...Chapel Hill acrystal@email.unc.edu Beth Ellington School of Information and Library Science University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill elliv@email.unc.edu ABSTRACT In this paper we critically review task analysis models and techniques. These approaches to task analysis are discussed in order to develop a richer picture of human activity, while analyzing their limitations, general weaknesses, and possibilities for improvement. We consider their ability to determine the appropriate set of atomic actions in a task, their effect on workers’ motivational needs, their support of users’ cognitive and sociocultural processes, and their effectiveness in supporting interface design. We note that the major approaches have focused on very different levels of analysis, and call for greater integration of these different levels in task analysis theory. Keywords Task analysis, cognitive modeling, activity theory. INTRODUCTION Practitioners and researchers routinely advocate building user-centered systems which enable people to reach their goals, take account of natural human limitations, and generally are intuitive, efficient and pleasurable to use (Preece, Rogers and Sharp, 2002). Central to the design of such systems is a clear understanding of what users actually want to do: What are their tasks? What is the nature of those tasks? Many techniques have been proposed to help answer these questions. Task analysis techniques are particularly important because they...
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...though too often courts mask their implicit validation of these patterns in the now-conventional "caseby-case" application of the statutoryfair use "factors"to the defendant's use of the copyrighted work in question. A more explicit acknowledgment of the role of these patterns in fair use analysis would be consistent with fair use, copyright policy, and tradition. Importantly, such an acknowledgment would help to bridge the often difficult conceptual gap between fair use claims asserted by individual defendants and the social and cultural implications of accepting or rejecting those claims. In immediate terms, the approach should lead to a more consistent and predictable fair use jurisprudence.When viewed in light of recent research by cognitive psychologists and other social scientists on patternsand creativity, in broader terms, the approach should enhance...
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...Retailing in the 21st Century Manfred Krafft ´ Murali K. Mantrala (Editors) Retailing in the 21st Century Current and Future Trends With 79 Figures and 32 Tables 12 Professor Dr. Manfred Krafft University of Muenster Institute of Marketing Am Stadtgraben 13±15 48143 Muenster Germany mkrafft@uni-muenster.de Professor Murali K. Mantrala, PhD University of Missouri ± Columbia College of Business 438 Cornell Hall Columbia, MO 65211 USA mantralam@missouri.edu ISBN-10 3-540-28399-4 Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York ISBN-13 978-3-540-28399-7 Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York Cataloging-in-Publication Data Library of Congress Control Number: 2005932316 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer-Verlag. Violations are liable for prosecution under the German Copyright Law. Springer is a part of Springer Science+Business Media springeronline.com ° Springer Berlin ´ Heidelberg 2006 Printed in Germany The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not...
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