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Published Articles >> Table of Contents >> Abstract
IEEE 2001 Symposium on Human Centric Computing Languages and Environments (HCC'01)
p. 127
Communicative Dimensions of End-User Environments
Christopher D. Hundhausen, University of Hawai'i
Sarah A. Douglas, University of Oregon
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DOI Bookmark: http://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/HCC.2001.995250
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| Abstract |
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In exploring how to make programming easier for non-programmers,
research into end-user environments has
traditionally been concerned with designing better
human-computer interaction. That traditional focus has
left open the question of how end-user environments
might support human-human interaction. Especially in
situations in which end-user environments are enlisted to
facilitate learning, we hypothesize that a key benefit may
be their ability to mediate conversations about a domain
of interest. In what ways might end-user environments
support human communication, and what design features
make them well-suited to do so? Drawing on
ethnographic studies of an undergraduate algorithms
course in which students constructed and presented
algorithm visualizations, we develop a provisional
framework of six communicative dimensions of end-user
environments: programming salience, typeset fidelity,
story content, modifiability, controllability, and
referencability. To illustrate the design implications of
these dimensions, we juxtapose conventional algorithm
visualization technology with a prototype end-user
environment specifically designed to facilitate
communication about algorithms. By characterizing those
aspects of end-user environments that impact social
interaction, our framework provides an important
extension to Green and Petre’s [1] cognitive dimensions.
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 Additional Information
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Citation:
Christopher D. Hundhausen, Sarah A. Douglas,
"Communicative Dimensions of End-User Environments,"
hcc,
p. 127,
IEEE 2001 Symposium on Human Centric Computing Languages and Environments (HCC'01),
2001
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