Cognition Laboratory is destined for the research in the psychology of programming and software engineering. In addition, usability studies and detection of usability problems in case of separate software (products) is carried out in the laboratory.
Laboratory provides versatile possibilities to use computers and to record and analyze working (methods).
Observable working:
- several PCs with both Windows and Linux installed
- silver screen with two projectors; the sources of pictures are freely selectable.
- 6-channel sound
- eye-tracking cameras
- normal (office) desk
- drawing pen board
- silver screen and mirror glass can be covered with the curtains
Possibilities for recording:
- videocamera, ceiling-cameras
- programmatic and display-signal based screen capture
- mixing the foregoing in the same picture
- adding the time(stamp)
- high quality sound
Possibilities for analysis:
- playback of the path and the fixation points of the gaze
- playback of videotape
- playback of screen capture
- transcription of conversational protocols
The former can also be combined in a versatile ways to enable variety of experiments. For example:
- Understanding a program: tasks on the screen, responses via keyboard, eye movements are registered, responses and reaction times programmatically.
- Understanding a program: task on paper, notekeeping equipment are allowed, videocamera is recording the course of events on the screen and microphone is picking up the sounds (of all type).
- Writing a program code: task on paper, working with computer and using speech protocol, the events on the screen are recorded, as well as the person's handmovements on the smaller transparent picture, speech via microphone.
- Dual programming: two programmers who can see their individual working on their own screen and that of their fellow programmer on the (other) screen opposite of them, both screens are recorded from the silver screen, speech via microphone.
- Usability test: using the software (under testing) to solve the tasks given on a paper, the events on the screen are recorded as well as the fixation points of the gaze and testee's facial expressions, speech via microphone.
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