©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Today Thursday Contextual Inquiry & Intro to Ethnography Reading: CD – Ch.s 2, 3, 4 ABF – Ch.s 3 & 4 CS 321 Human-Computer Interaction Small Group Discussion Reading The Psychopathology of Everyday Things” by D. Norman ABF: Chapter 20

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Yet another error message that drives people to hate computers. Found during the installation of an IBM Thinkpad

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. An Ironic Error Message

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. First Step in Design: Contextual Inquiry Learning what users do and what they care about: How do we find out how user’s think about stuff?. “Interaction design isn’t a matter of aesthetic choice, but rather it is based on an understanding of users and cognitive principles.” Cooper, p. 11

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. My wysiwyg mental model of documents continues to give me problems: Does MS Power Point have a work model to fix this?

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. “You'll never guess how you turn on the shower! Frequently, when devices come with instructions stuck on them, there is a problem with the design.” What is your mental model for turning on a shower? turning on a shower?

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. 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 data structure to encode facts + Methods for combining old facts to derive new facts Examples :  Formal Logic  Neural Networks  Model-Based Reasoning

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. 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

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Structural and Functional Models Structural Models An internalized form of a system How many stop lights are between your house and the campus? Functional Models Internalized procedural knowledge of how a system works How do you look-up someone’s phone number in a phone book? We develop them through interacting with the world around us. Curiosity

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. How do we use Mental Models? Predictive Power: Help us problem solve by providing us with the ability to predict what our actions will accomplish Explanatory Power: Help us learn by providing us with the ability to explain how a particular event occurred.

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved.

“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 you eject a disk?

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Conceptual Model A reasonably accurate and consistent representation of the target system. Designer’s Goal – Devise the conceptual model that reflects a user’s mental model Designer InterfaceDocumentation System User Designer’s Conceptual Model System Image User’s mental model of system User’s mental model of work Participatory Design: Research and Usability

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Contextual Inquiry: Gathering Data about Users 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 Discuss

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Four Principles of CI 1.Context 2.Partnership 3.Interpretation 4.Focus

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Principle #1: 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.

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Principle #2: Partnership Develop a collaborative relationship in trying to understand the work Relationship Models Interviewer/Interviewee Expert/Novice Guest/Host Parent/Child Master/Apprentice

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Principle #3: 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

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Design Implications from Observations about How People Shop Comparison Shopping: Barcode scanning with camera phones

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Principle #4: 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

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Gathering User 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.

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Ethnographic Research Data gathered within natural setting. Develop a descriptive understanding. Setting includes dynamic network of inter-related variables. Qualitative research.

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. 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.

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Characteristics of Ethnographic Research Data gathered in natural setting. Data gathered through observations, interviews, data analysis, and questionnaires. Data is gathered using more than one of these sources and validated through cross checking (triangulation)

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. 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

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Observing What People Do

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. 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.

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Focus of Observations Physical setting. Activities. Human, social environment. Formal interactions. Informal interactions. Verbal & Non-verbal communications. What does not happen?

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Field Notes: Organizing Data

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Characteristics of Field Notes Organize data Accurate. Detailed, thorough. Descriptive. Content part and reflective part.

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. 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....

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Format: Large Left Margin 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.... How does this relate to teacher’s preferred Learning style?

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Excerpt

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Excerpt

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. Keep in Mind Transcribe data into field notes as soon as possible after observation. Find quiet place to work that contains necessary equipment. Allow sufficient time for transcription and interpretation. Don’t discuss observations with anyone until you have written the field notes.

©2001 Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville All rights reserved. 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