William H. Bowers Three Models

William H. Bowers Topics Computer Literacy Manifest Model Implementation Model Mental (Conceptual) Model Model Usage Questions & Discussion

William H. Bowers Computer Literacy Euphemism for making user adapt to computer rather than having the computer adapt to the user.

William H. Bowers Manifest Model Program’s representation of functioning

William H. Bowers Implementation Model Actual workings of program

William H. Bowers Mental (Conceptual) Model Idea of how program works Simpler than implementation or manifest models Tendency towards anthropomorphic Useful to understand processing Not necessarily true or accurate Spreadsheet scrolling is conceptual

William H. Bowers Model Usage Manifest usually conforms to implementation Communication gap between technical (implementation) and non-technical (conceptual) people Understanding of implementation not necessary

William H. Bowers Model Usage U/I should conform to conceptual model Programmers usually conform U/I to implementation model Users don’t understand Boolean logic New technologies usually use the language of previous technology Copying mechanical U/I’s usually results in poor software U/I’s

William H. Bowers Questions & Discussion