Software Tools for Evaluating the Usability of User Interfaces

In this article we propose a review of some different techniques and methods to evaluate the usability of user interfaces (UI). So far, the evaluation process has been mostly based on "craft techniques" [Long 89], but as we will demonstrate, formalisation is possible, and a few software packages in this domain will be presented. The models and techniques we will consider are: . general guidelines such as those proposed by [Smith 86, Nielsen 90, Bastien 93], . the Cognitive Walkthrough [Lewis 90], . metrics [Whiteside 85, Bevan 94], . usability labs [Hammontree 92, Weiler 93], . predictive models [Young 90, Barnard 87], . automatic monitoring systems [Siochi#91, Balbo 94] and . critics [Löwgren 90, Kolsky 89]. We will present these methods and techniques around a taxonomy developed by Joëlle Coutaz in [Coutaz 94], taxonomy designed to help in the choice of a method to evaluate UI. As well, we will highlight the role played by software tools for evaluating the usability of UI. 1. Introdu..

Evaluation ergonomique des interfaces utilisateur : un pas vers l'automatisation

Until now, Human-Computer Interaction has been primarily concerned with the development of models and tools to assist the construction of user interfaces. In the interface development iterative process, evaluation is often neglected by the developers or is the product of craft approaches. Our goal is to provide an automatic help to increase evaluation performance. After a review of the state-of-the-art, we submit two frameworks to classify actual evaluation techniques and task analysis mechanisms. We then present EMA, an automatic analysis mechanism for the ergonomic evaluation of user interfaces. The analysis uses three sources of information: a set of heuristic rules that model patterns of behaviour, a data-flow oriented dialogue model of the tested interface, and the acquisition, during the interaction, of the end user's actions. EMA is today a usability anomalies detector. In the long term, EMA extensions consider providing a software usability explanatory critic, as well as a corrective critic.L'ingenierie des Interfaces Homme-Machine s'est manifestee jusqu'ici par le developpement de modeles et d'outils d'aide a la construction d'interfaces utilisateur. Dans le processus iteratif de developpement des interfaces, l'evaluation est souvent negligee par les developpeurs ou reste le produit d'une demarche artisanale. Notre but est de fournir une aide automatique en vue d'une evaluation plus performante. Apres une revue de l'etat de l'art, nous proposons deux espaces taxonomiques qui permettent de situer les techniques d'evaluation actuelles et les modeles de taches possibles. Nous proposons ensuite EMA, un mecanisme d'analyse automatique pour l'evaluation ergonomique des interfaces utilisateur. L'analyse utilise trois sources d'information : une base de profils de comportement modelises sous forme de regles, une representation formelle de l'espace des taches realisables avec le logiciel teste, ainsi que les donnees comportementales enregistrees au cours des sessions d'utilisation du logiciel teste. EMA est aujourd'hui un detecteur d'anomalies. Il conviendra dans nos perspectives d'extension, d'en faire un critique explicatif, voire correctif

The ShaMAN agent metamodel

In this paper we detail recent research on agent metamodels. In particular we introduce a new agent meta-model called ShaMAN created with a specific focus on computer game development using agent systems - an application domain that is fertile ground for agent-oriented concepts, methodologies and tools. ShaMAN was derived by applying the concept of Normalisation from Information Analysis against a superset of agent meta-model concepts from the meta-models investigated.May 200

A conceptual framework for assessing interaction quality in online discussion forums

The use of discussion forums in education has long been a hot topic in tertiary education. Discussion forums&rsquo; activities help learners to share and gain knowledge from each other. However, setting up discussion forums does not ensure that learners interact with each other actively and grading of discussion forum participation is done to ensure qualitative learner participation. Currently, a major focus has been put onto the better use of discussion forums, but the way in which quality of participation can be evaluated has yet to be adequately investigated. This paper presents a conceptual model, based on an extensive review of current literature in related areas, as a way forward in looking at the assessment of quality in online discussion forums. The main benefits of the proposed framework are towards facilitators, as a way to assess learners&rsquo; online contributions, while students may use it to understand what is expected of them as participants in online discussion forums<br /

Towards Automatic Evaluation of Multimodal User Interfaces

The evaluation of the usability and the learnability of a computer system may be performed with predictive models during the design phase. It may be done on the executable code as well as by observing the user in action. In the latter case, data collected in vivo must be processed. Our goal is to provide software supports for performing this difficult and time consuming task. Thi

ShaMAN: An Agent Meta-Model For Computer Games

Abstract. In this paper, we detail recent research on agent meta-models. In particular, we introduce a new agent meta-model called ShaMAN, created with a specific focus on computer game development using agent systems. ShaMAN was derived by applying the concept of Normalisation from Information Analysis, against a superset of agent meta-model concepts from the meta-models investigated. A number of features are identified, including human-agent locales and socialworlds, that might be usefully added to a generic AO meta-model