CBID系统可用性分析

本文主要目标是基于CBID系统前期的可用性试验结果及数据分析的结论,对CBID系统的可用性指标进行分析,得出CBID系统可用性分析的结论,揭示CBID系统目前存在的主要关键问题所在。     

Web业务系统可用性评估系统的研究与实现

针对传统可用性评估方法在对Web业务系统进行可用性评估时存在的操作难度大、不便针对大量用户、效率低的不足,研究和实现了面向Web业务系统的可用性评估系统.可用性评估系统是自动化的可用性评估工具,它以系统日志文件中的数据为主要评估数据,根据业务系统的情况加入业务日志文件中的数据作为补充评估数据,主要处理过程包括数据预处理、事务识别和可用性评估等3个阶段.可用性评估系统能够提供有指导价值的评估结果,使系统的设计和开发人员更好地了解用户使用系统的实际情况,以发现可用性问题,为进一步改进系统提供参考.     

基于决策树算法的可用性评估平台的实现

可用性是体现产品质量和市场竞争力的重要因素,可用性评估可以考察软件的效率、有效性、用户满意度,该文研究开发的可用性评估平台为软件开发过程的可用性评估提供专家知识支持。为了使可用性评估平台根据已有知识向用户提供具有价值的建议,使用改进后的启发式归纳分类算法：ID3决策树算法。根据对已有知识的信息熵计算,建立多叉决策树,然后利用交互过程中用户选择的节点信息得到用户的知识分类,向用户提供知识建议。系统在交互过程中,通过层层深入的交互方式,不断引导用户进行思考,做出选择,细化知识内容,排除冗余信息影响,明确具体属性值,实现主动的智能交互。通过改进的ID3决策树算法配合分层交互的方法建立的可用性评估平台系统能够有效地帮助用户完成软件的可用性评估工作,受到用户的认可。     

P2P VoD系统中一种基于节点生命的缓存优化策略

P2P VoD应用中,用户行为不同步且允许随时离开系统降低了资源相互共享的概率,导致缓存可用性及服务效率降低.该问题严重影响了用户体验的质量及系统的可扩展性.定义并分析了缓存片段的相对可用性;基于对节点生存期分布规律的考察,提出一种评估缓存片段相对可用性的实用方法;设计出一种分布式的缓存优化策略:利用各节点对局部范围内缓存片段相对可用性的评估、优化来提升整个系统的缓存可用性及服务效率.仿真结果表明,该策略有效提高了播放连续度,降低了服务器负载,提高了系统可扩展性.     

海量存储系统可用性静态测试评估方案

本文分析和研究了海量存储系统可用性关键技术和体系结构,设计制定可用性静态测试评估方案,方案分为定性检查和准则评估两个部分。通过可用性静态测试评估,可以对目标系统的可用性做出直观和准确的初步评价。     

一种超算系统的强度可用性建模与评估

可用性评估越来越注重用户的感知,强度可用性就是这样一种能反映用户所感知的系统计算能力的可用性评估指标。然而超算系统所面对的用户有很多,他们在不同层次上与系统交互,因此所感知的强度可用性各不相同,但相互之间存在关联。若分别为他们建模求解,既会造成很多重复性工作,也会延长评估的过程。提出一种名为UHAM（User-oriented Hierarchical AvailabilityModeling）的、基于层次化建模的强度可用性评估方法,实现了一次建模与求解能满足多个评估需求的目的。UHAM方法独立于系统的具体结构,因而具有普适性。     

Web系统可用性自动化评估系统的设计与实现

为了从用户真实行为中挖掘可能存在的可用性问题,避免启发式评估不可靠的问题,提出了基于大量用户行为数据,面向Web系统的可用性自动化评估系统.通过自动化匹配大量用户行为数据与需求分析阶段产生的用例,发现不一致的任务和任务前后置关系进而发现可用性问题.真实项目实践结果表明,输出的异常任务和异常任务前后置关系对可用性评估人员有指导价值,可以为进一步改进Web系统提供参考.     

网络游戏产品可用性／可玩性评估实例

可用性／可玩性是决定一个游戏产品能否获得成功的重要因素。本文刊发了作者对目前国内几个具有代表性的网络游戏产品进行的可用性／可玩性评估报告。他们对这些产品运用“可用性专家评估方法”分别进行了评估，从中发现了许多具有典型意义的可用性／可玩性问题，这些问题主要阻碍了新手玩家对游戏的接受，影响了新手玩家的游戏体验。本文将逐一介绍和分析在测试过程中发现的主要问题并提出可能的改进建议．最后更是指出“以用户为中心的设计开发方法”是提高游戏产品可用性／可玩性最有效的途径。     

人机界面可用性测试与评估研究综述

介绍并评述人机界面可用性的定义、可用性测试与评估的指标及方法。学术界对于可用性的内涵已基本达成共识,但大多针对不同界面选取不同的测试与评估指标及权重,测试与评估方法也大都停留于主观评价,还未能深入探讨用户与系统交互过程中的内在心理机制。     

软件可用性测试实验教学环境的设计与实现

软件可用性是衡量用户使用某种软件执行指定任务难易程度的重要指标。软件可用性测试能够评估和测试软件设计方案或者软件产品的可用性水平。构建功能完善的可用性测试实验室需要比较大的空间和比较大的资金投入。本文设计了一种比较简单的基于C/S结构的可用性测试实验环境,系统包含程序控制系统、键鼠记录系统、图像记录系统和数据传输系统,能够满足学生进行软件可用性测试实验教学的基本要求。     

Kilowhat? A multidisciplinary approach on the development of a home energy management system

To a consumer, knowing how much energy you use is often a question mark. We get our energy bills and more often than not, they are surprisingly high. The coming of the smart grid and more specifically smart metering provides opportunities to create a better awareness on energy use among consumers. This research presents the user-centric development of a home energy management system. The focus of the research is not specifically on the functionalities per se, rather it lies on the inclusion of the energy end-user in the development process. Throughout the development, end-user research provided valuable input for the development of the system. Large quantitative surveys were alternated with small scale in-depth qualitative research. Each step generated the input for the next step in the research process, resulting in a system with functionalities tailored to the end-users needs and wants.     

Usability problem identification in culturally diverse settings

There are indications that established methods for evaluating information system usability that have been developed for use in, e.g. Europe or the USA, fail to give reliable results in countries such as India, China or Malaysia. This paper presents the theoretical background, related work and a definition of culture that should be useful for studies of multiple‐country usability testing. This includes a discussion of cultural fit and the consequences of cultural (in)consistencies between stakeholders in system development and use. As an illustrative example of the kind of academic research that needs to be done, a pilot study is described. The pilot study exemplifies themes to explore, who should be participants and where should the study be done, how to find examples of multiple‐country usability testing, how to collect data and how to analyse that data and what kind of results and discussion of results that may be expected. The conclusion summarises the paper, discusses the limitations of the pilot study and gives detailed suggestions to future research.     

Must evaluation methods be about usability? Devising and assessing the utility inspection method

Whereas research in usability evaluation abounds, few evaluation approaches focus on utility. We present the utility inspection method (UIM), which prompts evaluators about the utility of the system they evaluate. The UIM asks whether a system uses global platforms, provides support infrastructure, is robust, gives access to rich content, allows customisation, offers symbolic value and supports companionship among users and between users and developers. We compare 47 participants’ use of UIM and heuristic evaluation (HE). The UIM helps identify more than three times as many problems as HE about the context of activities; HE helps identify 2.5 times as many problems as UIM about the interface. Usability experts consider the problems found with UIM more severe and more complex to solve compared to those found with HE. We argue that UIM complements existing usability evaluation methods and discuss future research on utility inspection.     

Usability: what's it all about?

Software usability is a term which frequently appears in trade journals, industry project plans, and in research articles. This article discusses the qualities that make up usability and how these qualities can be measured. The practice of usability is discussed and problem areas are identified. The article notes the relevance of the papers in this edition to the current problems facing usability practitioners.     

E-Learning Courseware Usability: Building a Theoretical Model

Based on a stream of research, this study identified four components of the e-learning courseware usability: fundamental, appearance, information presentation, and communication. The communication component was considered an expanded component of the e-learning courseware usability. A theoretical model was built and three hypotheses were developed to examine whether the communication component as an expanded component of the e-learning courseware usability significantly and positively contributed to the three components of the e-learning courseware usability (fundamental, appearance, and information presentation). An instrument was developed and administered to subjects taking various e-learning courses. The collected data were analyzed using a variance-based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) package that uses Partial Least Square (PLS). Analyses of the results indicated a strong validated model supporting all stated hypotheses.     

Design challenges of an in-car communication system UI

The rapid development of in-car communication systems in recent years has enabled diverse information supplies in automobiles. The advantages of these systems may be obvious, but to apply telematic applications extensively in traffic, and especially in the car environment, calls for an understanding of the possible drawbacks and the means to minimise them.The research project in Nokia investigated different methods of implementing an in-car communication system, and different user interface solutions for them. The aim of the project was to identify the Uls for an in-car communication system that offers potential and to test these with end users.In this paper I will explore the present challenges of an in-car communication system UI design. I will go through a case study of a Nokia research project, and finally I will present some design implications concerning general UI design of an in-car communication system.     

Usability Issues of Grid System Software

This paper addresses the problem why grid technology has not spread as fast as the Web technology of the 1990＇s. In the past 10 years, considerable efforts have been put into grid computing. Much progress has been made and more importantly, fundamental challenges and essential issues of this field are emerging. This paper focuses on the area of grid system software research, and argues that usability of grid system software must be enhanced. It identifies four usability issues, drawing from international grid research experiences. It also presents advances by the Vega Grid team in addressing these challenges.     

Preventing user interface disasters

Abstract

This article defines a quantitative goal that is cheap to measure for the usability of a business application system for casual users. The article also describes a cost-effective method for attaining the goal. The goal is to eliminate all user interface disasters (UIDs) in a given system. UIDs are usability problems that seriously annoy users, or prevent them from accomplishing their work without help from a human being. The method consists of series of simple user tests without audio or video recording, and with little analysis after each user test. The article concludes by describing Baltica's results of applying the method to a medium-size business application for casual users.