Task Analysis Homework
Section 5
Task Analysis HW Grades
Overall, very good
Examples from excellent task analyses
Some confusion:
Difference between an interview and a
contextual inquiry (CI)
Learning tasks v. Performance tasks
Examples of Excellent Task Analysis
 Plan
To observe dining etiquette,
 simulated dining situation with a menu, food, a server, & a
dining partner
 instructed participant to do certain tasks during the dinner
situation
 Observations
Transcripts of answers to each interview question
Full description of actions and dialogue (of interviewer
and participant) associated with each task
Each observation is numbered for referencing within
analysis
All observations (actions, dialogue) are together, in
order – enables understanding of their context
Examples of Excellent Task Analysis
 Analysis
Succinct summary statement introducing paragraph
topic and argument.
(“Participants perform several tasks to help them study art history.”)
Argument 1
(“First, participants need to record class information for later access.”)
 Example 1 from observations (cite)
(“Participant 1 did this by taking notes in class lecture.”)
 Example 2…
(“Participant 2 did this by downloading lecture slides from class site.”)
Argument 2…
(“Second, participants want to find information to further their knowledge.”)
Sentence summarizing paragraph (optional)
Interviews vs. Contextual Inquiries
Interview  you control
Quizzing – this is not asking users to do a task
as they would naturally; it is a task you control
CI  participant controls
Or at least there is enough openness for
Natural environment
Unexpected behavior
Interviews vs. Contextual Inquiries
Interview observations
Include primarily dialogue
CI observations
Must include actions & dialogue
(best together: don’t split up)
Observations = proof for your analysis
To analyze tasks, you must have observations
of user doing the task
Questions about Interviews vs. CI?
Learning vs. Performance Tasks
 Two types of CI tasks in your HW:
Learning
 “The user would like to know how to determine the
outcome of a poker hand.”
 “The user needs to learn to read the music notation,
and translate that to the hand positions, and the keys
that they should press on the piano.”
Performance
 “The user wants to format a paper.”
 “A person wants to find a place to live.”
Learning vs. Performance Tasks
 Several types of interfaces may result:
Learning
Technology
Learning domain
Studying art history
Math practice for kids
“How to” simulation
Interviewing
Poker
Hybrid
Learning tools
Math notebook
Performance
Tools
Tools to perform a task
Bulletin board for college students
Learning vs. Performance Tasks
Many project have tasks worded as
performance tasks
Some of you thought “learning to do this” was
implicit (need to reword)
Some of you intended to support performance
Two options:
reword performance tasks to be learning tasks
implement performance tasks instead
Learning vs. Performance Tasks
Reword
Task wording  performance tasks
“User wants to format a paper.”
Reword to be a learning task
“User want to learn to format a paper.”
This is easy: no penalty, no need to
resubmit.
Learning vs. Performance Tasks
Implement performance tasks instead
 “User want to format a paper.”
 Interface enables user to format a paper.
Learning vs. Performance Tasks
With your group, look at each of your tasks and
determine if you meant it to be a learning or a
performance task. Reword if needed.
(Groups whose topic is within the learning
domain do not need to do this: art history, math
for kids)