The Role of Cognitive Modeling for User Interface Design Representations: An Epistemological Analysis of Knowledge Engineering in the Context of Human-Computer Interaction

  • Authors:

  • Markus F. Peschl;Chris Stary

  • Affiliations:

  • University of Vienna Department for Philosophy of Science Sensengasse 8/10, A-1090 Wien, Austria E-mail: Email: Franz-Markus.Peschl@univie.ac.at;University of Vienna Department for Philosophy of Science Sensengasse 8/10, A-1090 Wien, Austria E-mail: Email: Franz-Markus.Peschl@univie.ac.at

  • Venue:
  • Minds and Machines
  • Year:
  • 1998

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Abstract

In this paper we review some problems with traditional approachesfor acquiring and representing knowledge in the context of developing userinterfaces. Methodological implications for knowledge engineering and forhuman-computer interaction are studied. It turns out that in order toachieve the goal of developing human-oriented (in contrast totechnology-oriented) human-computer interfaces developers have to developsound knowledge of the structure and the representational dynamics of thecognitive system which is interacting with the computer.We show that in a first step it is necessary to study and investigate thedifferent levels and forms of representation that are involved in theinteraction processes between computers and human cognitive systems. Only ifdesigners have achieved some understanding about these representationalmechanisms, user interfaces enabling individual experiences and skilldevelopment can be designed. In this paper we review mechanisms andprocesses for knowledge representation on a conceptual, epistemological, andmethodologieal level, and sketch some ways out of the identified dilemmasfor cognitive modeling in the domain of human-computer interaction.