There seems to be a clear consensus that graphicalinterfaces provide an opportunity to integrate data from complex process in a way that can greatly enhance the problem solving ability of human operators in the futur...
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There seems to be a clear consensus that graphicalinterfaces provide an opportunity to integrate data from complex process in a way that can greatly enhance the problem solving ability of human operators in the future. However, this consensus is maske by a proliferation of terms to express this position in the basic and applied research literatures (e.g., 'integrality,' 'configurality,' 'proximity-compatibility,' 'visual momentum,' 'direct manipulation,' and 'ecological interface'). While the subtle nuances that distinguish among these terms are of academic interest, designers have greater concern for the general principles that might be gleaned from across the subtle distinctions. Base on a thorough review of the basic and applied literature (Bennett & Flach, In press), we argue that there is one basic characteristic of graphical representations that is critical for supporting problem solving. A goodgraphical display is one whose geometric (space/time) constraints reflect the functional constraints in the process being represented. In this presentation, we will demonstrate what we mean by a 'functional constraint' in a process and a 'geometric constraint' in a display. We will demonstrate alternative mappings from 'functional constraints' to 'geometric constraints.' We will also discuss the implications of these mappings for the type of processing (cognitive versus perceptual) required of the human operator.
Domains typically have associated with them some notation, or more generally, encodings formed from elements of a medium, which are used to convey information about the concepts, objects and processes of the domain. O...
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Domains typically have associated with them some notation, or more generally, encodings formed from elements of a medium, which are used to convey information about the concepts, objects and processes of the domain. Often, entities in a domain can be communicated more directly by encodings in an alternative medium, e.g. diagrams. In some systems, the representative encoding which is available to the user (the external encoding) can be manipulated by the user in ways which are constrained to have meaning in encodings in another medium (the internal, or base medium). Such interfaces embody what is called a manipulable inter-medium encoding (MIME). The ITS implications of such systems have been investigated in studies based on a simple 'direct manipulation' graphical interface (called HUGH). The task was the proof of a theorem of context free languages by constrained exploration of derivation tree diagrams. Fifteen postgraduate researchers took part in the experiment. The HUGH system was not an ITS, but an ITS was simulated by the presence of an observer providing coaching as required. At certain points in the interaction, learners were presented with questions (and corresponding answer windows) designed to elicit their semantic accounts of the operations performed. The study indicated some ITS implications of the use of MIMEs.< >
NRT, the News Retrieval Tool is the result of a six month research project between Glasgow University and the Financial Times. The aim of the project was to improve the retrieval methods and the user interface of the ...
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NRT, the News Retrieval Tool is the result of a six month research project between Glasgow University and the Financial Times. The aim of the project was to improve the retrieval methods and the user interface of the existing Profile retrieval service. The test system that has been built by the project consists of two computers, a Macintosh and the Profile search engine, communicating over a phone line. The Profile computer, using a new set of search algorithms developed by the project, searches a store of the 1989 articles of the Financial Times. The Macintosh runs a graphicaluser interface that presents an easy to use front end to the remote Profile search engine. The author explains how to perform and control searches, how to browse and how to construct a good query.< >
Formal methods allow a system designer to describe precisely how the system will be. In the area of human-computer interaction this means describing the structure and detail of the user interface. Giving the designer ...
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Formal methods allow a system designer to describe precisely how the system will be. In the area of human-computer interaction this means describing the structure and detail of the user interface. Giving the designer tools to think clearly about the decisions made must be helpful. However, the problem of deciding how the user interface is to be designed remains. In particular, to use such tools effectively a designer must have a good understanding of how the users think about the task, what their expectations and priorities are. This kind of information is best obtained by user testing with prototypes. An initial design is put forward and then refined using feedback from typical users doing typical tasks with a prototype. This refinement should happen in parallel with the refinement of a formal model of the user interface by the application of domain independent principles. In the early stages the cost of this procedure can be minimised by using simulations and mock ups rather than full prototypes. This is known as iterative design. This paper describes, through an example, some techniques which can be used to get insights about how a user approaches a task and the difficulties they have with a particular prototype.< >
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