Task Analysis

…and we’ll really get to Ethics this time

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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

IRB @ UNCC

http://www.research.uncc.edu/comp/chuman.cfm

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 grassStep 1. Examine lawn

Make sure grass is dryLook for objects laying in the grass

Step 2. Inspect lawnmowerCheck components for tightness

Check that grass bag handle is securely fastened to the grass bag supportMake sure grass bag connector is securely fastened to bag adaptorMake sure that deck cover is in placeCheck for any loose parts (such as oil caps)Check to make sure blade is attached securely

Check engine oil levelRemove oil fill cap and dipstickWipe dipstickReplace dipstick completely in lawnmowerRemove dipstickCheck 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 tocomplete goal

Subtasks tocarry outone 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 catalogue2.2 access the search screen2.3 enter search criteria2.4 identify required book 2.5 note location

3. go to correct shelf and retrieve book4. 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

Administrator Departmentalmember

Arrange ameeting

Update calendarentry

Retrievecontact details

Use Case example

Arrange Meeting1. 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 emails 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 INTENTION SYSTEM RESPONSIBILITYArrange a new meeting

Request meeting participantsSupply participants

Requests meeting constraintsSupply known constraints

Find dates that fit constraintsSupply list of potential dates

Choose desired dateEnters date into calendarEmails 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