Usability Analysis of a Personal Digital Assistant Based Data Collection Tool for the Shipboard Training Environment

摘要

Researchers for the U.S. Navy have developed multiple instructor aides for performance measurement hosted on hand-held computers such as pen tablet computers. This technology provides a potential solution to the challenge of supporting training in complex, data intensive shipboard environments. However, Hand-held computers are relatively expensive and can be cumbersome in the confined spaces found in such environments. Therefore, the U. S. Navy is investigating the use of more portable, lightweight data collection tools such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). Hardware and software limitations associated with these devices exist, including limited screen real estate and memory. The challenge for the Naval training and human factors communities is to develop training applications for PDAs that are relevant to shipboard users and that also apply sound human factors and usability principles. The primary purpose of this paper is to describe a usability analysis of a training application loaded onto a Pocket PC. The analysis included heuristic evaluations, user testing sessions, and redesign recommendations. The target audience of the application is U.S. Navy shipboard instructors, who would use the application to prebrief a training audience, to collect data during an exercise, and to debrief the training audience.