From: Robin Baumberger

Class discussion 11/11/94 - UIMS

Discussion questions:

1.  Would this type of UIMS work for communities that di not have
specific subgroups?  If so, how?

    We  didn't really discuss this question directly.  Instead, we talked
about aspects of the PODIUM system.  Soemone stated that it was unclear
whether the researchers or the system asked whether the user's likes a
particular adaptation.  Laconya felt that  the article explained how the
system did the prompting.

We spent some time on how the system monitors the user and adapts the
system.  The system monitors all changes and gives the user a chance
to adopt other user's changes.  We wondered how annoying this could
be, especially if there are a lot of changes for the user to consider.

We questioned how this system could adapt to users who went to
different schools and were familiar with different terms.  Could this
influence the forms that the user expects to see?

Many felt that the design of the interface was not good enough to
begin with, and needed adaptation because of that.  Why didn't they
just build a better interface to begin with and cut down the need for
adaptation?  People could make some really bad interfaces on their own
while learning what makes a good interface.  The interface could get
much worse before getting better.  It seemed a ridiculous model,
design by the user.

But there could be advantages to a democratic way of creating an
interface.  The designer doesn't try to model the "average" user.
That's good because there is no "average" user.  But an interface can
be accepted by a community if 50% of the community accepts the
interface.

2.  Should PODIUM always default to the initial UI or should it at
some point default to incorporate the changes that have been added per
specialty?

Defaulting would only be necessary if a new doctor entered the system.
If the system did default to zero adaptations, the user should be
given the opportunity to accept existing changes.  Some felt it was
really necessary for new users to incorporate the user's changes.

3.  How do you avoid the inevitable problem of physicians needing to
access infromation from other specialties?

PODIUM doesn't allow for this, but a provision for cross-specialty
work is necessary.  We mentioned using the add button to change data
and discussed how using forms would be faster that buttons once the
system was adapted to its users.