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 position your work NOT to replace the "pro's" work with supercomputer simulations, but as entirely different genus with different intent and distinct features:
INTENT:
(1) exploring general features of models
(2) qualitative speculation, backed by quantitative models
(3) more as an instrument for scaffolding ensemble conversation than for intense individual work
FEATURES:
(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 in how knowledge is collectively created in improvisatory but highly structured and skilled ways.
Have fun!
Xin Wei