Computer Analysis of User Interfaces Based on Repetition in Transcripts of User Sessions

It is generally acknowledged that the production of quality user interfaces requires a thorough understanding of the user and that this involves evaluating the interface by observing the user working with the system, or by performing human factors experiments. Such methods traditionally involve the use of video tape, protocol analysis, critical incident analysis, etc. These methods require time consuming analyses and may be invasive. In addition, the data obtained through such methods represent a relatively small portion of the use of a system. An alternative approach is to record all user input and systems output, i.e., log the user session. Such transcripts can be collected automatically and non-invasively over a long period of time. Unfortunately, this produces voluminous amounts of data. There is, therefore, a need for tools and techniques that allow an evaluator to identify potential performance and usability problems from such data. It is hypothesized that repetition of user actions is an important indicator of potential user interface problems

Remote Usability Testing Methods a la Carte

Although existing lab-based formative usability testing is frequently and effectively applied to improving usability of software user interfaces, it has limitations that have led developers to turn to remote usability evaluation methods (RUEMs) to collect formative usability data from daily usage by real users in their own real-world task environments. The enormous increase in Web usage, where users can be isolated and the network and remote work settingbecome intrinsic parts of usage patterns, is strong motivation for supplementing lab-based testing with remote usability evaluation methods. Another significant impetus for remote evaluation is the fact that the iterative development cycle for any software, Web application or not, does not end with initial deployment. We review and informally compare several approaches to remote usability evaluation with respect to quantity and quality of data collected and the effort to collect the data

Requerimientos de Software: Prototipado, software heredado y análisis de documentos

This paper presents a literature review about alternatives for determination of requirements in software development projects. The literature searching begins from a fundamental principle, request information about methods of determination of requirements that do not need a high percentage of interaction with users or customers. This usually happens because users or customers don’t have time as it happens when traditional methods are used. The search for information was made taking into account the low interaction with the user or customer and in this vein, it was needed to expand the search horizon until 2000 and it includes classic texts in the study area. The search results provided insights about the techniques of requirements engineering, whose main characteristic is to minimize the interaction with users, such as, prototyping, document analysis and legacy software which are the closest ones to the search condition.Este artículo presenta un rastreo bibliográfico sobre alternativas poco usuales para el levantamiento de requisitos en proyectos de desarrollo de software. La búsqueda bibliográfica parte de un principio fundamental, recabar información sobre métodos de levantamiento de requisitos que no requieran de un alto porcentaje de interacción con los usuarios o clientes. Esta situación obedece a que usualmente los usuarios o clientes no disponen del tiempo requerido como ocurre cuando se usan métodos tradicionales. La búsqueda de información se realizó teniendo como clave principal la baja interacción con el usuario o cliente y en este orden de ideas, hubo necesidad de ampliar el horizonte temporal de búsqueda hasta el año 2000 e incluir textos clásicos en el área de estudio. Los resultados de la búsqueda arrojaron luces sobre las técnicas de la Ingeniería de Requisitos, cuya característica principal es la minimizar la interacción con los usuarios, siendo, el prototipado, el análisis de documentos y el software heredado las que más se aproximan a la condición de búsqueda

A hypermedia representation of a taxonomy of usability characteristics in virtual environments

The goal of much work in Virtual Environments (VEs) to date has been to produce innovative technology but until recently, there has been very little user-centered, usability-focused research in VEs that will turn interesting applications into usable ones. There is beginning to be at least some awareness of the need for usability engineering within the VE community. A handful of articles address usability concerns for particular parts of the VE usability space. From this point Gabbard and Hix [1997] has proposed a taxonomy about usability characteristics in VEs to help VE usability engineers and designers. This taxonomy can be used to learn characteristics of VEs or to develop usability engineering methodologies specifically for VEs. In this study, we built hypermedia representation of the taxonomy and evaluated the effectiveness of the user interface by using scenario based formative usability engineering method that developed by Hix and Hartson [1993]. First, we discussed the need for usability engineering for VEs and took a look at a proposed usability engineering methodology [Gabbard and others, 1999] for VEs. Second we implemented hypermedia based web-site taxonomy and then evaluated it iteratively. Last, we added a new study to show the dynamic nature of web-site application.http://archive.org/details/ahypermedirepres109451054Lieutenant Junior Grade, Turkish NavyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Journalistic image access : description, categorization and searching

The quantity of digital imagery continues to grow, creating a pressing need to develop efficient methods for organizing and retrieving images. Knowledge on user behavior in image description and search is required for creating effective and satisfying searching experiences. The nature of visual information and journalistic images creates challenges in representing and matching images with user needs. The goal of this dissertation was to understand the processes in journalistic image access (description, categorization, and searching), and the effects of contextual factors on preferred access points. These were studied using multiple data collection and analysis methods across several studies. Image attributes used to describe journalistic imagery were analyzed based on description tasks and compared to a typology developed through a meta-analysis of literature on image attributes. Journalistic image search processes and query types were analyzed through a field study and multimodal image retrieval experiment. Image categorization was studied via sorting experiments leading to a categorization model. Advances to research methods concerning search tasks and categorization procedures were implemented. Contextual effects on image access were found related to organizational contexts, work, and search tasks, as well as publication context. Image retrieval in a journalistic work context was contextual at the level of image needs and search process. While text queries, together with browsing, remained the key access mode to journalistic imagery, participants also used visual access modes in the experiment, constructing multimodal queries. Assigned search task type and searcher expertise had an effect on query modes utilized. Journalistic images were mostly described and queried for on the semantic level but also syntactic attributes were used. Constraining the description led to more abstract descriptions. Image similarity was evaluated mainly based on generic semantics. However, functionally oriented categories were also constructed, especially by domain experts. Availability of page context promoted thematic rather than object-based categorization. The findings increase our understanding of user behavior in image description, categorization, and searching, as well as have implications for future solutions in journalistic image access. The contexts of image production, use, and search merit more interest in research as these could be leveraged for supporting annotation and retrieval. Multiple access points should be created for journalistic images based on image content and function. Support for multimodal query formulation should also be offered. The contributions of this dissertation may be used to create evaluation criteria for journalistic image access systems

The integration of computational chemistry algorithms into a multimedia environment

Organic chemistry teaching involves the explanation of most phenomena in terms of atomic and molecular models. The main challenge for the student is the creation of mental three-dimensional images of molecules. Unfortunately, many students find the visualisation of the spatial arrangements of molecules a difficult task. For this reason, chemistry teaching has seen the introduction of many innovative teaching tools in an attempt to bring the subject to life for students. Until recently, the cost of computer hardware has prohibited the extensive use of computers within the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. However, the desktop computer has provided a cost-effective platform for developing integrated courseware that presents abstract concepts to the chemistry student. This thesis begins with a review of the design and evaluation of computer-based learning, together with the integration of computers into chemistry education. Two studies then describe the design, implementation and evaluation of novel computer-aided learning material that combines computational chemistry tools and multimedia courseware. The first study assesses the feasibility of integrating interactive three-dimensional molecular modelling into tutorial instruction to provide a visualisation tool for undergraduate organic chemistry. A detailed evaluation has provided substantial evidence concerning the effectiveness of this technique. The second study involves the design of instructional courseware that combines interactive computational chemistry tools and 'talking head' video narration. An innovative training tool that allows medicinal chemists to study analytical chemistry techniques is described. The evaluation of a prototype package has revealed valuable information concerning the combination of dynamic and interactive media. Emerging guidelines for the integration of computational chemistry tools and interactive molecular modelling into multimedia courseware and suggestions for further work are proposed

The integration of computational chemistry algorithms into a multimedia environment

Organic chemistry teaching involves the explanation of most phenomena in terms of atomic and molecular models. The main challenge for the student is the creation of mental three-dimensional images of molecules. Unfortunately, many students find the visualisation of the spatial arrangements of molecules a difficult task. For this reason, chemistry teaching has seen the introduction of many innovative teaching tools in an attempt to bring the subject to life for students. Until recently, the cost of computer hardware has prohibited the extensive use of computers within the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. However, the desktop computer has provided a cost-effective platform for developing integrated courseware that presents abstract concepts to the chemistry student. This thesis begins with a review of the design and evaluation of computer-based learning, together with the integration of computers into chemistry education. Two studies then describe the design, implementation and evaluation of novel computer-aided learning material that combines computational chemistry tools and multimedia courseware. The first study assesses the feasibility of integrating interactive three-dimensional molecular modelling into tutorial instruction to provide a visualisation tool for undergraduate organic chemistry. A detailed evaluation has provided substantial evidence concerning the effectiveness of this technique. The second study involves the design of instructional courseware that combines interactive computational chemistry tools and 'talking head' video narration. An innovative training tool that allows medicinal chemists to study analytical chemistry techniques is described. The evaluation of a prototype package has revealed valuable information concerning the combination of dynamic and interactive media. Emerging guidelines for the integration of computational chemistry tools and interactive molecular modelling into multimedia courseware and suggestions for further work are proposed

How Far Will You Go? Characterizing Online Search Stopping Behaviors Using Information Scent and Need for Cognition

This research sought to explain online searchers' stopping behaviors when interacting with search engine result pages (SERPs) using the theories of Information Scent and Need for Cognition (NFC). Specifically, the problems addressed were how: (1) information scent level, operationalized as the number of relevant documents on the first SERP, (2) information scent pattern, operationalized as the distribution of relevant and non-relevant results on the first SERP, and (3) NFC, a person's tendency to engage in and enjoy effortful cognitive activities measured by the Need for Cognition scale, impacted a person's search stopping behaviors. The two search stopping behaviors that were examined were query stopping, or the point at which a person decides to issue a new query, and task stopping, or the point at which a person decides to end the search task. A laboratory experiment was conducted with 48 participants, who were asked to gather information for six open-ended search tasks. Participants were interviewed about their search stopping behaviors at the end of the study using recordings of their search processes to stimulate recall. The results showed significant effects of Information Scent and NFC on search stopping behaviors. When there were more relevant results on the first SERP, participants examined more documents and explored deeper in the search results list. Participants' behaviors were also affected by the distribution of relevant results on the first SERP: when relevant results were found at the top of the SERP, participants left the SERP after viewing only the first few results. When participants encountered relevant results dispersed across the first SERP at the start of a search task, participants issued more queries subsequently to solve the search task. Participants with lower NFC searched deeper but reformulated queries less frequently during a task. Moreover, the time participants with lower NFC spent evaluating search results was more variable depending on the number of relevant results displayed on the first SERP than the time spent by higher NFC participants. Finally, participants reported that they tended to examine results beyond the first SERP when they conducted people, product, image and literature searches in daily life.Doctor of Philosoph