Occurrence of human error in highly complex systems, such as a cockpit, can be disastrous and/or overwhelmingly costly. Mismanagement of multiple concurrent tasks has been observed by researchers to be a type of repetitive human error in previous studies of accidents and incidents. This error may occur in the form of wrong selection of a strategy to attend to tasks, and/or wrong assessment of a task's priority at each moment. The desire to prevent such errors forms two essential questions: 1) Is there any (near) optimal method of managing multiple concurrent tasks? 2) How optimally do human operators manage these tasks? To answer the first question, operations research as it is applied to single machine scheduling was used. The operator was assumed to be a single resource that attended to different tasks, one at a time. To answer the second question, a software environment was developed to measure the human's multitasking performance, which was then compared with the answer to question one. In this research, the operator's quality of performance was maximized as opposed to the number of tasks accomplished, which was considered by previous researchers. A metaphor of 'Juggler and spinning plates' along with a graphic bar illustration was used to resemble an operator (a juggler) who manages several tasks (plates on vertical poles) concurrently. Several mixed (binary) integer-linear programming models were developed discretely over time. One model was selected and solved by the means of tabu search heuristic method. In tabu search, the significance of different initial solution finding mechanisms and different applications of long-term memory was investigated. A conjecturing method, within the tabu search, was introduced for solving problems with very large planning horizons. In all cases, tabu search gave good quality solutions in a much shorter time than branch-and-bound. Under five different scenarios, ten subjects were studied while managing multiple concurrent tasks in the software environment. None of the subjects could gain a score better than tabu search in any of the scenarios. Subjects' patterns of attendance to tasks were analyzed and compared against the pattern suggested by tabu search, and similarities/differences were identified. / Graduation date: 2003

Although widely used, little is known about the nature of expertise involved in functional task analysis, methods used to discover and represent a task structure in terms of goals and subgoals. Training studies indicated that learning task analysis is not trivial. To counter the "task analysis is an art" explanation, this dissertation approached task analysis as a skill acquisition problem that can be understood through scientific inquiry. Two studies were designed to capture and characterize experienced and novice performance. Professional (Study 1) and novice (Study 2) task analysts conducted task analyses on six tasks from two domains (cooking, communication). Master task analyses were created for each task and served as a basis for analysis. Some similar patterns to the task analysis products and errors were observed for the hierarchy dimensions (breadth and depth of analysis), subgoal focus, and versatility. However, differences in separating subgoals (verb-noun pairs) were observed and may be further investigated in the future. Future directions could also focus on understanding the association between the general approach (breadth and depth-first) and the characteristics of the task analysis products. Skill components of functional task analysis were derived from the findings in both studies conducted for this dissertation.

As Carless (2007) and Johnson (2001) have pointed out, task-based language teaching (TBLT) has been a subject of immense interest within contemporary English language teaching. However, little is known about TBLT in the context of English as a foreign language such as Cambodia. Recognizing this gap, this study was initiated in order to investigate the feasibility of adopting TBLT in a university setting in Cambodia. The research method for this study involved semi-structured interviews with six university lecturers and a questionnaire survey with 143 third-year students at that same university. It also analyzed the current textbook and some supplementary teaching materials the six teachers used. The study found that a genuine task-based approach was not viable in this particular context due to several such constraints as students’ demands for direct grammar instruction; teachers’ insufficient knowledge of TBLT; teachers’ overriding use of an analytical P-P-P approach; the nature of the textbook; norm-referenced, knowledge-based examinations; etc. Rather, the findings suggested that task-supported language teaching might be more likely to be feasible in this setting. Based on these findings, pedagogic implications and the future research are discussed in the Cambodian context. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The current study examined stereotype threat or lift (STL) in terms of various elements of social identity theory. STL occurs when a negative stereotype (or positive stereotype) about a group leads to a decrease (or increase) in performance on a task that the group identifies with. The primary focus was the relationship between STL and identifiability, whereby identifiability refers to whether one views one‟s self as an individual or as an anonymous part of a social group. The study examined STL in relation to humanities and science students‟ ability to recognise patterns using two short forms of the Raven‟s Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) which was developed. The students completed matrices under two conditions; anonymity and visibility to an audience (in-group, out-group and experimenter). When visible, participants performed significantly better than when anonymous, regardless of the STL condition. When examining in-group identification, participants with high in-group identification experienced traditional STL effects while participants with low in-group identification experienced a reversal in effects. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

No description available.

The construction industry has had difficulty adopting project management software effectively and in a widespread manner. This thesis seeks to uncover common problems preventing the adoption of new software for construction project management, and to find a method to design more successful software. Construction project managers working at universities in the state of Georgia were selected as the specific group to study. To better define the functions of project management software, as well as uncover benefits both realized and anticipated, research was conducted. A Situation Awareness based approach was selected to result in proposing a prototype application that would specifically match the mental model of the study group. To define the mental model, a Goal Directed Task Analysis method was used by way of an online survey and in-person verification. In order to collect the survey data, a web based Goal Directed Task Analysis application was created and tested as a part of this thesis. Using the survey data, a proposed design for a prototype application was proposed. The application design was specifically made to fulfill the needs of project managers like those in the study group. The GDTA method proved effective in producing a software design. Recommendations to create and test the proposed prototype application are provided as a next step.

Using ecological task analysis as a conceptual framework, this study sought to describe the experiences of choice in physical activity contexts for adults with mobility impairments. Experiences of 3 female and 2 male participants with mobility impairments, ages 18-23 years were explored using the phenomenological research methods of interviews, written stories, and field notes. Thematic analysis revealed three themes: (a) Interpreting the setting described participants interpretation of the environment, person, and task when making movement choices; (b) It just felt right described how participants actively engaged in a process of analyzing alternatives and choosing among them; and (c) Implications of choices made described participants evaluations of good and bad choices and what could be learned. The implications of this exploratory study include enhanced understanding of the assumptions surrounding choice, and appreciation for the multiple layers of affordances and constraints that influence choices in physical activity contexts.

This thesis examines the role of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) task analysis within the context of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) system design. It recognises and critically examines several carrefours that differentiate cognitive from sociocultural task analysis theories in Second Language Acquisition and Human-Computer Interaction. A study into the role of multimodal interaction and second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition revealed the need for an integrative approach to examining learner-computer interaction. In response, a conceptual, situated task analysis framework was developed that promotes (1) a common unit of analysis for principled theoretical investigation and methodological selection; and (2) a formative task analysis framework which considers both software engineering and human-computer interaction practices within CALL system design. / Understanding the extant relationships between learner, theory and practice has become increasingly important in light of recent criticisms of CALL software quality, and its influence on learning outcomes. To further develop our understanding of the role of HCI and Software Engineering in CALL, an empirical exploratory study was undertaken. The design of the study was influenced by research concerning (1) cognitive complexity and language learning; (2) social perspectives on learner-computer interaction; and (3) the intersection between system design, quality, and learner-computer interaction. / Computer-mediated activity in language learning environments can be categorised as a highly social process through its dependency upon a number of sociocultural and environmental contraints. As such, learner-computer interaction is likely to be highly fluid and dynamic. The distinction between static and dynamic environments is a critical determinant when selecting a particular HCI task analysis strategy. To evaluate competing task analysis approaches, a small qualitative study was established that considered the role of multimodal interaction in L2 vocabulary acquisition. Emerging trends from this study served to elucidate the appropriateness of existing HCI theories and their units of analysis within the context of CALL system design. / Participants for this study were selected from an undergraduate Computer Science degree at a major Australian university. Participants had little to no prior knowledge of the L2 used in the study. Participants conducted three sessions with a multimodal speech-enabled language learning tool. After each session, participants completed an immediate recall test and responded to a series of semi-structured interview questions. After an eight week period, participants were asked to take part in a delayed recall and recognition test. Findings from this study showed two distinct trends: (1) a relationship between the degree of multimodal interaction strategy and delayed L2 vocabulary recall and recognition; and (2) the limitations of existing HCI task analysis approaches with respect to analysing learner-computer interaction within the context of CALL system design. As such, this study provided key insights into the role of HCI in CALL, proposing several implications for further research. / Instructed by these findings, research was undertaken to develop an holistic, situated task analysis framework: C.A.S.E (Cognition, Activity, Social Organisation, Environment). Ontological, epistemological and methodological components of the framework are discussed in detail. C.A.S.E provides a conceptual framework for integrating cognitive and social theories on learning, interaction and system design. Consequently, C.A.S.E provides both theoretical and methodological support for bridging the divide between CALL, HCI and Software Engineering. Several applications of the framework relevant to CALL practitioners are described in this thesis. / The outcomes of this investigation establish an agenda for further research. The thesis concludes with a discussion related to CALL system design, specifically the role of Software Engineering in end-user developer CALL activities. To assist readers, additional discussions on Philosophy of Science and Software Engineering have been provided as appendix chapters.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Georgetown University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.