Development of a human information processing model for cognitive task analysis and design

High costs and long cycle times of software development are factors hindering the analysis and design of the complete cognitive aspects related to task performances. Reusable software has been proposed as a solution to the problem of high software development and maintenance costs. One of the paradigms for reusable software, object-oriented modelling, has emerged as an important method for specifying, creating and reusing software modules. Using Unified Modelling Language, this paper develops an object-oriented cognitive task analysis and design (OOCTAD) model based on human information-processing theory. First, human task performance-related cognitive aspects are classified into modules and logically linked together; secondly, cognitive aspects within these modules were further decomposed into packages and classes based on object-oriented technology. Finally, one case study was presented to compare and contrast different cognitive analysis models to illustrate the advantages of the OOCTAD model developed in the current research over the other five cognitive task analysis models. These reusable classes in the OOCATD model were shown to be reused to reduce software development costs and cycle times for cognitive task analysis and design. The current research should be of use to both developers and users of cognitively based tasks, systems and tools and researchers and practitioners in the broader discipline of cognitive tasks design and analysis.