Usable adaptive hypermedia systems

Abstract

Abstract Adaptive interfaces have received much criticism because adaptation and automatic assistance generally contradict the principles of direct-manipulation interfaces. In addition, their success depends highly on the ability of user models to capture the goals and needs of the users. As the construction of user models is often based on poor evidence, even the most advanced learning algorithms may fail to infer accurately the user goals. Previous research has put little emphasis on investigating usability problems of adaptive systems and developing interaction techniques that could resolve these problems. This paper examines these problems and presents an interaction model for adaptive hypermedia (AH) that merges adaptive support and direct manipulation. This approach is built upon a new content adaptation technique that derives from fisheye views. This adaptation technique supports incremental and continuous adjustments of the adaptive views of hypermedia documents and balances between focus and context. By combining this technique with visual representations and controllers of user models, we form a twofold interaction model that enables users to move quickly between adaptation and direct control. Two preliminary user studies exhibit the strengths of our proposed interaction model and adaptation technique. Future extensions to our work are outlined based on the weaknesses and limitations that the studies revealed. Keywords: Adaptive hypermediaUsabilityPredictabilityUser controlFocus+contextFisheye views Acknowledgments We thank the participants of the two user studies reported in this paper. We also thank the anonymous reviewers and Bowen Hui for valuable comments on this document. Finally, we thank Luke Murphy for his permission to use the content of ‘What's up in Toronto’, available online at http://www.whatsuptoronto.com. Notes What did you come in to look at? If you have any order to give me it's my duty to carry it out, he answered, after another silent pause, with a slow, measured lisp, raising his eyebrows and calmly twisting his head from one side to another, all this with exasperating composure. Notes from the Underground, Fyodor Dostoyevsky Additional informationNotes on contributorsT. Tsandilas What did you come in to look at? If you have any order to give me it's my duty to carry it out, he answered, after another silent pause, with a slow, measured lisp, raising his eyebrows and calmly twisting his head from one side to another, all this with exasperating composure. Notes from the Underground, Fyodor Dostoyevsky