Project 3 : Empirical Studies
50 points
Empirical studies are an important element is the evaluation of "things" designed
for use by humans (software, objects in the environment such as chairs and telephones,
cockpit displays, etc.)
A major goal of this project is to familiarize you with the procedures for designing,
conducting, and analyzying the results of such studies. You will have the opportunity
to participate in one of two roles:
- participant in a study involving program visualization
- designer of such a study
As a participant, you will do the following things:
- After having the experiment explained to you, sign a consent form.
- Complete a number of computer-based or pencil-and-paper-based assessments
of individual characteristics and capabilities (color vision, visual acuity,
working memory, spatial visualization, etc.)
- Participate in an eye-tracking study of program visualizations. This portion
of the study involves taking a pre-test, viewing a program visualization,
and taking a post-test. An eye-tracker will record the position of your
visual focus while you perform this task.
Some of these assessments will be conducted in-class (the paper-and-pencil variety). The
computer-based portions will involve meeting with grad students in my lab for one or two
sessions of approximately one or two hours.
As a designer, you will do the following things:
- Design an experiment related to human-computer interaction. Clearly state your hypothesis.
- Prepare the materials necessary to conduct the experiment
- Prepare the full set of human-subjects paperwork (not the student version)
- Conduct the experiment on several willing classmates
- Generate additional data for "virtual" participants
- Analyze the results, applying appropriate techniques to determine statistical significance.
- Write a report describing your experiment, results, and conclusion