methodology iterate Boulder NCAR study

Hi Brandon, 

As you develop trust thanks to Melissa (and Linda) 

It’d be very very useful to  observe live working sessions — rather than indirect report thru abstract questionnaires.

situations: either of single users working alone , or ensemble.  (In latter case maybe a work session in which you are participant is best)


• live event, write down your impressions of what was going on, afterward
choice: participate in the event as a user, vs as explicit fly on the wall (after you establish trust and permission from others to do this)

• live event with you as participant, with camera + audio recording the entire room to capture all inter-body activity NOT just the screen, head or hands! We will send video snips to  Satinder Gill @ Cambridge for advice o iterating the method.

Iteratively refining the methodology is key to abductive science.


• User views recording with you and does talk aloud: what was she thinking, what was she / peers doing?  
Easiest way to do this is to recurse: play video on Quicktime Player and simply create a second screen grab movie in Quicktime Player 

These are known and effective  techniques in HCI user  experience / design research.  Let's apply them :)


As for trust, I’d suggest that we post your work NOT to replace but entirely different genus un two ways:


(1) Realtime
(2) SKETCH , minimum power needed to scaffold live scientific creation rather than compete on resolution.
(3) NOT merely educational toy, but as prop for cognitive research, meta-science

Have fun!
Xin Wei