CGP2019M Human-Computer Interaction

1. Cognition

1. 1)  Name and define two gestalt principles, and include screenshots of one website each that can serve as an example. Write no more than 2-3 sentences per principle.
2. 2)  Explain the cognitive process that takes place when a user responds to an auditory stimulus present in a computer program. Write no more than 2-3 sentences.
3. 3)  What is the relationship between short-term memory, long-term memory, and learning? Write no more than 2-3 sentences.

2. Usability & Accessibility

1. 1)  Give an example of a situation in which it is important that technology is accessible for people with disabilities. Write no more than 2-3 sentences.
2. 2)  Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics include the recommendation to build on “recognition rather than recall”. Comment on this heuristic in the context of expert interfaces, and give a real-world example. Write no more than 2-3 sentences.
3. 3)  Choose one example from a set of accessibility guidelines, for example, the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or the AbleGamers Includification Guide, and comment on its advantages and disadvantages. Write no more than 2-3 sentences.

3. Requirements & UCD

1. 1)  Explain the difference between functional and non-functional requirements in user-centred software development. Write no more than 4-5 sentences.
2. 2)  Reflect upon User-Centred Design, and outline why it is important to consider user needs in the development process. Write no more than 4-5 sentences.

4. Prototyping

Create a low-fidelity prototype using the storyboarding approach that focuses on the main functionalities (you are not required to create a high-fidelity, polished visual design) and user flow of a mobile application that allows dog owners to review the quality of different dog foods.

Your prototype should cover the following aspects:

1. a)  Start screen offering two options, upload review, and view reviews.
2. b)  When uploading reviews, give users the possibility to include a picture of the food, a rating, and a summary of whether their dog enjoyed it.
3. c)  When viewing reviews, users should be able to see the ranking, a thumbnail image, and a button that allows them to view all reviews of a certain dog food.

Create a storyboard that shows how a user submits feedback on food their dog didn’t enjoy, and then tries to find better food based on available reviews. Remember to include short, 1-2 sentence explanations with each step. You can either use digital tools to create the storyboard, or work with pen and paper and include scanned copies in your submission.

5. Evaluation in HCI

You are working at a software company that would like to compare usability and user experience of an online shopping mobile app they are creating for a retailer selling fashion targeting women aged 50+ with a competitor’s product.

Choose a methodological approach (e.g., inspection or testing approaches) and suggest measures (e.g., questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, or a combination), and give a 2-3 sentence justification of why you think your suggested approach is suitable.

Additionally, comment on the following aspects:

1. 1)  How many participants would you involve? What demographic would you try to recruit?
2. 2)  Would you use questionnaires? Why (not)?
3. 3)  Would you use open-ended questions or carry out interviews? Why (not)?
4. 4)  For the given example that focuses on fashion and women aged 50+, why is it important to assess user experience along with usability?
5. 5)  Comment on the importance of research ethics, and informed consent in the context of the evaluation outlined above.

6.

Data analysis

1) 2)

Explain the difference between categorical, ordinal, and continuous data.

Please use the below dataset for your following calculations, assuming that grades are awarded on a spectrum from 0 (fail) to 100 (excellent), moving in steps of 10 (0, 10, 20, …), and that students could be aged 13-16.

1. a)  Calculate the arithmetic mean, median, and mode for Grade and Age. Looking at the data, which construct would provide the most accurate description of your data, and why? State which mean you would choose for Grade, and include a 1-2 sentence justification. Would you use a different mean for Age? State which one you would use, and include another 1-2 sentence explanation.
2. b)  Draw one distribution graph each for Grade and Age, and name the distributions the graphs are closest to.
3. c)  Please calculate variance and standard deviation for Grade and Age.
4. d)  If you were to find out if gender had an impact on performance (Grade), which steps would you need to take? Comment on statistical testing to compare means, the importance of statistical significance, and suggest a test that would be appropriate for your data. Write no more than 2-3 sentences.