Supporting GUI exploration through USS tool

Advances in usability and design techniques (e.g. user-centered design) try to facilitate the use of interactive systems. However, users still have to adapt to interactive systems, i.e. they have to learn the steps required to accomplish a task either by trial and error or by obtaining help. While advanced users are usually able to adapt without much effort this is far from being the case with beginners. Some interactive systems offer different interaction styles in an attempt to meet the needs of all types of user but this is not the case with all interactive systems. In this sense, we present an approach to support the use of any interactive system making use of enriched models and picture-driven computing to achieve tasks automation. The USS tool (User Support System) is the basis to the adaptation of interactive systems accordingly to the users' needs. The approach provides the foundation for the addition of help (based on demonstration) to any graphical user interfaces (GUI) facilitating learning and use. The work is illustrated by a case study and completed with a preliminary user evaluation which provides insights about the validity of the approach.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

An examination of the weaknesses in current online help systems and a proposed solution using an integrated information base

This thesis reports results of a research study into the usefulness of On-line Help Systems for application software users. The main objective of the research was to examine existing On-line Help systems, identify their weaknesses, and propose a means of rectifying the problems identified. A study of the available relevant literature revealed that both users and designers have divergent views as to the overall usability and efficacy of On-line Information, and this diversity has contributed to the problems inherent in On-line Help systems. An initial user survey was conducted with a group of computer users who were professionals in their own areas, many of whom also have considerable experience in the applications examined. The results are in agreement with the hypothesis that in spite of the long history of software development and the existence of research in the area, users of On-line Help Systems still find them unsatisfactory. The results also revealed that even experienced users find some aspects of existing Online Help Systems difficult to use, and that, in general current versions are not well received. A set of exploratory experiments has been carried out with users interacting with Microsoft Excel, using the On-line Help system at one sitting and the User Manual at another. These investigations revealed the existence of design and accessibility problems. Three terms best describe the problems identified - Vocabulary, Compartmentalisation, and the lack of an Integrated Base. An optimal approach to the design of On-line Help systems that will overcome these problems is proposed and a prototype system implemented and evaluated. The research has achieved its aim of providing a contribution to the design and implementation of On-line Help Systems that should enhance both the usability and efficacy of On-line support systems

The GovStat Glossary Animations: An Evaluation of Control, Learning, Time, and Satisfaction

The Glossary Animations are short, instructional multimedia presentations that explain statistical terms. This paper presents research and best practices that can guide the development of successful multimedia instruction. The Glossary Animations are critiqued, with consideration given to several fields including educational cognitive psychology, instructional design, information science, and graphic design. A study was conducted to examine the use of controls in the GovStat Glossary Animations, and whether different levels of control affect the learning rate, the quality of learning, or user satisfaction. The results of the study are evaluated with the goal of creating a better multimedia instructional interface, and recommendations are provided for future Glossary Animation designs

Supporting end-user debugging

Although researchers have begun to explicitly support end-user programmers’ debugging by providing information to help them find bugs, there is little research addressing the right content to communicate to these users. The specific semantic content of these debugging communications matters because, if the users are not actually seeking the information the system is providing, they are not likely to attend to it. This thesis reports a formative empirical study that sheds light on what end users actually want to know in the course of debugging a spreadsheet, given the availability of a set of interactive visual testing and debugging features. Our results provide insights into end-user debuggers’ information gaps, and further suggest opportunities to improve end-user debugging systems’ support for the things end-user debuggers actually want to know. Following up on those suggestions, we then present the design and implementation of a solution aimed at helping to close some of those information gaps

Towards a general model for the design of virtual reality learning environments

Virtual reality (VR) has been described as a new and unique type of learning media primarily because it encourages active participation. However, a large number of VR worlds are barely more than passive 3D graphic visualisations. This might be due to the lack of guidelines for the design of interactive worlds, or to the learning preferences of the designers themselves. The literature indicates a number of principles, especially in the area of VR design and learning theory that could form the basis of appropriate design guidelines and this thesis presents these as a set of guidelines for VR designers. There is a lack of information about the learning preferences of VR designers or the design of appropriate help systems for VR learning media so four additional fieldwork studies were carried out to investigate the learning styles, communication styles, attitudes towards the use of VR in learning and training situations, and preferences for the design and use of VR help systems using a sample of VR designers and VR design students. The results indicated that the learning style and communication profiles of VR designers may not be suitable for the design of active learning material. It was also found that VR designers had positive attitudes towards the development of VR in general but less so for learning situations. VR designers tended to provide mainly text-based (visual) instruction in their designs, which may be linked to their predominantly visual learning modalities. However, the results suggested that visual-dominant VR design students were equally likely to prefer voiced (auditory) instructions when used naturally within a VR world. The findings from these four studies were incorporated into a broad set of top-level guidelines that form the first step towards a general model for the design of active, participatory VR learning environments

Research-Based Web Design & Usability Guidelines [2006 edition]

The new edition of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Research-Based Web Design and Usability Guidelines. These guidelines reflect HHS’ commitment to identifying innovative, research-based approaches that result in highly responsive and easy-to-use Web sites for the public. These guidelines help move us in that direction by providing practical, yet authoritative, guidance on a broad range of Web design and communication issues. Having access to the best available research helps to ensure we make the right decisions the first time around and reduces the possibility of errors and costly mistakes