WAN HARRIS ZAKY

Masters of InfTech, QUT, Australia

HJ.IBRAHIM

MY USER EXPERIENCE

User Experiences Logbook

6th March, 2012

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This user experiences logbook consists of three parts. In part A, it consists of my

critiques impression based on the articles being discussed in class weekly and articles

chosen from Course Materials Database (CMD). In part B journalling, I had written

seven weekly journals that critically reflect on issues and ideas brought out in class,

lesson learned about users experiences as well as relating to how it could assist me in

my future career and thoughts about the implications of my profession and personal

career. Also, the logbook covers on what I would like to learn about user experiences

and how to go about it in the aspect of my professional development.

In addition to this logbook, in Part C journalling, I had also written six different

journals weekly that reflects on what I had learned about user experience based on the

recommended, relevant and authoritative resources. Consequently, I had included

comments on usefulness of the different types of resources in helping as being part of

my learning curve based on lessons learned throughout this unit.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................. 2

PART A .................................................................................................................................................... 5

Read and write about User Experience articles .................................................................................... 5

1. ARTICLE: Transliteracy – take a walk on the wild side by Susie Andretta (2009). ....................... 5

2. ARTICLE: World Brain – The idea of a permanent world encyclopedia by Wells (1937). ............ 6

3. ARTICLE: Five personality dimensions and their influence on information behavior by Heinstrom (2003). ............................................................................................................................ 7

4. ARTICLE: Everyday life information seeking by Savolainen (1995). ........................................... 8

5. ARTICLE: Modeling the information seeking of professionals by Leckie et al. (1996) ............... 10

6. ARTICLE: Information Foraging by Pirolli and Card (1999). ...................................................... 12

7. ARTICLE: Understanding Users by Sharp et al. (2007). ............................................................ 14

PART B - JOURNALLING I ........................................................................................................................ 16

I. WEEK 1 JOURNAL................................................................................................................... 16

II. WEEK 2 JOURNAL................................................................................................................... 17

III. WEEK 3 JOURNAL................................................................................................................... 18

IV. WEEK 4 JOURNAL................................................................................................................... 19

V. WEEK 5 JOURNAL ................................................................................................................ 20

VI. WEEK 6 JOURNAL ................................................................................................................ 22

VII. WEEK 7 JOURNAL ................................................................................................................ 23

PART C - JOURNALLING II ....................................................................................................................... 24

I. WEEK 1 JOURNAL................................................................................................................... 24

II. WEEK 2 JOURNAL................................................................................................................... 26

III. WEEK 4 JOURNAL................................................................................................................... 27

IV. WEEK 5 JOURNAL................................................................................................................... 29

V. WEEK 6 JOURNAL................................................................................................................... 32

VI. WEEK 7 JOURNAL................................................................................................................... 34

REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................................... 36

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LIST OF FIGURES:

Figure 1: The Basic Components of the Study of ELIS ..................................................................... 9Figure 2: A Model of the Information Seeking of Professionals ...................................................... 11Figure 3: Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) .............................................................................. 26Figure 4: The Linking of Culture, Knowledge and ICTs .................................................................. 29Figure 5: The Media Gap ................................................................................................................... 30Figure 6: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs ............................................................................................ 31Figure 7: The Hype Cycle for Social Software, 2010 ....................................................................... 33

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PART A

Read and write about User Experience articles

1. ARTICLE: Transliteracy – take a walk on the wild side by Susie Andretta (2009).

The main focus of Andretta’s (2009) paper was on the concept of transliteracy.

According to Andretta, the term refers to, “the convergence of a number of academic

disciplines such as English, Communication and Cultural Studies and New Media

Studies” (p. 2). In order to determine how transliteracy was viewed in the eyes of

professionals within the field of information technology, Andretta conducted four

interviews.

Andretta approached each of the interviews by asking only one simple question

which was if the participant had ever heard of the term transliteracy. She did not ask

any further questions but instead allowed the participants to develop their own answers

in relation to the topic presented. After the interviews, Andretta learnt that out of the four

participants, only one had heard of the term transliteracy and the rest were familiar with

the concept but not the terminology. Andretta pointed out that just because the

professionals were not familiar with the actual word transliteracy, in no way does it imply

that they are unfamiliar with the concepts behind it. In fact, Andretta noted that each and

every one of the professionals was regularly involved in activities which required a

significant level of transliteracy.

I think that Andretta’s approach of asking just one question throughout the course

of the interview was interesting but not sufficient. She should have asked the

participants background questions as to what their thoughts on traditional standards of

literacy and literacy in the information age were. She went into the interviews assuming

that because these professionals worked with technology, they would automatically be

familiar with all terminology related to the field. As previously learnt, an interviewer has

to ask the most basic questions and assume that their audience is unaware of any

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technical terms regardless of their profession. In addition, the interviews are somewhat

prejudiced, as it seems all the interviewees came from the same professions rather than

a mix of professions.

2. ARTICLE: World Brain – The idea of a permanent world encyclopedia by Wells (1937).

Wells (1937) even decades ago acknowledged the need for a collection of

knowledge that stemmed from a multitude of sources. Wells argued that encyclopedias

were no longer the norm in which to seek information from in an evolving world. Instead,

media outlets such as radios, newspapers, photographs as well as other outlets were

needed to be taken seriously as sources of information, “modern facilities of transport,

radio, photographic reproduction and so forth are rendering practicable a much more

fully succinct and accessible assembly of fact and ideas than was ever possible before”

(Wells, 1937).

Wells (1937) argued that the custom of turning to libraries for information was

rather outdated and inconsistent to the growth which was happening on a global level.

In order to keep up with progress, the same type of information needed to be accessible

to all members of the human race regardless of their location or background. Wells

maintained that the new encyclopedia would be a world encyclopedia in which all

information was readily available on a permanent basis to all humans. Wells was also

adamant that this vision was not some far off fantasy but an evitable part of human

progress.

It is clear that Wells (1937) as a thinker was way beyond his time. He saw the

need for a diverse yet unified source of information for the entire globe, the internet is

just that. Wells vision of a World Encyclopedia has been realized in the form of the

internet which supplies a unified body of knowledge from diverse media sources to

educate the mass populations of the globe. While it is true that the internet is providing

a unified body of knowledge to the world population, one has to be careful in shifting

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through what information is true versus false. In order to distinguish fact from fiction,

every member of the general population needs to be literate in a wide array of media.

3. ARTICLE: Five personality dimensions and their influence on information behavior by Heinstrom (2003).

Heinstrom’s (2003) study emphasizes the relationship between a users

psychological mindset in relation to their method of seeking out information. Hence,

their information behavior is affected by individual’s trait of personality. Heinstrom is

quick to point out that there is no specific personality type which holds the ideal

standard in terms of information processing. Personality is defined as a, “pattern of

characteristic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that distinguishes one person from

another and that persists over time and situation” (Heinstrom, 2003).

The study was based on an analysis of five different aspects of personality

ranging from neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to experience, competitiveness

and conscientiousness. According to Heinstrom (2003), “neuroticism relates to negative

emotions of a person, extraversion relates to informal information over frustration on

retrieving documents and openness to experience relates to wider aspect in quest of

information”. Meanwhile, “competitiveness relates to insufficient time to information

retrieval and lastly, conscientiousness relates to selection of provoking documents”

(Heinstrom, 2003).

Results indicated that dependant on the predominate personality traits of the

individual involved, information seeking is performed in distinct manners. In addition, if

an individual is a combination of the presented traits, they will seek out information in

different ways from those of their peers who are only one particular trait. The dominate

trait in person who has a combination of traits will always preside and reign over weaker

traits, “for instance when a foremost conservative but conscientious person overcomes

his/her cautious inclination towards confirming information by taking the effort to explore

new challenging documents” (Heinstrom, 2003).

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Although Heinstrom makes some very valid points that personality impacts the

manner in which an individual searches for information, I think more research needs to

be performed in this area. An individual is composed of various traits that make up their

personality, in order to fully understand how each of these traits impacts the manner in

which an individual searches for information, more in-depth studies need to be

performed on each particular trait. Nevertheless, it is captivating to learn that different

people search for information differently in the aspect of human information behavior.

4. ARTICLE: Everyday life information seeking by Savolainen (1995).

Savolainen’s (1995) study concentrates on everyday life information seeking or

ELIS. According to Savolainen, ELIS involves four processes which include, “optimistic-

cognitive, pessimistic-cognitive, defensive-affective and pessimistic-affective mastery of

life” (p. 259). Based on research from previous surveys, Savolainen explains that a

majority of people rely on informal sources rather than libraries for collecting

information. Keeping previous research in mind, Savolainen set out to find how

individual ELIS types tend to influence the manner in which individuals seek information.

Results indicated that social class has a large impact on the manner in which

individuals set out to seek information. For instance, individuals with a higher level of

education are more proactive in seeking information from various locations and sources.

They are more active in pursuing information from the library as well as electronic

sources rather than just depending on one or the other. Savolainen (1995) argues that

individuals only seek out information that is limited to the confines of their unique

situation. For instance, the accessibility and availability of information plays a large role

in whether an individual will choose to seek it out or not.

Savolainen (1995, p.268) illustrates the ELIS framework as shown in figure 1,

which was useful in the analysis of ELIS. It shows a close relationship between

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“Mastery of Life” and “Way of Life” that determine each other. Savolainen’s theory

correlates well to Dervin’s sense-making theory, where people move through time and

space encountering unique situations and when they come across a “gap” in their

knowledge, thus having to bridge it with information (Dervin, 1992, p.68).

Figure 1: The Basic Components of the Study of ELIS

Source: Savolainen, 1995, p. 268.

Savolainen (1995) presents a very interesting insight as to how and why

particular individuals set out to seek a particular type of information versus another.

However, more research is needed on different classes of individuals and their

information seeking habits by including the situational or context factors affecting

information seeking and use. For example, instead of just concentrating on the middle

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or upper classes, the presented research needs to be expanded to low-income classes

or those who are un-employed. Subgroups within each class also need to be taken into

consideration. These groups could be divided by age, sex, health conditions, etc. Once

more in-depth research is preformed on sub groups more insight into their information

seeking habits can be gathered.

5. ARTICLE: Modeling the information seeking of professionals by Leckie et al. (1996)

Leckie, Pettigrew and Sylvain (1996) performed a study on how professionals in

the fields of engineering, healthcare and law set out to seek specific types of

information. According to Leckie et al. (1996), they were chosen because they represent

“a body of scholarship and divergent types of professions”. These practitioners mainly

cover the aspect of technical as well as human clients. The justification for this study

was two-fold. First, more information is needed in this area and second, thanks to the

internet more information vendors are looking for ways to target the needs of

professionals in specific areas.

The study was set up by breaking down the professionals in each field into more

specific categories. For example, those in the health care field were broken down into

physicians, nurses, dentists, etc. Similarly, those in the engineering field like engineers

and consultants, it is intriguing to learn the sturdy relationship between accessibility,

frequency of use and the degree of experience (Gerstberger & Allen in Leckie et

al.,1996, pp.166-167). The proposed model of the information seeking of professionals

which is made up of six components can be illustrated as in figure 2 below.

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Figure 2: A Model of the Information Seeking of Professionals

Source: Leckie et al., 1996, p.180.

Afterwards, the researcher studied the specific patterns that each group posses

in the information seeking process. Specific purposes of seeking information those such

as, “providing a service or product, completing paperwork, realizing operational benefits,

and achieving professional development goals” (Leckie et al, 1996, p. 187). The

research concluded that tracking the information seeking habits of professionals is not a

simple process but involves an understanding of each profession, their needs as well as

the needs of the clients or patients involved. One of the biggest similarities between

those in all professions is that they did not depend on only one source for gathering

information but relied on several sources such as books, databases, etc.

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Although Leckie et al. (1996) acknowledged that further research needs to be

performed on how each professional functions as a whole rather than a separate entity

from their workplace; I believe their research was a bit inconclusive. Furthermore, the

so-called original model the authors derive from previous research is deficient in detail.

Instead of trying to study the habits of professionals in three very distinct fields, the

researchers should have focused on one profession in particular. With a greater

concentration on one profession, the researchers could have presented a more

conclusive report has to how information is sought by these professionals.

6. ARTICLE: Information Foraging by Pirolli and Card (1999).

Pirolli and Card (1999) present the information foraging theory (IFT) as a solution

to understanding how individuals adjust their information seeking strategies depending

on the context they are in. Pirolli and Card (1999) also describe an account of

information gathering behavior based on the ecological behaviors of animals when

foraging for food. The account can be applied to contexts in which people are

searching for information in a number of different contexts such as in a library or on the

website. The theory rests on coherent analysis in that it proposes human behaviour is

directed by the objective to maximise gain and minimise effort, thus this process is

sensitive to changes in the environment (Pirolli & Card, 1999). In contrast to animal

studies (Pirolli & Card, 1999), the assumption in IFT is that people attempt to reduce the

ratio of information gained to time spent.

According to Pirolli and Card (1999), the way in which the environment context is

structured determines the costs of search for information. For instance, the structure of

a website will determine how many pages the user has to navigate through in order to

satisfy a person’s goal. When seeking for information on the internet, many people

make use of search engines. After entering some key words, the user is presented with

a list of search results which are usually structured in terms of their relevance to the

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keywords. Each of the results returned can be considered to be a “patch” of information

(Pirolli & Card, 1999). The user has to choose to either investigate one of the patches

or to redefine their search criteria. Conducting another search using different key words

will result in a change in the contexts. Hence, this process is known as enriching the

environment context. Meanwhile, the decision to forage within a particular patch of

information is based on an ongoing assessment of information scent (Pirolli & Card,

1999).

The optimal foraging theory (OFT) predicts that as more time is allocated to

within-patch foraging, the rate of information return increases but only up to an optimal

point, after which the rate starts to decrease (Pirolli & Card, 1999). Hence, after a

particular amount of within-patch foraging (searching within a website) it becomes more

profitable to move to the next patch (select another website from the list of search

results) even though there are still pages within the previous patch that have not yet

been visited (Pirolli & Card, 1999).

The main argument of the theory is that people naturally gravitate towards

information which is stable, reliable as well as cost effective. Pirolli and Card argue that

the main problem behind this theory is not lack of information but rather the organization

of information which is available and the presentation of that information as well.

A study performed by Pirolli and Card (1999) as to how MBA students sought out

information revealed that the general method was maximum information output with

minimum time spent on searching for resources. It was revealed that the MBA students

are known as a “foraging organisms” for being more active in foraging as compared to

business intelligence professional (Pirolli and Card, 1999, p.670). In cases where

deadlines were involved, students chose to ignore more extensive resources such as

books and turned towards the internet for the maximum amount of information they

could find, “people adapt to the constraints and problems they face in complex,

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dynamic, often technology-based environments in which they perform tasks that require

processing external information-bearing resources” (Pirolli and Card, 1999, p. 671).

Pirolli and Card (1999) are correct in maintaining that how individuals seek out

information depends on a variety of factors. Indeed, the more a website or database is

used, the more it flourishes and vice versa. However, in order to examine the

information foraging theory in greater detail, Pirolli and Card should have studied a

greater and more diverse population than just MBA students. The study was carried out

in a formal environment in which students were expected to search for information in a

certain manner. In order to understand how non-students such as professionals seek

out information under different circumstances, more studies need to be conducted.

7. ARTICLE: Understanding Users by Sharp et al. (2007).

The main focus of Sharp, Rogers and Preece’s (2007) study was to determine

the role of cognition in relation to the field of interaction design. According to Sharp et al.

(2007), cognition involves, “cognitive processes, like thinking, remembering, learning,

daydreaming, decision-making, seeing, reading , writing and talking” (p. 94). Cognition

is composed of specific processes that are broken down into the following categories:

attention, perception and recognition, memory, learning, reading, speaking and listening

as well as problem solving, planning and decision making (Sharp et al., 2007, p.94).

Contrary to these findings, Sharp et al. (2007) suggested using cognitive

frameworks (mental models, theory of action, information processing, external cognition

and distributed cognition) to predict user behavior (p.116). To elaborate further, the

cognitive information processing model has three different memory stages: sensory

store, short-term memory and long-term memory. The sensory store and working

memory stages are related to perceptual and motor processing, whereas short-term

memory and long-term memory are related to cognitive processing (Card et al., 1983).

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The theory of action, Norman in Sharp et al. (2007) states the seven stages of an

activity - “establish a goal, form an intention, specify an action sequence, execute an

action, perceive the system state, interpret the state and finally evaluate the system

state with respect to the goals and intentions”. In the same way, Card, Moran and

Newell (1983) developed a cognitive model called GOMS based on the cognitive

information processing model. According to Card et al.(1983), the GOMS model

consists of four components that demonstrate how to process tasks between users and

a computer system:

a) Goals to be achieved in the process,

b) Operators performing the sequencing methods and interacting with the system,

c) Methods representing the sequence of the tasks performed by the operators, and

d) Selection rules choosing the best strategies and solutions for the best methods to

obtain the goals.

The GOMS model seeks to “predict the time required to complete the task. In addition,

the model can be used to identify and predict the effects of errors on task performance.

Error recovery is assumed to involve the same four components as correct actions”

(Card, Moran & Newell, 2005).

The researchers explored all processes in greater detail and outlined the best

possible designs that would facilitate the inclusion of each cognitive process. For

instance, in terms of memory, Sharp et al. (2007) suggested that design should be kept

simple while prompting recall through the use of icons. Sharp et al. also stressed the

importance of interaction when it comes to learning rather than simple instruction. In

order to prevent cognitive overload, learners have to be presented with more than one

cognitive outlet. For instance, a textbook should consist of illustrations and text rather

than just one or the other. In addition, the use of mnemonic helps users to remember

the information better (Sharp et al., 2007, p.103). This is because Sharp et al. observed

that the like of using personal information management has been a growing concern for

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many people as their documents keep on increasing each day, causing difficult to look

for at a later day (p.103).

Sharp et al (2007) present a very in-depth look at how the understanding of

cognitive processes can aid in the design of learning materials as well as user

interfaces. I found this particular study to be very simple to understand given its

complexity and depth. However, the material would have been more relevant if greater

emphasis were placed on modern interface design such as RSS feeds, search engines,

social media sites, podcastings, wikis and blogs. Although textbooks and other

educational material are still relevant in today’s learning environment, the importance of

social media and its design should not be underestimated. Furthermore, the emergence

of social media technology such as Web 2.0, have made users realised its benefits are

enormous. Instead, researchers should place a greater emphasis on cognitive

functions and new user interfaces.

PART B - JOURNALLING I

I. WEEK 1 JOURNAL

The main focus of this week was the concept of transliteracy. Unlike previous

generations, I now understand that in order to be successful in any career I pursue, I

need to be “transliterate”. As described by Andretta, the meaning of transliteracy

involves the ability to shift through a wide array of media and effectively analyze what is

being presented. From this week, I learnt that although users are not aware of technical

terms for what they are doing, this does not mean that they are incapable of shifting

through a media rich world. Every day, millions of people login to check their emails,

update their Facebook statuses, maintain blogs, forums, wikis and upload videos to the

net without consciously thinking about what they are doing. Although actually

performing these tasks is important, it is equally important for users to understand why

they are choosing a certain method over another. They should be aware of what

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methods best work and which methods are less effective in trying to present a particular

message or voice.

Keeping this in mind, I believe that it is extremely important that transliteracy is

taught in schools such as colleges as well as universities. It should be put on the same

pedestal as learning how to read and write. If students are taught to be “transliterate”,

they will be able to navigate new technology with greater ease and familiarity. Simply

teaching students terms is not enough but they also need to be given the skills to solve

their own problems when presented with a different type of issues.

From the perspective of an IT professional, I believe that keeping up with new

terms and technology is also very important. As professionals, it is important to

understand what operation is being performed so greater clarity is achieved while

undertaking any type of specific and exigent task.

II. WEEK 2 JOURNAL

From week 2, the main lesson that I took away is the fact that we can no longer

view the world, countries, communities and populations as isolate entities. With the

growth in the global economy, it is only natural for the world to gravitate towards a

central source where all information can be obtained, stored and referred to. I believe

that although entities such as libraries are important for traditions sake, they will only be

status symbols if they are not also available on electronic format.

As the population is moving towards a centralized forum for seeking information,

I believe that it is more important than ever before that those involved in the IT industry

make all such forums as transparent as possible. Also, there needs to be some general

rules and regulations as to what is considered a valid piece of information. If all

information is available to everyone in such an open forum, it is going to be harder for

individuals to distinguish fact from fiction. One excellent example is in the case where I

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had experienced developing an online Enterprise forum myself for the community. In

order to overcome this, I suggest that there is some regulatory committee which

separates official data which can be used for academic purposes versus data that may

be based solely on opinion. In addition, I also need to be ethical in terms of my

responsibility, accountability and liability to the community. This is because Stoodley et

al. (2010) research on “how IT professionals can be more ethical in their practice”

correlates well with my IT profession. According to Stoodley et al. (2010), being ethical

can be attainable by “primarily understood the purpose of IT in user-oriented, the nature

of professional ethics in other-centred and the goal of ethics education towards others”

(p.17).

In the same way, the internet allows individuals more freedom to explore various

aspects of media that were previously closed to them thus are able to make their own

conclusions instead of relying on those presented by other people. I believe that each

individual has a personal duty to present and post information on the internet in a

manner which is honest rather than based on fabrications and lies. Above all, I believe

that IT professionals need to be media literate and understand how people read

information presented to them in an electronic format. In the past, professionals’

responsibility was limited to those in the medical field but this is no longer the case, it

also stems to IT professionals who control a majority of the world’s information sources.

III. WEEK 3 JOURNAL

The main focus or message I took away from week three was the importance of

understanding that not everyone processes and seeks information in the same manner.

Every individual is composed of a multitude of personality traits thus differ in how they

search for information. As an IT professional, it can be easy to assume that everyone is

the same thus has the same web browsing habits, visit the same sites and rely on the

same sources. As learned in week three, not everyone relies on Google or Wikipedia to

supply them with information, more conservative personality types still do exist and they

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search for information from sources they believe are more established and credible.

Understanding personality types can aid IT professionals in deciding what information

avenue is underdeveloped and need more attention.

Although the internet is growing faster than ever, a majority of this growth comes

from the diversity of the individual running it and seeking information from it. Seeking

information in a fast method may be acceptable for some personality types but it is

important to note that not everyone values speed. A majority of recent IT culture is

centered on speed and conciseness. It is important to consider that not everyone likes

information which is presented in the same manner nor processes information in the

same manner. In order to accommodate different personality types, IT professional

need to develop a wider array of information resources which present the same type of

information but in a different format. Simply relying on short articles and search engine

results is not sufficient. There are personality types who feel more comfortable shifting

through books rather than blogs, podcasts and wikis. It is the responsibility of the IT

professional to recognize and value all information seeking personality types.

IV. WEEK 4 JOURNAL

The focus of week 4 was appreciating different methods of seeking information

depending on an individual’s social class. Those who of are in university, automatically

assume that everyone in the world sets out to seek information in the same manner that

we do. We do not stop to consider that there are a great number of people who do not

have access to technology on a daily basis nor can they afford to buy that which we

consider the most basic. Prior to this week, I did not stop and consider how I would

search for information if I did not have access to a computer (be it using a Notebook,

Netbook, Tablet or Smartphone) and the internet on a daily basis. I cannot imagine

going to the library or performing all of my research in a constrained fashion.

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As technology progresses, IT professionals need to understand that it needs to

be accessible to everyone. This does not mean that everyone necessarily needs access

to a computer and the internet 24 hours, 7 days a week. However, it does mean that

professionals need to consider how people in less fortunate social circumstances can

make the most out of the limited access they do have. For instance, currently, a majority

of reliable, peer-reviewed journals are available via paid subscriptions only. People who

do not have the funds are not going to be able to ever access this material but they can

go to the library and get the same information for free. In order to bring down social

barriers, reliable, academic sources such as peer-reviewed journals should be readily

available to all those who seek them, thus providing people satisfaction.

One of my goals as an IT professional is to develop technology which revolves

around the philosophy of equal opportunity. In addition, I also need to consider and

tackle some aspect of digital divide issues, by providing equal accessibility and

opportunity for all the individuals, especially for individuals with disabilities. Technology

should not exist to serve the purposes of the upper and middle classes only. If the

world is headed in a direction whose main focus is on accessibility and unity then it

needs to consider social situation.

V. WEEK 5 JOURNAL

Now more than ever before, professionals are turning towards technology to fulfill

their information seeking needs. Consumerization of IT has now become the business

strategy of organisations (Raskino, 2010, pg.2). In the past, professions such those in

medical field and law were very strict and followed a certain protocol that could not be

surpassed. Certain documents were relied upon for supplying knowledge. As the world

becomes more technologically advanced, these once scared professions need to keep

up with the times. More and more consumers are turning towards technology to fulfill

certain needs and desire. The presence of online pharmacies (be it e-Health,

telemedicine, e-medical or mobile health) and entities which give particular advice are

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rapidly growing such as Indivo and Microsoft HealthVault. However, it is yet to be

known if this is something positive or negative.

I strongly believe that technology is an important but correct advice and a

formalized body of knowledge is just as important. As more and more professionals turn

to informal sources to gather their information, it is grave that the information that is

presented is correct. Incorrect information can lead to serious consequences that are

irreversible. This once gain comes back to the formalization of particular bodies of

knowledge. In order to ensure that professionals such as those in the medical field are

seeking out information in the correct manner, there needs to be a formalized body

which they can rely on.

In an age where technology has no boundaries, it is imperative to remember that

a certain level of authority needs to remain. In the future, I would like to work more with

specialized knowledge and learn how it can be made accessible to a specific profession

without being devalued or flawed. I realize that as more information becomes readily

available, it becomes harder for individuals as well as professionals to filter through the

valuable and invaluable. For instance, I learned that they are such a group in the forum

that I had recently developed, whom I called them - the Abilene Paradox (the

Chameleon effect), the Spiral of Silence and the Core Group Theory. The Abilene

Paradox occurs when the person act in a way that is opposite of what he or she actually

wanted, thus causing to misguide myself in doing certain activities in the forum

(12Manage, 2010a). Meanwhile, the Spiral of Silence occurs when a person is less

likely to voice out opinion as one feels for fear and isolation from other group members,

thus concealing his or her own views (12Manage, 2010b). On the other hand, the Core

Group Theory occurs when the person believed that he or she is the one to be called a

true wizard in the forum, for having a vast knowledge and skills compared to others

(12Manage, 2010c).

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All these have to be noted and taken into account when conducting an online

forum. I would like to make this process a lot easier, perhaps by empowering everyone

to participate through “architecture of participation and collective intelligence” (O’Reilly,

2005). Moreover, it is vitally important to trust each other within the web community as

they are the brand! I must learn from my mistakes and experiment a lot of new

technologies that are readily available.

VI. WEEK 6 JOURNAL

The main aspect of this week that I found most important is cost effectiveness.

As a university student, I am often on a budget and automatically strive to find the best

deals. This is not because I am cheap but because I simply do not have the money for

luxuries. This week made me think of information seeking in terms of monetary value. I

realize that I am a part of the student body that thinks that textbooks are overpriced and

need to be made cheaper. However, when I do not have time to do my own research, I

automatically buy textbooks which the professors recommend for extended reading.

The problem is twofold: I value my money but I also value my time. When I am hard

pressed for time, I rather throw money at the problem and watch it disappear rather than

stress myself out.

I believe that IT professionals need to find a balance between both cost

effectiveness as well as time effectiveness while allowing leeway for one or the other.

Technology needs to be time efficient as well as cost effective but of course needs to be

dependable and enticing as well. Many social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter

and YouTube are free while other sites that contain more specialized knowledge are

extremely expensive. I truly think that there should be some sort of balance between

services that are offered over the internet. A majority of free sites on the internet do not

provide detailed, sufficient or adequate knowledge. They skim over topics and those

sites which do provide more detail basically are incorrect half of the time. Site such as

Wikipedia should have some sort of authorization stamp that proves that they contain

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knowledge which is 100% accurate, thus, being recognized as a credible and reliable

source for fact-finding. Students who are under time constraints yet do not have a

significant amount of funds need to be able to access a correct and informative

knowledge database without worrying about the accuracy of the information presented.

VII. WEEK 7 JOURNAL

This week was particularly difficult because it involved the consideration of

cognitive processes. In the past, I firmly believed that all things that dealt with cognition

were best kept in the field of psychology. After going over the material presented in this

week, I better understand that the knowledge of basic psychology is important to all field

regardless of how irrelevant it may seem. Prior to this week, I was under the impression

that in terms of the internet, the flashier is always better for having rich user

experiences. Web 2.0 framework only taught me how to gain a rich user experiences

by having a rich internet applications on my blog. Hence, it provides a dynamic platform

that creates richer and more exciting experience for user.

It seems that everywhere one navigates; there are big neon sign which boast to

be more popular or cooler. Very little attention is paid to the layout of websites in terms

of being an educational tool which is easy to navigate as well as informative.

Traditionally, well-designed textbooks have been the gold standard in terms of being

model educational materials. It is time for this to change. I should not be afraid of these

changes as it can lead to something better in work life. This is further supported by

Johnson (2002) findings on dealing with changes. As a developing IT professional, I

believe that it is our responsibility to take the view of the design of websites as

something which either enhances or hinders the users learning experience. Flashy

website designs may be the norm for entertainment based sites but this does not mean

it should be the norm for educational sites. I learned that there are times when simple is

better. There is nothing wrong with providing relevant, accurate information in a forum

which is well designed but at the same time simple enough to navigate without any

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confusion. Moreover, valuable information has an unprecedented power that could lead

to a substantial knowledge for me.

Throughout this course, I have learned that designs which are overly complicated

are often not the best learning environment. Many users prefer simple designs which

they can easily navigate rather than those which are overly complex but do not provide

enough resources to accurately fill the all informational needs.

PART C - JOURNALLING II

I. WEEK 1 JOURNAL

Personally, I believe that society is heading in a direction where all individuals

are expected to be both socially and technologically transliterate, effortlessly shifting

from one mode to the other. With the invention of social media sites such as Facebook,

Twitter and YouTube, the line between what is to be private and what should remain

private has been irrevocably blurred. However, this does not stop with the online world

but extends to almost every interaction we undertake with those physically around us.

For instance, with the invention of the iPhone, individuals were able to stay

connected with those on the online world. They were able to effortlessly send text,

Tweets, status updates etc. without really interacting with those in their actual physical

environment. However, as Bolt, Evans and Harrell (2010) point out, the emergence of

the iPad has completely changed the meaning of transliteracy. Instead of limiting their

social interaction to the online world, everyday consumers are forced to simultaneously

engage in the online and offline worlds. Many physical vendors are using the iPad as a

cash register thus forcing customers to be transliterate both socially and technologically,

“With the iPhone Square application, customers were required to complete their own

transaction. And now with the iPad, do the customers step up and add their own tip—

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entering the private space of the merchant and cash register—or stay clear of the

transaction altogether” (Bolt et al, 2010).

We could see how technology is being embraced by different types of people

around us. People are using technology that has now become more and more

sophisticated and complex. These technologies provide big opportunities to gain a

competitive advantage since information could be obtained, processed and transmitted

at very low costs (Porter & Millar in Zakour, 2009, p.132). However, in order for

consumers to take full advantage of technology, they have to understand the new

challenge provided by this technology (Tapscott & Caston in Zakour, 2009, p.132).

Although consumers adopt technology that best fit for their business activities, they

cannot guarantee the way it behaves unless they use it appropriately. According to

Agarwal (1999, p.85), "acquiring appropriate IT is necessary but not sufficient condition

for utilizing it effectively".

With the globalisation experiencing unlimited interconnection possibilities and an

increasing number of people collaborating each other, the emerging of new

technologies are improving our daily working lives even further. One way to find out

their technological usage is by conducting Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as

shown in figure 3, designed by Davis et al. (1989) and Venkatesh et al. (2003). TAM is

based on two key concepts: Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Ease of Use

(PEOU) which determine an individual's intention to use a system with intention to use

serving as a mediator of actual system use (Zakour, 2009, p.142). From figure 3, we

can see PU is also seen as being directly impacted by PEOU. As a result of this impact,

it will have a direct effect on behavioral intention and subsequently having the actual

system to be used by people (York University, 2010).

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Figure 3: Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)

Source: York University, 2010

In order to understand how to engage in social interactions which involve new

technology, all of us must be transliterate and understand how to use and interact with

technology in everyday, offline situations. Being able to shift through Facebook, Twitter,

YouTube, wikis and blogs is one thing but taking the social aspect into the real world is

the true meaning of transliteracy.

II. WEEK 2 JOURNAL

There is no doubt that the internet has become a world encyclopedia in which

vast amounts of information are given and taken in a matter of seconds. Virtually, any

type of information one is looking for can be centrally accessed by the internet.

However, it is interesting to note, that unlike formalized books and encyclopedias, the

content placed on the internet is mostly free of charge and most of its sources cannot

be certified.

The internet has become a community of sharing and of open-exchange.

According to Bays and Mowbry (1999), the internet is a gift-giving economy in which

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information is given and taken, “the Internet operates as a gift economy. Individual

Internet users donate content for other Internet users to use free of charge. In return,

each individual receives access to all the content made available by others. The amount

an individual receives is much more than they could ever produce”. Previous studies on

the connectivity of the internet were quick to point out that a centralized information

system is needed due to the increase of global commence. While this is true, how

reliable is the internet as a source of verifiable information?

Bays and Mowbry (1999) firmly believe that the internet as a whole is a

connected community of users who in general what to further each others user

experience by providing useful information. “In gift cultures, social status is determined

not by what you control but by what you give away” (Naughton, 2000, p.205). This

connection is evident is the name of common technology which is integral to the internet

such as the term “cookies” which is a comforting term to most users. Although the

internet can be viewed as a giant encyclopedia, it is important to note that it is much

more, it’s a centralized community or the new global community.

III. WEEK 4 JOURNAL

None of us search for and utilize information in the exact same manner, this is

virtually impossible. However, many of us do show similar search patterns according to

which particular group or social class which we belong to. For example, if generalized,

university graduates and non-university graduates definitely search for information in

different ways, this can be assumed due to educational differences and knowledge.

While many developmental researchers target individuals, understanding how larger

groups as a whole search for information and browse the internet is just as powerful.

Wellings (2010) argues the case for turning towards interdependent group for

models of research design rather than interviewing individuals, “Most people operate as

part of a co-partnership or collective, where knowledge is distributed, tasks are divvied

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up, experiences are negotiated, and sharing is sometimes easy and sometimes really

hard”. Wellings argues that although studying individuals has its benefits, technology

and user interfaces are not as isolated as we think. The author has a point, from my

experiences as a university student, I know how much of an impact social groups have

on how a user goes about gathering, accessing and utilizing information. For instance,

if one of our peers recommends a great site for research, more than likely many of us

will flock to that site based solely on recommendation. Likewise, professors like Bhuva

and Christine talk among themselves to recommend the best sites for INN540 students

who in turn also take their advice. Friends tell friends and viral marketing takes over

causing network effects. Friends of mine who share a certain income bracket or hobby

go about using the internet for different purposes than my friends who have other

interests. I strongly believe that groups in terms of income levels as a whole needs to be

an issue that requires further study.

The lack of access to information, communication and technology (ICT), does not

only lead to exclusion from the new technologies but also to exclusion from the new

knowledge economy (Castells in Herdin et al., 2009). Castells in Herdin et al. (2009)

observed that people want to belong to a certain group and want to be identified as a

member of such a group. They do not want to constantly act, think and live on a global

level. The identity of the self cannot exist only on a global level and therefore, "the

search for identity, collective or individual, ascribed or constructed, becomes the

fundamental source of social meaning. … Yet identity is becoming the main and

sometimes the only source of meaning in an historical period characterized by

widespread destructuring of organisations, delegitimation of institutions, fading away of

major social movements and ephemeral cultural expresssions" (p.1062). Therefore, I

have learned that it is imperative to have an equal knowledge distribution, provision of

capabilities and social inclusion as it can be understood further as shown in figure 4.

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Figure 4: The Linking of Culture, Knowledge and ICTs

Source: Herdin et al., 2009, p.1063

IV. WEEK 5 JOURNAL

Professionals in all trades need to understand how to use technology and apply it

to their everyday work lives. For instance, in the past, doctor’s offices could get away

with keeping paper files on each patient but this is no longer the case. In order to

develop technology or intranet systems are truly effective and useful for the

professionals involved, IT professionals need to truly understand and analyze the

professional they are designing for. Furthermore, the use of social media technology

such as blogs and wikis are beginning to fill the “media gap” (Neuman, 1991, p.5) as

shown in figure 5. We must be able to support the growth and spread usage of this

emerging technology. I sense that the Tomita in Neuman’s model (figure 5) links very

well to Dervin’s sense-making theory (1992), on the “information gap”. Dervin (1992)

metaphor describes how we should cross the bridge to retrieve the information, thus

dealing with the situation and the gap during the journey of crossing the bridge (p.70).

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Figure 5: The Media Gap

Source: Neuman, 1991, p.10

Meanwhile, according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and self-actualization

(Chapman, 2004), we all seek to be fulfilled and that achieving our goals is one way of

achieving this state. Maslow’s theory went on to say that we all have five basic types or

‘sets’ of need and these needs can be arranged or ‘stacked’ in such a way as to reflect

the order of their action upon us. He also tells us that the influence that these needs

exert upon us is most potent when those needs are unsatisfied. From the diagram in

figure 6, we can see that our need for warmth, food, water and shelter has to be

satisfied before we begin to seek ‘higher’ needs such as the freedom to create and

design. However, the degree of influence or ‘potency’ of the needs can be and often is

influenced by our prior experiences. It tells us that people need to be allowed to answer

their social and creative needs as well as being able to have food, warmth, shelter and

security. Hence, this shows the cogent relationships between human factors and basic

human needs.

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Figure 6: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Source: Chapman, 2004

Pursuing this further, according to Robertson (2007), designing systems for

professionals is a two-prong process which involves: needs analysis and strategy and

scope. Unlike traditional design methods which focus on asking questions about user’s

questions about the their experience using the system, needs analysis focuses on the

user, “This time, we don’t ask questions about the system, but instead focus on

obtaining a more complete and holistic picture of what staff do and the environment in

which they work” (Robertson, 2007). I believe that focusing on the actual needs of each

professional in terms of what their profession requires and organizational culture is a

much more effective method of designing a system rather than questioning how they go

about using the existing system. In addition, it is also useful to know their workflow

process during the feasibility stage.

As Robertson (2007) points out, it is better to start designing a system by tackling

the biggest problem a professional has in accessing information related to their field. I

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think that a system which tries to tackle all problems at once is ineffective and ultimately

will fail. Instead, a user interface designed for a particular profession needs to target

large problems then as time goes on tackle the smaller problems. This can help in the

integration of the system as well as its user effectiveness.

V. WEEK 6 JOURNAL

I realize that user interface design can be very cheap or very expensive

depending on who is being targeted and how much room there is in the budget for

technology in general. From the current readings and issues raised in class, I came to

the conclusion that the most expensive technology is not necessarily always the best

type of technology for an organization. For instance, a QUT library university can have a

fancy website with lots of paid pay per view journal options but it will never be

successful if it does not have free options.

Hess (2010) says it best, “Like a painter uses paint to communicate concepts

and emotions, user experience designers use technology to help people accomplish

their goals. But the primary objective is to help people, not to make great technology”.

Great technology or the newest and most expensive trend is amazing if it is competing

in a contest but not in reality. In reality, users want convenience, they want the job done

and most of all they want the product to be affordable. I highly doubt that social media

sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube would be as popular as they are now if

they required paid access. The purpose of these sites is to connect users with one

another that create a network effects and they perform that function. No one would have

guessed that such a simple user interface such as Twitter could have become such a

success. It has no bells and whistles but it gets the job done, even though it has some

limitations being a microblogging tool that only allows sending a maximum of 140

characters.

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In spite of its popularity for being a fast and easy way to disseminate information,

microblogging tool like Twitter will have moderate impact on how the community

collaborate and share ideas in organisations. It has greater potential to provide

organisation value by bringing together large group of people and providing them almost

to real-time insights. (Mann in Gartner, 2010, p.40). According to Gartner (2010, p.5),

the adoption of social media is expanding at a rapid pace with a broad spectrum of

uses. Hence, it enables people to unite and share a common of interest together, thus

forming a “collective”. We can witness how social media has impacted us to date and

the future, as shown by Gartner in figure 7.

Figure 7: The Hype Cycle for Social Software, 2010

What does this Gartner’s hype cycle tell us? My hypothesis suggests that we

have to adopt the social media sooner rather than later, because the greatest risk lies in

failure to engage. In the current market, consumers value their hard earned dollars and

want to see results when they do decide to invest in a certain interface. Companies are

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no different; they hire designers to see an increase in their profits. If a designer does not

understand the connection between profitability and cost, there is no way they can

deliver a successful design. Once again, the key is balance.

VI. WEEK 7 JOURNAL

This week was especially intriguing because it questioned the fine line between

innovation and tradition. I think that many designers have a difficult time understanding

when it is acceptable to introduce a new design or process to the user interface and

when to keep a traditional model instead. There are times when the user interface is so

overcrowded with graphics and designs that it defeats the initial purpose of the design.

As a user and master student of IT, I understand that a balance is necessary in order to

achieve optimal user experience.

A design cannot be so conventional that it is boring but cannot be so innovative

that no one understands how to use it. Furthermore, it must be understood that design

is communication (Norman, 2002). Norman (2002, p.9) suggested that human-centered

design consists of three elements:

a) Conceptual models which make invisible functions visible by using feedback, as

the effect of an interaction and explanations of its use.

b) Constraints which are proactive measure to limit the choices of interaction and

reduce human errors.

c) Affordance is the perception and actual properties of the thing and suggests how

the device can be possibly operated.

Moreover, Norman (2004) presents an interesting criterion to determine when

designers should stick to the old and when designers should take a risk and be

innovative. Norman argues that design choices such as single clicks on web pages

should always be conventional while metaphors can be used creatively in order to foster

user experiences. Designers should always keep up to standards in the design of user

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interfaces. For instance, nowadays, this is always accompanied by graphics thus has

become a convention.

In order to ensure a user interface that is productive, innovative as well as

creative, designers have to use their judgment as well as their educational background.

Perhaps, one way to evaluate it is by using a cognitive walkthrough (Dix et al., 2004).

This evaluation technique focuses on the user’s knowledge and goals - by walking

through the tasks using the system, reviewing the actions that are necessary and

attempting to predict how the users will behave. Designers should not view their jobs as

one which is wholly creative nor wholly strict but a balance. They need to understand

how their competitors are designing sites and learn from popular interfaces while

examining which interfaces are no longer relevant. Design is never black or white but a

multitude of colors which change at different speeds.

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