ITE-474 Exam 2 Study Guide

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI)

Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) provide a communication pathway between a person's brain waves and an external device, such as a cursor on a screen.

Touchscreen Interfaces

Detects the presence and location of a person's touch on the display; options are selected by tapping on the screen.

Smart Interfaces

Device has some intelligence and it is connected to the Internet. Smartphone, smartwatch, smart building, smart home, or smart appliance (for example smart lighting, smart speakers, or virtual assistants).

Theoretical frameworks: Grounded Theory, Distributed Cognition, Activity Theory

Grounded Theory • Aims to derive theory from systematic analysis of data • Based on categorization approach (called here 'coding') • Three levels of 'coding' - Open: identify categories - Axial: flesh out and link to subcategories - Selective: form theoretical scheme • Researchers are encouraged to draw on own theoretical backgrounds to inform analysis Distributed Cognition • The people, environment & artefacts are regarded as one cognitive system • Used for analyzing collaborative work • Focuses on information propagation & transformation Activity Theory • Explains human behaviour in terms of our practical activity in the world • Provides a framework that focuses analysis around the concept of an 'activity' and helps to identify tensions between the different elements of the system • Two key models: one outlines what constitutes an 'activity'; one models the mediating role of artifacts

Haptic Interfaces

Haptic interfaces provide tactile feedback, by applying vibration and forces to the person, using actuators that are embedded in their clothing or a device that they are carrying, such as a smartphone or smartwatch. Gaming consoles have also employed vibration to enrich the experience.

Discuss the importance of involving users, different methods of user involvement; issues

Importance of involving users • Expectation management - Realistic expectations - No surprises, no disappointments - Timely training - Communication, but no hype • Ownership - Make the users active stakeholders - More likely to forgive or accept problems - Can make a big difference to acceptance and success of product Degrees of user involvement • Member of the design team - Full time: constant input, but lose touch with users - Part time: patchy input, and very stressful - Short term: inconsistent across project life - Long term: consistent, but lose touch with users • Newsletters and other dissemination devices - Reach wider selection of users - Need communication both ways • User involvement after product is released • Combination of these approaches

Command-Line Interfaces

In this interface, commands are executed through instructions written into a command line. Examples are MS-DOS and aspects of Linux.

pros/ cons of three main techniques for gathering data

Interviews -People may only say what you want to hear Questionnaires -easy to analyze, but sampling size may be a problem Observation -Helps designers understand users context

What is triangulation

Look at data from more than one perspective • Collect more than one type of data, e.g qualitative from experiments and qualitative from interviews

Multimedia Interfaces

Multimedia, as the name implies, combines different media within a single interface, namely, graphics, text, video, sound, and animation, and links them together with various forms of interactivity. The assumption is that a combination of media and interactivity can provide better ways of presenting information than can a single media, for example, just text or video alone. The added value of multimedia is that it can be easier for learning, better for understanding, more engaging, and more pleasant for users.

Multimodal Interfaces

Multimodal interfaces are intended to enrich user experiences by multiplying the way information is experienced and controlled at the interface through using different modalities, such as touch, sight, sound, and speech. Interface techniques that have been combined for this purpose include speech and gesture, eye-gaze and gesture, haptic and audio output, and pen input and speech. The assumption is that multimodal interfaces can support more flexible, efficient, and expressive means of human- computer interaction that are more akin to the multimodal experiences that humans encounter in the physical world.

Scraping Data

One way to extract data is by "scraping" it from the web. Once the data is scraped, it can be entered into a spreadsheet for study and analyzed using data science tools. The focus from an interaction design perspective is how one can interact with that data and the way it is displayed rather than the actual scraping process per se, so that it can be analyzed and sense can be made of it.

Pen-Based Devices

Pen-based devices enable people to write, draw, select, and move objects on an interface using light pens or styluses that capitalize on the well-honed drawing and writing skills that are developed from childhood. They have been used to interact with tablets and large displays, instead of mouse, touch, or keyboard input, for selecting items and supporting freehand sketching.

Discuss the use of user personas in interaction design

Personas • Capture a set of user characteristics (user profile) • Not real people, but synthesised from real users • Should not be idealised • Bring them to life with a name, characteristics, goals, personal background • Develop a small set of personas with one primary

Random sampling vs stratified sampling

Random sampling- truly random Stratified sampling- people are grouped, then randomly sampled

Website Design Interfaces

The goal of web design has been to develop sites that are not only usable but also aesthetically pleasing. Getting the graphical design right, therefore, is critical. The use of graphical elements (such as background images, color, bold text, and icons) can make a website look distinctive, striking, and pleasurable for the user when they first view it and also to make it readily recognizable on their return. However, there is the danger that designers can get carried away with the appearance at the expense of making it difficult to find something and navigate through it.

Virtual Reality Interfaces

The hardware and programming used to create the illusion of three-dimensional objects for on-screen virtual reality environments. VR simulations of the world can be constructed to have a higher level of fidelity with the objects they represent compared to other forms of graphical interfaces, for example, multimedia. The illusion afforded by the technology can make virtual objects appear to be very life-like and behave according to the laws of physics. For example, landing and take-off terrains developed for flight simulators can appear to be very realistic. Moreover, it is assumed that learning and training applications can be improved through having a greater fidelity to the represented world.

Second Source Data

The openly available big data that Google and other companies now provide for researchers to mine offers a "second source" methodology, meaning search terms, Facebook posts, Instagram comments, and so on. Analysis of this data can indirectly reveal new insights about the users' concerns, desires, behaviors, and habits.

Wearable Interfaces

Wearables are a broad category of devices that are worn on the body. Devices that may be worn on a person's wrist or incorporated into clothing. These include smartwatches, fitness trackers, fashion tech, and smart glasses.

data vs information

data is raw, information is processed data

Explain the difference between functional and non-functional requirements and give examples

functional requirements are what an application SHALL do, non functional are extra bells and whistles or aesthetics

Three main techniques for gathering data

interviews, questionnaires, observation

Differences between Likert scales and semantic differential scales

likert scale - 1 to 5 with extreme ends semantic scale- has at least 7 points and is used to make more subtle judgments (explore a range of bipolar attitudes about a particular item)

Discuss the difference between qualitative and quantitative data and be able to give examples

quantitative data can be expressed as numbers, qualitative data is more subjective

Quantitative measurements: averages, percentages, mean, median, mode

• Averages - Mean: add up values and divide by number of data points - Median: middle value of data when ranked - Mode: figure that appears most often in the data

Types of information included in questionnaires (demographics, background and contextual info)

• The impact of a question can be influenced by question order. • You may need different versions of the questionnaire for different populations. • Provide clear instructions on how to complete the questionnaire. • Strike a balance between using white space and keeping The questionnaire compact. • Avoid very long questionnaires. • Decide on whether phrases will all be positive, all negative or mixed.

Discuss the differences between unstructured interviews and structured interviews, semi-structured interviews; pros/cons of each; use of focus groups

• Unstructured - are not directed by a script. Rich but not replicable. • Structured - are tightly scripted, often like a questionnaire. Replicable but may lack richness. • Semi-structured - guided by a script but interesting issues can be explored in more depth. Can provide a good balance between richness and replicability. • Focus groups - a group interview

Appliance Interfaces

"Appliances include machines for everyday use in the home (for example, washing machines, microwave ovens, refrigerators, toasters, bread makers, and smoothie makers). What they have in common is that most people using them will be trying to get something specific done in a short period of time, such as starting a wash, watching a program, buying a ticket, or making a drink. They are unlikely to be interested in spending time exploring the interface or looking through a manual to see how to use the appliance. Many of them now have LED displays that provide multiple functions and feedback about a process (such as temperature, minutes remaining, and so on). Some have begun to be connected to the Internet with companion devices, enabling them to be controlled by remote apps. An example is a coffee maker that can be controlled to come on at a certain time from an app running on a smartphone or controlled by voice." (Note: Above is the entirety of the textbooks section)

Gesture-Based Interfaces

"Gestures involve moving arms and hands to communicate (for instance, waving to say goodbye or raising an arm to speak in class) or to provide information to someone (for example, holding two hands apart to show the size of something). There has been much interest in how technology can be used to capture and recognize a user's gestures for input by tracking them using cameras and then analyzing them using machine learning algorithms."

Mobile Device Interfaces

"Mobile devices have become pervasive, with people increasingly using them in all aspects of their everyday and working lives—including phones, fitness trackers, and watches. Customized mobile devices are also used by people in a diversity of work settings where they need access to real-time data or information while walking around. For example, they are now commonly used in restaurants to take orders, at car rental agencies to check in car returns, in supermarkets for checking stock, and on the streets for multiplayer gaming." (Note: Textbook unspecific)

Discuss the advantages of doing a pilot study

-make sure the proposed method is viable before embarking on the real study. potential problems are identified early

Identify pros/cons of different data gathering requirements

? (Textbook unclear, editing needed.)

What are the differences between graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and natural user interfaces (NUIs)?

A natural user interface (NUI) is designed to allow people to interact with a computer in the same way that they interact with the physical world—using their voice, hands, and bodies. Instead of using a keyboard, mouse, or touchpad (as is the case with GUIs), NUIs enable users to speak to machines, stroke their surfaces, gesture at them in the air, dance on mats that detect feet movements, smile at them to get a reaction, and so on.

Definition of a requirement; different types of requirements (functional, data, environmental)

A requirement is a statement about an intended product that specifies what it should do or how it should perform Different kinds of requirements • Functional: —What the system should do Functional requirements capture what the product will do. For example, a functional requirement for a robot working in a car assembly plant might be that it is able to place and weld together the correct pieces of metal accurately. Understanding the functional requirements for an interactive product is fundamental. • Environmental: — Security, response time... Environmental requirements, or context of use, refer to the circumstances in which the interactive product will operate. Four aspects of the environment lead to different types of requirements. First is the physical environment, such as how much lighting, noise, movement, and dust is expected in the operational environment. Will users need to wear protective clothing, such as large gloves or headgear that might affect the choice of interface type? How crowded is the environment? For example, an ATM operates in a very public physical environment, thus using a speech interface is likely to be problematic. • Data: —What kinds of data need to be stored? —How will they be stored (e.g. database)? Data requirements capture the type, volatility, size/amount, persistence, accuracy, and value of the required data. All interactive products have to handle some data. For example, if an application for buying and selling stocks and shares is being developed, then the data must be up-to-date and accurate, and it is likely to change many times a day. In the personal banking domain, data must be accurate and persist over many months and probably years, and there will be plenty of it.

Voice User Interfaces

A voice user interface (VUI) involves a person talking with a spoken language app, such as a search engine, a train timetable, a travel planner, or a phone service. It is commonly used for inquiring about specific information (for instance, flight times or the weather) or issuing a command to a machine (such as asking a smart TV to select an Action movie or asking a smart speaker to play some upbeat music).

Discuss privacy and ethical issues and give examples.

An ethical strategy that can be adopted for systems that analyze data is to have an explicit agreement in place as to how it will be used and acted upon. Such an agreement can include in what way is the analysis trustworthy. (Note: Unspecific question. Refer to Ch.10.4 for more details)

Graphical User Interfaces

An operating system characteristic that utilizes graphics, making the OS much more user friendly.

Augmented Reality Interfaces

Augmented Reality works by superimposing digital elements onto physical devices and objects. AR became an overnight success with the arrival of Pokémon Go in 2016. Using a player's smartphone camera and GPS signal, the AR game makes it seem as if virtual Pokémon characters are appearing in the real world—popping up all over the place, such as on buildings, on streets, and in parks.

Discuss how scenarios, use cases, and essential use cases can assist the designer in development; how are use cases and essential use cases different?

Scenarios: "A scenario is an "informal narrative description". It describes human activities or tasks in a story that allows exploration and discussion of contexts, needs, and requirements. It does not necessarily describe the use of software or other technological support used to achieve a goal. Using the vocabulary and phrasing of users means that scenarios can be understood by stakeholders, and they are able to participate fully in development." Essential Use Case: "An essential use case is a structured narrative, expressed in the language of the application domain and of users, comprising a simplified, generalized, abstract, technology-free and implementation independent description of one task or interaction that is complete, meaningful, and well-defined from the point of view of users in some role or roles in relation to a system and that embodies the purpose or intentions underlying the interaction." Use Case: "Use cases focus on functional requirements and capture interaction. Because they focus on the interaction between a user and the product, they may be used in design to think about the new interaction being designed, but they may also be used to capture requirements—to think through details about what the user needs to see, to know about, or to react to. Use cases define a specific process because they are a step-by-step description. This is in contrast to a user story, which focuses on outcomes and user goals."

Shareable Interfaces

Shareable interfaces are designed for more than one person to use. Unlike PCs, laptops, and mobile devices, which are aimed at single users, shareable interfaces typically provide multiple inputs and sometimes allow simultaneous input by collocated groups. These include large wall displays, for example SmartBoards, where people use their own pens or gestures, and interactive tabletops, where small groups can interact with information being displayed on the surface using their fingertips.

Tangible Interfaces

Tangible interfaces use sensor-based interaction, where physical objects, such as bricks, balls, and cubes, are coupled with digital representations. When a person manipulates the physical object(s), it is detected by a computer system via the sensing mechanism embedded in the physical object, causing a digital effect to occur, such as a sound, animation, or vibration. (Note: Textbook is vague.)