Design problems for cognitive ergonomics research: What we can learn from ATM-like micro-worlds

Abstract

Cognitive Ergonomics research practices of acquiring and validating design knowledge require the specification of design problems, such that this knowledge can be shown to solve these problems. Operational problems are rejected as appropriate expressions for the acquisition, but not for the application, of such knowledge. There is a need, then, to develop a specification of design problems for research, problems nevertheless having a relationship with operational problems. This paper describes and illustrates a framework for expressing such Cognitive Ergonomic design problems; using an air traffic management-like micro-toorid. A design problem is expressed informally as: to design users interacting with computers to perform effective work. The illustration includes both framework models (that is, design problem; worksystem; domain; performance; and operator domain representation) and their operationalisation as data. The paper concludes that, because they are less complex, microworlds may be a better initial development environment for specifying design problems for Cognitive Ergonomics research, than either operational or macro-worlds.