UI evaluations and data collection
Roel Wuyts
wuyts at iam.unibe.ch
Tue Jul 15 08:19:39 UTC 2003
I implemented something in VisualWorks (another Smalltalk dialect) that
did this. It uses a hook in the system to know when source code for a
class or a method is retrieved. When this happens, I inspect the stack
to find out which tool the user is using (so that I know whether they
changed browsers etc.), and log this in a big dictionary (including
time stamps etc.).
More information and downloads can be found at the SmallBrother page:
http://www.iam.unibe.ch/~wuyts/SmallBrother/index.html .
I am currently implementing part of this system for Squeak (see the
threads on SystemChangeNotification), but only the part that deals with
changes to the system. So you'd have to find the place in Squeak where
source code of methods and classes is retrieved to put a hook there.
Depending on where this happens, it can be as simple as overriding a
method on the class side of object (meaning that you do not have to
make destructive modifications to core system methods), etc. I have no
idea how fluent you are in Smalltalk, so tell me whether this
explanation makes any sense to you :-) I implemented such systems in
some other dialects as well, so I can give you a hand if you do not
feel up to this task :-)
On Monday, Jul 14, 2003, at 13:41 Europe/Zurich, Bilal Ahmed wrote:
> Hi,
> Is anyone aware of ways to evaluate user interfaces and do ethnographic
> data collection in Squeak? I would ideally like to give an application
> to
> a user and somehow collect data on how the user found his/her way
> around
> the application (things like reaction times, etc).
> Thanks,
> Bilal
>
>
Roel Wuyts Software
Composition Group
roel.wuyts at iam.unibe.ch University of Bern,
Switzerland
http://www.iam.unibe.ch/~wuyts/
Board Member of the European Smalltalk User Group: www.esug.org
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