Enhancing Technologies: A Usability Study of Mobile Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETMs)

Speaker
Jane Siegel
Senior Systems Scientist, Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

When
-

Where
Newell-Simon Hall 1305 (Michael Mauldin Auditorium)

Description

Substantial expectations have been set about the effectiveness and role that high level Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETMs) for performance aiding will play in enabling lesser skilled personnel to repair aircraft for both military and commercial organizations. This empirical study about the design and effectiveness of high level IETMs provides baseline and comparative data about two high level IETM interfaces used for one U.S. Navy F/A-18 aircraft maintenance task. Eight maintainers whose experience levels varied from new (less than one month) to very experienced (more than eight years) participated in this field usability study. Both baseline and “with IETM” data collection efforts occurred at China Lake Naval Weapons Station, Ridgecrest, CA. The IETMs were viewed using an IBM prototype wearable computer. Study results include performance data and insights about needed improvements to attain correctness, speed, and ease of use in information search, navigation and magnification activities. Differences in expert and novice preferences and performance were documented to inform future adaptive interface design efforts. The maintainers who participated were unanimously enthused about the possibility of having improved IETMs on small mobile computers for performance aiding in the near future. Contributors to this research were Elaine Hyder, Jack Moffett, and Dick Martin.

Speaker's Bio

Jane Siegel is a Senior Systems Scientist in the Human Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). She designs and conducts laboratory and field evaluation studies to measure the effects of providing information technology to enable mobile workers to perform physical tasks solo or when they collaborate with remote helpers to improve their work performance. Current research and development projects she works with are developing support systems for vehicular maintenance workers, e.g., U.S. Navy F/A - 18 aircraft maintainers. Working with the CMU Wearable computer group she has conducted several usability evaluations of performance support systems for Shell EXPRO, USAF F-15 and F-16 aircraft maintenance mechanics, and Mercedes-Benz and other DaimlerChrysler technicians, engineers, and sales consultants. She began work related to computer-mediated communication with colleagues at CMU in 1981 when they designed and conducted pioneering experimental and field studies of computer-supported cooperative work efforts.