What we know and what we need to know: the user model versus the user's model in human-computer interaction

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Abstract
An argument is made for the importance of studying the real, as opposed to idealized, behaviour of the computer user. Formal methods which model user behaviour in terms of production rules are criticized because they fail to account for the unique behaviour which results either from problems arising in the normal work routine, or from novices who create their own patterns of interaction with the machine. This latter point is illustrated with reference to a study of novice users. How well are such users able to identify the knowledge they need when learning how to use a new system, and what kinds of knowledge of the system do they seek? It seems that in the absence of a suitable, generalizable model of a word processing system, these users structure their own learning experience badly, making poor use of the little experience they have. The behaviour of such users deviates markedly from that of the ‘ideal user’ captured within formal task descriptions.

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