SCOM 5056 Design Theory in Science Communication week 3: user experience (part 1)

1. SCOM 5056Design TheoryinScience Communicationweek 3: user experience (part 1) Dave Goforth FA377 (Fraser) 705-675-1151 ext 2316 dgoforth@cs. laurentian.ca

2. How to designscience communication Many formats (Gregory and Miller) How to organize / categorize By media? Broadcast, live, text,… By audience? Kids, voters, donors,… By content? Quarks, beetles,… By context? Policy, entertainment,… By user experience

3. Audience experience Sequential Exploratory linear spatial less more User control less more individualized shallow deep content representation

4. Design space content context audience goal Knowledge design experience A r t e f a c t s …examples…

5. Designing immutable artifacts Based on the knowledge structure, design the experience • The sequence the user follows is a path through the knowledge structure • The artifact is fixed but the user still controls the experience linear spatial

6. Locate cubes Middle layer Bottom layer Top layer Edge cubes Edge cubes Corner cubes Edge cubes Corner cubes etc... 1st 4 2,3 Example sequencefor a text-based artifact

7. Dimensions of immutable artifacts: examples

8. Dimensions creator designs a linear sequence to be followed by each user user controls time (pace and sequence) creator designs a space through which users create their own unique sequence creator controls time (pace and sequence)

9. Linear “Above the hinge is a thin rod of length 10 cm., below it a thicker rod of length 15 cm.” Spatial Design and Experience 10 cm. 15 cm.

10. Linear “Above the hinge is a thin rod of length 10 cm., below it a thicker rod of length 15 cm.” Spatial Design and Experience 10 cm. 15 cm.

11. Linear designs • knowledge structure highlights prerequisites • possible paths • Norris et al - use of narrative form, explanation forms • Mayer - enhancing learning in linear format by constructivist principles

12. Knowledge structure: Possible paths • starting point(s) [Giere, Reigeluth, ...] • background knowledge • basic concepts extension • prerequisites satisfied

13. Possible paths, good paths Free choice learning • Path must be engaging if user is to continue to follow it… • How to make an interesting presentation? One important form is narrative – “telling a good story”

14. Norris et al – narrative explanation • Categorizing scientific explanation by the type-token distinction • Experimental – predictable and repeatable • Historical – ‘unique and unrepeatable’ • Scientific explanation types – Table 2 • 8 forms (compare to Toulmin et al) • Claim: • Narrative explanation is a legitimate model for (some) scientific explanation, particularly for historical science

15. Scientific explanation • Explanation is difficult to define “make something clear, understandable, or intelligible” • Many different types “explain” can mean Develop meaning, justify, describe, ascribe cause or purpose

16. Explanations – p 550 • Interpretive • Justificatory • Descriptive • Deductive-nomological • Statistical • Functional • Explanatory unification • Pragmatic • Narrative

17. Narrative formsSequence of events

18. Narrative Explanation - story • narrative elements – p.545 • events • narrator • narrative appetite • past time • structure • agency • purpose • reader

19. Narrative explanation • Set of events that is connected and complete (all the knowledge) • Put events in sequence to create ‘a good story’

20. Example – simple murder mystery Murder story Detective story What the reader knows

21. Example – simple murder mystery Murder story Detective story Detective goes to murder scene

22. Example – simple murder mystery Murder story Detective story Detective gets background information

23. Example – simple murder mystery Murder story Detective story Detective goes to second murder scene

24. Example – simple murder mystery Murder story Detective story Detective gets more information

25. Example – simple murder mystery Murder story Detective story Detective gets vital information

26. Example – simple murder mystery Murder story Detective story Detective arrests suspect

27. Example – simple murder mystery Murder story Detective story Detective reveals clever inferences at trial

28. Example – simple murder mystery Murder story Detective story Detective explains final details over drinks

29. Where can narrative apply?  How science works experimental appreciate historical     Narrative explanation applies?

30. Mayer: improving effectiveness based on constructivist learning goal – improve learning at each stage (i) selection, (ii) organization, (iii) integration of knowledge How bad is that lightning example?

31. Mayer – encourage selection • formatting (bold, colour, italics,...) • explicit objectives and questions • summaries • elimination of irrelevant information • Mayer’s first name is Richard

32. Mayer – encourage organization • structures within text • compare/contrast, classify, enumerate, ... • headings • outlines • graphic representations • signal words (transitions – “as a result”)

33. Mayer – encourage integration • advance organizers • captioned illustrations • examples • animations • elaborative questions (transfer) Where does “narrative explanation” fit in this model of design?

34. 2-Dimensional Designs:diagrams, charts, pictures, tables Two tasks • Represent information in 2-D design • Assist user in creating a sequence for exploring, interpreting and understanding the artefact

35. Representing information Information can be coded with: • 2 dimensions of spacial represenetation: • up-down, left-right • illusory third dimension • “point” symbols with features (size, colour, shape…) • “line” edges connecting points • 2 Dimensions of “small multiples” • Captions, labels

36. 2-D Example:Map • dimension: North-south • dimension: East-west • illusory dimension: land/water/urban • points (town) • lines (highway) • labels (highway number)

37. Identify dimensions, points, lines, labels

38. Huygens’ drawings of Saturn Dimensions: up down, left right Illusory dimension: light dark Small multiple: time

39. Dimensions “2 ½-D”: north-south, east-west, land/water, gas concentration Lines: urban boundaries Small multiple: gas Small multiple: time

40. Designing symbols: lines and points • Colour • Size • Shape • Orientation

41. What features?

42. Illusory dimension: • Perspective • Orthographic Supporting illusion • Occlusion • Size • Colour/light

43. Guiding users Help user to • Scan • Interpret • Understand / “chunk”

44. Scan • Cultual habit • based on text sequence • e.g., in western culture • Start at top left • Proceed left to right, top to bottom Non-linear format • Where to focus attention first? • Cultural habits • Attractive symbol • Where to look next? • Cultural habits • Implied direction

45. Scan By design Attractive symbol -(relative) features -(relative) position Implied direction -relation to current focus Non-linear format • Where to focus attention first? • Cultural habits • Attractive symbol • Where to look next? • Cultural habits • Implied direction

46. Scan – focus attention Colour Size Shape Orientation Isolation Complexity

47. Scan – next focus

48. Interpret Dimensions and properties are the vocabulary of the artefact • Help target audience attach meaning • conventions, e.g., time as horizontal axis • labels and legends • implication by symbols (risky), e.g., ,  • emphasis, e.g., by size

49. Interpret

50. Understand • Reading the message in the artefact • Repeated meaning in multiple forms • Text captions: • Instructive • Descriptive • Supplementary • Amplifying