At the GVU Center, a group of researchers, under the direction
of Dr. Badre, is developing and testing state-of-the-art usability
methods and tools. We are studying and testing tools encompassing
a range of capabilities including event logging and session recording,
analysis, and visualization; i.e., the details of the human-computer
interaction session are automatically recorded by the logging tool,
analyzed, and displayed visually. Our research is on-going, and
is expected to yield increasingly useful results as testing technology
becomes more sophisticated.
Interaction OBServation, Evaluation, Recording and Visualization
Environment
We are experimenting with I-Observe, an all-inclusive interface
usability evaluation environment which consists of a set of tools
designed to facilitate and accelerate the usability evaulation process.
The tools support the usability evaluator or analyst by automating
a good art of the recording and analysis work.
I-Observe tools consist of:
- Logging tools to record human-computer interaction. These tools
range from event logging to videorecording. When multiple recording
streams are used, they are automatically synchronized based on
their timestamps.
- Analysis tools to analyze the recorded interaction. These tools
go beyond the traditional statistical manalyses by looking at
usability evaluation needs and implementing both traditional and
innovative usability metrics.
- Visualization tools to display the results of the logs and of
the analyses in adequate forms. Our visualization tools include
tools to display analysis results in contextual forms, and tools
to combine and synchronize various sets of results and logs to
replay or assist the analysis of usability sessions. Examples
of visualization screen can be found in the I-Observe Visualizations
page.
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