Cognitive models of the users of interactive systems

1. Discuss the presentation issues involved in the design of effective and relevant help systems.

2. Write the description in pseudocode. Does this exercise suggest any improvements in the system?

3. In this chapter, we have discussed a wide selection of cognitive models of the users of interactive systems.

1. What knowledge is needed to build an adaptive help system? Which do you think is most difficult to provide and why?

2. What are the four main types of help that users may require? For each type, give an example of a situation in which it would be appropriate.

What are the benefits and problems of using video in experimentation? If you have access to a video recorder, attempt to transcribe a piece of action and conversation (it does not have to be an experiment – a soap opera will do!). What problems did you encounter?

In groups or pairs, use the cognitive walkthrough example, and what you know about user psychology (see Chapter 1), to discuss the design of a computer application of your choice (for example, a word processor or a drawing package). (Hint: Focus your discussion on one or two specific tasks within the application.)

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