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Assigment 3

The document discusses various human-computer interaction styles including command languages, form filling, menu selection, and direct manipulation. It also discusses different types of user support such as quick reference, task-specific help, full explanations, and tutorials. Finally, it outlines organization schemes and structures for information architecture including alphabetical, chronological, and geographical schemes as well as exact and subjective categorization approaches.

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Steve Yaya
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17 views4 pages

Assigment 3

The document discusses various human-computer interaction styles including command languages, form filling, menu selection, and direct manipulation. It also discusses different types of user support such as quick reference, task-specific help, full explanations, and tutorials. Finally, it outlines organization schemes and structures for information architecture including alphabetical, chronological, and geographical schemes as well as exact and subjective categorization approaches.

Uploaded by

Steve Yaya
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY

HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION

ASSIGNMENT 3

Marro Steve 21/08795

1. Computers are used to process information. Since the information is needed by people, peo-
ple and computers have to interact. Different computer applications (programs) follow differ-
ent styles of the interaction, even for the same operations. Explain the various types of inter-
action style, with an example for each.
The concept of Interaction Styles refers to all the ways the user can communicate
or otherwise interact with the computer system. The concept belongs in the realm
of HCI or at least have its roots in the computer medium, usually in the form of a
workstation or a desktop computer. 
Some of this types include:
Command language

Command language is the earliest form of interaction style and is still being used,
though mainly on Linux/Unix operating systems. These "Command prompts" are
used by (usually) expert users who type in commands and possibly some parameters
that will affect the way the command is executed.

Form filling
The form filling interaction style (also called "fill in the blanks") was aimed at a
different set of users than command language, namely non-experts users. When
form filling interfaces first appeared, the whole interface was form-based, unlike
much of today's software that mix forms with other interaction styles. Back then, the
screen was designed as a form in which data could be entered in the pre-defined
form fields.

Menu selection

Using a system based on menu-selection, the user selects a command from a


predefined selection of commands arranged in menus and observes the effect. If the
labels on the menus/commands are understandable (and grouped well) users can
accomplish their tasks with negligible learning or memorization as finding a
command/menu item is a recognition as opposed to recall memory task (see recall
versus recognition).

Direct Manipulation

Direct manipulation captures the idea of “direct manipulation of the object of


interest” which means that objects of interest are represented as distinguishable
objects in the UI and are manipulated in a direct fashion.

2. User support refers to assistance provided to the users of technology and other products.
Users have different requirements for support at different times. User support comes in a
number of styles. Discuss these styles.
Overview Users require different types of support at different times. There are four main

types of assistance that users require:

Quick reference

 Quick Reference Quick reference is used primarily as a reminder to the user of the details

of tools he is basically familiar with and has used before. It may, for example, be used to

find a particular command option, or to remind the user of the syntax of the command.

Task-specific help
 Task Specific Help Task-specific help is required when the user has encountered a problem

in performing a particular task or when he is uncertain how to apply the tool to his

particular problem. The help that is offered is directly related to what is being done.

Full explanation

 Full Explanation The more experienced or inquisitive user may require a full explanation of

a tool or command to enable him to understand it more fully. This explanation will almost

certainly include information that the user does not need at that time.

Tutorial.

 Tutorial This is particularly aimed at new users of a tool and provides step-by-step

instruction (perhaps by working through examples) of how to use the too

3. Information architecture is concerned with creating organizational and navigational schemes


to allow the user to move through site content effectively. Discuss the various organization
schemes, organization structures, navigation systems and navigation aids as used by interface
designers to achieve this objective.
Organization schemes have to do with how you are going to categorize your content
and the various ways you'll create relationships between each piece. Most content
can be categorized in multiple ways. Schemes can be broken down into Exact and
Subjective.  Depending on the content, it’s conceivable that the site may combine
schemes as opposed to treating them independently.

Examples of exact organizational structures include:

 Alphabetical schemes make use of our 26-letter alphabet for organizing their


contents. For this type of scheme to be successful, it is important that the content
labeling matches the words that users are looking for. Sometimes, alphabetical
schemes in the form of an A-Z index serve as secondary navigational components to
supplement content’s findability that is otherwise organized.
 Chronological schemes organize content by date. For these schemes to be successful
there must be agreement about when the subject of the content took place.
 Geographical schemes organize content based on place. Unless there are border
disputes, this type of scheme is fairly straightforward to design and use.
Total 10 Marks

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