Computerized Aircraft Accident Investigation: Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspectors\u27 Perceptions

The purpose of this study was to solicit the perceptions of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASIs) on the use of a personal computer in the aircraft accident investigation process. A descriptive study survey questionnaire was used to collect the data for the study, which was sent to 150 FAA ASIs. The data collected supported the hypothesis that aircraft accident investigators think the use of a computer will help them with accident report form completion, managing the accident data collected, and in determining the factors contributing to an accident. Furthermore, the data supported the hypothesis that the use of a computer would make the overall process of aircraft accident investigation more efficient

Defining the mechanisms of a cooperative computer system based on theories of cooperation

There is a growing interest in the development of computer systems that are actively involved in the tasks of the users and serve to augment the users' creativity. Cooperative computing is a major contribution to this research field. A survey of current developments in knowledge based systems led to the conclusion that there has hitherto been an absence of a formal definition of the mechanisms of cooperative computer systems based on theories of cooperation. The work in this thesis seeks to provide a full definition of cooperation derived from the behaviours of living cooperative systems. Studies on human cooperation and cooperation in the animal kingdom, established that cooperation is a dynamic behaviour; in that the interaction processes between the cooperative partners serve to facilitate the achievement of a common goal, or a set of goals that are mutually desired by the partners. Partners in cooperation are interdependent: one member's actions are contingent on another. Therefore, the underlying processes which induce and maintain cooperation were identified. These are: communication between the partners; emergence of norms and roles governing the behaviour of the cooperating members; resolution of conflicts; distributed and coordinated activities. These factors were further elucidated within the context of small problem solving groups. A model of cooperationw hich encapsulatedth esef actors was produced. From the discussionso f the advantageso f cooperationw ithin different contexts, the potential for synergy was found to be the main benefit of cooperation. The potential for achieving this synergy between a human and a computer is the main motivation for the work undertaken in this research. From the theoretical analysis of cooperation, the underlying mechanisms of a cooperative computer were successfully defined. A conceptual model of human-computer cooperation was presented. It was established that the quality of cooperation is closely associated with the nature of the task. Therefore, it is not practicable to produce a general purpose cooperative system. A specific task must be used. Creative tasks of a problem identifying and solving nature, were found to be more suitable to cooperative behaviour than others. Typical of these, and the one selected, was computer screen design. Current screen design practice was analysed, and the functional requirements and knowledge base needs of the systems were established. The underlying mechanisms of cooperation were formalised and successfully implemented within a software exemplar, named COSY. COSY exhibits the behavioural characteristics of cooperation, and utilises the knowledge of screen design to support users in the task of formatting computer screens. COSY successfully demonstrated the synergistic relationship in its cooperation with the users. It is concluded that the approach undertaken in this thesis has lead to a successful definition and implementation of the formal mechanisms of cooperation in a computer system, one which potentially enhances the innovative and creative aspects of design work

Avaliação da interface de um aplicativo computacional através de teste de usabilidade, questionário ergonômico e análise gráfica do design

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Produção.O presente trabalho apresenta os conceitos envolvidos com a interface, aspectos ligados ao perfil do usuário e considerações sobre o design da interface, aprofundando-se no estudo da avaliação da mesma. Após a apresentação de várias técnicas de avaliação, é apresentada a avaliação da interface de um aplicativo que se encontra em desenvolvimento para o Tribunal Regional do Trabalho (TRT), pelo grupo do DesignLab da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC). O aplicativo, denominado Sistema de Informatização Processual para primeira Instância da Justiça Trabalhista (SIP), visa à realização de tarefas jurisdicionais, tendo em vista a melhoria das condições de trabalho dos serventuários da justiça e a agilidade dos serviços prestados à comunidade. Para a avaliação da interface do SIP, foi aplicado o método denominado Teste de Usabilidade. Além do método, utilizou-se também a técnica "Pensar em Voz Alta" e a aplicação de questionário, sendo este elaborado segundo critérios ergonômicos e para finalizar foi realizada uma análise gráfica do design das telas do aplicativo, com base em critérios pré-estabelecidos