Activity 01 - A quick introduction to Cogulator

During todays activity, we’re going to take an existing task analysis and attempt to implement it in a GOMS (NGMOSL) model using a tool called Cogulator.

This is meant to a low-stakes way to setup a potentially useful tool and tinker with a model to develop a GOMS model.

Note that there are questions below under steps - you should make sure you’re recording answers as you progress!

Individual, paired, group - how should we approach this?

You may have work on this as a pair or individually.

1 - Getting Cogulator (8 minute)

Navigate to the Cogulator Website and follow the instructions for installing it for your particular platform

Q1) Where can you find information on the way cogulator works (within the actual cogulator website)? Give all the possible locations to find such information (either URLs or a description of the navigation structure will do here)

• 1 pt

2 - Tinkering with Cogulator (10 minutes)

Once you have Cogulator on your computer and working (it opens!), check out the models. Tinker around with them and use the information locations above to better understand what is going on in the models (we’ll also do some of this in class)

Q2) Where is the models folder located on your computer? Here, you just need to give the directory path or a natural language translation of where to find it (e.g., “In my home directory under “models” (<- This would likely not be correct, by the way!))

• 1 pt

3 - Trying out a Task analysis and model (20 minutes)

Now that you have figured out some things and located this model folder, I want you to do a quick task analysis of navigating to the folder where your Cogulator model folder is (you can start with an HTA and add in the cognitive (memory) components where you notice cognition plays an especially big role)

• you can look to Figure 11.2 in the FDUCS book for an example of an HTA

With this task analysis in-hand, develop a GOMS model of this task. This should be an NGOMSL model. You also might find there are some useful components/tools in cogulator that can give you nice initial templates for the work you need to do here.

Q3) What is the timing your model predicts? Does it match your experience, underestimate, or overestimate (and if it was off, why do you think this was the case?)

• 1 pt

Once you have completed your model, submit that model (should be a .goms file) to the Canvas link along with your answers to the above questions. Make sure to give the name of your partner (if you had one) in your submission.

GOMS model - 2 pts

Grading

Graded item	Points
Question 1	1 pt
Question 2	1 pt
Question 3	1 pt
GOMS model	2 pts

Total points possible: 5 pts