Susan Palmiter

Animated demonstrations vs. written instructions for learning procedural tasks: a preliminary investigation

Abstract Animated demonstrations have been created due to the development of direct manipulation interfaces and the need for faster learning, so that users can learn interface procedures by watching. To compare animated demonstrations with written instructions we observed users learning and performing HyperCard™authoring tasks on the Macintosh™ during three performance sessions. In the training session, users were asked either to watch a demonstration or read the procedures needed for the task and then to perform the task. In the later two sessions users were asked to perform tasks identical or similar to the tasks used in the training session. Results showed that demonstrations provided faster and more accurate learning during the training session. However, during the later sessions those who saw demonstrated procedures took longer to perform the tasks than did users of written instructions. Users appeared to be mimicking the training demonstrations without processing the information which would be needed later. In fact, when users had to infer procedures for tasks which were similar to those seen in the training session, the text group was much better at deducing the necessary procedures than the demonstration group. These findings indicate that animated demonstrations, as they were implemented for this study, were not robust enogh to aid in later transfer.

An evaluation of animated demonstrations of learning computer-based tasks

Animated demonstrations are real-time instantiation of computer-based procedures. They appear to be a natural way of helping people learn direct manipulation interfaces, yet we know little about their efficacy. Carefully matched animated demonstrations, procedural textual instructions, and a combination of demonstrations and spoken text were compared. The demonstration groups were faster and more accurate when learning procedural tasks, but seven days later the text group was faster and as accurate when performing identical and similar tasks. Apparently, the processing of animated demonstrations may not be sufficient for retention and transfer of interface procedures. Even with accompanying text provided, the simplicity of using demonstrations may encourage mimicry and disregard of text.

Designing help using a GOMS model: an information retrieval evaluation

The GOMS model was used to develop the structure and content of a help system from the goals, operators, methods, and selection rules needed to perform HyperCard™ authoring tasks. The retrieval effectiveness of the GOMS help system was compared with an original help system developed by Apple® Computer. Two groups, each consisting of 14 novice HyperCard users, retrieved help for 56 authoring tasks separated into four blocks using either the GOMS or original help system. Users of GOMS help were significantly faster than were the original system users, with the largest difference occurring during the first block. Retrieval performance with GOMS help was stable, whereas original system users improved significantly over blocks. The explicit procedural structure of GOMS help seemed to ease retrieval, whereas original system users had to learn the location of specific information. This study suggests that a GOMS model can aid in the development of a procedural help system that is easy to learn and use for retrieving help information.

Evaluation Metrics and a Tool for Control Panel Design

In the use of control panels for the automotive industry, consistency and usability are of major importance. General qualitative guidelines exist for the designer, but there is currently a lack of quantitative human factors data for control panel designs. A state of the art design tool which provides the designer with ergonomic usability guidelines and structure is needed. As part of the current research, a computer-based tool which provides a quantitative analysis of the ergonomic quality of a control panel layout has been created. This tool is a tailored Auto-CAD1 program for the IBM PC2 which provides features to encourage consistency and structure in the design of control panel layouts. Extending the work by Tullis (1983) on alphanumeric display metrics, four graphical metrics for the overall and functional design levels are included as part of the design tool. These metrics are: 1) Overall Density - ratio of free space to occupied space, 2) Local Density - how closely placed the design entities are to each other, 3) Layout Complexity - position irregularity of functional areas, and 4) Display Grouping - number of functions and number of controls and displays. In this effort, the design metrics and the design tool have been developed.

Focus on the individual: the future of web-based product support

OVERVIEW Technology companies are moving customer support services that were once handled by legions of support staff to web-based offerings. In one-on-one interactions support staff and end users formed a connection that could positively (or at times negatively) impact the customer relationship. In fact, the data made available to the end user may often vary from the data available to the support services agent [1] making the link to the customer agent more critical. Yet, the community of support providers and end users is being replaced with web tools and services. Those same end users who once called product support phone lines now frequently turn to web sites to answer questions, find documentation, update software and drivers, or to find others who own the same products to develop solutions. Site navigation, knowledgebase design, interactivity, personalization, tools, and budgets all impact the success of the support site migration [2]. A growing focus for those who provide support services on the web is the usability of the site and specifically the personalization of the experience for the end customer. This personalization effort replaces the direct contact experience with an end user and hopes to mirror that personal experience with a live support person at some level.

Designing a Help System Using a Goms Model: A Preliminary Method Execution Analysis

The GOMS model (Card, Moran, and Newell, 1983) was used to develop the content of a help system from the goals, operators, methods, and selection rules needed to perform HyperCard™ authoring tasks. Three groups of 12 novice HyperCard users performed 28 authoring tasks using either the GOMS help system, an original help system developed by Apple® Computer, or no help at all (a control group). In the two help groups, users were provided the most complete help method and did not have to search for the help information. The results indicated that both help systems significantly decreased the time spent performing the authoring tasks when compared to the control group. Although a 23% decrease in execution time for GOMS users compared to original users was not significant, variance ratios confirmed that GOMS users, as a group, were more consistent when compared to original and control users. Also, GOMS users spent significantly less time per help display, translating the help methods into execution performance 78% more efficiently than original users. This result probably was due to the procedurally explicit and consistent help methods specified by the GOMS model.

The Edge System: Ergonomic Design Using Graphic Evaluation

EDGE is a computer-based ergonomic workspace design system which integrates several models of operator performance with a common graphic interface. In addition to serving as a practical design system, it also serves as a research tool for understanding the ergonomic design process in industry. System users include trained ergonomists and engineers responsible for manual workspace design. The design system centers around a core vocabulary of task-related terms. A common input format, modeled after the traditional “work methods table” addresses the input requirements of the varied human performance models. Output from the performance models is displayed on multiple screens in varying levels of detail. Among the measures of physical stress currently integrated into the system are models of biomechanical strength, NIOSH lifting limits, metabolic energy expenditure, and elemental time prediction.