Deeper understanding of computing for users
The International Computer Drivers Licence emphasizes skills in computer use, while deeper understanding is omitted. Poor understanding of the principles upon which software is designed makes it more difficult to learn new programs, to move from an application made by one vendor to another, and even to learn a new version of a product.
Two kinds of understanding that may enhance user understanding:
Data structure and accompanying operations. Making the data structure explicite, eg the text flows and the style definitions in a text processor, the tables and data definitions in relational database application.
The principles of software
- Hierarchical data structures (file systems and web-sites) and the pointers (aliases and links) that may give access to a lower level in the hierarchy or other hierarchies.
- Type-instances relations (e.g., style-paragraph) and the possibility of modifying the types and thus impose global changes in the file.
- Functional dependencies (e.g., pointers to a web-page) and the usefulness of storing data only one place.
- Separation of structure and form (e.g., between the structure of a web-page and its layout), so that a structured set of data can be displayed with different formats.
Relevant theses: Investigating the concepts that users have, or experimental training where understanding is emphasized.
| Type: | 60 ECTS |
| Veileder(e): | Jens Johan Kaasbøll |
| Tilknyttet forskningsgruppe(r): | DESIGN |