Transcript Today

CS 321 Human-Computer Interaction
Today
 Contextual Inquiry
 CD Ch. 2, 3, 4
 Observation Techniques and Field notes
 “Using Ethnography in Contextual Design”
 Observation Exercise
Next time
 Small Group Discussion
 The Psychopathology of Everyday Things” by D.
Norman
Contextual Inquiry
 Learning what users do and what they care about.
 Can you recall an incident where
the design of something has caused
a problem?
 What was it about the design that
caused a problem?
How do you turn on the shower?
This has got to be the worst design ever for a shower control. It is so
bad there is a sticker on the faucet giving instructions for how to
make the water come out of the shower. You'll never guess how you
turn on the shower. You reach under the faucet, grab the part where
the water comes out and pull down on it!
Design suggestion
This design is bad for a number of reasons. One is that nothing else
works like this. Another is that the "control" for turning on the
shower doesn't look anything like a control, so the control is
basically hidden. Frequently, when devices come with instructions
stuck on them, there is a problem with the design.
www.baddesigns.com
How do you eject a disk?
As a means of deleting files and documents, the
Macintosh trashcan is a perfectly intuitive metaphor.
Unfortunately, the designers decided to extend the
trashcan metaphor to include the completely
counterintuitive function of ejecting diskettes: drag an
image of the diskette to the trashcan to eject it from the
computer.
The Macintosh simply took the trashcan metaphor too far.
They gave the trashcan magical powers that are
completely incompatible with the established
metaphorical association of deleting files. As a result,
new users express anxiety and dismay at the metaphor,
and even experienced users express reluctance to use the
metaphor: “I don’t want to delete the files on the diskette,
I just want the computer to spit it out.”
How do People reason about
what they do?
 Reasoning requires a Knowledge Representation (KR)
 A Knowledge Representation Language (KRL) is a
theory of Reasoning (cognition)
KRL = A structure to encode facts
+
Methods for combining old facts to derive new facts
Examples :
Formal Logic
Neural Network
Rule-Based Reasoning
Case-Based Reasoning
Model-Based Reasoning
Mental Models
 The models people have of themselves, others, the
environment, and the things with which they
interact
 “Small-scale-model of External Reality”
 Consider alternatives
 Try out situations
 Use knowledge of past events in dealing with the
present and future
 Provides predictive and explanatory power for
understanding how things interact.
Structural and Functional Models
 Structural Models
 An internalized form of a system
 Functional Models
 Internalized procedural knowledge of how a system
works
 Examples:
 How stop lights are between your house and SIUE?
 How look-up someone’s phone number?
Conceptual Model
 A reasonably accurate and consistent representation of the target system.
 Design Goal –
 Devise the conceptual model that reflects a user’s mental model
User’s
model
of task
Conceptual
Model
Designer
User
System
Documentation Interface
System Image
User’s
model of
system
Contextual Inquiry
 Field data-gathering technique
 Studies a select number of individuals in
depth to arrive at an understanding of work
practice across all customers
- Ethnography
 Core Idea:
 Go to where the user works
 Observe (participate)
 Discuss
Four Principles of CI
1. Context
2. Partnership
3. Interpretation
4. Focus
Context
 Get as close as possible to the ideal situation of
being physically present.
 Gather data of an ongoing experience
 Gather concrete data
 Avoid abstract data
 Avoid summary experience
 Use real artifacts
 If a retrospective account is necessary, listen
for holes and ask questions.
Partnership
 Develop a collaborative relationship in
trying to understand the work
 Relationship Models
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Interviewer/Interviewee
Expert/Novice
Guest/Host
Parent/Child
Master/Apprentice
Interpretation
 Designs are built on the interpretation of facts
 From facts, the designer makes a hypothesis about what
the fact means (interpretation)
 The hypothesis has an implication for the design
 Share interpretations & design ideas with the user
 Validate your understanding
 Helps links design to the interpretation
Focus
 Point of view the interview takes while
studying work.
 Keep conversation on topic
 Guide the user toward parts of the work
relevant to the design
 Watch for interpersonal triggers
 Surprises
 Contradictions
 Nods
In Class Exercise
 Break-up into six groups (as evenly
divided as possible)
 Swap war stories about:
 Problems you have using a software
program
 Choose the one everyone in the group
thinks is the best story
Gathering Observation Data:
Ethnographic Research
Ethnography is a research technique in
anthropology that involves the study of groups
and people within the context of their everyday
activities.
The approach requires the researcher
become a “participant-observer”,
systematically recording observations and
experiences.
Ethnographic Research
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Data gathered within natural setting.
Develop a descriptive understanding.
Setting includes dynamic network of inter-related variables.
Qualitative research.
Famous Ethnographers:
Margaret Mead
Jane Goodall
Ethnography and Design
In the context of design, the aim of
ethnographic research is to develop a thorough
understanding of current work practices as a
basis for the design of computer support.
Characteristics of Ethnographic
Research
• Researcher is the instrument.
• Data gathered in natural setting.
• Data gathered through observations, interviews,
data analysis, and questionnaires.
• Data gathered using more than one of these
sources and validated through cross checking.
Stages of Collection
• Informal stage: Collection of data; insights used to
modify data collection and refine research questions
• Formal stage: sorting, organizing, and reducing the
volume of the data
• “Thick Description”: identifying patterns, interpreting
causes, consequences, and relationships to understand
and provide explanation
• Description should be sufficiently realistic for others to
see the implications
Observations
Observational Data
• Rough materials collected during
observation.
• Obtain relevant data needed to improve
and/or change systems.
• Methods of recording data: written notes,
audiotape, sketches, photographs, and/or
video tapes.
Focus of Observations
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Physical setting.
Activities.
Human, social environment.
Formal interactions.
Informal interactions.
Verbal & Non-verbal communications.
What does not happen.
Field Notes
Characteristics of Field Notes
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Organize data
Accurate.
Detailed, thorough.
Descriptive.
Content part and reflective part.
Format: Divided Page
How does this relate
to the teacher’s
learning style?
The students sat quietly in the
darkened lab. One student sat in
front of each of the multimedia
computers. Each computer faced
the back wall where the image
from the instructor’s computer
was projected. The teacher
demonstrated a step with the
software then had the children do
the same step on their computer.
As each child finished, the child
waited for the teacher to
demonstrate the next step. . . .
Format: Large Left Margin
How does this
relate to teacher’s
preferred Learning
style?
The students sat quietly in the darkened
lab. One student sat in front of each of
the multimedia computers. Each
computer faced the back wall where the
image from the instructor’s computer
was projected. The teacher demonstrated
a step with the software then had the
children do the same step on their
computer. As each child finished, the
child waited for the teacher to
demonstrate the next step. . . .
Format: Separate Files
Save descriptive part of
field notes in one file. Use
large left margin.
Save reflective part of
field notes in second file.
Keep in Mind
• Transcribe data into field notes as soon as
possible after observation.
• Don’t discuss observations with your team
until you have written the field notes.
• Find quiet place to work that contains
necessary equipment.
• Allow sufficient time for transcription and
interpretation.
Exercise
Observation/Note Taking Assignment
Purpose:
• To observe and describe a work setting, an
individual working within that setting, and the
actions of the individual.
• To practice developing field notes and
interpreting observation data