Cognitive Factors in Design: Basic Human Memory and Problem Solving.

12th April 2005

Thomas T. Hewett

Drexel University

BENEFITS

You will learn some theoretical and practical aspects of how people remember information and how they solve problems. You will gain insights about how to take advantage of some of these capabilities in designing for your most important interaction component, the human mind. You will also gain insights into how to take personal advantage of improving these capabilities.

ORIGINS

This introductory level tutorial has been highly rated at several conferences and has been presented to hundreds of software developers and designers throughout the world.

FEATURES

• understand a variety of phenomena through minds-on exposure
• develop a basis for making educated design choices when guidelines fail
• relate some cognitive phenomena to human-computer interaction
• gain the resources needed for self-directed study in cognitive psychology
• obtain a useful set of materials for teaching and demonstration to others

AUDIENCE

Interaction designers and developers who have found that users have minds of their own. Anyone involved with interactive system design who has not done course work in cognitive psychology. Anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of how to take advantage of the strengths of their own cognitive processes. Not intended for the human factors specialist, the individual with extensive coursework in psychology, or the person seeking a state-of-the-art literature review of the latest research. The approach to the material is reflective and the course is not intended for the person seeking "instant" or pre-packaged solutions for the problems of this week's project.

To be held in the Small Hall, main building

PRESENTATION

Interactive presentation and minds-on exercises.

INSTRUCTOR

Tom Hewett is Professor of Psychology and Computer Science at Drexel University where he teaches courses on Cognitive Psychology, Psychology of Human Computer Interaction, and Problem Solving and Creativity. Tom has offered variants of this tutorial to hundreds of interaction designers at both conferences and in-house training sessions.

Supplementary Descriptive Material.

Content, Presentation Style, and Duration.

This full day tutorial relies upon demonstrations, minds-on exercises and mini-lectures to introduce participants to a number of basic processes and phenomena of human memory, and human problem solving. Extended examples and thought questions in the notes provide illustrations of how the knowledge gained might be applied to human-computer interaction design.

Key Learning Objectives of the Course

The tutorial has five basic objectives:
• The first objective for the tutorial is to provide attendees with an intuitive understanding of a variety of phenomena through direct, "hands-on" (actually, minds-on) exposure. Demonstrations and examples focus a participant's attention upon significant aspects of memory and problem solving processes which he or she may not otherwise ordinarily notice.
• The second objective is to help attendees develop a basis for making educated design choices when interpreting guidelines and when guidelines fail, conflict, or are non-existent. The demonstrations, examples, and mini-lectures create a general understanding of memory and problem solving.
• The third objective is to relate some of the phenomena being demonstrated to human-computer interaction. Occasional mini-lectures, examples and thought questions in the notes will be used to bridge the gap between the demonstrations and general characteristics of human-computer interaction.
• The fourth objective is to assist attendees in undertaking self-directed study on these or related topics of their own choosing in cognitive psychology. The demonstrations and examples are chosen to supplement present or future textbook knowledge with insights based upon direct experience. Suggestions for further reading are provided.
• The fifth objective is to provide those who may be asked to teach some of the psychological aspects of human-computer interaction with a useful set of teaching materials. All of the demonstrations have been classroom tested, work well, and can be done with minimal equipment.
• In summary, then, one aspect of the overall goal for this tutorial is to help develop an approximate, intuitive feel for human memory and problem solving processes which will serve as a context for use in interpreting guidelines, in making design choices in the absence of guidelines, and in communicating with others on the development team. Another aspect of this goal is to develop that understanding in a context which illustrates some applications to HCI design and which facilitates further learning or teaching.