INF3280 – 13 March 2018

User interface for learning • Aim: – Design for and evaluate learnability – Writing inline help – Basis for Assignment 5 • Core literature – Chapter 6 • Additional literature – Grossman et.al. (2009) A Survey of Software Learnability: Metrics, Methodologies and Guidelines – Furnas et.al. (1987) The vocabulary problem in human-system communication – Laue (2017) Anti-Patterns in End-User Documentation – Purchase and Worrill (2002) An empirical study of on-line help design: features and principles 1

Feedback from IT

Reinforcement strengthens learning Punishment weakens learning

A wanted event or the removal of an Unwanted event or removal of a wanted unwanted one one • Wanted > prnt rapport.text Output which we wanted ILLEGAL USER ACTION! • Removal of unwanted PRINTER DAMAGED! No more error messages • Extinction • Informative reinforcement – No new stimulus from the You are now logged in environment • Immediate reinforcement > cd MyFiles < 1 second > • Repeated reinforcement at variable ratio or interval

2

Jens Kaasbøll INF3280 – 13 March 2018

Design for learnability kidosphere.com

• Some computer applications are complex – Additional help needed

3

Inline help in the program

• Responding to users’ current problem à Guidance à Not a tutorial primarily designed for teaching • Users want to do, not read à Minimal distraction from task à Short à Recognizable language à Recognizable graphics

4

Jens Kaasbøll INF3280 – 13 March 2018

Help – Types

Inline – Context-sensitive Context-free • • Help system • Wizard • Web • Help à Search if you don’t know • System-initiated where to go à Help where you are

5

Balloon help

• Appeared immediately on • Cluttered the screen

6

Jens Kaasbøll INF3280 – 13 March 2018

Tooltip – Screentip

• Help where the user is at the moment • No need for search 1 s delay à Avoiding distraction

Minimal manual? c Instructions? Functional model? Structural model?

7

Wizards carrying out the operations

Minimal manual? c Instructions? Functional model?

Structural model? 8

Jens Kaasbøll INF3280 – 13 March 2018

Help button à Document

Minimal Manual? c Instructions? Functional model? Structural model?

9

System initiated – Clippy

• Annoying • Irrelevant • Too trivial help

10

Jens Kaasbøll INF3280 – 13 March 2018

Help . Click Help in the application 2. Wait for the help system to start 3. Select software 4. Search 5. Select hit

Minimal Manual? Instructions? c Functional model? Structural model?

11

Recognizable language can compensate for cumbersome search

• Laue (2017) 12 • Borenstein (1986) Help Texts vs. Help Mechanisms: A New Mandate for Documentation Writers

Jens Kaasbøll INF3280 – 13 March 2018

Ranked help features

• 32 students • Purchase and Worrill (2002) An empirical study of on-line help design: features and principles

13

Ranked principles

• Purchase and Worrill (2002) An empirical study of on-line help design: features and principles 14

Jens Kaasbøll INF3280 – 13 March 2018

Qualities of IT applications • Learnability – From novice to expert user • Time from first encounter to use • Time before understanding what the application can be used for • Time before understanding how the representation system of the information enables and restricts operations – Intermittent users • Time to recall • Usability – Efficiency • Time and effort used to achieve the result – Satisfaction • Comfort and acceptability amongst users • Usefulness – Effectiveness

– The quality of the result achieved 15

Qualities of help

• Way of accessing the help One click Separate search system

• Contents – scaffold for Skill Understanding

16

Jens Kaasbøll