The goals and methods of computer users

Lang, Kathy; Auld, Rosemary; Lang, T.

doi:10.1016/s0020-7373(82)80040-0

Cited by 17 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Studies of programmer behavior have shown how they benefit from informally learning from their peers (e.g. Alty and Coombs, 1980;Lang et al, 1981Lang et al, , 1982. More recent work on extreme programming (Beck, 2000) notes the value of having programmers work in pairs, not just for productive bug catching but also for organizational learning.…”

Section: Who?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The more that is known about the learner's prior experience and current understanding, the easier it is to tailor the interaction. This helps to explain the advantages of receiving help from people who know you well, even in preference to people who know the application under discussion better (Lang et al, 1982). Also, the more that is known about the work context and the underlying reasons for the initiating request, the easier it is to develop a workaround.…”

Section: Theories Of Learning and Interactionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Over the Shoulder Learning: Supporting Brief Informal Learning

Twidale

2005

Comput Supported Coop Work

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The paper reviews work on informal technical help giving between colleagues. It concentrates on the process of how colleagues help each other to use a computer application to achieve a specific work task, contrasting this with the focus of much prior work on surrounding issues like the choice of whom to ask, information re-use and the larger work context of encouragement or otherwise of such learning. By an analysis of the literature and a study of office activity, some strengths and weaknesses of the method are identified. The difficulties of talking about the process of performing graphical user interface actions are explored. Various design implications for functionalities to improve the efficiency of informal help giving are explored. A consideration of informal learning can help in designing more effective, learnable, robust and acceptable CSCW systems. It also provides a different perspective on interface design as an exploration of features to support human-human interaction, using the computer screen as a shared resource to support this. In this way CSCW research may contribute to HCI research, since during such help giving, all computer systems are at least temporarily collaborative applications.

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Section: Who?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theories Of Learning and Interactionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Over the Shoulder Learning: Supporting Brief Informal Learning

Twidale

2005

Comput Supported Coop Work

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“…The frequency of informal conversations decreases dramatically between employees who are located on different floors, and of course in different buildings [57]. Employees in two studies [11], [58] cite nearness or availability as one of the most important reasons for choosing a particular source of help concerning a new information system. However, spatial proximity (in one of two offices in different states) was one of the weakest predictors of seeking or providing help in Rice et al's [81] study, and played no role in fostering similar attitudes toward a new information system in Rice and Aydin's [80] study.…”

Section: Structural Influences On Receiving Information Benefitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Information seeking in social context: structural influences and receipt of information benefits

Cross

Rice

Parker³

2001

IEEE Trans. Syst., Man, Cybern. C

133

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Abstract-Research in the information processing, situated learning, and social network traditions has consistently demonstrated the importance of social networks for acquiring information. However, we know little about how organizational relationships established by a relative position in a formal structure or social relationships established by interpersonal processes influence whom is sought out for various kinds of information. Prior research suggests that people often receive some combination of five benefits when seeking information from other people: 1) solutions; 2) meta-knowledge (pointers to databases or people); 3) problem reformulation; 4) validation of plans or solutions; and 5) legitimation from contact with a respected person. This research builds on that work by assessing the influence of organizational and social structures (such as similarity of job function, hierarchy, task interdependence, physical proximity, influence, trust, friendship, and gender) on receipt of these benefits from other people in a physically distributed organization. Task interdependence is the strongest and most consistent predictor of information seeking. However, social relations also affect the receipt of informational benefits, especially as they become more representational and affective. Implications are suggested for the study of social capital, computer-mediated communication, and organizational learning.

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“…And they depend heavily on each other. For example, users prefer to consult other users rather than using manuals or any other type of help (7)(8)(9)(10)(11). Therefore, social resources, the communicative be haviors of users, both formal and infor mal, play a key role in system design and application (12).…”

Section: Social and Environmental Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Janssen Research Foundation's Adverse Experience Literature Database: A User-Centered Design for Human-Computer Interaction

Wang

1993

Drug Information Journal

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This paper will first discuss user-centered design factors and how they should be ad dressed. This will be followed by the actual Janssen experience in successfully design ing and building its adverse experience literature database. It will then highlight crite ria for the evaluation of information retrieval systems. The Janssen experience serves as an example that such user-centered design factors can be easily and effectively im plemented in a corporate environment.

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The goals and methods of computer users

Cited by 17 publications

References 6 publications

Over the Shoulder Learning: Supporting Brief Informal Learning

Over the Shoulder Learning: Supporting Brief Informal Learning

Information seeking in social context: structural influences and receipt of information benefits

Janssen Research Foundation's Adverse Experience Literature Database: A User-Centered Design for Human-Computer Interaction

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