HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION   Term Paper ID:35435 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Answers three questions on human-computer interaction in an integrated essay format. ... More...

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Paper Abstract: An essay on human-computer interaction. Changing ways in which today's computer users interface with their machines. Describes use of mental models. How user expectations shape the actual experience. Paper Introduction: Human-Computer Interaction Introduction In Star Trek IV there is a comedic moment when the chief scienceofficer addresses a twentieth century computer by saying Computer inorder to gain access When handed a keyboard he responds with a remarkabout how quaint the data entry method is Science fiction has longpromised us computers that would respond to natural speech or that wouldmimic human communication but technology has yet to fulfill thesepromises Considerable gains have been made however and today\'s computerusers interface with their machines in Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. An online tutorial about inserting and manipulating graphics wouldhelp users understand this feature. Users are able to move between several different windows on the samescreen in order to accomplish specific tasks. It is likely that in another tenyears, interfaces will be easier and friendlier, still. Users caninvite one another to participate in private chats so that only they cansee the various inputs. Other than that,the site is highly dependent on text information, although the informationis arranged in graphic forms or frames. Users arealso able to see who else is on line with Cedar in case they want tointeract with those users. Science fiction has longpromised us computers that would respond to natural speech or that wouldmimic human communication, but technology has yet to fulfill thesepromises. While there is considerable work to be done inthis field, today's user interfaces are considerably more "friendly" thanthose of ten, or even five years ago. When the interface is logical and individuals can predict how a programwill progress, they are likely to return to use the program on a regularbasis. Evaluation of Cedar Cedar is a collaborative tool for updating information on the Web,such as in Wikipedia. Depending on the sophistication of theagent, the user could be prompted to display the current itinerary whenevera change is made, or with similar hints. This makes the picture "behave" in the same wayas text, so it can be centered, for example, by using the formattingtoolbar. When handed a keyboard, he responds with a remarkabout how quaint the data entry method is. The interface might also be modified so thatusers are able to click on specific windows-such as history-rather thanhaving all of these windows open at the same time. Theother knew about "floaties" (his term) but did not know how to fix afloating picture. Rather, users respond toone another in chat rooms or make edits to submissions entered by anotheruser. Direct manipulation systems are likely to run into difficulties whenan itinerary becomes complicated due to the various constraints that mightbe imposed. A command line interface requires significant learning since usersmust become familiar with the commands that are valid, and listing validcommands at each user interaction could prove cumbersome. Mental Models To insert graphic objects into a Word document, one selects Insert-Picture-From File (for a picture file, for example). An agent-based interface has the advantage of being easy to learn-theuser need only answer questions posed by the agent with help also providedby the agent-and easy to remember. After speaking to two people who use Word in their work but who do notconsider themselves experts in the application, both had the same mentalmodel as to how to insert pictures, but from there, the mental modelsvaried significantly. For example, someone planning a one-week trip with a differentcity every day and specific time constraints might find that the directmanipulation becomes cumbersome in terms of presenting the currentinformation. Command lineinterfaces also, by definition, cannot present graphic information and sousers would be forced to learn to read the itinerary as it is displayed onthe screen. If their level of frustration hadbeen higher, or if they had been prevented from completing a particulartask, they might have had more motivation to seek out a remedy. Or, the user may use the Format Paragraph option and "keepwith next" for the picture or caption so that the two are forced to movetogether without actually using the anchor feature. Thus a user can engage inchat and then shift to the browser while displaying a history of thevarious pages they have viewed-and who created them-as well. This would simplify the process for some people, butpossibly complicate it for others. By collaborative, Cedar makes it possible for usersin different locations but logged onto the system at the same time tointeract with one another through chats and links and by viewing the typesof activities in which other users are engaged. Both of these individuals have been frustrated by this feature, butneither was sufficiently motivated to seek out an answer either on the Webor in the Microsoft Word help files. Currently, the page canbe confusing visually as users struggle to keep track of changinginformation in different windows. Conclusion The interaction between humans and computers continues to beproblematic and a critical factor in how successfully people use computers. The second user typically opened a document thatcontained the same format as the document he wanted to create, and thensaved it under a different name in order to use the existing format. Toprevent a picture from floating, one selects the picture with the cursor,right-clicks on the picture, selects "Format Picture," and then select "InLine" from the Layout tab. One had no concept of what "floating" meant withregard to a graphic although when the term was explained, noted that suchfloating graphics have been a source of frustration over the years. Perception and recognition are likely to become problematicas the amount of data being processed increases, and the user's attentionmight wane as information becomes dense and feedback difficult to determineon a crowded screen. When the interface is difficult or requires a long learning curve,individuals are likely to become disheartened and either will refrain fromusing the system whenever possible, or will not receive the full benefitthat the system can offer. A similar technique is used to wrap text around the picture.Anchored pictures are used to attach captions so that the picture moveswith the text. As with chat rooms in general, Cedar is likely to bring out behaviorthat individuals might not exhibit in a typical face-to-face meeting. However, command line interfaces are not dependent onsophisticated graphics displays and users who are color-blind, for example,can use these interfaces well. Lacking graphics may also make it more difficult for users toremain focused on the task and easier for them to be distracted by otherinfluences. An air travel planningprogram will require different cities and any number of constraints such astype of fare, limitations on days and time of day, and specific routing-traveling from Point A to Point C to Point B, for example. Someusers may be more aggressive, since they consider the Internet anonymousand since there are no visual or audio cues to provide additionalinformation about the sarcastic or literal intention of the "speaker."Users are likely to resort to emoticons and common types of Internet chatconventions in order to make themselves understood more readily, and theymay take it upon themselves to police each other in a public chat forum. Communication requires naturallanguage skills, using so-called "netspeak" in order to communicatequickly. Considerable gains have been made, however, and today's computerusers interface with their machines in ways that computer pioneers-armedwith punch cards and input devices lacking displays-could only imagine.This research considers how humans expect to interact with computers-including interactions with a popular office productivity program-and howthose expectations shape the actual experience that users have wheninteracting with computers. Although this type of interaction requirestyping skills and can be awkward for some people, it is a form ofcommunication with which most users who would be accessing this type ofinformation are already familiar. Thiscaused some problems when he forgot to perform the "save as" prior tochanging the file, and he inadvertently overwrote the original file.Despite this, he had not sought out other ways of inserting graphics. Thus phrases such as LOL (laugh out loud) or BRB (be right back)are likely to be used in this environment as they are used commonly on theWeb in similar situations. Common icons could be used to facilitate the entry and retrieval ofinformation, and the learning curve might well be less since the userswould already be familiar with the concept of direct manipulation. The useof graphics in this environment can also make understanding program flowand use easier, and it is likely that users will have an easier timeinteracting with a direct manipulation system than with a command linesystem. Chats might be used to discuss an update that auser is currently working on, or to discuss an update that has already beenmade to a particular page with which another user disagrees or thinks canbe improved. Cedar also makes it difficult to interact with users who are notonline at the same time, or who are not in Cedar at the same time.Bridging this "gap" would improve the usability and usefulness of thesystem since it is unlikely that all of those interested in a given articlewill be online together. Since they are dependent on language, itcan be difficult for non-native speakers to use these programs effectivelyon a casual basis. It can also be helpful whenthe text needs to flow around the picture but the picture needs to remainin the same position relative to the page regardless of the text. At this point, Cedar does not easily facilitate the on-line sharing ofinformation directly among users in real-time. A direct manipulation approach to a travel planning program can beeffective in that it provides a graphic presentation of information thatmight be familiar to users who have access to personal computers at home orwork. The site relies on graphics to display the viewing history, which canbe useful to see how links lead from one page to another. Human-Computer Interaction Introduction In Star Trek IV, there is a comedic moment when the chief scienceofficer addresses a twentieth century computer by saying "Computer!" inorder to gain access. Aswith other chat rooms, Cedar uses public chat areas to provide a forum forall users to view all inputs from all users at the same time. Agents, Direct Manipulation and Command Line Interfaces When considering an air travel planning program, it is important tobegin by considering the type of information that people will need to enterinto the system in order to accomplish their task. Sometimes, picture "float"over the text. One selects the filefrom the displayed list and clicks "Insert". The interface could be improved so that users are able to work inreal-time on the same information so that when they are finished, the workresides on the Web in its new form. Such a tutorial might be linked to thehelp that is provided in Word, perhaps as an icon, although this wouldincrease the amount of space that Word requires on the hard drive.Alternatively, the default for inserting pictures might be to insert themas "inline" graphics and have "floating" be the option rather than theother way around. Obviously, there are sharing violationissues that would need to be resolved in order to bring this type of changeabout. This can be useful when one wants to superimpose text onthe picture, or to create a watermark effect. As with command line processing,some difficulties could arise with language since an agent will requirerudimentary proficiency in natural language, most likely, in an environmentsuch as this, but feedback can be instantaneous since the agent caninstantly communicate if there are conflicts in the itinerary or if theagent cannot execute a command. Cedar relies on Internet chat in both public and private forums. To some degree, this is becausealthough they are frustrated, they are able to use the product-and eventhis feature-despite their frustration. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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