VCHCI 1993: Human Computer Interaction pp 315-328 | Cite as
Natural training wheels: Learning and transfer between two versions of a computer application
Abstract
Users of personal computers must deal with frequent major upgrades of software packages. Major upgrades typically provide increased functionality without changing the conceptual framework of the program, but they may force the user to learn how to use new menus, dialog boxes, and other controls. We suggest that early versions of a program provide a natural training wheels environment, in which novice users can learn a program's basic operation while avoiding potential confusion caused by advanced features. Experiments with two versions of a graphing program confirm this hypothesis, with some restrictions.
Keywords
Transfer Time Graph Task Diary Study Learning Time Sample GraphPreview
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