1. Human-Computer Interaction
Abstract
Human-computer interaction (HCI) is the study of how people design, implement, and use
interactive computer systems and how computers affect individuals, organizations, and society. This
encompasses not only ease of use but also new interaction techniques for supporting user tasks,
providing better access to information, and creating more powerful forms of communication.
Table of contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................1
Understanding human – computer interaction (HCI) .....................................................................................1
Computer ..........................................................................................................................................................1
Input devices for interactive use ...................................................................................................................1
Output display devices for interactive use:...................................................................................................1
Processing:....................................................................................................................................................1
Interaction.........................................................................................................................................................2
Human ..............................................................................................................................................................2
Information is stored in memory: .................................................................................................................2
Information is processed and applied: ..........................................................................................................2
Model Human Processor ..................................................................................................................................2
Physical considerations in HCI design .............................................................................................................3
Why Do We Need HCI? ...................................................................................................................................3
Goals.................................................................................................................................................................4
References ........................................................................................................................................................5
Cover page

2. Introduction
human-computer interaction (HCI) is the learning of how persons interact with calculating
technology.Human-computer interaction is a discipline concerned with the plan, evaluation and
execution of communicativecalculating systems for human usage and with the learning of main
phenomena surrounding them. Olson (2003) stated that,one major area of work in the field focuses
on the design of computer systems. The goal is to produce software and hardware that is useful,
usable, and aesthetically pleasing.
Understanding human–computerinteraction (HCI)
According to Warren (2013), designing for HCI means ensuring system functionality and
usability, providing effective user interaction support, and enhancing a pleasant user
experience.Furthermore, theoverarching goal is to achieve both organizational and individual user
effectiveness and efficiency. To reach these goals, managers and developers need to be
knowledgeable about the interplay among users, tasks, task contexts, information technology (IT),
and the environments in which systems are used.
Computer
According to Parmar (2013), a computer system comprises various elements, each of which
affects the user of the system.
Input devices for interactive use, allowing text entry, drawing and selection from the screen:
• Text entry: traditional keyboard, phone text entry, speech and handwriting.
• Pointing: principally the mouse, but also touch pad, stylus, and others.
• 3D interaction devices.
Output display devices for interactive use:
• Different types of screen mostly using some form of bitmap display.
• Large displays and situated displays for shared and public use.
• Digital paper may be usable in the near future.
Processing:
• The effects when systems run too slow or too fast, the myth of the infinitely fast machine.
• Limitations on processing speed.
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3. • Networks and their impact on system performance.
Interaction
The communication between the user and the system. Their interaction framework has four parts:
• User
• Input
• System
• Output
According to Blackwell (n.d.), human-computer interaction is concerned with the joint performance
of tasks by humans and machines, the structure of communication between human and machine,
human capabilities to use machines (including the learnability of interfaces), algorithms and
programming of the interface itself; engineering concerns that arise in designing and building
interfaces; the process of specification, design, and implementation of interfaces; and design tradeoffs. Human-computer interaction thus has science, engineering, and design aspects.
Human
According to Dix (1993), humans are limited in their capacity to process information. This has
important implications fordesign. Information is received and responses given via a number of input
and output channels:
• Visual channel
• Haptic channel
• Auditory channel
•Movement
Information is stored in memory:
• Sensory memory
Information is processed and applied:
• Reasoning
• Short-term (working) memory
• Problem solving
• Long-term memory
• Skill acquisition
• Error
Model Human Processor
Developed and tested via numerous experimental studies
The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction
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4. A simple “computer” architecture:
-
Perceptual processor
storage of signals from senses + brief memory
- Cognitive processor
Working memory
Long-term memory (LTM)
Think, analyses, recall from LTM, store in STM
-
Motor processormodel human processor
Transmit signals to muscles etc.(Bechhofer,1983).
Physical considerations in HCI design
1_Vision,Jacob (1991) mentioned that, as we learn to become a systems analyst, we are becoming
accustomed to designing screens and reports for sighted people. The use of color, fonts, graphics,
software, and PowerPoint presentations for displays and printed reports as input and output.
2_Hearing, Rogers(2004) stated that,
humans also have limits to the amount of
stress their senses can withstand. Noisy
laser printers and phone conversations can
lead to overload on human hearing.
3_Touch,Rogers(2004) argued that, when
using an HCI perspective to evaluate the
usefulness of keyboards and other input
devices, we can rate the human–computer
fit as well as the dimensions examining
the human–computer–task fit. The choices of human–computer interfaces, such as keyboards, direct
manipulation, using a stylus, a mouse, and touch screens.
Why Do We Need HCI?
• Software forgets
• Software is inflexible
• Software is lazy
• Software blames and abuses users
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5. • Software won’t take responsibility
• Software will thwart your goals and ambition
(Rogers, 2004) .
Goals
According to Ceperley(2013), the goals of HCI are to produce usable and safe system, as well as
functional systems. In order to produce computer system with good usability, developer must attempt
to:
• Understand the factors that determines how people use technology
• Develop tools and technique to enable building suitable system
• Achieve efficient, effective and safe interaction
• Put people first
Human-computer interaction arose as a field from intertwined roots in computer graphics, operating
systems, human factors, ergonomics, industrial engineering, cognitive psychology, and the systems
part of computer science. Parmar (2013) stated that, computer graphics was born from the use of
CRT and pen devices very early in the history of computers. This led to the development of several
human-computer interaction techniques.
According to Parmar (2013), work on operating systems, meanwhile, developed techniques for
interfacing input/output devices, for tuning system response time to human interaction times, for
multiprocessing, and for supporting windowing environments and animation. This trends of
development has currently given rise to "user interface management systems" and "user interface
toolkits".
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6. References
Bechhofer, S. (1983). Human computer interaction. May 17, 2013 Retrieved from,
http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~seanb/teaching/COMP10092/COMP10092-HCI.pdf
Blackwell, A. (n.d.). Human Computer Interaction. Cambridge Computer Science Tripos.May 17,
2013 Retrieved from, http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/teaching/1011/HCI/HCI2010.pdf
Ceperley, D., Dandekar, S & Eddy, J. (2013). What is HCI?May 17, 2013 Retrieved from, http://repont.tcc.virginia.edu/classes/200r/projects/fall_1999/hci/overview.html
Dix, A. J., et al. (2003). Human-computer interaction. May 17, 2013 Retrieved from,
http://www.hcibook.com/hcibook/downloads/pdf/exercises.pdf.
Fallman, D. (2003). Design-oriented human computer interaction. New Horizons, 5(1).
JACOB, R. J. K. (1991). The use of eye movements in HCI techniques:What you look at is what you
get. ACM Transactions on Information Systems, 9(3). Pp. 152-
169.
Olson, G. M & Olson, J. S. (2003). Human-computer interaction: Psychological aspects of the
human use of computing. Annual Reviews Psychology. 54:491–516.
Parmar, D. (2013). Human computer interaction. May 17, 2013 Retrieved from,
http://sit.iitkgp.ernet.in/research/aut04seminar1/5r.pdf
Rogers, E. (2004).Introduction toHuman-Computer Interaction (HCI). RAS/IFRR Summer School
on"Human-Robot Interaction".2004.
Warren, P. (2013). Understanding HCI methodologies. May 17, 2013 Retrieved from,
http://www.uml.org.cn/jiaohu/pdf/undertst.pdf
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