Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 20:19:49 GMT Server: Apache/1.0.5 Content-type: text/html Content-length: 7083 Last-modified: Fri, 22 Sep 1995 19:01:38 GMT CS377. Principles from the Cognitive Sciences - readings

CS377. Topics in Human-Computer Interaction

Stanford University 1994-95

Autumn 94-95: Principles from the Cognitive Sciences for human-computer interaction

Tues-Thurs., 11:00 - 12:15 Room: 352; Margaret Jacks Hall (Bldg 460)

Instructor: Henry B. (Hank) Strub Email: strub@interval.com Phone: 354-0919

Contents of Course Reader


Lecture 1: Motivational Readings (optional)

how "classics" in HCI will set a foundation for communication and education

Winograd, T. (1994). Perspectives: Designing a language for interactions. Interactions, 1 (2), 7-9.

How perspective influences whether properties are strengths or weaknesses

pp. 221-227, from Norman, D. A. (1993). Things that make us smart: Defending human attributes in the age of the machine. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Week 1: A taste of High Level Cognition & Perception

A classic design-oriented perspective on cognition and perception

Chapter 1, pp. 1-33 and related notes pp. 219-220, from Norman, D. A. (1988). The psychology of everyday things. New York: Basic Books.

An activity-theory approach to study and design of artifacts

Bannon, L. J. & B¿dker, S. (1991). Beyond the interface: Encountering artifacts in use. In J. M. Carroll (Ed.), Designing interaction: Psychology at the human-computer interface. (pp. 227-253). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Week 2: A taste of Low Level Cognition and Perception

Cognitive and perceptual rules of thumb that can be used to estimate human performance

pp. 124-143, plus figures D-16 and D-17, and references; from Card, S. K. (1984). Human limits and the VDT computer interface. In J. L. Bennett (Ed.), Visual display terminals : usability issues and health concerns. (pp. 117-155). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

A short introduction to GOMS methodology

pp. 140-152 from Card, S. K., Moran, T. P. and Newell, A. (1983). The psychology of human-computer interaction. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Issues that don't fit well into GOMS

Wright, P., Lickorish, A. and Milroy, R. (1994). Remembering while mousing: The cognitive costs of mouse clicks. SIGSCHI Bulletin, 26 (1), 41-45.

Week 3: Methodology 1: Ethnography

Practical overview of ethnographic methodology

Blomberg, J., Giacomi, J., Mosher, A. and Swenton-Wall, P. (1993). Ethnographic field methods and their relation to design. In D. Schuler & A. Makioka (Eds.), Participatory design: Principles and practices. (pp. 123-156). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Study that used ethnographic methods

Nardi, B. A. & Miller, J. R. (1991). Twinkling lights and nested loops: Distributed problem solving and spreadsheet development. International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 34, 161-184.

Week 4: Methodology 2: Case Studies

Nuts and Bolts chapter on Case Study methodologies, and tradeoffs in their use

Chapter 6, pp. 146-169, from: Robson, C. (1993). Real world research: A resource for social scientists and practitioner-researchers. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers.

Questions the utility of cognitive theory for real design issues

Landauer, T. (1991). Let's get real: A position paper on the role of cognitive psychology in the design of humanly useful and usable systems. In J. M. Carroll (Ed.), Designing Interaction: Psychology at the human-computer interface. (pp. 60-73). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Week 5: Human Error, almost always based on complex interdependencies

Well written discussion on how people and system factors interact in cases of error

Chapter 2, pp. 8-26; and pp. 87-102, and 105-109; from Woods, D. D., Johannesen, L. J., Cook, R. I. and Sarter, N. B. (draft of November, 1993). Behind human error: Cognitive systems, computers and hindsight . State-of-the-Art Report prepared for CSERIAC.

"Obvious" things users often don't know; possible consequences; and safer design

Laughery, K. R. (1993). Everybody knows---or do they. Ergonomics in design, pp. 8-13.

Week 6: Human Memory: a case that brings previous course weeks together

Short introduction to low-level memory principles

pp. 303-308, from Lindsay, P. H. & Norman, D. A. (1977). Human information processing. Orlando, FL: Academic Press.

Some practical high-level memory issues

pp. 115-122, from Searleman, A. & Herrmann, D. (1994). Memory from a broader perspective. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.

Memory issues related to speech and conversation

pp. 179-199, from Cohen, G. (1989). Memory in the real world. Hillsdale, NJ: LEA.

Week 7: Methodology 3: Uses for Qualitative Methodology, and Usability

Practical discussion on appropriate (and inappropriate) uses of qualitative data

Chapter 12, pp. 370-407, from Robson, C. (1993). Real world research: A resource for social scientists and practitioner-researchers. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers.

An introduction to (and retrospective discussion of) Usability

Gould, J. D., Boies, S. J. and Lewis, C. (1991). Making usable, useful, productivity - enhancing computer applications. Communications of the ACM, 34 (1), 74-85.

End of Quarter: Design and Application Issues

Introduction and discussion of prototyping methodologies

Madsen, K. H. & Aiken, P. H. (1993). Experiences using cooperative interactive storyboard prototyping. Communications of the ACM, 36 (4), 57-64.

Projections on literacy and teaching in the future

Soloway, E. (1993). Reading and writing in the 21st Century. Communications of the ACM, 36 (5), 23-27.

Realistic constraints of technology in schools

Becker, H. J. (1993). Teaching with and about computers in secondary schools. Communications of the ACM, 36 (5), 69-73.

A case of a cognitively-based product; with discussion of implementation issues

Leirer, V. O., Tanke, E. D. and Morrow, D. G. (1993). Commercial cognitive/memory systems: A case study. Applied cognitive psychology, 7, 675-689.
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Information provided for the Stanford Computer Science Department by the HCI Course Coordinator as part of the description of HCI at Stanford. Last updated Sept. 11, 1994