I looked upon the words and understood them
I read the readings, as often occurs in the course of my schooling, and understood them, which doesn't always occur. I enjoyed both a great deal. As an aside to any future writers out there, I enjoy reading things which teach me new things and I leave knowing that I learned something, but it is something that I understand so clearly that it feels like it something that is so inherently clear that I must have known it all along. In contrast, reading many pages to have the blatantly obvious pointed out to you is quite annoying; as is reading something that is so profound in one sitting that you don't really understand it until 5 books, 3 years and 2 scorpion bowls later.
Moving on. I really enjoyed the Lynch and Horton chapters. I am in financial aid and I cannot tell you how much of the online FAFSA application does not comply with the simple and clear suggestions in these chapters.
The first rule that the on line FAFSA breaks is in the section on 'chunking' information. The authors call on you to you to recognize that most readers will not do well with long pages that require a reader to remember what is off screen. Many times a student or parent thinks that they have completed their FAFSA and have not. Step 6 of 9 of the on line FAFSA is a summary page of what takes an average person filling out the FAFSA for the first time 20-30 minutes to complete. The answers to 90 or so questions are listed. At the top of the page are the 'next' and 'print this page' buttons. However the top of the page instructs the student/parent to read through and verify that the information is correct. When you get to the bottom of the screen there are no instructions reminding the student/parent to go back to the top of the screen and move onto 'next'. If you print out the summary it is 4 pages long. Too long when you are reading through it to remember that you must go to the next button. Another next button should be at the bottom of the screen.
The rest of the online FAFSA is one, two, or three questions per page. The pages are short, quick and easy. When the student gets to step 6 of 9 they are thrown off because the online FAFSA breaks another of Lynch and Horton's rules: Keep the same basic structure for all pages. The step 6 of 9 summary page lacks the blue header or side bar that has been with the student throughout their application.
I always knew this was where student/parent's got lost, but I could never explain what was going on. Now I have vaguely technical terms to describe the confusion caused by the ever interesting step 6 of 9.
The treatise in the Norman article about how someday he will have a computer pocket calendar that is also an address book, expense record keeper and works wirelessly to transmit this information to another computer was really interesting in that now it is called a Blackberry.
I took issue, however, with his comment on page 193 that "if the sill was easily automated, it wasn't essential." Automation does not make an action by a person unnecessary, it merely makes it easy for the person to move onto the next step. For example, a calculator. Easily and correctly making calculations over and over again will allow for the rebuilding of buildings, roads, and important natural areas devastated by hurricanes. The calculations are extremely essential. They are a vital part of the effort that will include many other computers to do more quickly and accurately what humans need or want done.
Moving on. I really enjoyed the Lynch and Horton chapters. I am in financial aid and I cannot tell you how much of the online FAFSA application does not comply with the simple and clear suggestions in these chapters.
The first rule that the on line FAFSA breaks is in the section on 'chunking' information. The authors call on you to you to recognize that most readers will not do well with long pages that require a reader to remember what is off screen. Many times a student or parent thinks that they have completed their FAFSA and have not. Step 6 of 9 of the on line FAFSA is a summary page of what takes an average person filling out the FAFSA for the first time 20-30 minutes to complete. The answers to 90 or so questions are listed. At the top of the page are the 'next' and 'print this page' buttons. However the top of the page instructs the student/parent to read through and verify that the information is correct. When you get to the bottom of the screen there are no instructions reminding the student/parent to go back to the top of the screen and move onto 'next'. If you print out the summary it is 4 pages long. Too long when you are reading through it to remember that you must go to the next button. Another next button should be at the bottom of the screen.
The rest of the online FAFSA is one, two, or three questions per page. The pages are short, quick and easy. When the student gets to step 6 of 9 they are thrown off because the online FAFSA breaks another of Lynch and Horton's rules: Keep the same basic structure for all pages. The step 6 of 9 summary page lacks the blue header or side bar that has been with the student throughout their application.
I always knew this was where student/parent's got lost, but I could never explain what was going on. Now I have vaguely technical terms to describe the confusion caused by the ever interesting step 6 of 9.
The treatise in the Norman article about how someday he will have a computer pocket calendar that is also an address book, expense record keeper and works wirelessly to transmit this information to another computer was really interesting in that now it is called a Blackberry.
I took issue, however, with his comment on page 193 that "if the sill was easily automated, it wasn't essential." Automation does not make an action by a person unnecessary, it merely makes it easy for the person to move onto the next step. For example, a calculator. Easily and correctly making calculations over and over again will allow for the rebuilding of buildings, roads, and important natural areas devastated by hurricanes. The calculations are extremely essential. They are a vital part of the effort that will include many other computers to do more quickly and accurately what humans need or want done.
posted by evelynne at 7:47 PM
3 Comments:
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I just finished reading the Norman article (which I really enjoyed) and I agree with your comment about automation...I don't like the thought that automating something makes a person obsolete.
"Automation does not make an action by a person unnecessary, it merely makes it easy for the person to move onto the next step. "
--Technology should make things easier for people to do. IT should never take over. Sometimes i wonder how much of the automated part of technology is going to affect how we memorize certain things and how take in information.
E.g. Putting in phone numbers in your cell phone. I don't even know some of my closest friends' phone numbers by heart.
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