HUMAN COMPUTER INTERFACE

Definition of HCI
Human-computer interaction is a discipline concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use and with the study of major phenomena surrounding them. Human-Computer Interface Design seeks to discover the most efficient way to design understandable electronic messages. Research in this area is voluminous; a complete branch of computer science is devoted to this topic, with recommendations for the proper design of menus, icons, forms, as well as data display and entry screens. This browser you are using now is a result of interface design - the buttons and menus have been designed to make it easy for you to access the web. Some recommendations from this research are discussed below. Note: Many of these recommendations concern the design of computer interfaces like Windows or the Mac Finder or how to make programs easier to use.

The Human-Computer Interface

A good interface will fade into the background and the user will focus on the task at hand. General Principals to follow when designing any programme.

A. Human Issues
The beliefs and expectations with which the computer users are a direct result of her concept of what the computer is like and what the computer has become. Thus one should "know the user". This includes all aspects of the user's experience of computerized systems as well as their personal preferences. Previous computer experience and design expectations. For example a user who has only had experience in the windows environment is unlikely to benefit from a DOS look and feel, even if the programme is functionally adequate for all their programming needs. This is vitally important when one remembers that the computer, for most users, is simply one of an array of tools that can be used to perform a certain task. If the tool is not readily accessible and easy to use it will be discarded in preference of another. Cultural Issues Certain images, graphics and language may be offensive to one group of users, and care must be taken to avoid inadvertently offending any one on the basis of culture, race, creed, gender or sexual orientation. Muslim users may be offended (or alienated) by popping champagne bottles, whilst indirectly comparing a Zulu user to an animal (cartoon of a monkey) would equally offend and alienate this group. Language should be inoffensive, and gender neutral.

Differently abled users Any computer programme may be used by people with physical challenges e.g. the blind and deaf. Even in areas where it is unlikely for the physically disabled to be accepted, there may be occasions when a user is temporarily disabled and still needs access to the equipment. For instance if a hand is in plaster cast would the user still be able to access the information. Sound should include textual alternatives, and visual graphics should have descriptions. Colour Vision Deficiency (Colour blindness) is more prevalent that one realizes, make sure that any important colour coding and contrasts take this into account. Green blindness - individuals confuse greens, yellows, and reds (6.39 percent) Red blindness - individuals confuse various shades of red (2.04 percent) Blue blindness - individuals confuse blues (0.0003 percent) Total color blindness, which affects no more than 0.005 percent of both sexes."

The Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines also warns against this problem stating "people with color-deficient vision wouldn't recognize the use of color to indicate selection. Therefore, you shouldn't use color as the only means of communicating important information. Color should be used redundantly. It shouldn't be the only thing that distinguishes two objects; there should be other cues, such as text labels, shape, location, pattern, or sound." and suggests that all images should be developed in black and white first. Learning Time Factors that lead to the shortening of the learning time include familiarity, consistency and the use of an accessible metaphor. If a user can visualize the structure of a system and is able to predict the outcome of interactions, they will have more confidence with quicker interactions and a lower error rate. Menus and selection objects Menu systems and graphical iconic symbolization are not necessarily universally understood. Various authors point to the following guidelines when creating selection items: All graphic representation should have textual descriptions. Consistency of terminology should apply to all options throughout the system. Avoid the use of jargon and keep phrasing concise. Keywords should be scanned by the user first. Group similar items in a menu map, or if this is not possible use other instinctive alternatives such as alphabetic order. Avoid multiple screen transversals for selection purposes. Avoid ambiguity. Consistency throughout is vital.

Icon Tips

Interpretations of graphics are often dependant on culture, experience and exposure to a specific medium. Arrows are not a universal symbol of direction. It is for this reason that most authorities in Interface design recommend that all buttons, icons etc be labeled. Two standard sizes for icons, 16 pixels square 32 pixels square,

Each icon should have a label, which should be the same as (or an abbreviation of) the title of the corresponding window. Navigation Issues Navigation issues vary between Multimedia and WebPages but the common issues include links to the first screen/page, next screen/page, backtrack facilities and every system should have a quick exit button. See the section on for commonly used buttons. All applications should have short cuts for expert users. Sound All aspects of design should adhere to the concept of adding meaning, if there is no enhancement of accessibility for the user, and then there is no need for the information, graphic or media to be added. Similarly sound should only be inserted if it enhances meaning and it should not distract the users attention. Where ever possible allow the user interactive control to play, stop, rewind and pause. It is also useful to be aware that some users may be disturbed by a faceless voice. Many applications display a picture or video of a person when a voice recording is played.

Mixed Media When using a combination of media e.g. sound, text, animation and video, be careful that the users attention is not distracted by one or other of the media. E.g. animation and sound can work well together, but animation and text presented simultaneously is likely to be distracting. Messages and Status reports Concise, brief, unambiguous, clearly visible and consistently placed on screen. Feedback Immediate, positive and instructional Tone 3

Respect for the user and subject material is imperative. Avoid slang, misplaced humour and potentially offensive insinuations. Screen Layout and Design The layout of the screen is a controversial issue; what is pleasing to one person may be considered dull and boring or, conversely, garish to another. Novice designers should aim for elegant simplicity and consistency. It helps to divide the screen into a grid where similar types of information are consistently placed. This helps the designer form a visual sense of balance across screens, and the consistency will aid the user to quickly locate the important information. Users typically suffer from "cognitive overload" from too much information and too many diverse media used simultaneously. Font should be legible, and care must be taken to ensure that the users machine is likely to have a similar font to the one selected so that there is a level of predictability in the final display. A mixture of too many fonts detracts from legibility, rather use a maximum of two fonts and vary the size and weights to change the emphasis or draw attention to different areas of information. All screens should be titled, and the titles should match the names of the interaction that brought the user to the screen. White space consistently used can separate the screen into logical groups of information and make it more legible. Colour Most people involved with the development of interactive course material cannot afford the expertise and skills of a graphic design artist. This is often obvious in the end results and if at all possible it is recommended that a graphic artist be included in a team of developers. However, for those that are in the unfortunate position of a "do or die" scenario the following advise may assist. 1. Most authors suggest the use of a maximum of four colours. 2. Use colours to colour code similar items, but remember that colour coding is only useful if the user knows the code (red=stop, green=go); the metaphor should be a familiar one to the users otherwise lengthy explanations are necessary and counter productive. Also colours are often used to depict various items (e.g. in medical illustrations red is used to depict arteries and yellow to depict nerves), switching or changing these colours could be confusing for the user. 3. In dense screens colour coding can assist the user to identify grouped material choose your colours carefully so as to accommodate people with Colour Discrimination Deficiencies as far as possible. 4. If material is to be printed by the user, remember to design graphics with patterns as well as colour coding. Most people only have access to black and white printers. 5. Consider contrasts carefully. If you have a dark background, use light foregrounds (this combination is good for long-distance viewing such as slide shows or projected computer screens). Use light backgrounds and dark foregrounds for situations with high ambient light e.g. overhead projectors. 4

6. Note that different wavelengths of colour come into focus at different points in the eye. It is difficult for people to focus on red and blue simultaneously. The use of metaphor in the interface design Imposing a metaphor on a virtual world, allows the user to be better able to predict the outcomes of new interactions. It also allows the designer to work with a model which will guide the development in a consistency of interactions and representations. Obvious metaphors are those of the "desktop" for office automation software, and the "paint brush and easel" for graphics packages. Care should be taken that the analogy is familiar to the users' experience of the "real world" and similar enough to be incorporated without excessive explanation. Another common metaphor for navigational buttons is the VCR or tape deck buttons, which are familiar to most users. e.g.

Forward

Back

Fast forward

Rewind

Stop

Interactivity Interactivity has been lauded as the most promising development in CAL since the euphoria of AI collapsed. However, interactivity should be more than a simple point and click scenario. Truly interactive systems based on a constructiveness approach would include drag and drop, text entries and other forms of interaction to develop a users knowledge of the subject material. Learning Styles Individuals typically have their own preferences in the way that they perceive, collect and process information. These methods are referred to as "Learning Styles".

Print - learns through reading (Allow printouts for these students). Aural - learns by listening - will enjoy audio tapes and listening to what other learners have to say. (Voice over will assist these users.) Interactive - enjoys discussions with other students on a one-to-one basis or in small groups. (CMC would assist many of these students). Visual - learns by looking at pictures, graphs, slides, demonstrations and films. (Colour coding will work well with these types of students.) Haptic - learn through the sense of touch. (Drag and Drop interactions could help here.) Kinesthetic - learns through movement. (Animation could help students with this type of preference). Olfactory - uses the sense of smell in learning. (Any ideas?) 5

Learners will not typically use only one of the above list but a combination of them, favoring one method over another e.g. some learners work well in a group environment using visual and interactive learning styles whilst others prefer to learn on their own, but still use a visual style. Many, although not all of the above can be used in the development of Interactive Multimedia Course Material. Instructional Events Instruction refer to control of the external events in the learning situation. These events are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Gaining and controlling attention. Informing the learner of expected outcomes Stimulating recall of relevant prerequisite capabilities. Presenting the stimuli inherent to the learning task. Offering guidance for learning. Providing feedback. Appraising performance Making provisions for transferability. Insuring retention.

B. Technological Issues Color Different colour graphic adapters may interpret colour coding differently. As far as possible make sure that this does not adversely affect your display. C. Organizational Issues There are often organizational issues, inter office politics and management policies that can have repercussions for the effective implementation of such a medium.