Task Analysis
Underlying components
5-Task analysis
4- Task description
3-Task allocation
2-Task descomposition
1-Task taxonomy
Significance/usefulness
Newer focus: Team analysis - create new teams with fewer members
Development of instructional curriculum
Determine personnel selection criteria
Design of man-machine interfaces
Views of tasks
Interaction of system components
Goals to be achieved for succesful task completion
Recording of actions by an experienced user
Process and sources of data
Existing documentation
Interviews
Obsevations
primarily a data gathering and classifying exercise
Relantionship to expertise study
Popular TA approches
Behavioral Task Analysis - Traditional approach
Blended techniques
Marti's Task Centered Design
Entity-relations task analysis
ATOM - Analysis for Task Object Modeling
Environmental techniques
TAEMS (Task Analysis for Environmental Modeling and Simulation)
Knowledge-based techniques
"look at what users need to know about the objects and actions involved in a task, and how that knowledge is organized."
SSADM - Structured System's Analysis and Design Methodology
Task Analysis for Knowledge Description-TAKD, sometimes referred to as Cognitive Task Analysis
Task descomposision and secuencing
Hierarchical task analysis (HTA):
Definitions
how a task is accomplished, including a detailed description of both manual and mental activities, task and element durations, ..read more
ask frequency, task allocation, task complexity, environmental conditions, necessary clothing and equipment, and any other unique factors involved in or required for one or more people to perform a given task.
also concerned with what information is necessary for each part to complete its job, as well as the process or method of completion.
"belong to a collection of evaluation techniques designed to help uncover details about the human part of a systems equation."
Other names
History
Annett and Duncan proposed a more general form of TA called Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) -1960's
original TA was used mostly for evaluating human activity and motion.
Increased popularity in the human factors community
-Gilbert-1911 - Motiion and time studies. Behavioral Task analysis-Industrial Engineering- Basis Applied Behavior Analysis
F. Gilbreth, Motion Study, New York: D. Van Nostrand Company, 1911
Fields/areas of application
Particularly used in design and evaluation fields
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN
Cite Smith and Ragan TA and IPA
HUMAN FACTORS/ERGONOMICS
See study by Lippa on everyday self-managment expertise
ENGINEERING PSYCHOLOGY/Cognitive engieering
PROCESS CONTROL
HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION (HCI)
"Each domain modifies the basic workings of a TA for its own purpose - each with a different emphasis and desired result."
