Experimental Evaluation of Tools for Teaching the ZOG Frame Editor

Abstract

This paper focuses on ZOG, a rapid-response, menu-selection, software system intended as a general-purpose interface to a computer. ZOG databases are networks of screen-sized displays called frames. ZOG's frame and net editor (ZED) combines coventional text-editing facilities with facilities specialized to the network character of the database. One of the design goals for ZOG is that ZOG be relatively self-contained in terms of instruction on the use of ZOG and ZED. This paper compares two ZOG-based tools for teaching naive users to edit with ZED: an on-line (net) users' manual and an off-line users' manual (derived from the on-line manual). The resultss indicate that (1) off-line and on-line manual users take about the same time to complete a standard instruction sequence, but (2) off-line users use ZED more effectively at the end of the sequence.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 18, 1982
Accession Number
ADA123363

Entities

People

  • C. Kamila Robertson
  • Robert Akscyn

Organizations

  • Carnegie Mellon University

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Computer Science
  • Computers
  • Curriculum
  • Data Analysis
  • Databases
  • Experimental Design
  • Human-Computer Interfaces
  • Instructions
  • Instructors
  • Learning
  • Military Research
  • Natural Languages
  • Personal Computers
  • Personality
  • Students
  • Universities

Readers

  • Computer Science.
  • Military Logistics and Supply Chain Management