Wiki source code of A1 - Baker

Last modified by Hal Eden on 2010/08/20 11:06
Content · Comments (0) · Attachments (0) · History · Information
#info('Nice work! Good references. I gave some (ok, only two) comments on how to further improve future assignments. Please take them as suggestions, not critique.')

*Assignment 1* (#bubblec('not complete', 'seems pretty complete to me :)'))
\\\\
*Human Computer Interaction (HCI)*\\\\
HCI is a marriage between computer science and human cognitive science. It aims at understanding and designing the boundary between the software and people, typically called the user interface.
\\\\
Shneiderman and Plaisant, ~~Designing the User Interface, 4th ed.~~ (pp. 4-5), Pearson Education, Inc, 2005.
\\\\
*Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW)*\\\\
Like HCI, CSCW is a highly #bubblec('interdisciplinary field', 'between which fields?'). It aims at understanding how information technology can support groups of people working towards a common purpose, often by providing some kind of shared environment. Software produced for CSCW purposes is often called groupware.
\\\\
Grudin, Johnathan, "Computer-Supported Cooperative Work: History and Focus,"  May 1994.
\\\\
*Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL)*\\\\
CSCL, as the name suggests, is a field of the learning sciences concerned with how people can learn together aided by computer technology. 
\\\\
Gerry Stahl, Timothy Koschmann, Dan Suthers, "Computer-supported collaborative learning: an historical perspective," in R. K. Sawyer (Ed.), ~~Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences~~ (pp. 409-426). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
(disclaimer: I haven't read the entirety of the above article, but I plan to)
\\\\
*Design of Interactive Systems*\\\\
This is another perspective to take on designing software systems. Instead of focusing on more technical aspects of the system being designed, the focus is on the interaction between the system and the user. See HCI. 
\\\\
"The Challenges of Designing Interactive Systems", http://www.interactionarchitect.com/knowledge/article19991111shd.htm.
\\\\
*Participatory Design*\\\\
Participatory design is a design strategy that brings actual end-users into the design process. The idea is that more user involvement will lead to a system that is a better match for their needs. It may also lead to users feeling a greater sense of emotional involvement with the system, which may have a positive impact on user acceptance of the system.
\\\\
Shneiderman and Plaisant, ~~Designing the User Interface, 4th ed.~~ (pp. 125-126), Pearson Education, Inc, 2005.
\\\\
*User Modeling*\\\\
Interestingly, I found two different definitions of user modeling. One is a technique involved during the design of a system. The system designer develops models of the types of users that may use the system, and uses these models in place of actual users to evaluate the system's usability. I did a brief search for other places where the term "user modeling" was used to describe this kind of design process but could not find many sources besides Wikipedia and a few software blogs.
\\\\
The other definition I found was a technique that the system uses at runtime. The system maintains an internal model of the user(s), which it can use to better fit the user(s) needs. For instance, if the user repeatedly uses advanced features, the system can recognize this user as "advanced" and modify the interface to present the user with more powerful features or better access to features that may be more hidden for average users. 
\\\\
First definition:
 * "User Modeling", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_modeling.
Second definition:
 * Shneiderman and Plaisant, ~~Designing the User Interface, 4th ed.~~ (pp. 81), Pearson Education, Inc, 2005.
 * Kules, Bill, "User Modeling for Adaptive and Adaptable Software Systems", http://www.otal.umd.edu/uuguide/wmk/, April 2000.
\\\\
*Ethnography*
\\\\
This is a practice originating in the social sciences, particularly anthropology. It is sometimes called "qualitative research", "naturalistic research", or "field study". Ethnography is direct observation of a situation in its natural setting. Usually this means a combination of participant observation and interviews. The idea is that to truly understand a situation it must be studied in its natural environment. This is in direct contrast to laboratory studies, in which the goal is to control all variables in order to study one particular variable at a time. Instead, ethnography is a holistic approach, embracing the fact that there are too many variables involved to control or track them all. 
\\\\
Performing an ethnography can be a great way to inform design of a software system. It enables designers to understand the real situation that a software system will be deployed in. For example, through ethnographic research on an organization designers can learn the complexities and nuances of how real work is actually performed, which most likely differ significantly from officially documented work practices. 
\\\\
John Loftland, David Snow, Leon Anderson, Lyn H. Loftland, ~~Analyzing Social Settings. A Guide to Qualitative Observation and Analysis~~, Thomson Learning, Inc, 2006.
Course Pages

Recently Visited

A11DanielDelany
Recently Modified

MSC Final Project ...
MakeShiftCrew Proj...
Embedding Content
Human-Centered Com...
Assignment12KyleMa...
See More Changes
Recently Created

WebPreferences | RatingStats | palen | ksiek | kena
Wiki source code of A1 - Baker

Course Pages

Recently Visited

Search

Recently Modified

Recent Comments

Recently Created
