Evaluating Mobile Usability: The Role of Fidelity in Full-Scale Laboratory Simulations with Mobile ICT for Hospitals

Authors:
Yngve Dahl;Ole Andreas Alsos;Dag Svanæs
Affiliations:
Telenor Research & Innovation, Trondheim, Norway 7004;Department of Computer and Information Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway 7491;Department of Computer and Information Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway 7491
Venue:
Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. Part I: New Trends
Year:
2009

Citing 9
Cited 1

Low vs. high-fidelity prototyping debate

interactions
Using while moving: HCI issues in fieldwork environments

ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI) - Special issue on human-computer interaction with mobile systems
Gestural and audio metaphors as a means of control for mobile devices

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Location-Aware Shopping Assistance: Evaluation of a Decision-Theoretic Approach

Mobile HCI '02 Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Mobile Human-Computer Interaction
Putting the users center stage: role playing and low-fi prototyping enable end users to design mobile systems

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Mobility Work: The Spatial Dimension of Collaboration at a Hospital

Computer Supported Cooperative Work
Interaction techniques for using handhelds and PCs together in a clinical setting

Proceedings of the 4th Nordic conference on Human-computer interaction: changing roles
A comparison of location and token-based interaction techniques for point-of-care access to medical information

Personal and Ubiquitous Computing
Mixed-fidelity prototyping of user interfaces

DSVIS'06 Proceedings of the 13th international conference on Interactive systems: Design, specification, and verification

Pervasive Computing for Hospital, Chronic, and Preventive Care

Foundations and Trends in Human-Computer Interaction

Quantified Score

Hi-index	0.00

Visualization

Abstract

We have applied full-scale simulations to evaluate the usability of mobile ICT for hospitals in a realistic but controllable research setting. Designing cost-effective and targeted simulations for such a purpose raises the issue of simulation fidelity. Evaluators need to identify which aspects of the research setting that should appear realistic to simulation participants, and which aspect that can be removed or represented more abstractly. Drawing on research on training simulations, this paper discusses three interrelated fidelity components--equipment/prototype fidelity, environmental fidelity, and psychological fidelity. These components need to be adjusted according to which design aspects evaluators want to gather feedback on. We present examples of how we have configured the components in various simulation-based usability assessments of mobile ICT for hospitals. The paper concludes by providing a set of guiding principles concerning the role of fidelity in simulation-based usability evaluations.