Cognitive Aspects of Human-Computer Interaction for Geographic Information Systems

Transcription

1 Cognitive Aspects of Human-Computer Interaction for Geographic Information Systems

2 NATO ASI Series Advanced Science Institutes Series A Series presenting the results of activities sponsored by the NATO Science Committee, which aims at the dissemination of advanced scientific and technological knowledge, with a view to strengthening links between scientific communities. The Series is published by an international board of publishers in conjunction with the NATO Scientific Affairs Division A Life Sciences B Physics C Mathematical and Physical Sciences D Behavioural and Social Sciences E Applied Sciences F Computer and Systems Sciences G Ecological Sciences H Cell Biology I Global Environmental Change Plenum Publishing Corporation London and New York Dordrecht, Boston and London Springer-Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, London, Paris and Tokyo PARTNERSHIP SUB-SERIES 1. Disarmament Technologies 2. Environment 3. High Technology 4. Science and Technology Policy 5. Computer Networking Springer-Verlag / The Partnership Sub-Series incorporates activities undertaken in collaboration with NATO's Cooperation Partners, the countries of the CIS and Central and Eastern Europe, in Priority Areas of concern to those countries. NATO-PCO-DATA BASE The electronic index to the NATO ASI Series provides full bibliographical references (with keywords and/or abstracts) to more than contributions from international scientists published in all sections of the NATO ASI Series. Access to the NATO-PCO-DATA BASE is possible in two ways: - via online FILE 128 (NATO-PCO-DATA BASE) hosted by ESRIN, Via Galileo Galilei, I Frascati, Italy. - via CD-ROM "NATO-PCO-DATA BASE" with user-friendly retrieval software in English, French and German ( WTV GmbH and DATAWARE Technologies Inc. 1989). The CD-ROM can be ordered through any member of the Board of Publishers or through NATO- PCO, Overijse, Belgium. Series D: Behavioural and Social Sciences - Vol. 83

3 Cognitive Aspects of Human-Computer Interaction for Geographic Information Systems edited by Timothy L Nyerges Department of Geography, DP-10, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. David M. Mark National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, Department of Geography, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, U.S.A. Robert Laurini Laboratoire d'ingänierie des Systemes d'lnformation, Institut National des Sciences Appliquäes de Lyon, University Claude Bernard Lyon I, Villeurbanne, France and Max J. Egenhofer National Center for Geographic information and Analysis, Department of Spatial Information Science and Engineering, Department of Computer Science, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, U.S.A. Springer Science+Business Media, B.V.

4 Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Cognitive Aspects of Human-Computer Interaction for Geographic Information Systems Palma de Mallorca, Spain March 20-25,1994 A C.I.P. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN ISBN (ebook) DOI / Printed on acid-free paper All Rights Reserved 1995 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht Originally published by in 1995 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1 st edition 1995 No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner.

5 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IX XI Section 1: Introduction 1.1 Cognitive Aspects of Human-Computer Interaction for Geographic Information Systems: An Introduction 1 Timothy Nyerges, David Mark, Robert Laurini, and Max Egenhofer 1.2 An Overview of HCI for GIS Andrew Turk 9 Section 2: Spatial Cognition and HCI for GIS David Mark Spatial Concepts and Cognitive Models for Geographic Information Use 21 David Mark and Scott Freundschuh 2.2 Primitives of Spatial Knowledge Reginald Colledge HCI Aspects of a Framework for the Qualitative Representation of Space 45 Daniel Hernandez 2.4 Cognitive Issues in the Evolution of GIS User Knowledge Timothy Nyerges Section 3: User Behavior Timothy Nyerges Process Tracing Methods in the Decision Sciences 77 Peter Todd 3.2 Cognitive Modelling: Experiences in Human-Computer Interaction 97 Andrew Howes ± 2 Questions and Answers about Metaphors for GIS User Interfaces 113 Werner Kuhn 3.4 Feet on the Ground: Studying User-GIS Interaction in the Workplace 123 Clare Davies and David Medyckyj-Scott

6 vi Section 4: User Interfaces Max Egenhofer 4.1 Towards Visual Interfaces for Multi-Source Updating of Geographic Information Robert Laurini Definition of a Visual Language for GIS 163 Marie-Aude Aufaure-Portier 4.3 Human-Computer Interaction Aspects of Visual-Interactive Locational Analysis 179 Paul Densham and Marc Armstrong 4.4 Some Cognitive and Technical Aspects of Hypermaps 197 Franc;oise Milleret-Raffort 4.5 Human-Computer Interaction Considerations in Terrain Modelling and Visualization 213 Marinos Kavouras 4.6 GIS & Multimedia Applications to Support Environmental Impact Assessment and Local Planning 221 Maurici Ruiz Perez, Joana M. Segui Pons, Josep Blat Gimeno, and Miquel Nadal Reig 4.7 The Natural Representation of Mapping and Surveying Data: Applying the Virtual Worlds Paradigm Robert Jacobson Section 5: Cross-Cultural Influences David Mark Cultural Differences and Cultural Aspects in GIS Irene Campari and Andrew Frank Protocol Analysis for Cross-Cultural GIS Design: The Importance of Encoding Resolution Michael Gould

7 vii Section 6: Collaborative GIS - Computer Supported Cooperative Work Robert Laurini Understanding Collaborative Use of GIS Through Social Cognition Fran~ois Golay and Timothy Nyerges Geographic Interaction in the City Planning Context: Beyond the Multimedia Prototype Michael Shiffer Cognitive Task Performance Using a Spatial Decision Support System for Groups Timothy Nyerges Section 7: Task Analysis and Design Methodologies Robert Laurini Tasks and Task Descriptions for GIS 327 Clare Davies 7.2 A Conceptual Framework for Improving Human-Computer Interaction in Locational Decision-Making 343 Marc Armstrong and Paul Densham 7.3 A Task Analysis Approach to the Visualization of Geographic Data 355 LoeyKnapp 7.4 Geographic Information Systems, Work Analysis, and System Design 373 lens Rasmussen 7.5 Cognitive Ergonomics Analysis Methodology 393 Andrew Turk Section 8: Research Directions: Reports from the Discussion Groups Timothy Nyerges, lames Orrell, and Matthew Barry Appendix: NATO Advanced Research Workshop Participants Subject Index

8 Preface This book stems from a need to articulate research investigations emphasizing cognitive aspects of human-computer interaction (HCI) in terms of how these aspects influence the use of a geographic information system (GIS). Hopefully, the readers of this book find it a comprehensive and deeper treatment of this topic than available elsewhere. This book consists of papers prepared by participants invited to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) on "Cognitive Aspects of Human-Computer Interaction for Geographic Information Systems". The ARW was held March 20-25, 1994 on the Island of Mallorca, Spain. Funds for the workshop were provided by the NATO Scientific and Environmental Affairs Division, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) International Programs Division, and the U.S. Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA). The idea for the ARW was conceived at the end of the Initiative 13 Specialist Meeting on User Interfaces for GIS sponsored by the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis in Buffalo, New York in June, At that time, Dr. Timothy Nyerges and Dr. David Mark agreed that they would submit an application for NATO funding, focusing a workshop on cognitive aspects of user interfaces not treated in depth at the Specialist Meeting. A subsequent meeting at Scharding, Austria in 1992, having a component on task analysis and GIS, further motivated the need to bring together researchers focusing on cognitive aspects of human-computer interaction for GIS. It was our intention to create interdisciplinary linkages that were not created as a result of the limited cross-disciplinary participation of the previous two meetings. Through the help of Dr. Robert Laurini and the participants, we were able to put together a top quality participant list from throughout Europe, Canada and the U. S., as well as downunder (Australia). With the help of Max Egenhofer's ARPA grant, we supplemented the NATO and NSF funds so that all participants could be funded. With participants coming from a variety of fields, we were able to gain a broader crossdisciplinary perspective than had been possible before. Although a wide variety of issues presented in this book address many of the central topics concerning cognitive aspects of HCI for GIS, we presume that just as many issues have been left out. Our hope is that the material in this book will clarify and spur on research and development efforts concerned with people understanding the design, development and use of geographic information and GIS. The ARW and this book will have served a purpose if they assist those at the ARW and others reading this book to further enhance and focus their individual as well as collaborative research studies, as well as help those interested in system design issues related to the cognitive aspects of HCI for GIS. Timothy Nyerges, University of Washington, U.S.A. David Mark, State University of New York at Buffalo, U.S.A. Robert Laurini, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon I, France Max Egenhofer, University of Maine, U.S.A. ix

9 Acknowledgments This book is the result of the contributions of many researchers; their efforts and insight are sincerely appreciated. We thank the researchers for preparing manuscripts that delve into the cognitive aspects of HeI for GIS. Weare grateful to all participants for having made time to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Advanced Research Workshop, for sharing their thoughts and constructive criticisms of the way research is and should be done. The rich flow of ideas both during the meeting and during meal time was extremely delightful and enriching. Their continued efforts after the workshop to polish the manuscripts is very much appreciated. We are grateful to local arrangements coordinator Maurici Ruiz Perez for having volunteered to set up the venue. All the meals, particularly those on the field trips, helped give us all a taste of the culture of the Balearic Islands. The island of Mallorca, Spain was a superb setting, mixing seaside walks and mountain excursions for the enrichment of the participants. The congenial setting will be remembered for a long time.. Last and perhaps most importantly, we are grateful to the research agencies who funded the workshop and the book preparation. Three agencies funded the workshop: the NATO Scientific and Environmental Affairs Division (ARW ), the U.S. National Science Foundation International Program Division (INT ), and the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-B389). Additionally, we are grateful to NATO and to the University of Washington for partial funds to make this book possible. The funding support provided us a level of resources allowing us to convene twenty-seven participants in a rather warm and friendly setting on the island of Mallorca, without having to worry about the decline in the U.S. monetary exchange rate, and then assemble the findings into this book. Sincere thanks. xi