| In a previous study the investigator observed that software application developers tend to avoid using Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS), whenever possible. These “help” systems seem to be inherently inefficient, to the effect that they hinder the work of development more than they help. A new EPSS design integrating tasks and concepts was hypothesized to allow more efficient access and use of information than a typical EPSS design under real-world conditions of use. Participants (n = 17) performed an unfamiliar and complex task under time-pressure. Those using the new EPSS spent more than twice as much time in productive on-task activities, and accomplished more than nine times the work as those using a typical EPSS. A test of a second hypothesis, that developers tend not to use the typical EPSS because it fails to integrate task and concept information, yielded mixed results. Participants using the new EPSS returned to it more often than did those using the typical EPSS, indicating that they found it more helpful in performing their task, but their ratings of satisfaction with the EPSS were not significantly higher than were the ratings given by those who used the typical EPSS. |
