The Effect of Task Description Detail on Evaluator Performance with Cognitive Walkthroughs

Andrew Sears; David J. Hess

doi:10.1145/286498.286741

The Effect of Task Description Detail on Evaluator Performance with Cognitive Walkthroughs

Andrew Sears
, David J. Hess

College of Information Sciences and Technology

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Inspection-based evaluation techniques are popular because they can be fast, require limited formal training, and can find numerous usability problems. To speed the evaluation process and reduce the need for formal training in cognitive psychology, the cognitive walkthrough process was revised to incorporate detailed step-by-step task descriptions. This paper reports on a study that investigated the influence of this change. The results indicate that providing detailed step-by-step task descriptions significantly changes the types of problems found. These results should influence both future research and how practitioners apply this technique.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	CHI 98 Conference Summary on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 1998
Publisher	Association for Computing Machinery
Pages	259-260
Number of pages	2
ISBN (Electronic)	1581130287, 9781581130287
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1145/286498.286741
State	Published - Apr 1 1998
Event	1998 ACM Conference on Human Factors and Computing Systems, CHI 1998 - Los Angeles, United States Duration: Apr 18 1998 → Apr 23 1998

Publication series

Name	Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings

Conference

Conference	1998 ACM Conference on Human Factors and Computing Systems, CHI 1998
Country/Territory	United States
City	Los Angeles
Period	4/18/98 → 4/23/98

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Human-Computer Interaction
Computer Graphics and Computer-Aided Design
Software

Access to Document

10.1145/286498.286741

Cite this

@inproceedings{20147b77a3504e5a98e9d96bf62c8287,

title = "The Effect of Task Description Detail on Evaluator Performance with Cognitive Walkthroughs",

abstract = "Inspection-based evaluation techniques are popular because they can be fast, require limited formal training, and can find numerous usability problems. To speed the evaluation process and reduce the need for formal training in cognitive psychology, the cognitive walkthrough process was revised to incorporate detailed step-by-step task descriptions. This paper reports on a study that investigated the influence of this change. The results indicate that providing detailed step-by-step task descriptions significantly changes the types of problems found. These results should influence both future research and how practitioners apply this technique.",

author = "Andrew Sears and Hess, \{David J.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 1998. Copyright on this material is held by the author.; 1998 ACM Conference on Human Factors and Computing Systems, CHI 1998 ; Conference date: 18-04-1998 Through 23-04-1998",

year = "1998",

month = apr,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1145/286498.286741",

language = "English (US)",

series = "Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings",

publisher = "Association for Computing Machinery",

pages = "259--260",

booktitle = "CHI 98 Conference Summary on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 1998",

}

Sears, A & Hess, DJ 1998, The Effect of Task Description Detail on Evaluator Performance with Cognitive Walkthroughs. in CHI 98 Conference Summary on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 1998. Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings, Association for Computing Machinery, pp. 259-260, 1998 ACM Conference on Human Factors and Computing Systems, CHI 1998, Los Angeles, United States, 4/18/98. https://doi.org/10.1145/286498.286741

The Effect of Task Description Detail on Evaluator Performance with Cognitive Walkthroughs. / Sears, Andrew; Hess, David J.
CHI 98 Conference Summary on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 1998. Association for Computing Machinery, 1998. p. 259-260 (Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

TY - GEN

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AU - Hess, David J.

PY - 1998/4/1

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N2 - Inspection-based evaluation techniques are popular because they can be fast, require limited formal training, and can find numerous usability problems. To speed the evaluation process and reduce the need for formal training in cognitive psychology, the cognitive walkthrough process was revised to incorporate detailed step-by-step task descriptions. This paper reports on a study that investigated the influence of this change. The results indicate that providing detailed step-by-step task descriptions significantly changes the types of problems found. These results should influence both future research and how practitioners apply this technique.

AB - Inspection-based evaluation techniques are popular because they can be fast, require limited formal training, and can find numerous usability problems. To speed the evaluation process and reduce the need for formal training in cognitive psychology, the cognitive walkthrough process was revised to incorporate detailed step-by-step task descriptions. This paper reports on a study that investigated the influence of this change. The results indicate that providing detailed step-by-step task descriptions significantly changes the types of problems found. These results should influence both future research and how practitioners apply this technique.

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ER -

The Effect of Task Description Detail on Evaluator Performance with Cognitive Walkthroughs

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

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