Computer Science and Software Engineering 371

Software Requirements and Specification

Fall 2005

Exam 3 Review Solution

Please use only the space provided to answer each of the questions below.

1. Usability goals, according to page 14 of the Interaction Design textbook, include

· Effectiveness

· Efficiency

· Safety

· Utility

· Learnability

· Memorability

Safety goals could be accomplished by simplifying or not allowing input while the car is running. Effectiveness could be accomplished by providing the quickest route in the maximum possible cases.

User experience goals (page 18) include:

· Satisfying

· Enjoyable

· Fun

· Entertaining

· Helpful

· Motivating

· Aesthetically pleasing

· Supportive of creativity

· Rewarding

· Emotionally fulfilling

Satisfaction can be obtained by getting the passengers to the destination quickly and easily. The system can be helpful by, for instance, telling the driver when they have deviated from the map directions (e.g. by making a wrong turn).

2. Instructing – (page 42 of the Interaction Design text) A vending machine, which provides instructions on how much money still needs to be inserted, and what to do when it has.

Conversing – (page 45) Ask Jeeves, which responds to questions, sometimes having to request more information first.

Manipulating and Navigating – (page 48) A desktop interface, which allows the user to manipulate files and folders.

Exploring and Browsing – (page 49) A web browser, which allows for the selection of among billions of Web pages, possibly using a search engine such as Google to facilitate this.

3. As discussed in class (related to the sidebar on page 82 of the Interaction Design text), memorization is not required when using, say, a menu, and so more than 7 plus more minus 2 items.

4. From discussion during the class lecture on Chapter 4 of the Interaction Design text:

Does mirror:

· A chat room can allow for multiple people to talk in a group, just as if a bunch of people were together in a room.

· A chat room allows a member of the room to invite someone to the room, just a person in an actual room could “call out” to some to come in.

Does not mirror:

· In general, chat rooms do not allow a person to recognize the body language of the other participants (because you can’t see them).

· Sometimes chat room conversations overlap because many people are trying to talk at once without knowing that other people are trying to speak, which would not happen in an actual room because you could see the other people involved.

5. (Chapter 5 of the Interaction Design Text) A standard ATM system would not have a mouse or voice input to allow for interaction with the virtual agent. Also, input to the ATM is simple enough so that a virtual agent is superfluous for most users and transactions.

6. (Chapter 6 of the Interaction Design Text) The Star model is such the next iteration can (theoretically) be any of the five “points” of the star, giving the methodology an ah hoc feel.

7. (Chapter 7 of the Interaction Design Text)

(a) Questionnaires, since a number of people must be contacted because of the low rate of return.

(b) Focus groups, since one person’s forceful opinion can affect the views of many others within the group.

(c) Questionnaires, since interviewers and focus group moderators can provide specialized follow-up questions depending on specific answers provided by the participants.

(d) This was intended to be about the time needed by the data gatherers, not the respondents! Interviewers will need to spend about the same amount of time with each person as in a focus group of several people, and even more time than is needed to distribute the questionnaires.

(e) Focus groups, since when you have many people in the room at once, they can all agree on an issue by being quickly polled.

8. (Chapter 8 of the Interaction Design Text) A database system where very simple user interface input is used to query a complex database (which would not be present in the UI prototype.)