This is a 3 credit external

This achievement standard requires demonstrating understanding of human computer interaction through inspecting, evaluating and analysing user interfaces.

A user interface is the hardware or software part of a computer or electronic system that a human user interacts with to control the system.  The usability of an interface is the key characteristic for evaluating an interface

Click here to access the NZQA Digital Technology Achievement Standards page.

Achievement

Demonstrate understanding of human computer interaction

This involves you:	You can show this by:
describing the role of a chosen user interface for a specified task
identifying examples from a given human-computer interface that illustrate usability heuristics

Usability heuristics are chosen from the following:

U	#3: User control and freedom Users often choose system functions by mistake and will need a clearly marked “emergency exit” to leave the unwanted state without having to go through an extended dialogue. Support undo and redo.
H	#9: Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors Error Messages should be expressed in plain language (no codes), precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution.
A	#8: Aesthetic and minimalist design Dialogues should not contain information which is irrelevant or rarely needed. Every extra unit of information in a dialogue competes with the relevant units of information and diminishes their relative visibility.
V	#1: Visibility of system status The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
E	#5: Error prevention Even better than good error messages is a careful design which prevents a problem from occurring in the first place. Either eliminate error-prone conditions or check for them and present users with a confirmation option before they commit to the action.
C	#4: Consistency and standards Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform conventions, use the standards of the platform (Windows, Touchscreen, Mac, Web). Keep it the same
H	#10: Help and documentation Even though it is better if the system can be used without documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and documentation. Any such information should be easy to search, focused on the user’s task, list concrete steps to be carried out, and not be too large.
A	#7: Flexibility and efficiency of use Accelerators — unseen by the novice user — may often speed up the interaction for the expert user such that the system can cater to both inexperienced and experienced users. Allow users to tailor frequent actions. Examples are Keyboard Shortcuts and Macros
R	#6: Recognition rather than recall Minimize the user’s memory load by The user should not have to remember information from one part of the dialogue to another. Instructions for use of the system should be visible or easily retrievable whenever appropriate.
M	#2: Match between system and the real world The system should speak the users’ language, with words, phrases and concepts familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented terms. Follow real-world conventions, making information appear in a natural and logical order.

Achievement with Merit

Demonstrate in-depth understanding of human computer interaction

This requires you to:

This involves you:	You can show this by:
evaluating a given human-computer interface in terms of usability heuristics

Achievement with Excellence

Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of human computer interaction

This involves you:	You can show this by:
suggesting improvements to a given human-computer interface by comparing and contrasting related interfaces

2019 Marking Schedule

N1	Demonstrates very little understanding.
N2	Demonstrates little understanding and part of the response may be missing
A3	Partially describes the role of the interface. Identifies heuristics as required, to show some understanding. Some descriptions may be weak or partial.
A4	Identifies and describes heuristics as required to show clear understanding of usability heuristics
M5	Undertakes some evaluation of the chosen interface to show in-depth understanding. Some aspects of evaluation may be partial or weak.
M6	Evaluates the chosen interface as required to clearly show in-depth understanding.
E7	Compares and contrasts TWO interfaces as required to demonstrate comprehensive understanding. Suggests improvements. Some aspects may be partial or weak
E8	Compares and contrasts TWO interfaces as required to clearly demonstrate comprehensive understanding AND uses the comparison to suggest improvements based on the heuristics.