HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION (II-III)

“Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."

Popular Mechanics, forecasting therelentless march of science in 1949

“I do not fear computers, I fear the lack of them” Isaac Asimov

Session Objectives: HCI 3-4

• To examine the theoretical arena of information seeking as a human-social framework for HCI:

- history of human intervention

- information seeking and use

- current research on searching the WWW

- information search process

- implications and benefits of HCI studies

A PRODUCTIVITY PARADOX http://msn.zdnet.com/msn/zdnet/story/

• Recent survey shows that businesses using the Internet are losing more to online vandals and cyber-criminals even though they're using more security technology.

• The 2001 Computer Crime and Security Survey found that various cybercrimes accounted for $378 million in losses among the 186 companies that were able to quantify their damages in 2000.

• Average of $2 million per company doubled the shortfall of the 249 businesses that responded in 2000.

• The lion's share of the loss was to trade-secret thieves, financial fraudsters and the cost of cleanup after computer viruses.

• Theft of proprietary information alone cost the 186 companies $151 million in 2000

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/humanoid-robotics-group/kismet/

kismet.html• Humanoid Robotics Group

• building robotic creatures that will exhibit high cognitive capabilities comparable to human beings

• engineer machines that are matched to humans through physical form, perceptual biases, behavioral organization, coordination of movement, and expressive modalities

•

• Self identity • Autobiographical memory • Recognition of self, other• Social learning (esp.

imitation) • Intentionality • Emotion • Empathy • Personality • Friendship • Ethics

Human-Computer Interaction

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/humanoid-robotics-group/kismet/kismet.html

What is 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.

Factors contributing to emphasis on human dimensions

• Designing equipment operated in WW2• Ergonomic studies: relationship to work factors,

routinization, sitting posture, visual dimensions• Industrial engineering• Cognitive psychology• Information Seeking Behavior

Increasing attention to human factors because:

• Development of mass personal computing• Miniaturization and portability• Convergence of computing and telecommunications

technologies• Innovations in input techniques: voice, sound, touch• Improved access for disadvantaged / physically, visually

disabled• High bandwidth interaction• Embedded computerization: eg “Workspheres” (MOMA)• Growth of public information utilities

5 key areas of human dimensions

1. Nature of human interaction: nature and structure of the dialogue; metaphor of the interface

2. Use and context of computers: information processing, communication, physical aspects

3. Human characteristics: physical, cognitive, affective

4. Computer systems and interface architecture5. The development process, including usability

testing – feedback and evaluation

Information Seeking and Use

Information technology increasingly a key tool for information seeking

Focuses on the idea of "active, constructing, meaning-making human as fundamental to communication phenomena“ (Dervin, 1991)

Sense-making: Individual facing a problematic situation which stops free-flowing journey (uncertainty, confusion, lack of information); individual unable to move forward without constructing a new change of sense. Information seeking is a critical process of sense-making

Information Seeking and Use

Cognitive, affective and behavioral processes which allow the individual to interact with information and construct and design his / her movement through time-space.

Its central activities are information seeking, processing, creating and using. Now, let’s look at this example of information.

DISCUSSION

• Identify the typical sequence of steps you go through when researching for information to complete a research assignment you have been asked to do

• What are the problems / barriers you typically face?

• What would make the process better for you?

Information Search Process (ISP)

• Prof. Carol Kuhlthau (SCILS, Rutgers)• The ISP has been found to occur in seven stages:

Initiation, Selection, Exploration, Formulation, Collection, Presentation, and Assessment.

• These stages are named for the primary task to be accomplished at each point in the information process.

Model of the Information Search Process

Tasks Initiation Selection Exploration Formulation Collection Presentation---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- →Feelings uncertainly optimism confusion clarity sense of satisfaction or(affective) frustration direction/ disappointment

doubt confidence

Thoughts vague-------------------------------------→focused(cognitive) -----------------------------------------------→

increased interest

Actions seeking relevant information----------------------------→seeking pertinent information(physical) exploring documenting

Information Search Process

• Initiation: the initial task. • Selection: consider what you already know, what you

want and need to find out. • Exploration: exploring the initiating question and

developing questions that arise as you begin to learn about the subject.

• In all three of the beginning stages of the ISP, people often experience confusion, uncertainty, and apprehension.

• Formulation: become aware of the various dimensions, issues, ramifications of the initiating question and begin to form own focused perspective of the subject under study.

• Collection: involves gathering information that defines, extends and supports the focus that you have formed.

• Ownership, confidence and expertise in the subject has increased.

• Presentation: preparing to share what you have learned with others.

• Assessment: reflect on what you have learned to discover what went well and what might be improved.

Key Question

What does this mean for the design, architecture

and development process

Information Seeking

and Use

On the WWW

WEB SEARCHING

• Think and describe how you typically go about searching the web

• What are the typical barriers you encounter when searching the web?

Information Seeking on the WWW

Some ResearchFindings

Connecting with Information

• High levels of information overload• Inability to manage and reduce large volumes of

information• Failure to retrieve documents based on aboutness• Formulating ineffective search queries• Lack of in-depth examination of sites

Connecting with Information

• Failure to utilise Boolean operators• High levels of insecurity and uncertainty• Lack of understanding of search engines• Simplistic searches based on guesswork• High expectation of technology to make up for poor

searching techniques• Limited use of systematic, analytic-based strategies

Interacting with Information

• Range of coping strategies: including accepting errors and delegation

• Absence of critical and evaluative skills• Not questioning the accuracy or authority of

information• Inappropriately favouring visual cues

Utilising information

• Information management issues: time, workloads, deadlines

• Make use of any somewhat-relevant sites• Tendency to plagiarise• Willingness to construct answers on limited

information

Information Seeking on the Web: An Integrated Model of

Browsing and SearchingCHUN Wei Choo

Brian DeltorDon Turnbull

http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue5_2/choo/

index.html#c1

Research Objectives (Choo et al)

• To develop a behavioral model of information seeking on the Web

• 34 participants: IT specialists, managers, research/marketing/consulting staff

• Questionnaire, interviews, WebTracker software to log menu choices, button bar selections, keystroke actions, and all browsing and searching sequences

Key Finding (Choo et al)

Those who use the Web as part of their work engage in four complementary modes of

information seeking. Each mode is set apart by its information needs, information seeking

scope and effort, and the purpose of information use

Web-based information seeking is highly contextualized

Web Scanning Patterns (Choo et al)

• Undirected viewing: exposure to information with no specific informational need in mind; purpose is to scan broadly; large amounts of information scanned; large chunks quickly dropped

Sweeping and Browsing

• Conditioned viewing: directs viewing to information about selected topics or to certain types of information; focuses on evaluating significance

Discriminating and Learning

Web Scanning Patterns (Choo et al)• Informal Search: actively looks for information to

deepen knowledge and understanding of a specific issue; informal and involves relatively limited and unstructured effort

Satisfying and Selecting

• Formal Search: makes deliberate and planned effort to obtain specific information about particular issue; search structured according to some pre-established procedure or methodology

Optimizing and Retrieving

DISCUSSION

What are the implications of these research findings for training in the

workplace? In addition have you been trained for this at school? Yes?, No?

How do you feel about that?