August, 2001
Volume 40 / Number 7
Special Issue Performance Support
The
Case for Creative Abrasion: Experts Speak Out on Knowledge Management
Discussion between Barbara Cowley-Durst, Hal D. Christensen, Duane
Degler, Douglas Weidner, and Michael Feldstein
Facilitated by Gary J. Dickelman
In recent months, the advocacy that is performance support has become more
focused on the notion of knowledge management (KM). We hear the terms in the
literature, in the titles of trade magazines, at conferences, and in the names
of software products. Some say that KM is just another form of performance
support; others say that performance support provides the necessary interface to
knowledge. Which is correct? What are the issues? Has there been any noticeable
improvement in performance because of knowledge management activities? To answer
these questions, experts in the fields of e-learning, performance support, and
knowledge management gathered to discuss six fundamental questions involving
definitions of KM, the technologies of knowledge management, organizational
performance issues, the ecology metaphor for KM,
and the role of human factors. Ultimately, the discussion is an exercise in KM―because
the process exemplifies creative abrasion.
The
Morphing Waldo: An Adaptive User Interface
by Colby Chambers Howell
Technology and the silicon chip rule the way we live. With the advent of the computer has come a whole slew of problems related to its use, but we are in a bind. Technology has permeated every aspect of our lives and is so necessary that we cannot just divest and return to the status quo. This article looks at a few of the major difficulties inherent in the use of computers and suggests a method for relieving some of the pain through performance-centered design and the development of an application called a "morphing waldo."
Using
Diversity Modeling for Instructional Design
by Alesha Pulsinelli and Cynthia Roubie
This article describes the use of diversity modeling to redesign a human-centered environment in which to teach physics concepts to high school students who have learning disabilities. The designers used performance-centered design techniques to precisely identify performers and to provide them with the best combination of knowledge objects, artifacts, and built-in support for their performance needs.
A Steppingstones to Technology Grant from the U.S. Department of Education provided the funding for Project DEVISE (Designing Environments for Virtually Immersive Science Education), which creates desktop virtual reality environments, called Motion Magic, in which students can explore Newton’s Laws of Motion. Because the goal of these environments is to teach high school students with learning disabilities about difficult science concepts, it was especially important that designers understand the performers and their needs. By developing diversity models and using them as design tools, program designers were able to focus on the needs of archetypal performers to develop more relevant interaction designs.
Around
the Interface in 80 Clicks
by Duane Degler and Lisa Battle
As more people gain access to computers and the Internet, it has become
increasingly important for designers to meet the needs of a diverse
international user population. Users no longer accept "one size fits
all." There are so many different things to think about, and so few
resources to turn to for thorough checklists. This article outlines many of the
things that the designer needs to consider for both internationalization (making
an interface understandable in many cultures) and localization (changing aspects
of the interface, such as language and icons, to match the local cultural
expectations and experiences) of software.
It's
All Part of the Game: Video Game Interaction Design and Business Performance
by Ara Shirinian
Within the domain of video games, there are specific types of interaction designs that can either encourage or discourage a user to continue playing the game. We call the latter bad designs and the former good designs. Although different players have different needs and desires, we can identify a set of common experiences that makes a game fun for most people (even those who may not play games on a frequent basis). Such experiences are a result of good video game interaction design.
One can design the interaction within a video game in such a way to maximize these qualities and minimize the qualities that discourage the user from continuing play. The article discusses how the following aspects of video game interaction can result in either good or bad designs:
Interface complexity
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