Adaptation: Some Dimensions

Goals:

Detect and avoid man-machine conflicts.

Make system invisible -- system stays out of the way and helps user avoid missteps.

Awareness of the system is the result of breakdown.

Methods:

Recall previous successful adaptation.

Discover new adaptation through trial-and-error.

Domains:

User: User can adapt to changing circumstances, assisted by embedded training (on-line) and/or intelligent tutoring (off-line). Realistic simulations (video, etc) help.

Task: Responsibility for accomplishing tasks can be balanced between man and machine as appropriate to situation, user class, ... Cognitive models: user capacity, user intent/goals, user capabilities & preferences, tasks, errors.

Interface: Information the user sees, and interaction modes, remain useful as situation changes. Notice non-standard scripts (cases?) that still accomplish the task.

where things are

what kind of things are best understood (text, graphics, ...)

level of detail

doing or seeing

who does it (man or machine)

information content

scope

extent (information quantity, frequency)

Application: Toolset can be adapted to provide new tools/functionalities. If overt, requires interactive abstraction language. If covert, requires high throughput.