Omar Ahmed Suleiman                K0309569

Human – Computer Interaction

The term “Human-Computer Interaction (HCL)” is commonly changing to terms such as “Man-Machine Interaction (MMI)”, “Computer and Human Interaction (CHI)” and “Human-Machine interaction (HMI)”.

Human-Computer Interaction is defined in many ways but Booth (1989) defines Human-Computer Interaction as “it is the study of the interaction between humans and computers”.

Human-computer interaction is concerned with how current input and output technologies affect interaction and in what situation these technologies and techniques might be put to best use.

The common input devices include alphanumeric keyboards, cursor keys, mice, tracker balls, joysticks, graphics tablets, light pens and touch screen. Less common forms of input include moles or foot mice and even devices that detect eye movement.

Human-computer interaction is also concerned with hardware and software, to some this might be the most important in Human-Computer Interaction development. The number of input devices is continuing to expand, and many of the new devices are finding important role with different type of task. Some devices are so successful that some users say that they can not manage without them, for example a mouse, and some are not that successful.

According to Jenny Preece (1994), the goals of Human-Computer Interaction are to produce a usable and safe system, as well as functional system. Preece (1994) has also argued that these goals can be summarized as ‘to develop or improve the safety, utility, effectiveness, efficiency, and usability of system that include computers’

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Booth (1989) has argued that the usability of Human-Computer Interaction to be good, the system must be effectiveness, learnability, flexibility and user attitude.

Effectiveness –user must be able to use the system within a certain time.

Learnability – the user must be able to learn to learn the system in certain amount of training.

Flexibility – allowing adaptation to some specified percentage in task/environment.

Attitude – the system must be able to accept the level in human cost in terms of tiredness, discomfort, frustration, and personal effort.

The importance of Human-Computer Interaction can be shown by ...

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