User Preference Studies

This self-funded project was the first of a series of user preference tests devoted to looking at student preferences in interface designs. In this study, we created four different interfaces:

(1) Operator's Panel (above)

(2) Imitation of CD-based Encarta.

(3) Imitation of web page.

(4) Analog slides and audio tape.

The material below is taken directly from the article that addresses the subject, "Hypermedia, Multimedia, and Reader Cognition."

Overview of the First 3 Tests
Although the students were somewhat divided about whether they needed sound and popup graphics, the more graphics and sound a digital module contained, the higher the students rated it.

Answering the question, Which do you like the most?” students ranked Module 3 [operator's panel] highest and Module 11 [Internet] lowest. When they answered the reverse question, “Which do you dislike the most?”, students demonstrated a strong dislike for Module 11; few students disliked Module 3.

In short, students preferred the efficiency of Modules 3, 5, and 11 over the less efficient traditional multimedia. Students also preferred the more meaningful and recognizable objective metaphor as opposed to the less identifiable and nondescript page metaphor [Internet]. Finally, although it slowed them down, students preferred a more automatic page to one that required input from them.

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Table 1.
Comparing preferences between Modules 1, 2, 3, 5, and 11.

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Modules 3, 5, 11 [digital] compared to Modules 1, 2 [analog].
1 = much prefer digital multimedia, 3 = do not care, 5 = much prefer [analog] multimedia.

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Module 3 compared to 1 & 2 [34 students]

16 students much prefer digital media.
11 students somewhat prefer digital media.
6 students did not care.
0 students somewhat prefer traditional media.
1 student much prefer traditional multimedia.

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Student preference between digital modules (of 38 USERS)

Module 3, 17students 45%
Module 5, 14 students 37%
Module 11, 7 students 18%

Disliked most (of 38 USERS)
Module 3, 5 students disliked it most, 13%
Module 5,13 students disliked it most, 34%
Module 11, 20 students disliked it most, 53%

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Based on student feedback, we were able to adopt a final design that includes automatic sound if the reader works through the module from front to back. In addition, the reader can toggle a button to repeat sound. If the reader moves through the document from back to front, the reader receives sound only by toggling the replay sound button.

Perhaps more important, we were able to springboard off these studies to development protocols for developing affective interfaces in the future.

All improtant evolutions of user interface begin with user preference studies developed as a result of the above project.