1) The cognitive task model outlines the process of returning books to the library from collection to reshelving. 2) It involves 4 phases - collecting books from the counter and book drop machine, sorting books by code number and level, delivering books to the appropriate floors, and arranging books on the correct shelves. 3) The model identifies the tools, tasks, structures, rules, and knowledge required by the library assistant to successfully complete each step in the process.

1. UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK
FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
(KMS 3013)
COGNITIVE AND MANAGEMENT MODEL
PAIR WORK ASSIGNMENT
COGNITIVE TASK ANALYSIS OF
A LIBRARY ASSISTANT
NAME;
MARDHIAH HAYATI RAHIM 14419
NOOR FAZZURA AIN ZAINUDIN 14710
LECTURER;
DR. SOPIAN BUJANG
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2. TABLE OF CONTENT
1. Objective of Study……………………………………………………………... 1
2. Background of Study…………………………………………………………... 1
3. Procedure of Data Collection…………………………………………………... 3
Data Preparation……………………………………………………………….. 4
Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………... 5
4. The Models…………………………………………………………………….. 7
Task Model…………………………………………………………………….. 7
Explanation of The Task Model………………………………..……………… 8
Cognitive Task Model ………………………………………………………9
5. Suggestion on How to Use The Cognitive Task Model……………………….. 10
Training on familiarizing the procedures or sequences of the task………..……10
Training on how to operate the book scanning machine…………………......... 11
Training on how to operate the book drop machine…………………………… 11
6. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………12
7. References……………………………………………………………………… 13
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3. 1. Objective of The Study
This study was conducted to meet numbers of objectives which includes:
 To identify the knowledge and information that a library assistant possesses
regarding the process of returning books until the books are reshelf.
 To categorized knowledge and information gained from a library assistant.
 To analyze the categories of knowledge and information.
 To develop a cognitive task model of a library assistant.
2. Background of The Study
Concurrent thinking aloud (CTA) is a method that provides researcher with
information regarding cognitions and emotions of someone being studied (respondent)
while he or she is performing tasks or solving a problem (Lewis, 1982). It is used in
cognitive task analysis activities where many researchers or investigators adopt it to gain
information from their respondents (Someren et al., 1994). This method encourages the
respondent to verbally express his or her thoughts during the process of completing a task
or even during the process of working out a problem (Ericsson & Simon, 1993). There
are several protocols of CTA that need to be followed which are listed as follows:
 respondent will thinks aloud which means he or she will be talking while
performing task or solving a problem,
 respondent will not analyze his or her thought and just verbalizes them
instead,
 the talking by respondent is continuous, and
 researcher talk really less and takes notes, do audio recording of the
respondent’s utterances or do video recording of the respondent during the
task or problem completion (Someren et al., 1994).
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4. CTA is proved to be an effective and efficient method to gather cognitive
processes of a respondent as it possess strengths (Birns et al., 1999). Berry and Broadbent
(1984) have pointed several strengths that CTA has which include:
 it is able to reveal the mental model of a respondent,
 it is capable of revealing the cognitive processes of a respondent,
 it is flexible in terms of location, equipment and recording activity, and
 the feedback obtained is “real-time” because of the concurrent nature of the
procedure, respondents do not have time to rationalize their thoughts.
However, Someren et al. (1994) stated that CTA also possess several weaknesses
that are listed as follows:
 it might be unnatural method for some respondents because the act of
verbalizing thoughts while completing a task can potentially impact the
normal workflow,
 the data obtained from CTA might be difficult to analyze,
 there is a possibility that respondent might rationalize his or her thinking
which in return will distort data, and
 respondents will perform task faster 9% if they were asked to use CTA and
this prevents researchers from obtaining accurate performance data for their
study.
Concurrent think aloud (CTA) method discloses a plenty of information
concerning respondents’ experiences, thoughts, and perceptions as regards of tasks that
they perform or problem that they solve. Regardless of its limitations, concurrent think
aloud is the best methodology many researchers have found for collecting real-time
cognitive data during the study of the mental model as well as the cognitive processes of
selected respondents.
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5. 3. Procedure of Data Collection
As for this study, we have selected a library assistant in UNIMAS to become our
respondent. The respondent will perform a task which is the process of returning books
until the books are reshelf. The respondent was chosen because he possesses 3 years
experiences as library assistant and acquires dazzling knowledge and skills in performing
the stated tasks. Thus, with these he can be considered an expert in this field and the
mental model as well as the cognitive processes of him can become useful data for us to
develop cognitive task model regarding the task declared earlier. Besides that, he was
selected because he possesses great communication skills that will ease the thinking
aloud process to be conducted smoothly.
In the CTA activity, the respondent is asked to verbalizes whatever he is looking
at, thinking, doing and feeling as he perform the task. Every utterance by the respondent
is recorded by a voice recorder. This is to ensure that every single data is not left out as it
might happen if we use written recording. The followings are the background of our
respondent:
 Name : Gregory Simon
 Nick name : Greg
 Age : 23 years old
 Job : Library Assistant, UNIMAS
 Experience : 3 years
 Phone no. : 014-8939511
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6. Data Preparation
Data Obtained from Concurrent Thinking Aloud Activity
Q: aaa…bolehkah abang aaa.. tunjukkan dan ceritekan prosedur kerja abang aaa
dalam menyusun buku, dari student pulang buku sampai buku tu di susun semula ke
rak.
A: ok aaa..pertama sekali kita terima daripada pelajar iaitu mereka hantar ke kaunter
pastu selain itu juga kita ambil buku daripada mesin pemulangan buku 24 jam,
selepas itu kita bawa ke kaunter, kita susun ikut kod nombor, dan juga level, seperti
level satu dan level dua, level satu untuk yang bukan sains dan level dua untuk yg
sains lah. jadi selepas kita menyusun semua buku itu mengikut kod nombor dan level,
kita letak atas troli tu ke level dia. Dan apabila sampai di level-level yang berkenaan
contohnya level satu, kita akan hantar buku yang telah di susun tu ke rak masing-
masing, selepas semua buku-buku telah di hantar ke rak masing-masing, aaa…kita
akan susunlah mengikut kod nombor pada rak tu.
Q: ok..aaa… boleh tak abang bagitau kod-kod pada setiap level, level satu dan level
dua.
A: ok..kod nombornya, kod no pada aaa level satu, kebanyakkannya buku yang bukan
aliran sains terdiri dari A sampai F, dan tingkat dua pula Q sampai Z, QA, QB, QC,
QD, QH, QL, ST, ZU kecuali V la, V tu takde, O kita takde, O dan juga I kita takde,
kod no yang stat dari I, X kita takde, Z kita ade.
Q: aaaa..tadi abang ada cakap aaaa…ada 2 cara pemulangan buku kan, satu di
kaunter, satu di mesin, aaa…apa beza aaa…prosuder pemulangan buku di kedua-dua
tempat.
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7. A: ok…aaa…kalau student ataupun staff tu dia anta buku ,bezanya dengan di kaunter
dan menggunakan mesin, ok mesin adalah mesin, di kaunter ada staff yang handle, ok
di kaunter lebih detail lagi lah sebab kalau buku tu ada denda dan kalu student atau
staff nak cek denda dia boleh cek terus di kaunter , dan dia boleh bayar dan dia boleh
tanye berapa jumlah buku dan dia boleh mengemukan masalah yang berkaitan dengan
kad dialah ataupun akaun dialah, berbeza dengan mesin, mesin hanya menerima
sahaja, tidak memberitahu samaada student atau staff tu ada denda ataupun ada apa-
apa yang masalah dengan akaun merekalah, tu beza dengan mesin,hanya menerima
buku sahaja,manakala di kaunter prosesnya banyaklah, aaa student atau staff dia
boleh cek akaun dia selain dia hantar buku.
Data Analysis
Segment Protocol Knowledge
1 ok aaa..pertama sekali kita terima daripada Indicate the point of
pelajar iaitu mereka hantar ke kaunter collecting books (counter).
2 pastu selain itu juga kita ambil buku Indicate another point to
daripada mesin pemulangan buku 24 jam collect books (machine).
3 ok di kaunter lebih detail lagi lah sebab Explain the services
kalau buku tu ada denda dan kalau student provided in the library
atau staff nak cek denda dia boleh cek terus counter.
di kaunter
4 dan dia boleh bayar dan dia boleh tanye Explain the services
berapa jumlah buku provided in the library
counter.
5 dan dia boleh mengemukan masalah yang Explain the services
berkaitan dengan kad dialah ataupun akaun provided in the library
dialah counter.
6 berbeza dengan mesin, mesin hanya Compare the usage of two
menerima sahaja, tidak memberitahu points in collecting books
samaada student atau staff tu ada denda (counter and book drop
ataupun ada apa-apa yang masalah dengan machine).
akaun merekalah
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8. 7 selepas itu kita bawa ke kaunter Explain where books from
book drop machine will be
fetched.
8 kita susun ikut kod nombor dan juga level, Explain how books are
seperti level satu dan level dua sorted (code number and
level).
9 ok..kod nombornya , kod no pada aaa level Explain the code numbers
satu, kebanyakkannya buku yang bukan on level one.
aliran sains terdiri dari A sampai F
10 dan tingkat dua pula Q sampai Z Explain the code numbers
on level two.
11 QA, QB, QC, QD, QH, QL, ST, ZU kecuali List the code numbers that
V la, V tu takde, O kita takde, O dan juga I exist on level two.
kita takde, kod no yang stat dari I, X kita
takde, Z kita ade
12 level satu untuk yg bukan sains dan level Differentiate the categories
dua untuk yg sains lah. of books between level one
and level two.
13 jadi selepas kita menyusun semua buku itu Put the sorted books on
mengikut kod nombor dan level, kita letak trolley and ready to be
atas troli tu ke level dia delivered to the respective
levels.
14 Dan apabila sampai di level-level yang Stroll the trolley to the right
berkenaaan contohnya level satu, kita akan shelves for the books to be
hantar buku yang telah di susun tu ke rak arranged.
masing-masing
15 selepas semua buku buku telah di hantar ke Arrange the books according
rak masing-masing, aaa kita akan susunlah to the shelves’ code
mengikut kod nombor pada rak tu. numbers.
4. The Models
From the thinking aloud activity with the library assistant, it helps us to come out
with two different models which are task model as well as cognitive task model. The
models are shown and explained as follows.
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9. Task Model
Students and
staffs return books
Counter Book Drop Process ends
Machine
Check account
Details of books
borrowed and
returned Arrange books
Check fine on the right
Pay fine shelves
1- COLLECTING
4- ARRANGING
Sort books Deliver books to
according to code the respective
number and level levels
2- SORTING 3- DELIVERING
4.11 Explanation of the Task Model
As shown in the task model, event that occurs in the early stage of the returning
books process is students and staffs of UNIMAS will return books that they borrow from
CAIS. Since CAIS has provided two mechanisms for the students and staffs to return
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10. books which are using counter or using book drop machine, they can choose either one
which suits their convenience. However, if they choose to return books by using counter,
they could get extra services which includes account checking to keep track the details of
books borrowed and returned, check if there any fine as well as pay the fine if there is
any. When the library assistant receives the books from counter and fetches books from
book drop machine, he is in the collecting phase. He will gather every single book that is
returned by students and staffs from both points in order to enable him to move to another
phase which is called sorting phase.
During the sorting phase, the library assistant needs to sort every book returned
based on their code numbers as well as its level. This require him to have splendid
memory of the books’ code and the book’s level in order to prevent any misplaces of
books to ensure that he would produce tasks that free of error and completely efficient.
After the sorting phase is finished, the library assistant will move to another phase which
is delivering phase where the books that are sorted previously will be strolled to their
respective floors and shelves by using stroller. Then, when he arrived at the right shelves,
new phase will begins which is called arranging phase. During this phase, the sorted
books will be arranged accordingly and appropriately as to ensure that they will look neat
for students and staffs to find them easily. Thus, the knowledge for arranging books is
really needed by the library assistant to enable him to do his work well. After all books
are completely arranged, the process for returning books until they are reshelf is over.
4.2 Cognitive Task Model
EXTERNAL INFORMATION
1. Basic Characteristics 2. Events and Situation
Tools : (i). Students and staffs return books
(i). Book drop machine that they borrow to CAIS.
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11. (ii). Counter (ii). Respondent perform the process
(iii). Books to be returned of returning books until they are
(iv). Stroller reshelf which involves four
Characteristics of the Task : phases; 1) collecting, 2) sorting,
(i). Collect books 3) delivering and 4) arranging.
(ii). Sort books
(iii). Deliver books
(iv). Arrange books
3. Structures Person’s Knowledge 4. Rules and Procedures
Physical Structures and Equipment : Person’s Knowledge :
(i). Know what is used to scan books (i). Know the sequence in the
(ii). Know what is used to fetch and process of returning books until
deliver books. they are reshelf.
Abstract Structures and Knowledge (ii). Know how to scan the returned
Concerning Task : books.
(i). Know where to collect returned (iii). Know how to collect books from
books. the book drop machine.
(ii). Know what are the books’ code (iv). Know how to sort the books
numbers for sorting purposes. according to their code numbers
(iii). Know where to deliver sorted and its level.
books. (v). Know how the books should be
(iv). Know where to arrange sorted delivered for reshelf.
books. (vi). Know how to arrange the books
accordingly and appropriately.
INTERNAL INFORMATION
5. Suggestion on How to Use The Cognitive Task Model to Develop Training
Program
All of the library assistant in CAIS, UNIMAS need to be competent enough in
performing the task of returning books until they are reshelf in order to generate a quality
work that will bring positive image towards the customers which are the students and the
staffs itself. This is also a way to develop personal growth of the library assistants in
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12. terms of their degree of capabilities in completing the tasks and jobs that are assigned to
them. As to meet these requirements, the library assistants need to be given
comprehensive and right trainings regarding the stated tasks from time to time. This is to
ensure that continuous improvements will exist within each of them which in return will
make them become more productive while working in the CAIS. Therefore, we have
several suggestions for the management of the CAIS on what training shall be given to
the library assistant. These suggestions are made based on the cognitive task model that
we developed and shown earlier. This is because, the model is developed based on the
cognitive processes and mental model of an expert. Thus, this model is reliable to be
followed and used for improvement purposes for library assistants who are novices. The
suggestions are as follow:
Training on familiarizing the procedures or sequences of the task
The library assistant need to be exposed with the sequences of the process of
returning books until they are reshelf in order to make them fully understand and clear
about what they need to do while performing the task. The four phases which are
collecting, sorting, delivering and arranging are needed to be explained apparently. They
must be well informed on the points where they need to collect books by borrowers. They
also have to know the various books’ code numbers in order to enable them to sort the
books accurately. They also need to be encouraged to familiarize and memorize the code
numbers by their supervisors since it is not an easy task to be done. Moreover, they need
to be aware of every sections exist in the CAIS for them to deliver the sorted books
without difficulty. Finally, they also must be taught on how to arrange the books on
shelves appropriately and accordingly to ensure that all books are placed correctly.
Training on how to operate the book scanning machine
To accept returned books in counter, library assistants need to scan them on book
scanning machine. As to ensure that the machine will be run properly, library assistants
need to be given chances for attending training on how to operate it. If they know how to
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13. operate it well, then problems while using the machine will probably reduced or
eliminated.
Training on how to operate the book drop machine
The library assistants in CAIS also need to be given training on how to operate
the book drop machine where many students and staffs choose to use for returning the
borrowed books. They need to know which part of the machine that placed all the books
that are dropped by the students and staffs as well as how to obtained the books to be
fetched to the counter for further actions. Thus, comprehensive training on the machine
must be done for them to be fully proficient in running it without any error.
6. Conclusion
From the experiences that we gained from conducting this study, concurrent
thinking aloud (CTA) method can be said as a good approach to be used when researcher
wants or needs to analyze the cognitive task of his or her respondents. This is because the
CTA capable to help us in obtaining and gathering information that is crucial for us to
complete this assignment successfully. The protocols that need to be followed while
exercising the method are really helpful in gaining information that are really objective,
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14. accurate and valuable regarding the task that we want to study. This information is then
translated into two different models which are the task model and the cognitive task
model.
The very precious outcome of this study is the development of the cognitive task
model which can be used by the management of the CAIS to create various training
programs that are needed by the library assistants in order to become competent enough
in fulfilling their tasks and jobs productively without any error. Besides that, the
developed cognitive task model can be used by supervisors in CAIS to understand the
cognitive processes of their staffs which in this case are the library assistant. This will
enable the supervisors to find out what are their staffs know, how they organize and
structure information as well as what they seek to understand better in order to produce a
quality job performance.
References:
Berry, D.C. & Broadbent, D.E. (1984). On the relationship between task performance and
associated verbalizable knowledge. Quarterly Journal of Experimental
Psychology, 36A, 209-231
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15. Birns J. H., Joffre K. A., Leclerc J. F., & Paulsen C. A. (1999). Getting the Whole
Picture: Collecting Usability Data Using Two Methods––Concurrent Think
Aloud and Retrospective Probing. American Institutes for Research.
Ericsson, K.A. & Simon, H. A. (1993). Protocol analysis: Verbal reports as data.
Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.
Lewis, C. (1982). Using the "thinking aloud" method in cognitive interface design. New
York: IBM Research Reports RC 9265 (40713), IBM Thomas J. Watson Research
Center. 27
Someren W. M., Barnard, F. Y., & Sandberg A. C. J. (1994). The think aloud method. A
practical guide to modeling cognitive process. London: Harcourt Brace &
Company.
.
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