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User Testing

Participants in the user testing found the interface easy to learn, easy to use and effective for entering formulae. A number of the participants also asked when a fully featured version of the system would be available. When asked to rate the style of interaction that this system used against other systems they had used (typically Microsoft's equation editor or LATEX), on a scale of 0 (Worse) to 5 (Better), the answers were all at or above 3, with an average of 4.2.

Testers who were mathematicians, those who would have the highest requirements of such a system, remarked positively on the system and what it was able to do. Their main criticism was that there was only a limited subset of mathematical formulae that the system could understand, thus being of no present value to them. As the system is based on a grammar loaded at run-time, this grammar can be edited so that it can perform as they desire. Ideally a GUI tool would enable end users to work with the grammar, adding or changing any mathematical constructs as they desire.

Participants in the user testing filled in an anonymous questionnaire and then answered verbal questions. The answers given for the anonymous questionnaire are included in Appendix F. Answers given during the verbal questioning are in Appendix G.



 
next up previous
Next: Working Styles Up: Evaluation Previous: Evaluation
Steve Smithies
1999-11-13