Computer-based task representation: a methodology for improving system design

Abstract

Task analysis procedures can be used in all stages of system development to examine the nature and severity of performance demands placed upon human operators. Task analyses involve considerable effort in obtaining a detailed set of measurements that represent the behavioural and cognitive tasks performed by the operators; these measures are referred to as task representation. The present article describes a flexible method for incorporating task representation data into an electronic spreadsheet. Such a computer-based procedure has many advantages over the more traditional paper and pencil approaches to task representation and analysis, including greater flexibility in data analysis and the inclusion of both objective and subjective measures of workload. Portions of an illustrative task representation and task analysis are presented along with a discussion of the strengths of computer-based task representation and analysis.