B.4 Design and development Flashcards
Apply information science theories in the design and development of information systems.
What is information science replete with?
Theories drawn from diverse disciplines such as mathematics, statistics, psychology, economics, and organisation science.
What is the purpose of theories in information science?
To provide guidance on analysis, explanation, prediction of phenomena, and design and action guidelines.
Name one example of a theory relevant to information systems in healthcare.
Activity Theory.
What does Activity Theory analyze?
The complex dynamics of settings involving interacting human and technical elements.
Who developed Activity Theory?
Lev Vygotsky.
What are the three levels of activity in Activity Theory?
- Activity
- Actions
- Operations
What characterizes human activity according to Activity Theory?
A dynamic, purposeful relationship in which people learn and grow.
What is the role of tools in Activity Theory?
Tools extend human ability to transform but also restrict actions due to their limitations.
What are the seven dimensions of human engagement in Activity Theory?
- The activity system
- People (actors) involved
- Purposes and motives
- Actions and operations
- Tools used
- Culture and context
- Changes sought
What are the four principles for systems design from activity analysis methodology?
- Focus on human activity
- Design for all three levels of human activity
- Consider real-world conditions
- Consider collaboration
True or False: Distributed cognition theory views individuals as the primary unit of analysis.
False.
What is the central tenet of distributed cognition theory?
Cognitive processes are best understood as distributed over systems rather than confined to individuals.
List the three principles central to distributed cognition.
- Social
- Embodied
- Culturally embodied
What does situated cognition theory imply about knowledge?
Knowledge and learning occur most effectively in situ, bound to social, cultural, and physical contexts.
What is the focus of Situated Cognitive Engineering?
Extracting relevant human factor knowledge tailored to operational demands and envisioned technologies.
What are the two branches of decision theory?
- Normative decision theory
- Optimal decision theory
What is classical decision theory’s assumption about decision-making?
Decisions should be completely rational and optimal.
List the steps in the traditional decision-making approach.
- Listing possible choices
- Identifying possible outcomes
- Articulating payoffs
- Selecting/building a decision model
- Applying the model
What is cognitive fit theory?
It posits that problem-solving performance is superior when there is a close correspondence between task representation and information presentation.
What does cognitive fit lead to in problem-solving?
Effective and efficient problem-solving performance.
Fill in the blank: Cognitive fit theory suggests matching representation to tasks leads to _______.
[similar problem-solving processes]
What does the application of cognitive fit theory to decision support tools suggest?
Efficiency and effectiveness of problem-solving are likely to be enhanced.
