Workshop on Cognitive Dimensions:
Strengthening the Cognitive Dimensions Research Community

Cognitive Dimensions (CD) provide a practical framework for evaluating aspects of the usability of any artifact, tool, or user-interface. For example, cognitive dimensions include vicosity, juxtaposability, etc. Current interest focuses on analysing the trade-offs between these dimensions.

The related area of Cognitive Technology (CT) is concerned with the impact of technology and technological change on human cognition, and conversely with the externalisation of human cognition in the form of new technologies and technological change. CT seek seeks to understand and optimise the pragmatics of tools as instruments of mind and the human-tool relationship.

This workshop will include presentations by invited speakers, with some slots reserved for other contributions, as well as focused discussion on topics such as new cognitive dimensions, trade-offs between cognitive dimensions. the relationship between cognitive dimension and cognitive technology.

Lunch and coffee will also be provided.

Participation is mainly by invitation. Position papers may focus on such areas as:

• How to identify, analyse and catalogue trade-offs between cognitive dimensions?
• New cognitive dimensions: how do we know when we have one?
• Formalisation: is it a good thing, what approaches exist?
• Methodology: what is needed for a CD design methodology?
• Notation: is there a good notation for CD research/applications?
• The relationship between cognitive technology and cognitive dimensions
  
• Relation of CDs to phenomena observed by cognitive science
• Dissemination: workshops & courses, creation of teaching materials on CDs

Alan Blackwell and Thomas Green will be attending.

Useful Links:

• Brief Cognitive Dimensions introduction by Thomas Green
• Cognitive Dimensions of Notations Resources Page
• Cognitive Dimensions tutorial and publications of Thomas Green
  
• Cognitive Technology : Instruments of Mind, 4th International Conference on Cognitive Technology, University of Warwick, 6-9 August 2001,
  proceedings to be published by Springer Verlag as a volume of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science / Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence series.
• Cognitive Technology Society (CTS)

Please come to main reception upon arrival.

Tentative Workshop Schedule of Presentation / Discussions

10.15 - 10.45       COFFEE

10.45 - 11.00     Welcome - Cognitive Technology & Cognitive Dimensions (Chrystopher Nehaniv)

11.00 - 12.00     Promises Promises: Tradeoffs and Profiles (Thomas Green)

12.00 - 13.00     New Dimensions (Alan Blackwell)

13.00 - 13.45       LUNCH

13.45 - 14.30     A Meta-View of a Cognitive Dimensions Profile (Maria Kutar & Carol Britton)

14.30 - 15.15     Tool Support for Exploring Dimensional Analysis (Chris Roast)

15.15 - 15.30       TEA

15.30 - 16.15     Agency, Dependency and Observation in the Study of Cognitive Dimensions (Allan Wong)

16.15 - 17.00     Dissemination (Thomas Green, Alan Blackwell, Chrystopher Nehaniv)

Provisional List of Participants:

For further information contact the organisers:

Chrystopher Nehaniv and Maria Kutar
Interactive Systems Research Group
University of Hertfordshire
College Lane
Hatfield, Herts AL10 9AB
U.K.