Question 1: What is HCI? & why it is important?

Also, discuss fields HCI

covers?
HCI:
• Human-computer interaction is a discipline concerned with the design, evaluation and
implementation of interactive computing systems for human use and with the study of
major phenomena surrounding them.
• ACM SIGCHI (Special Interest Group on Computer–Human Interaction)Curricula for
HCI (Hewett et al. 1992)
Importance of HCI:
• The study of our interface with information.
• It is not just ‘how big should I make buttons’ or ‘how to layout menu choices’
• It can affect
• Effectiveness
• Productivity
• Morale
• Safety
• Example: a car with poor HCI
• One common device with substantial HCI design choices is iPod by Apple Computers
• Pros:
• portable
• power
• ease of use
• # of controls
• Cons:
• scratches easily
• no speech for car use
• proprietary
Fields Of HCI
• Computer Science
• Psychology (cognitive)
• Communication
• Education
• Anthropology (the study of humankind)
• Design (e.g. graphic and industrial)
Question 2: Define four level approach also describe why it is a convenient
option for designers? How each lower level of this approach is affected by
mental model?
• Foley and van Dam four-level approach
– Conceptual level:
• User's mental model of the interactive system
– Semantic level:

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 • Describes the meanings conveyed by the user's command input and by the
computer's output display
– Syntactic level:
• Defines how the units (words) that convey semantics are assembled into a
complete sentence that instructs the computer to perform a certain task
– Lexical level:
• Deals with device dependencies and with the precise mechanisms by
which a user specifies the syntax
• Approach is convenient for designers
– Top-down nature is easy to explain
– Matches the software architecture
– Allows for useful modularity during design
Two mental models for image creation are paint programs that manipulate pixels and
drawing programs that operate on objects. Users of paint programs think in terms of
sequences of actions on pixels and groups of pixels, while users of drawing programs apply
operators to alter and group objects.
Decisions about mental models affect each of the lower levels.
1. The semantic level describes the meanings conveyed by the user's input and by the
computer's output display. For example, deleting an object in a drawing program
could be accomplished by undoing a recent action or by invoking a delete-object
action. Either action should eliminate a single object and leave the rest untouched.
2. The syntactic level defines how the user actions that convey semantics are assembled
into complete sentences that instruct the computer to perform certain tasks. For
example, the delete-files action could be invoked by a multiple object selection,
followed by a keystroke, followed by a confirmation.
3. The lexical level deals with device dependencies and with the precise mechanisms by
which users specify the syntax (for example, a function key or a mouse double-click
within 200 milliseconds).

Question 3: Discuss theories and their types.

Theories
• Beyond the specifics of guidelines
• Principles are used to develop theories
• Descriptions/explanatory or predictive
• Motor task, perceptual, or cognitive
Types of theories:
• Explanatory theories:
– Observing behavior
– Describing activity
– Conceiving of designs
– Comparing high-level concepts of two designs
– Training

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 • Predictive theories:
– Enable designers to compare proposed designs for execution time or error rates
• Perceptual or Cognitive subtasks theories
– Predicting reading times for free text, lists, or formatted displays
• Motor-task performance times theories:
– Predicting keystroking or pointing times
• Taxonomy (explanatory theory)

– Order on a complex set of phenomena

– Facilitate useful comparisons
– Organize a topic for newcomers
– Guide designers
– Indicate opportunities for novel products.

Question 4: What are the core principles of Direct Manipulation? What are
the disadvantages of DM? How any interface can be made attractive?
Core principles of Direct Manipulation
• Continuous representation of objects and actions of interest
• Physical actions and button pressing instead of issuing commands with complex syntax
• Rapid reversible actions with immediate feedback on object of interest
Disadvantages of DM
• Some people take the metaphor of direct manipulation too literally
• Not all tasks can be described by objects and not all actions can be done directly
• Some tasks are better achieved through delegating
– e.g. spell checking
• Can become screen space ‘gobblers’
• Moving a mouse around the screen can be slower than pressing function keys to do same actions
DM interface is so enjoyable
• Novices can learn the basic functionality quickly
• Experienced users can work extremely rapidly to carry out a wide range of tasks, even defining
new functions
• Intermittent users can retain operational concepts over time
• Error messages rarely needed
• Users can immediately see if their actions are furthering their goals and if not do something else
• Users experience less anxiety
• Users gain confidence and mastery and feel in control

Question 5: Enlist the aspects of Cognitive? What is main difference between

Annotation and cognitive tracing? Also describe Mental model?
Aspects of Cognitive
• Attention
• Perception and recognition
• Memory
• Reading, speaking and listening

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 • Problem-solving, planning, reasoning and decision-making, learning
• Here we focus on attention, perception & recognition, & memory
Difference
Annotation involves modifying existing representations through making marks
e.g. crossing off, ticking, underlining
Cognitive tracing involves externally manipulating items into different orders or structures
e.g. playing scrabble, playing cards
MENTAL MODEL
• Users develop an understanding of a system through learning & using it
• Knowledge is often described as a mental model
– How to use the system (what to do next)
– What to do with unfamiliar systems or unexpected situations (how the system works)
– People make inferences using mental models of how to carry out tasks
• Craik (1943) described mental models as internal constructions of some aspect of the external
world enabling predictions to be made
• Involves unconscious and conscious processes, where images and analogies are activated
• Deep versus shallow models (e.g. how to drive a car and how it works)
• Notion of mental models has been used as a basis for conceptual models
• Assumption is that if you can understand how people develop mental models then can help them
develop more appropriate mental models of system functionality
• For example, a design principle is to try to make systems transparent so people can understand
them better and know what to do
Question 6:Define golden rules for designing and eye-catching interface? Also
give some real time examples of face-to-face interfaces.
Golden rules of interface design
1. Strive for consistency
2. Cater to universal usability
3. Offer informative feedback
4. Design dialogs to yield closure
5. Prevent errors
6. Permit easy reversal of actions
7. Support internal locus of control
8. Reduce short term memory load

Face-to-face interfaces
• Innovative approaches to work and learning include:
– Shared display from lecturer workstation
– Text-submission workstations
– Brainstorming, voting, and ranking. Benefits of electronic meeting systems:
• Parallel communication promotes broader input into the meeting process and
reduces the chance that a few people dominate the meeting.
• Anonymity mitigates evaluation apprehension and conformance pressure, so that
issues are discussed more candidly.
• The group memory constructed by participants enables them to pause and reflect
on information and opinions of others during the meeting.
• File sharing
• Shared workspace
• Group activities
• SMART Board

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 • Public spaces facilitate sharing
• Sharing photos is very popular
• Notification systems

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