Advance Program Description

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

Thomas T. Hewett
Drexel University

BENEFITS
	You will learn some theoretical underpinnings and practical aspects of how people remember and how they solve problems.  You will also gain ideas about how to use that knowledge during product design and how to take advantage of some of the capabilities of your most important interface component: the human mind.

ORIGINS
	This “CHI Classic” was a highly rated tutorial at CHI 95, CHI 96, CHI 97, CHI 98, CHI 99, and CHI 2000.

FEATURES
	•understand intuitively a variety of phenomena through direct, “minds-on” exposure
	•learn to avoid some common errors
	•develop a basis for making educated design choices when guidelines fail
	•relate cognitive phenomena to human-computer interaction
	•gain the resources needed for self-directed study in cognitive psychology
	•obtain a useful set of teaching materials for cognitive aspects of human-computer interaction

AUDIENCE
	Interaction designers and developers who have found there are users who have trouble using their products without training or who have found that users have minds of their own.  Anyone interested in human-computer interaction and interactive system design who has not done course work in cognitive psychology.  Not intended for the human factors specialist, for the individual with extensive training in psychology or for the person seeking a state-of-the-art literature of the latest research in cognitive psychology.

PRESENTATION
	Interactive presentation and “minds-on” demonstrations.

INSTRUCTOR
	Tom Hewett is Professor of Psychology at Drexel University where he teaches courses on Cognitive Psychology, Psychology of Human Computer Interaction, and Problem Solving and Creativity.  He has offered variants of this tutorial to hundreds of interface designers at both conferences and in-house training sessions.  He is a published courseware author, has worked on the development and evaluation of several projects, and is currently working with a group of computer scientists who developing a Scientific Problem Solving Environment which integrates symbolic and numeric computing.  He is also part of a team of six researchers developing a project in networked engineering design. 

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 can 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.