Task Analysis …and we’ll really get to Ethics this time

Announcements Assignment page locked Wiki naming scheme

Working with People Issues of rights, respect, ethics YOU will be observing and talking to people to: – Gather requirements – Get initial design feedback – Perform evaluations of your design Important to be professional with any interaction with potential users

Why an issue? Usability testing can be arduous; privacy is important Each person should know and understand what they are participating in: – what to expect, time commitments – what the potential risks are – how their information will be used Must be able to stop without danger or penalty All participants to be treated with respect

Consent Why important? – People can be sensitive about this process and issues – Errors will likely be made, participant may feel inadequate – May be mentally or physically strenuous What are the potential risks (there are always risks)? – Examples? “Vulnerable” populations need special care & consideration – Children; disabled; pregnant; students (why?)

IRB, Participants, & Ethics Institutional Review Board (IRB) Federal law governs procedures Reviews all research involving human (or animal) participants Safeguarding the participants, and thereby the researcher and university Not a science review (i.e., not to asess your research ideas); only safety & ethics

UNCC On-line tutorial Guidelines Consent procedures and template forms Protocol application forms Ethics certification – Standardized training to ensure everyone understands the issues

Describing requirements activities Narratives Personas Scenarios Task Analysis & other task descriptions – Use Cases – ER diagrams

Let’s review scenarios They are concrete stories of one instance For project part 1 – should only talk about how something CURRENTLY happens

Task Analysis Process of analyzing and documenting how people perform their jobs or activities Learn what users do, why they do it, how they do it, when they do it, with what tools or people they do it Task-subtask decomposition

Task Decomposition Break tasks down into subtasks Continue for as many levels as needed – …how many are needed? Not just for computer tasks, but any sort of activity Easily supports sequential tasks Can support parallel tasks & branching Difficult to represent exceptions, errors

Task Model as an Outline - Example Using a lawnmower to cut grass Step 1. Examine lawn Make sure grass is dry Look for objects laying in the grass Step 2. Inspect lawnmower Check components for tightness Check that grass bag handle is securely fastened to the grass bag support Make sure grass bag connector is securely fastened to bag adaptor Make sure that deck cover is in place Check for any loose parts (such as oil caps) Check to make sure blade is attached securely Check engine oil level Remove oil fill cap and dipstick Wipe dipstick Replace dipstick completely in lawnmower Remove dipstick Check that oil is past the level line on dipstick …

Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) Graphical notation & decomposition of tasks Goals – what the user wants to achieve Tasks – do these to achieve the goals – Subtasks – lower-level tasks Tasks organized into plans – Clusters of subtasks with a preferred order and prerequisite conditions

Goal Tasks to complete goal Subtasks to carry out one task

HTA: Types of Plans Fixed sequence Optional tasks Waiting events Cycles Time-sharing Discretionary

Another representation 0.In order to borrow a book from the library 1.go to the library 2.find the required book 2.1 access library catalogue 2.2 access the search screen 2.3 enter search criteria 2.4 identify required book 2.5 note location 3.go to correct shelf and retrieve book 4.take book to checkout counter Plan 0: do 1, 2. If available, do 3. If found, do 4.

Other task representations Use case Essential Use case And some we won’t cover: – Entity Relationship Diagrams Show objects and their relationships About relations, not procedures – Flowcharts – Workflow

Use Case Description of a user’s goal in using a system Focuses on user-system interaction One path through a use case is sometimes called a scenario – Often presented as a series of steps Diagram of actors and use cases

Use Case Diagram

Use Case example Arrange Meeting 1. The user chooses the option to arrange a meeting. 2. The system prompts user for the names of attendees. 3. The user types in a list of names. 4. The system checks that the list is valid. 5. The system prompts the user for meeting constraints. 6. The user types in meeting constraints. 7. The system searches the calendars for a date that satisfies the constraints. 8. The system displays a list of potential dates. 9. The user chooses one of the dates. 10. The system writes the meeting into the calendar. 11. The system s all the meeting participants informing them of them appointment

Essential Use Case Divide between user and system responsibilities More general than scenario

Example essential use case Arrange meeting USER INTENTIONSYSTEM RESPONSIBILITY Arrange a new meeting Request meeting participants Supply participants Requests meeting constraints Supply known constraints Find dates that fit constraints Supply list of potential dates Choose desired date Enters date into calendar s all participants

Beyond Requirements Task analysis throughout life cycle: – Describe and document design ideas – Help design menu, dialog structure – Help create documentation and help Task descriptions can be given at any necessary level of detail

Summary Determine how and why users do their activities Think about describing the activity to someone who is unfamiliar with it Represent this information with descriptions, scenarios, HTA, and/or use cases Use this data to help determine what your new system should do.

Next assignment: task analysis DUE: week from today Do an HTA for a task/activity for your project Activity is how it currently exists, NOT what it would be like with you new system 3 levels deep should be sufficient REMINDER: Part 1 duties plan due Wednesday

Example