The Model of Mobile Context of Use (MCU)

1. The Model of Mobile Context of Use (MCU) Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

2. People behind the model • Dr. Soc. Sc (sociology) Kalle Toiskallio • Lic. Soc. Sc (social psychology) Sakari Tamminen • M.Tech. Sc. (usability engineering) Heini Korpilahti • M. Soc. Sc (social psychology) Salla Hari • Prof. Marko Nieminen Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

3. The project (1.1.2002 – 30.6.2003) • Alma Media + Solid Information Technology + C3i Solutions • Supports user-centred product development on its early stage • Main task: model of socio-spatial contexts of use Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

4. Background 1: supporting standard definition • Contributing mostly ”social environment” in International Standardization Organisation’s standard ISO 9241-11 • 9241-11 = Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals. Part 11 = guidelines for specifying and measuring usability (definition:) effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use • In the standard Context of use refers rather concisely to ”user”, ”task”, ”equipment” and ”environment” => Mobix’s model of context of use gives 1) content for the definition of especially the ”environment” and 2) practical procedure for producing systematic data for product development in its early stages, for example so called ”use cases” Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

5. ...Background 2: theoretical location • Context-aware computing within HCI research (according to Paul Dourish) includes two types of research • Type 1: constructively oriented line working with prototypes • Type 2: research developing interactive systems around understandings of the generally operative social processes surrounding everyday interaction Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

6. Why mobile context is so difficult term • Mobile context and mobility is difficult term because it is relational one. Users cannot understand the mobility as itself, it depends on context (or reference points). However, the context is not ready-made gate to be passed through (this particularly makes the handling of the term mobility so hard) Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

7. How do we create the Mobile contexts • Experiential contexts are created/interpreted with the help of several attributes. These attributes are also used to create other contexts. • MCU works also in analysing stationary use situations Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

8. Starting points • Macro but micro levels • Static/Macro frames: ”meeting” • Dynamic/Micro frames: presuppositions of atmosphere • Participants and activities themselves create interpretations we could call social contexts of use • Social + spatial factors of context of use are usually interwoven together Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

9. The Model of Context of Use (MCU) includes • The Context Attribute List. List of about 24 socio-spatial attributes • The Process Analysis. Iterative table for action process analysis Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

10. 1. The Context Attribute List(Socio-spatial attributes) • Main categories A) User and social relations B) Tasks and psychological factors C) Environmental aspects Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

11. A) User and social relations • social comparison • (presented) social identity • member vs. reference group • several simultaneous goals • intra- or inter-organisational tensions Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

12. Example of A Context Attribute Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

13. B) Tasks and psychological factors • level of preparedness • frequent vs singular use • group vs individual use • single vs multi task • intensity and tempo of user (possibly as non-task based) • inner or outer motivation (to reach the goal) • level of habitualization • intensity of the task Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

14. C) Environmental aspects • traffic modes • level of publicity of the place • ”proper” use of the place • pre-suppositions of the place • visual/haptic environment • auditive env.: ”pluralistic”/”monoteistic” one • time tables (and time shifts in global scale) Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

15. TheProcess AnalysisAnalysis-framework for action processes in context • The analysis frame has 1+6 viewpoints Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

16. Starting point of The Process Analysis • Description of observed (original) action (in column 3) • Goal: during the analysis, the action process is iterated towards a hypothetical, “best” possible process • In the following the meaning of the 7 viewpoints are declared Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

17. Context attributes • Context attributes frame the recognizable states of actions • The Context Attribute List helps to recognize the relevant attributes • Naturally, also case-specific attributes can be formulated • Other characteristic(s) of an event Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

18. Context transition • Context transition: describes transitions between phases of actions • Changes in phases of actions help to recognize contexts Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

19. Transitory contexts • moving from member group to reference group • from single to multi use • changes in integrity • from one situational role to another • from a certain space to another kind of • changes in visual, haptic or informative environment • from single use to frequent use • from focused to diversified task • change of traffic mode • from accustomed use to unsure use Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

20. Signal of change • Signals of change in interaction between users and system • Visible to both machine and user Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

21. Signals visible only to the user • Visible and interpreted by user(s), but not available to the machine Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

22. Signals to the system • Not visible to user but device • visibility of signal-based logic to user Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

23. Design notes • Ideas created during the analysis process • Controversies in context signals visible to user and system • Design notes are then included into the next iteration of action proces • Design notes can be used when writing use cases and requirement specifications Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

24. The iterative process of analysis • Realistic scenario/narrative/story representing synthesis of empirical (qualitative) data and retrospective experiences (first located in the column 3) • Analysing this scenario in column 3 by six viewpoints (attributes, transition, signals of change; to user; to system, and design notes) • After incorporation of these design ideas, second version of scenario can be written (conversing thus the previous scenario in column 3) Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio

25. Dr. (Soc.Sc.) Kalle Toiskallio