ATOM Specification:

Task Description using the UAN

Version: 3 Sept 97

Name and institution of proposer:

Phil Gray, GUCSD

Level:

Level 3 or level 4 undergraduate; conversion master's

Type of atom:

Probably tutorial by remote domain expert.

Prerequisite:

Students should have some idea of what task analysis is.

Knowledge of at least one other task description formalism (GOMS, TAG, etc) would be helpful.

Outline:

Tasks:

Students will observe an interactive system, write a UAN description of (limited) interaction with that system, then consider how to improve the interaction based on an analysis of their UAN script. The interactive system might be tailored for the ATOM client. By default, a "full-featured" telephone will be used.

Resources:

Access to the interactive system must be provided by the ATOM client; ATOM supplier will supply notes on UAN and student instructions for the task. Additionally, students must have access to Hix & Hartson, Developing User Interfaces (Wiley).

Outputs:

A UAN description; a short report on how the interaction might be improved

Feedback:

ATOM client and/or supplier will offer feedback on quality of UAN description; additional feedback via student discussion.

Details of assessment:

Assessment will be determined locally (i.e., the ATOM client) and will thus vary from case to case

Take-up:

Not known