of-hearing. This is motivated by the fact that the first author, who is engaged in educating hard-of-hearing persons through daily classes, felt that hard-of-hearing persons would interact with web pages differently than hearing persons. Using web-based interactive course materials seems effective since they allow the creator to control the presentation of the content. However, the issue of how the hard-of-hearing interact with the web has not been adequately studied.

Information for Helping Drivers Achieve Safe and Enjoyable Driving: An On-Road Observational Study

In this study, a series of on-road observations were conducted to derive information necessary for safe and enjoyable driving. Four pairs of participants were chosen from among those responding to a Web survey and attending a follow-up interview. Each pair was asked to drive six routes. Three of the routes were familiar to one of the pair and new to the other, with the former serving as navigator and the latter serving as driver. For the other three routes, the roles were reversed. Three interviews were conducted, one coming after two drives in which the pair played both roles, in order to derive information considered necessary for safe and enjoyable driving by the participants who served as driver on routes unknown to them. Three kinds of information for safe and enjoyable driving were identified: 1) guidance for routing, 2) support for safe driving, and 3) provision of miscellaneous information, such as information about daily topics of interest to the driver and information about interesting things to see along the route.