Skip to main content
Log in

Supporting a user facing a novel application: learnability in OOBE

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Personal and Ubiquitous Computing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Learnability is a key factor in the out-of-box (OOBE) experience. This paper is a conceptual analysis of learnability in the context of OOBE. We first analyse the concept of learnability in terms of different views of learning. Then we discuss how metaphors could be utilised as a way of making learnable products which provide a positive OOBE. We also present a method for analysing individual learning processes during the first few moments with a new product 7 and illustrate the use of the method with a description of the evaluation of a sample design. Finally, we derive some design guidelines relevant to OOBE.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Nielsen J (1993) Usability engineering. Academic, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  2. Preece J, Rogers Y, Sharp H, Benyon D, Holland S, Carey T (1994) Human-computer interaction. Addison-Wesley, Wokingham

    Google Scholar 

  3. Shackel B (1984) The concept of usability. In Bennett J et al (eds) Visual display terminals. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, pp 45–87

    Google Scholar 

  4. Shneiderman B (1998) Designing the user interface: strategies for effective human-computer interaction, 3rd edn. Addison-Wesley, Reading

    Google Scholar 

  5. Kuhn TS (1970) The structure of scientific revolution, 2nd edn. University of Chicago Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  6. Merriam S, Caffarella RS (1999) Learning in adulthood: a comprehensive guide, 2nd edn. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ertmer PA, Newby TJ (1993) Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Perform Improv Q 6(4):50–72

    Google Scholar 

  8. Skinner BF (1980) Beyond freedom and dignity, 12th edn. Alfred A. Knopf, New York

    Google Scholar 

  9. Jonassen DH (1991) Objectivism versus constructivism: do we need a new philosophical paradigm? Educ Technol Res Dev 39(3):5–14

    Google Scholar 

  10. Skinner BF (1985) Cognitive science and behaviourism. Br J Psychol 76(3):291–301

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Chomsky N (1973) For reasons of state. Pantheon, New York

    Google Scholar 

  12. Jonassen DH (1994) Thinking technology: toward a constructivist design model. Educ Technol 34(4):34–37

    Google Scholar 

  13. Cooper PA (1993) Paradigm shifts in designed instruction: from behaviorism to cognitivism to constructivism. Educ Technol 33(5):12–19

    Google Scholar 

  14. Fitts PM, Posner MI (1967) Human performance. Brooks/Cole, Belmont

    Google Scholar 

  15. Anderson JR (1983) The architecture of cognition. Harvard University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  16. Card SK, Moran TP, Newell A (1983) The psychology of human-computer interaction. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale

    Google Scholar 

  17. Aristotle (1984) The complete works of Aristotle: the revised Oxford translation/ed. by Jonathan Barnes, 1st edn, vol. 2. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  18. Lakoff G (1993) The contemporary theory of metaphor. In: Ortony A (ed) Metaphor and thought. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 202–251

    Google Scholar 

  19. Lakoff G, Johnson M (1980) Metaphors we live by. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  20. Lakoff G, Johnson M (1999) Philosophy in the flesh: the embodied mind and its challenge to western thought. Basic Books, New York

    Google Scholar 

  21. Pirhonen A (2004) To simulate or to stimulate? In search of the power of metaphor in design. In: Pirhonen A et al (eds) Future interaction design. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

  22. Gentner D, Nielsen J (1996) The anti-mac interface. Commun ACM 39(8):70–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Harrison BL, Fishkin KP, Gujar A, Mochon, C, Want R (1998) Squeeze me, hold me, tilt me! An exploration of manipulative user interfaces. In: CHI’98. Conference proceedings on Human factors in computing systems. ACM Press, Los Angeles, pp 17–24

  24. Johnson J (1987) How faithfully should the electronic office simulate the real one? SIGCHI Bull 19(2):21–25

    Google Scholar 

  25. Nardi BA, Zarmer CL (1993) Beyond models and metaphors: visual formalisms in user interface design. J Vis Lang Comput 4: 5–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Pirhonen A (2002) What do learning curves tell us about learnability? In: Vetere F et al. (eds) Proceedings of the HF2002 human factors conference, “Design for the whole person-integrating physical, cognitive and social aspects”, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, 25–27 November 2002, CR-ROM format

  27. Pirhonen A, Brewster S (2001) Metaphors and imitation. In: Rachovides D et al (eds) Workshop proceedings in PC-HCI2001: integrating metaphors, multimodality and multimedia, Patras, 7–9 December 2001, pp 27–32

  28. Pirhonen A, Brewster S, Holguin C (2002) Gestural and audio metaphors as a means of control for mobile devices. In: Proceedings of CHI2002, Minneapolis, 20–25 April 2002. ACM Press, New York, pp 291–298

  29. Brewster SA, Wright PC, Edwards ADN (1995) Experimentally derived guidelines for the creation of earcons. In: Adjunct Proceedings of HCI’95, Huddersfield, pp 155–159

  30. Anderson JR (2000) Cognitive psychology and its implications, 5th edn. Worth Publishers, New York

    Google Scholar 

  31. Bereiter C, Scardamalia M (1993) Surpassing ourselves: an inquiry into the nature and implications of expertise. Open Court, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  32. Carroll JM, Mack RL (1985) Metaphor, computing systems, and active learning. Int J Man Machine Stud 22(1):39–57

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the National Technology Agency (Finland). Special thanks to Prof. Stephen Brewster for cooperation and Dr. Liz Sillence for her valuable help in writing.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antti Pirhonen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pirhonen, A. Supporting a user facing a novel application: learnability in OOBE. Pers Ubiquit Comput 9, 218–226 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00779-004-0323-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00779-004-0323-6

Keywords

Navigation