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HCI glossary
glossary term for HCI
224
Computer Science
Undergraduate 3
05/10/2010

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Term
action plan
Definition
a sequence of actions selected to achieve a goal.
Term
activities
Definition
the collective ventures which provide context and meaning for people’s interactions with computers and other tools
Term
activity design
Definition
the first phase of reasoning about a new software system, in which the problems and opportunities of current practice are transformed into new ways of behaving
Term
affective computing
Definition
the study and design of user interfaces that explicitly engage and respond to people’s emotions or affective experiences
Term
affordance
Definition
perceptual characteristics of an object that make it obvious what the object can do and how it can be manipulated
Term
analytic evaluation
Definition
usability evaluation based on a careful analysis or theoretical modeling of user interface features, usually carried out by usability experts
Term
anthropomorphism
Definition
considering machines (especially computers) as if they have human capabilities or responsibilities
Term
articulatory directness
Definition
the extent to which the physical behaviors carried out with a user interface map to the goals and intentions of the user’s current task
Term
artifact
Definition
a designed object or tool used in support of an activity
Term
articulation work
Definition
the collaborative effort required to document, exchange, schedule, refine, and otherwise coordinate shared activities
Term
assistance policy
Definition
a predetemined set of rules that usablility evaluators develop and apply to decide when and how to intervene during a usability test
Term
asynchronous collaboration
Definition
computer-mediated shared activity that does not take place in real time (see synchronous collaboration)
Term
augmented reality
Definition
distributing computational power among objects in the real world; the new capability may be achieved by embedding input sensors or other processors, or by attaching information that is processed by external computational devices
Term
avatar
Definition
an icon or other visual depiction used to represent the user in an information display
Term
balloon help
Definition
a technique for embedding documentation in the user interface; when balloon help is turned on, a small “balloon” containing descriptive information appears when the mouse pointer moves over a display object
Term
baseline
Definition
task performance or other usability outcomes that are measured under normal conditions and then used as a basis for comparison to other conditions
Term
benchmark task
Definition
a standard task that is used to comparatively evaluate designs, measuring users' performance on the task with different versions or systems
Term
between-subjects design
Definition
a usability test structure in which a separate group of participants is exposed to each level of an independent variable
Term
breadth (of a hierarchy)
Definition
the average number of choices at any level in a hierarchical information structure
Term
breakdown
Definition
an episode of interaction in which a system does not work in the real world as planned or expected
Term
categorical variable
Definition
user choices or other measures that can be classified and tabulated but not converted to a numeric value
Term
change score
Definition
a difference between two numerical measures gathered from the same participant, one measured before a usage experience takes place, and one afterwards
Term
chauffered prototype
Definition
a user interface prototype that is not used directly by a test user, but instead is used by a designer under the user’s direction
Term
chord keyboard
Definition
an input device in which alphanumeric information is entered by conjointly pressing groups of keys
Term
chunk
Definition
a structured collection of information that acts as a single unit with respect to storage and information processing capacity
Term
claims analysis
Definition
an analytic evaluation method involving the identification of scenario features that have significant positive and negative usability consequences
Term
claims feature
Definition
an element of a situation or an interactive system that has positive or negative consequences for people in this or similar situations
Term
closure
Definition
a Gestalt perceptual principle stating that a perceivers are likely to fill in small gaps in a figure in order to see it as complete (and thus more simple)
Term
cognitive walkthrough
Definition
an expert critique of a user interface that involves simulating the use of a system and analyzing possible problems in goal selection, planning, or action execution
Term
command language
Definition
a structured set of expressions that a computer interprets as requests for information and services
Term
common ground
Definition
mutual expectations of communication partners that help them predict and interpret what is said
Term
content analysis
Definition
a summarization and interpretation method in which qualitative data like behavioral observations or user comments are grouped by similarity and labeled
Term
context-aware computing
Definition
computer functionality and user interaction options that are selected and presented as a function of what is known about the use setting
Term
contextual inquiry
Definition
a method used in requirements analysis and formative evaluation, in which people are observed as they carry out their normal tasks, and questioned about interesting or confusing episodes
Term
continuity
Definition
a Gestalt perceptual principle stating that objects positioned along a smooth curve are more likely to be seen as a group
Term
conversational agents
Definition
software agents that are interact with the user using natural language and that are often given a human-like appearance
Term
confound
Definition
a problem in experimental design in which two variables are correlated, making the interpretation of observed effects ambiguous
Term
cooperative design
Definition
a variant of user-centered design that emphasizes the direct involvement of users in analysis and design activities (also called participatory design)
Term
critical incident
Definition
an event reported by a user as having a significant effect, either positive or negative, on task performance or satisfaction
Term
critical subtasks
Definition
the key features of a scenario that are expected to influence usability, and thus are carefully specified and evaluated continuingly during iterative design
Term
data collection form
Definition
a planning and observation form designed to guide the evaluators’ note-taking, time measurement, and so on, during a usability test
Term
debriefing
Definition
a planned interaction after a user test, in which the test participant is allowed to ask and receive answer to questions about the system, tasks, or goals of the study
Term
default (in a user interface)
Definition
a pre-set input string or other user input that is offered as a likely input value; users can simply accept this input rather than generating their own
Term
demonstration
Definition
a documentation technique in which a sequence of user inputs and system responses are animated, so that the user can see what actions to perform and what system response to expect in return
Term
dependent variable
Definition
a usability outcome that is measured to determine if there are effects of system variations or other test characteristics (see independent variable)
Term
depth (of a hierarchy)
Definition
the average number of intermediate nodes between the root of a hierarchical information structure a terminating node
Term
design rationale
Definition
arguments for why (or why not) a feature or set of features should be incorporated into a design
Term
designer’s model
Definition
the mental representation of a design held by a designer, sometimes shared via design documentation like scenarios or feature lists
Term
dialog design
Definition
the specification of each step of user input and system response during a user interaction sequence
Term
digital divide
Definition
the gap in opportunities for education, jobs, and wealth, between those who have and use computers, and those who do not
Term
direct manipulation
Definition
a user interface style in which system objects are represented visually and can be manipulated in ways analogous to how objects are manipulated in the real world (e.g., pointing, grabbing, dragging)
Term
distributed cognition
Definition
a framework analyzing how information and processing activitiy is distributed throughout a situation—across the mental states of collaborating individuals, their communications with each other, and the states of task-relevant artifacts and tools
Term
electronic brainstorming
Definition
a computer-mediated discussion in which participants are able to contribute ideas freely and in parallel, often anonymously so as to minimize social inhibitions
Term
ethnography
Definition
in-depth study of individuals and groups, their practices, and their artifacts, in the context of their normal work environment
Term
empirical evaluation
Definition
usability evaluation based on collection of data from users working with an interactive system or prototype
Term
evolutionary development
Definition
an approach to system development in which a version of the system is created as early as possible and then expanded or refined in an incremental fashion as more system requirements and constraints are discovered
Term
external consistency
Definition
the use of similar (or identical) interface actions and objects in a system for similar task actions and objects encountered in other systems or in the real world
Term
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Definition
questions about a system that are asked and answered multiple times are collected and made easily accessible to all users
Term
feedback
Definition
information generated and communicated by a computer system in response to input from the user; typically it is provided to guide or confirm task-relevant behavior
Term
field study
Definition
a usability evaluation of an installed system carried out in a workplace context, often involving surveys or observational methods
Term
fisheye view
Definition
a visualization in which one part of an information structure is presented in detail relative to the surrounding context
Term
Fitts' Law
Definition
time to point to a target is proportional to the distance from the target divided by the width of the target
Term
floor control
Definition
the mechanism by which users take and relinquish input control in a shared work system
Term
focus + context
Definition
a visualization in which one part of an information structure is presented in detail relative to the surrounding context
Term
formative evaluation
Definition
usability analyses carried out during system development with the goal of identifying usability problems and guiding redesign
Term
Gestalt principles
Definition
principles of human perception that emphasize wholistic relationships among visual features that identify objects and configurations
Term
glyph
Definition
a visual symbol or code that is attached to a physical object, to be recognized by a computer as task-relevant input
Term
grammar
Definition
composition rules that describe how commands or other language elements can be combined to form syntactically correct expressions
Term
GOMS analyis
Definition
an analytic evaluation method that involves describing users’ goals, operators, methods, and selection rules for computer tasks
Term
grid-based design
Definition
an information design strategy in which a grid is defined to specify the physical scale of visual elements, their relative position, and axes of symmetry
Term
Gulf of Evaluation
Definition
the psychological distance between what is displayed by a computer and the user’s understanding of how it relates to current task goals
Term
Gulf of Execution
Definition
the psychological distance between the task goals of a user and the actions required to achieve these goals with a computer system
Term
haptic feedback
Definition
kinesthetic or force feedback provided by a user interface, often to convey physical characteristics of computational objects and media
Term
heuristic evaluation
Definition
a user interface critiquing process carried out by experts with usability guidelines
Term
hierarchical task analysis
Definition
decomposition of a complex task into a structure of constituent subtasks, annotated with the logic needed to perform the subtasks at each level
Term
hierarchy
Definition
an information structure in which a root concept is successively decomposed, such that every child concept is the descendent of one and one only parent concept
Term
horizontal prototype
Definition
a user interface prototype that illustrates all or most of a software system at a high level but provides little if any details about the functionality or user interaction
Term
human-computer interaction
Definition
situations in which people understand and make requests of a software system, and the system interprets and responds to these requests
Term
human factors
Definition
the study of variables that influence human performance in work contexts
Term
hypothesis
Definition
a prediction of a causal relation between one or more independent variables and one or more dependent variables
Term
hypothetical stakeholders
Definition
imaginary persons with characteristics that are typical of a stakeholder group, developed to serve as actors in analysis and design scenarios
Term
immersive environment
Definition
a virtual reality simulation in which the user wears special headgear, eyeglasses, or other input devices so that the simulated world is experienced as a three-dimensional space
Term
independent variable
Definition
an attribute of a usability test situation that is manipulated to determine if it influences outcome measures (see dependent variable)
Term
information design
Definition
presentation and organization of task objects and actions in a way that facilitates the user’s perception, interpretation, and understanding
Term
information layering
Definition
a documentation technique wherein help information is organized into successively more detailed levels accessed on an as-needed basis
Term
information model
Definition
a set of concepts, relationships, and representations that are developed to help users make sense of large data sets and complex functionality
Term
information visualization
Definition
a representational technique in which properties of data are mapped to visual features and rendered as a spatial display
Term
informed consent
Definition
participants in usability studies must be informed in advance of the procedures and risks, and must feel free to withdraw from the study at any time
Term
inheritance
Definition
a technique used in object-oriented programming to share attributes and behavior among related classes;  superclasses specify common behaviors, and subclasses extend the superclasses with specialized attributes or behaviors
Term
intelligent tutoring system
Definition
an online training system that models user knowledge and progress through pre-analyzed learning tasks, and uses this model to make suggestions, correct errors, answer questions, or provide other learning support
Term
interaction design
Definition
mechanisms for accessing and manipulating the elements of an information design to facilitate the user’s goal selection, action planning, and action execution
Term
interactive tutorial
Definition
an online series of presentations and exercises designed to introduce and practice system concepts and skills
Term
interference (in memory)
Definition
when information learned earlier causes difficulty in learning or errors in remembering new information
Term
internal consistency
Definition
the use of similar (or identical) interface actions and objects within a system to represent similar task actions and objects.
Term
interpretation (of an information display)
Definition
the process of recognizing how perceived information is related to the objects and actions provided by a user interface
Term
interval variable
Definition
data measured on a scale for which any two contiguous values are equi-distant
Term
inquiry method
Definition
an analysis method where the goal is to raise questions and prompt discussion that will lead to a richer understanding of a problem
Term
iterative design
Definition
a cyclical approach in which design ideas are prototyped and tested, with the results used to guide the next cycle of re-design
Term
iterative development
Definition
an approach to software development in which the design specification is continually modified through prototyping and testing activities
Term
keyboard short-cut
Definition
a brief sequence of keypresses that is assigned to, and can be substituted for, a graphical user interaction sequence
Term
knowledge management
Definition
the activity of identifying, documenting, archiving, maintaining, and reusing the concepts and skills developed by the members of an organization
Term
knowledge work
Definition
work involving significant expertise and intellectual decision-making
Term
layout appropriateness
Definition
a design heuristic in which interface controls (e.g., a button in a dialog box) are laid out to optimize travel time for the most common usage cases
Term
learn by doing
Definition
a strategy exhibited by many learners (especially those with task-domain or computer experience) in which they try to accomplish tasks as they learn
Term
level (of a variable)
Definition
one of multiple possible values of an experimental variable used in a usability test;  the levels of independent variables form the experimental conditions
Term
Likert scale
Definition
a rating scale used to gather subjective judgements, where an assertion about the task or system is made, and users rate the level of their agreement
Term
localization
Definition
a design strategy in which global interaction and exchange is supported by adapting information and user interface designs to particular regions and cultures
Term
locus of control
Definition
users' sense of how a dialog is being controlled, in particular by them or by the computer
Term
longitudinal study
Definition
ranalysis of one or more user behaviors or attitudes over an extended period of time, often in a real world usage setting
Term
macro
Definition
a user-defined sequence of events that is stored, labeled, and subsequently executed as a single command
Term
mediated evaluation
Definition
an empirical usability evaluation in which the content and structure of the usability test materials are guided by a prior analytic evaluation
Term
mental model
Definition
a cognitive structure of concepts and procedures that users refer to when selecting relevant goals, choosing and executing appropriate actions, and understanding what happens when they interact with a computer system (or other tool)
Term
metaphor
Definition
a known concept that is used to understand a new concept by analogy
Term
minimalism
Definition
an approach to instruction and documentation that emphasizes realistic tasks, minimal verbiage, thinking and improvization by the user, and the recognition and recovery from errors
Term
mistake
Definition
when an inappropriate system goal is selected and pursued
Term
mixed design
Definition
a usability test structure in which the independent variables are manipulated in a combination of within-subjects and between-subjects conditions
Term
mobile computing
Definition
use of computing systems outside normal office or work environments, particularly while moving around in the physical world
Term
mode (of a user interface)
Definition
a user interface state that provides a special context for interpretation of user input, including ignoring some input
Term
MOO (Multi-user Domain Object-Oriented)
Definition
a MUD where the characters, their behavior, and all other services are built and extended using an object-oriented programming language
Term
MUD (Multi-user Domain)
Definition
a persistent collaborative environment that is modeled on a geographic space
Term
multimodal user interface
Definition
user interaction that integrates multiple input and output channels, either in parallel or in sequence
Term
multiple coordinated views
Definition
a visualization technique in which complementary views of an underlying information structure are presented, manipulated, and updated simultaneously (see also tiled display)
Term
multiple overlapping windows
Definition
a user interface technique in which parallel tasks are presented and pursued in different windows open simultaneously;  the layering of windows mirrors the activity history of each task
Term
newsgroup
Definition
an online threaded discussion where people post positions, questions, comments, or answers
Term
nonfunctional requirements
Definition
qualities of a system under development that are not directly related to its function, for example maintainability or reliability
Term
nonverbal communication
Definition
the body language, facial expressions, gestures, and other non-language cues that extend and aid interpretation of normal conversations
Term
operationalize
Definition
to specify how a variable of interest will be manipulated or measured
Term
opportunistic behavior
Definition
the tendency for users to generate and pursue goals suggested by manifest elements of the user interface
Term
ordinal variable
Definition
data measured on a scale that has an inherent linear sequence or order
Term
participatory analysis
Definition
a phase of cooperative or participatory design where users are presented with records of their own or other users’ behavior, and asked to reflect on features of interest
Term
participatory design
Definition
a variant of user-centered design that emphasizes the direct involvement of users in analysis and design activities (also called cooperative design)
Term
pilot test
Definition
a small study carried out prior to a large-scale study in order to practice and refine usability test materials, procedures, or data collection technique
Term
PICTIVE
Definition
Plastic Interface for Technology Initiatives through Video Exploration, a participatory design technique addressing user interface layout
Term
pluralistic walkthrough
Definition
a variant of a usability inspection where usability engineers, designers, and end users collaboratively step through and critique a user interface
Term
point-of-view
Definition
a technique used during the design of interactive systems in which the designer adopts a computational perspective on the task objects in a scenario.
Term
pragmatics (of a user interaction device)
Definition
the physical behaviors that are required to manipulate the input or output devices in a user interface
Term
presence (in a simulated world)
Definition
the extent to which users of a virtual reality system feel as if they are moving within and experiencing the simulated environment
Term
problem scenario
Definition
a story of current practice developed to reveal aspects of the stakeholders and their activities that have implications for design
Term
production paradox
Definition
many users are highly motivated to continually accomplish real results, and as a result are often unwilling to take time to learn how to best achieve any given result
Term
property sheet
Definition
a secondary window activated to present and manipulate the attributes of task objects or user interface controls
Term
prototype
Definition
an operational model of a design or software development proposal, usually created for testing and feedback purposes
Term
proximity
Definition
a Gestalt perceptual principle stating that objects positioned near one another are more likely to be seen as comprising a group
Term
proxy server
Definition
an intermediate server that intercepts and assists in processing the requests sent by a client to a server on a network; the technique is often used to improve the quality or latency of a server’s response
Term
radar view
Definition
an overview of a shared workspace that includes an outline or other indication of the portion of the workspace that is being viewed by each collaborator
Term
random assignment
Definition
test participants are allocated to test conditions on a random basis
Term
redundant coding
Definition
multiple perceptual cues signal the same information
Term
remote usability evaluation
Definition
collection of usability problem reports by users in the course of their actual work with a computer   system
Term
requirements analysis
Definition
the detailed study of stakeholders and their current situation that is used to identify problems and opportunities to be addressed by a new system
Term
requirements specification
Definition
a document listing and describing the features that a system under development is expected to provide
Term
retrospective interview
Definition
a user interview conducted soon after a task has been completed to determine what usability issues stand out in a user’s memory of the interaction;  sometimes the user’s memory may be prompted with a videotape or other records of activity
Term
roomware
Definition
furniture or other objects in a room that have been augmented with computational powers designed to be useful for the activities conducted in the room
Term
root concept
Definition
a multi-faceted description of the starting premises of a design project that includes a high-level vision, basic rationale, stakeholders, and starting assumptions
Term
scaffolding
Definition
an instructional technique in which people are given support of some kind (often tool-based) that allows them to carry out, and thereby learn about, tasks that they otherwise would be unable to do
Term
scenario
Definition
a narrative or story that describes the activities of one or more persons, including information about goals, expectations, actions, and reactions
Term
scenario mock-up
Definition
one or more screen designs or other physical artifacts, created to illustrate key system states described by a scenario
Term
scenario machine
Definition
a special-purpose user interface prototype that can be used to enact a user interaction scenario, in other words a single thread of execution given a starting state
Term
self-instruction
Definition
an approach in which people learn on their own using standalone documentation, tutorials, and tools
Term
self-reflection
Definition
a usability evaluation method in which users are asked to remember and reflect about their own goals, plans, behaviors, and reactions
Term
semantic filtering
Definition
a dynamic information visualization technique in which the semantic attributes of each data point are used to determine whether the element is visible, and where and how it is rendered if visible
Term
semantic directness
Definition
the extent to which a user interface allows users to pursue their goals in a direct fashion
Term
severity (of a usability problem)
Definition
a judgement about how much impact an observed or analyzed usability problem will have on actual use
Term
similarity
Definition
a Gestalt perceptual principle stating that objects that look alike are more likely to be perceived as comprising a group
Term
site map
Definition
an overview of a large information space (typically a Web site) that may be of a textual form (e.g., a   table of contents), a diagram, or an image
Term
slip
Definition
an error that occurs during action planning or execution when an appropriate system goal was selected
Term
social computing
Definition
the study and design of user interfaces that explicitly engage and respond to people’s social expectations
Term
social context
Definition
the personal and organizational relationsihps among people in a situation, including their roles, and their knowledge of one another’s history, goals, and preferences
Term
sociotechnical systems theory
Definition
an approach to software development in which the information technology system and the surrounding organization are analyzed, designed, and iterated as a single co-evolving system.
Term
software agent
Definition
a computational entity that observes users’ behavior, make inferences about their goals and needs, and offers suggestions or other helpful advice
Term
software crisis
Definition
the failure of the software industry to keep up with the demand for systems and applications of greated complexity, reflected in cost overruns, late delivery, and ineffective and unreliable systems
Term
software logging
Definition
instrumentation of a system such that it automatically records and time-stamps user actions and system reactions
Term
squint test
Definition
an assessment of a display’s “gestalt” made by squinting the eyes to blur the visual details of a display and allow the layout of major structures to stand out.
Term
stakeholder
Definition
any individual or organization with an interest in the process or product of an analysis or design project
Term
stakeholder profile
Definition
a summary of the general characteristics of a stakeholder group, including their background, expectations, and technology preferences
Term
stakeholder diagram
Definition
a sketch of major stakeholders with interconnections indicating the relations and dependencies among the different groups
Term
storefront testing
Definition
a usability evaluation method in which a prototype of an interactive system is placed in a hallway or other public area so that people passing by can try out the system and provide feedback
Term
storyboard
Definition
a graphical event-by-event enactment of all or part of a scenario, developed to communicate or analyze a user interface design; the enactment may be at a high level (e.g., major screen changes) or at a detailed level (e.g., mouse selections), depending on the usability issue being explored
Term
subjective reactions
Definition
a user’s personal responses, judgements, or opinions before, during, or after interaction with a computer system
Term
summative evaluation
Definition
usability analyses carried out at milestones during system development with the goal of assessing whether and how well a system has met its usability objectives
Term
symmetry
Definition
a Gestalt perceptual principle stating that similar or identical objects seen on either side of a possible   axis of rotation are more likely to be seen as a group
Term
system goal
Definition
a task-related goal expressed in terms of the objects and actions offered by a software system
Term
synchronous collaboration
Definition
computer-mediated communication or shared work that takes place in real time (see asynchronous collaboration)
Term
system functionality
Definition
the information a system holds or accesses, the kinds of operations that are permitted on this information, and the results that are returned by these operations
Term
systematic documentation
Definition
an approach to user documentation that analyzes knowledge about a system into hierarchies, and then systematically introduces and builds up component skills and concepts one-by-one
Term
tacit knowledge
Definition
knowledge that people have in an inarticulate form, which they may not be able to produce or explain on demand, but which they can enact, for example know-how about exceptions that arise in a work setting
Term
technological determinism
Definition
the view that technology is the single most important factor in determining the success of an organization
Term
think-aloud protocol
Definition
a usability evaluation method in which the user speaks out loud his or her goals, plans, behaviors, and reactions while using an interactive system
Term
tiled display
Definition
a user interface style in which parallel tasks or subtasks are presented in separate windows that are sized and arranged to prevent overlapping (see also multiple coordinated views)
Term
tooltips
Definition
a method for embedding small snippets of documentation in a user interface; usually a brief statement of a display object’s name or function appears when the pointer rests over it
Term
top-down processing
Definition
the impacts that a person’s expectations and the task context have on the perception, recognition, and interpretation of information
Term
tradeoff
Definition
an issue (often in design) that is understood to have competing arguments, usually contrasting positive and negative impacts of an option
Term
training wheels
Definition
an approach to user training that involves temporary deactivation (but not hiding) of functionality deemed unnecessary or inappropriate for use by novices
Term
transfer of learning
Definition
a learning and memory phenomenon in which what is learned in one situation facilitates understanding and behavior in a similar situation.
Term
ubiquitous computing
Definition
a term used to refer to the increasingly pervasive availability of computational processing in the world around us
Term
user model
Definition
a representation (typically computer-based) of the knowledge and mental activities involved in use of a computer system, often used to make predictions about system usability
Term
usability
Definition
the quality of an interactive computer system with respect to ease of learning, ease of use, and user satisfaction
Term
usability engineering
Definition
an approach to software development in which target levels of system usability are specified in advance, and the system is engineered toward these measures
Term
usability evaluation
Definition
any activity, either analytic or empirical, directed at assessing or understanding the usability of an interactive system or prototype
Term
usability inspection
Definition
an analytic method in which usability experts examine the user interaction required to perform central or critical tasks with an interactive system or prototype, looking for problematic aspects of user input or system response
Term
usability laboratory
Definition
one or more rooms designed to simulate office or other computer use settings, usually instrumented with software and hardware for capturing the user’s behavior as he or she works through a set of tasks
Term
usability specifications
Definition
critical or typical user tasks that are decomposed into subtasks, associated with target usability outcomes, and iteratively evaluated to guide redesign work.
Term
use case
Definition
an enumeration of the complete course of events that can take place in response to some user input;  the case specifies all possible interactions between the user and the system
Term
user background survey
Definition
a questionnaire (usually brief) completed by a usability test participant prior to interaction with a system or prototype (sometimes called a pre-test)
Term
user documentation
Definition
stored training and help information provided to assist users in carrying out activities with a computer system
Term
user reaction survey
Definition
a questionnaire completed by a usability test participant during or after interaction with a system or prototype (sometimes called a post-test)
Term
user interface
Definition
the physical representations and procedures that are provided for viewing and interacting with the system functionality.
Term
user interface prototype
Definition
an operational version or mock-up of a system that supports interaction between the user and the system that is used for user testing and iterative design
Term
user-system conversation
Definition
a scenario-based analysis technique in which user input is specified as one side of a conversation and the system’s interpretation, processing, and response to this input is specified on the other
Term
validity (of a usability evaluation)
Definition
the extent to which the conditions of an evaluation (users, setting, tasks) are representative of real world use
Term
variability (of usability test data)
Definition
the amount of diversity in a sample of data; high variability makes it more difficult to detect and interpret differences among test conditions
Term
veridicality (of virtual reality)
Definition
the extent to which a simulated world matches the structures, information, and actions possible in the real world
Term
vertical prototype
Definition
a user interface prototype that illustrates all of a system’s functionality and user interface but for just one or a small set of tasks
Term
visual design program
Definition
a set of visual design features and relationships that are deliberately repeated to create consistency and coherence among screens, dialog boxes, and other user interface elements
Term
visual language
Definition
the features of an information design (e.g., menu style, font type and size, button shape and size) that are repeated across visual displays to create a sense of consistency and coherence
Term
walk-up-and-use system
Definition
a computer system that requires no explicit user training; the functionality and user interaction procedures are designed to be self-evident and intuitive
Term
waterfall
Definition
an approach to software development that organizes activities into a series of modular phases, beginning with the analysis of functional requirements, and continuing through software design, implementation, testing, and maintenance
Term
white space
Definition
the parts of a graphical display that contain no graphical elements
Term
widget
Definition
a user interface control (e.g., a menu or scroll bar), often predefined by the windowing system used to build a user interface
Term
WIMP (Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointer)
Definition
the graphical user interface style popularized by the Xerox Star and the Apple Macintosh in the 1980’s
Term
within-subjects design
Definition
a usability test structure in which the same subjects are exposed to different levels of an independent variable (also called repeated measures)
Term
wizard (help documentation)
Definition
online assistance wherein a computer system recognizes that the user is attempting a specific task, and offers step-by-step guidance through the procedure
Term
Wizard of Oz (prototype)
Definition
a software system simulation, in which someone hides behind the scenes to interpret and generate meaningful responses to a user’s input
Term
workflow system
Definition
a business support system that operates on an explicit model of task procedures; this model is used to plan, coordinate, and track interrelated tasks
Term
workplace themes
Definition
labeled categories used to group related observations, stakeholder comments, or other data collected in a field study
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