In this Stanford University HCI Seminar, Joseph Kaye, a Cornell University research student discusses the challenges of validating HCI contributions because of the nature of HCI problems. HCI has technological and social practice components. The presentor gives a historical perspective.
The questions to be considered are: Who are the users, who are the evaluators and what are the limiting factors. Some of the limiting factors which engineers or programmers consider are reliability or speed of machine. Experimental psychologists and cognitive scientists consider the limiting factor as what humans can do with the machine (computer).
In evaluating a text editor, objectivity, thoroughness and ease of use were considered as evaluation criteria.
Usability professionals (mostly non-IT professionals) are more focused on efficiency factors--time taken by the user to complete a job. Usability evaluation methods include Nielsen's heuristics, or GOMS.
Gray & Salzman published experimental comparisons of usability evaluation methods. Experience focused HCI professionals believe in experience and expertise, as against experimental psychologists and cognitive scientists relying on experiments for proof.
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