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This report discusses a topic important to the field of computational human factors: models of human performance and their use in computer-based engineering facilities for the design of complex systems. It focuses on a particular human factors design problem -- the design of cockpit systems for advanced helicopters -- and on a particular aspect of human performance -- vision and related cognitive functions. By focusing in this way, the authors were able to address the selected topics in some depth and develop findings and recommendations that they believe have application to many other aspects of human performance and to other design domains.

This report summarizes Advanced System Technologies' accomplishments on the Phase 2 SBIR contract NAS7-995. The technical objectives of the report are: (1) to develop an evaluation version of a graphical, integrated modeling language according to the specification resulting from the Phase 2 research; and (2) to determine the degree to which the language meets its objectives by evaluating ease of use, utility of two sets of performance predictions, and the power of the language constructs. The technical approach followed to meet these objectives was to design, develop, and test an evaluation prototype of a graphical, performance prediction tool. The utility of the prototype was then evaluated by applying it to a variety of test cases found in the literature and in AST case histories. Numerous models were constructed and successfully tested. The major conclusion of this Phase 2 SBIR research and development effort is that complex, real-time computer systems can be specified in a non-procedural manner using combinations of icons, windows, menus, and dialogs. Such a specification technique provides an interface that system designers and architects find natural and easy to use. In addition, PEDESTAL's multiview approach provides system engineers with the capability to perform the trade-offs necessary to produce a design that meets timing performance requirements. Sample system designs analyzed during the development effort showed that models could be constructed in a fraction of the time required by non-visual system design capture tools.

Lectures from the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning - Computer Science and Engineering - High Performance Computing

Includes bibliographical references (p. 18-19)

Includes bibliographical references (p. 18-19)

Bell System Technical Journal, 61: 5. May-June 1982 pp 765-797. Human Performance Engineering Considerations for Very Large Computer-Based Systems: The End User. (Yavelberg, I.S.)

Bell System Technical Journal, 61: 5. May-June 1982 pp 765-797. Human Performance Engineering Considerations for Very Large Computer-Based Systems: The End User. (Yavelberg, I.S.)

The Computer Aided Systems Human Engineering: Performance Visualization Subsystem (CASHE:PVS) is a multidocument ergonomics database on CD-ROM. The reference documents in the database provide data, phenomenon descriptions, models, and standards' from over 70 research areas dealing with the perceptual and performance capabilities of the human operator. This information is integrated into an interactive multimedia system that combines state of the art information retrieval, browsing, and navigation with specialized tools that help the designer interpret and apply the ergonomics data available in the product. Behavioral data and phenomena descriptions in text, figures, and tables are accompanied by prototyping simulations, animations, and audio demonstrations that allow users to experience important perceptual and performance phenomena for themselves and provide a rich understanding of how these phenomena relate to the design of human-operated systems. This report provides a system overview of the software and gives detailed discussions of various design and implementation issues associated with the production of the software and its databases.

The Computer Aided Systems Human Engineering: Performance Visualization Subsystem (CASHE:PVS) is a multidocument ergonomics database on CD-ROM. The reference documents in the database provide data, phenomenon descriptions, models, and standards' from over 70 research areas dealing with the perceptual and performance capabilities of the human operator. This information is integrated into an interactive multimedia system that combines state of the art information retrieval, browsing, and navigation with specialized tools that help the designer interpret and apply the ergonomics data available in the product. Behavioral data and phenomena descriptions in text, figures, and tables are accompanied by prototyping simulations, animations, and audio demonstrations that allow users to experience important perceptual and performance phenomena for themselves and provide a rich understanding of how these phenomena relate to the design of human-operated systems. This report provides a system overview of the software and gives detailed discussions of various design and implementation issues associated with the production of the software and its databases.

This is an addendum to the Final Technical Report submitted as a result of Phase I SBIR work awarded to Infopike, Inc. This addendum reflects the work done by us in assessing the state of the art in the field of Computer Aided Performance Engineering. Performance evaluation of computer and software systems has become a rapidly growing field with a growing number of tools being developed for analyzing various performance aspects of such systems. The literature on performance evaluation methodologies has also mushroomed with various proposals from researchers all over the world. This addendum presents the results of a survey conducted on automated performance analysis tools for computer systems. The survey includes measurement-based tools, analytical tools, simulation tools and visualization tools, and describes their properties and capabilities. The tools have been categorized based on their analysis capabilities and include system-oriented, process-oriented and module-oriented categories. The tools surveyed in this paper incorporate various techniques including simulation, modeling (Petri net, queuing, semi-markov etc.), measurement, visualization and emulation. We also present a new methodology for tool classification that aids system designers.

Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE) is primarily a blend of technological opportunities, findings from cognitive research, and Cognitive Task Analysis. Using CSE, we were able to produce an efficient and effective redesign of the AWACS weapons Director (WD) station. The revised WD station was tested using 17 WDs. These WDs performed Defensive Counter Air Missions with both the current interface and the revised interface. The training of the participants on the revised interface was quite brief (4.5 hours). As a result, the WDs did not achieve the same degree of familiarity or automation with the revised interface that they have with the current interface. Yet, when WDs were using the revised system, their performance improved. This is indicated by an increase in performance for a number of process and outcome measures. Also, a skilled WD provided blind ratings of WD performance. These global ratings were significantly higher for the revised interface. The effectiveness of the revised interface suggests that it is possible to pinpoint cognitive task requirements and to make these the driving factors in a design effort. The use of CSE ray be a feasible aspect of the design process, enabling system developers to achieve a much stronger effectiveness at relatively low cost.

This report provides background information on performance engineer ing and the POD performance modeling tool, and gives an overview of the project activities. Finally, the project summary section reviews the results, lessons learned, and suggests future direction. Naval mission critical, embedded computer systems (MC-ECS) must respond to external events within their allotted time, otherwise they fail. Failures may have life or death consequences. Lifecycle performance management, or performance engineering (PE), calls for building performance into systems beginning in the requirements definition phase, and continuing the performance management through the design, implementation, testing, and post-deployment phases. Experience with PE shows that it can detect and avoid project-threatening performance failures in sufficient time to correct them and enable timely delivery of a quality product. Furthermore, performance is orders of magnitude better with this approach than with a fix it later approach in which performance considerations are deferred to the testing phase and, when necessary, tuning attempts to correct performance failures. Better performance means both people and computer resources can be used to enhance the functionality of the system rather than to correct performance deficiencies. (kr)

This report summarizes Advanced System Technologies' accomplishments on the Phase 2 SBIR contract NAS7-995. The technical objectives of the report are: (1) to develop an evaluation version of a graphical, integrated modeling language according to the specification resulting from the Phase 2 research; and (2) to determine the degree to which the language meets its objectives by evaluating ease of use, utility of two sets of performance predictions, and the power of the language constructs. The technical approach followed to meet these objectives was to design, develop, and test an evaluation prototype of a graphical, performance prediction tool. The utility of the prototype was then evaluated by applying it to a variety of test cases found in the literature and in AST case histories. Numerous models were constructed and successfully tested. The major conclusion of this Phase 2 SBIR research and development effort is that complex, real-time computer systems can be specified in a non-procedural manner using combinations of icons, windows, menus, and dialogs. Such a specification technique provides an interface that system designers and architects find natural and easy to use. In addition, PEDESTAL's multiview approach provides system engineers with the capability to perform the trade-offs necessary to produce a design that meets timing performance requirements. Sample system designs analyzed during the development effort showed that models could be constructed in a fraction of the time required by non-visual system design capture tools.

Lectures from the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning - Computer Science and Engineering - Performance Evaluation of Computer Systems

Student access to the Internet has made it much easier for students to find solutions to traditional homework problems online and thereby has made this traditional assessment method of monitoring student progress and gauging the assimilation of knowledge in engineering and technology courses less reliable. This paper presents an in-class, group-based quiz technique where students are quizzed typically on a weekly basis on material presented during the same week in lecture, but before doing any homework. Homework is typically not graded or its impact reduced on its percentage impact on the final class grade, whereas the quizzes are assigned a higher percentage impact on the final grade. Mid-term and final exams are based or derived from the homework assignments. Since students have not usually had any time to study the new material, they can work in groups of typically two or three students and if they get stuck, they have the option of asking the instructor for hints to prevent them from being stuck. Quizzes are graded in real-time during the class and provide the instructor with continuous, week to week, assessment as to a student's progress. The study found that the use of this quiz technique creates a more interactive experience between students, between the student and the instructor, and reduces the possibility of plagiarism on homework assignments.