The learnability principle relates to improving usability of software, performance and productivity. It was formulated mainly for the adult user group. Children represent an important user group, but fewer guidelines exist for their educational and entertainment applications. This study compares these groups, addressing the question: “Does learnability of software interfaces have a different meaning for children and adults?”. A literature survey conducted on learnability and learning processes considered the meaning of learnability across generations. Users learning software systems were observed in a usability laboratory where eye tracking data could also be recorded. Insights emerged, from data analysis, showing different tactics when children and adults approached unfamiliar software and revealing aspects of interfaces they approached differently. The findings will help designers distinguish varying needs of users and improve learnability. An additional subprinciple of learnability, „engageability‟, is proposed. Factors that make products engaging for children are different from those engaging adults.

In 1998, it was proved by Ben-David and Litman that a concept space has a sample compression scheme of size $d$ if and only if every finite subspace has a sample compression scheme of size $d$. In the compactness theorem, measurability of the hypotheses of the created sample compression scheme is not guaranteed; at the same time measurability of the hypotheses is a necessary condition for learnability. In this thesis we discuss when a sample compression scheme, created from compression schemes on finite subspaces via the compactness theorem, have measurable hypotheses. We show that if $X$ is a standard Borel space with a $d$-maximum and universally separable concept class $\m{C}$, then $(X,\CC)$ has a sample compression scheme of size $d$ with universally Borel measurable hypotheses. Additionally we introduce a new variant of compression scheme called a copy sample compression scheme.

This dissertation investigates second language (L2) development in the domains of morphosyntax and semantics. Specifically, it examines the acquisition of definiteness and specificity in Russian within the Feature Re-assembly framework (Lardiere, 2009), according to which the hardest L2 learning task is not to reset parameters but to reconfigure, or remap features from the way they are assembled in the L1 into new formal configurations in the L2. Within the Feature Re-assembly approach, it has been argued that re-assembling features that are represented overtly in the L1 and mapping them onto those that are encoded covertly by context in the L2 will present a greater difficulty than re-assembling features in the opposite direction (Slabakova, 2009). This dissertation examines the acquisition of four linguistic properties (types of modifiers, word order, indefinite determiners and case marking) that encode definiteness and specificity overtly or covertly in L2 Russian by English and Korean speakers. The native languages of the learners were chosen specifically in order to test various overt-covert mappings. The data obtained from two experimental tasks (grammaticality and felicity judgments) completed by 56 Russian native speaker controls, 51 English- and 53 Korean-speaking learners support Slabakova's prediction that overt-to-covert realization of the feature is more challenging than covert-to-overt realization. In addition, the findings uncovered other important factors facilitating or impeding acquisition, such as the nature of the form-to-meaning mapping (one-to-one or one-to-many) and the availability of clear, unambiguous evidence for a certain mapping in the input available to learners. Results also reveal that the presence or absence of the L1 transfer depends on the overt/covert status of the feature in the L2. That is, when the feature is marked overtly in both the L1 and L2, L1 transfer has facilitative effect on the acquisition of the feature. On the contrary, when the feature is marked covertly in both the L1 and L2, L1 transfer has no or negative effects. These findings provide new insights into the effects of the native language on L2 learnability and enable us to come to a more precise and fine-grained understanding of grammatical meaning acquisition in the second language.

<p>Syftet med rapporten är att belysa lärbarhetsaspekten som en del av användbarhet. Diskussionen grundar sig i ett större projektarbete om BG Faktura, en produkt från Bankgirocentralen. Bankgirocentralen gav i uppdrag att ta fram metoder, testanvändare och att samordna en användbarhetsanalys på BG Faktura. För att få fram användbarhetsproblemen genomfördes ett flertal utvärderingar; en heuristisk utvärdering, en kontextanalys och empiriska användartester. </p><p>Då utvärderingsmetoderna resulterade i många användbarhetsproblem skapades en prototyp med modifieringar av BG Faktura enligt de rekommendationer och förslag som kommit fram i testerna. Prototypen användartestades för att kunna göra jämförelser med tidigare resultat. Då prototypen testades bekräftades att några av de delar som modifierats fungerade bättre och ett mönster av vad som är viktigast för lärbarheten påvisades. </p><p>Resultatet från examensarbetet visade att den viktigaste delen i gränssnittet som underlättar lärbarheten mest är ett bra navigationsverktyg. Konsekvens i systemet och att man använder sig av tillvägagångssätt och ikoner som användaren känner igen ger också bättre lärbarhet. Slutligen är ett väl fungerande hjälpsystem något som snabbare lär användaren hur systemet fungerar.</p>

In 1998, it was proved by Ben-David and Litman that a concept space has a sample compression scheme of size $d$ if and only if every finite subspace has a sample compression scheme of size $d$. In the compactness theorem, measurability of the hypotheses of the created sample compression scheme is not guaranteed; at the same time measurability of the hypotheses is a necessary condition for learnability. In this thesis we discuss when a sample compression scheme, created from compression schemes on finite subspaces via the compactness theorem, have measurable hypotheses. We show that if $X$ is a standard Borel space with a $d$-maximum and universally separable concept class $\m{C}$, then $(X,\CC)$ has a sample compression scheme of size $d$ with universally Borel measurable hypotheses. Additionally we introduce a new variant of compression scheme called a copy sample compression scheme.

There have been few studies conducted on how children from other than Western populations perceive and learn different graphic symbol sets or systems, especially on how children from poverty contexts learn graphic alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) symbols. Multicultural research is necessary in order to advance and to ensure the quality of the service of AAC for culturally and linguistically diverse AAC users. In the present study the authors strive to describe the learnability of the Blissymbol system in a non-western culture using a semiotic theoretical framework. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the iconicity and learnability of the Blissymbol system for Kenyan children with two different language backgrounds, Swahili and English. This was done in an attempt to investigate potential cultural and linguistic influences of the interpretation and learnability of the Blissymbol. The design and test material was adopted from a previous study (Jennische &amp; Zetterlund, 2012). In the present study, 127 typically developed children in the age six to seven in class one or two in primary school, both from private and public schools, participated. The children had never before encountered Bliss. The children were asked to interpret single Bliss-words and compound Bliss-words, first spontaneously through giving free proposals and then after being given an instructive explanation. The test results were analyzed on a group level and compared between the different groups (age, class and language background). The results show that there was a significant improvement between the pretest and the posttest for all children in the different groups. This indicates that the Blissymbols used in this study had a generally low transparency but a generally high translucency. The results also indicate a generally high learnability and that the children were aided by the instructive explanation. Furthermore, there were significant differences between the different groups, where the children from class two performed better than children from class one and where the English-speaking children performed better than the Swahili-speaking children overall. Age was not significant. The results also indicate that there were differences in how the children interpreted the symbols, but that there were similarities within the specific groups. Further, this indicates that the symbols were interpreted in a similar way by children that belonged to the same age, language and socioeconomic background.

This Master’s Thesis aimed to assess and propose improvements for initial learnability in Sectra AB’s Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS) by integrating usability engineering and agile software development. Assessing initial learnability and re-designing complex systems is difficult as they have a high skill cap and take longer time to learn in comparison to simpler ones. Further, companies that use agile methodologies often focus on completing small items which might hide the overarching vision of a product that can lead to usability problems. While there are several methods for assessing usability, no research has specifically focused on assessing initial learnability in complex systems. This study however investigates how this may be achieved by combining current methodologies for measuring learnability with usability engineering and agile software development. Initial learnability issues and needs were assessed after evaluating Sectra PACS using 5 participants and analysed using impact mapping as well as conducting a focus group within the organisation that owns the product.

The operation of sophisticated unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) involves complex interactions between human and machine. Unlike other areas of aviation where technological advancement has flourished to accommodate the modernization of the National Airspace System (NAS), the scientific paradigm of UAS and UAS user interface design has received little research attention and minimal effort has been made to aggregate accurate data to assess the effectiveness of current UAS human-machine interface (HMI) representations for command and control. UAS HMI usability is a primary human factors concern as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) moves forward with the full-scale integration of UAS in the NAS by 2025. This study examined system learnability of an industry standard UAS HMI as minimal usability data exists to support the state-of-the art for new and innovative command and control user interface designs. This study collected data as it pertained to the three classes of objective usability measures as prescribed by the ISO 9241-11. The three classes included: (1) effectiveness, (2) efficiency, and (3) satisfaction. Data collected for the dependent variables incorporated methods of video and audio recordings, a time stamped simulator data log, and the SUS survey instrument on forty-five participants with none to varying levels of conventional flight experience (i.e., private pilot and commercial pilot). The results of the study suggested that those individuals with a high level of conventional flight experience (i.e., commercial pilot certificate) performed most effectively when compared to participants with low pilot or no pilot experience. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) computations for completion rates revealed statistical significance for trial three between subjects [F (2, 42) = 3.98, p = 0.02]. Post hoc t-test using a Bonferroni correction revealed statistical significance in completion rates [t (28) = -2.92, p<0.01] between the low pilot experience group (M = 40%, SD =. 50) and high experience group (M = 86%, SD = .39). An evaluation of error rates in parallel with the completion rates for trial three also indicated that the high pilot experience group committed less errors (M = 2.44, SD = 3.9) during their third iteration when compared to the low pilot experience group (M = 9.53, SD = 12.63) for the same trial iteration. Overall, the high pilot experience group (M = 86%, SD = .39) performed better than both the no pilot experience group (M = 66%, SD = .48) and low pilot experience group (M = 40%, SD =.50) with regard to task success and the number of errors committed. Data collected using the SUS measured an overall composite SUS score (M = 67.3, SD = 21.0) for the representative HMI. The subscale scores for usability and learnability were 69.0 and 60.8, respectively. This study addressed a critical need for future research in the domain of UAS user interface designs and operator requirements as the industry is experiencing revolutionary growth at a very rapid rate. The deficiency in legislation to guide the scientific paradigm of UAS has generated significant discord within the industry leaving many facets associated with the teleportation of these systems in dire need of research attention. Recommendations for future work included a need to: (1) establish comprehensive guidelines and standards for airworthiness certification for the design and development of UAS and UAS HMI for command and control, (2) establish comprehensive guidelines to classify the complexity associated with UAS systems design, (3) investigate mechanisms to develop comprehensive guidelines and regulations to guide UAS operator training, (4) develop methods to optimize UAS interface design through automation integration and adaptive display technologies, and (5) adopt methods and metrics to evaluate human-machine interface related to UAS applications for system usability and system learnability.

Animal Data är ett system som ska användas på djurkliniker för att hantera alla arbetsuppgifter som kan finnas på en klinik. På uppdrag av Mon 7 Consulting AB, som har skapat Animal Data, skulle detta utvärderas utefter hur användarvänligt det var. Om det upptäcktes funktioner som inte fungerade som önskat skulle designförslag för dessa tas fram. För att se hur det nuvarande systemet fungerar så gjordes användartester vid två mättillfällen där deltagarna och uppgifterna bedömdes utifrån task success och tidtagning. Detta för att se om det fanns tecken på learnability i Animal Data. Utifrån användartesterna valdes de uppgifter som deltagarna fick låg task success på och designförslag för dessa utformades, dessa blev 1A, 4A, 3A och 1D. Designförslagen framtogs med hjälp av data som framkommit ur användartesterna och som påvisade vad det var för problem försöksdeltagarna hade med en specifik uppgift. Utifrån välkända teorier (Cooper et al, 2007, Goodwin, 2011 &amp; Johnson, 2010) behandlades problemen och via dessa teorier framtogs de designförslag som presenteras i avsnittet resultat.

Everyday communication occurs mostly through speech, thus learners who have little or no functional speech (LNFS) need to augment their communication by using additional communication strategies to ensure that they are able to participate in the interaction process. The use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) can and should play an important role in assisting learners with LNFS to access information and services and to communicate. Graphic symbols form an important part of most AAC users’ communication systems. Therefore studies which focus on increasing understanding of the way different graphic symbols are learnt and retained by children and adults, are pivotal for a better understanding of the processes involved in graphic symbol learning. Iconicity and learnability of symbols are two important factors to consider when choosing an appropriate graphic symbol set/system. The purpose of the current study was to determine how accurately typically developing urban, 6-year-old Afrikaans-speaking children could firstly, identify 16 PCS presented thematically on a commercially available communication overlay, and secondly, recognize these symbols following exposure to a learning experience. Forty-six participants, divided into 2 cohorts, were each presented with 16 copies of a 16-matrix overlay and required to match a symbol with a spoken Afrikaans label. The participants were then divided into two groups, one group receiving training in the meaning of the symbols and the other group receiving no training. Finally the test-procedure was repeated with the cohorts. The results indicated that the 16 PCS symbols had an iconicity of between 12.5 % (accuracy score > 50 %) and 25 % (accuracy score > 75 %) for the combined group. Results further indicated a significant improvement in both the experimental and the control groups’ post-test results. The significant difference between the two groups’ post-test results does, however, indicate that the experimental group recognized more symbols during the post-test administration than the control group and they had thus benefited from the training session. The control group’s better post-test results can be attributed to the single exposure through the pre-test procedure. The participants made use of the information afforded them by the postural cues implying motion. They did not, however, make full use of the arrow cues or the direction of the arrows, which also implied motion. Once the participants of the experimental group were made aware of the arrows, they seemed to use the information the arrows offered to help them remember the symbol meanings during the post-test procedure. Copyright 2004, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Basson, HM 2004, The iconicity and learnability of selected picture communication symbols : a study on Afrikaans-speaking children, MA dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-10042005-155306/ > / Dissertation (M (Alternative and Augmentative Communication))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication / unrestricted