The Human-Computer Interface and Information Literacy: Some Basics and Beyond.

Abstract

Research into human-computer interaction has revealed many factors that affect the success of computer-mediated tasks such as information seeking and retrieval. This research is relevant to information professionals, including librarians and those who teach information literacy. The factors revealed include design considerations, cognitive aspects, and the dynamics at the human-computer interface. Some of these factors pertain to communication models and aspects of instructional design. The dynamics or interactions at the interface also suggest--especially for searches of remote, computer-based information--that the term human-computer interface may be inaccurate. A more appropriate, comprehensive term is suggested that goes beyond the notion of the human-computer interface in at least three ways: it modifies and expands the traditional notion of interface, applies to all typical information resources, and is more relevant to information literacy. The many articles in the library literature about information literacy (IL) reflect the timeliness and importance of this topic. The importance of IL for the academic community is emphatically summarized in a quote by Behrens (1994, 315) in which she paraphrases Breivik and Gee (1989): ... in an information society, the ultimate measurement [emphasis added] of the quality of undergraduate education is whether students are self-directed, independent learners. Furthermore, this educational emphasis on IL harks back to the philosophical foundations of this country's public education and public library movements in the nineteenth century. For a review of these foundations, see Bopp and Smith (1991). For a review of IL, see Behrens (1994). On the other hand, the library literature contains relatively little information about either the aspects of research into human-computer interaction (HCI) at the human-computer interface (HCIf) or any relation between this research and IL. Although using a computer to access information resources is not the only skill relevant to IL, this relation pertains to at least the part of the ALA's definition of IL that requires one to be able to locate and evaluate information (Behrens 1994). Additional requirements include identifying, organizing, and using information. This location requirement is important because it must be achieved before some of the other requirements can be met. The evaluation requirement relates to an evaluation component or aspect of HCI/HCIf research, but more will be said about that later. Since one could reasonably argue that the relation between HCI research and IL is fundamental, even critical, the library literature may need to say more about HCI research and the relation's nature and relevance to information professionals. With more said, those involved in teaching IL could, at the very least, better understand HCI research and become aware of a more thorough range of possible instructional objectives to incorporate into their lessons. For example, they could include objectives that address some of the possible problems at the HCIf revealed by HCI research. Such objectives could help students overcome these problems and satisfy the location and evaluation requirements of IL. The human--computer interactions at the HCIf are commonly referred to as communication. As such, they can be partly understood in terms of the Shannon-Weaver (1949; Weaver 1949) model of communication and Schramm's (1954) modification of it. Consequently, an understanding of these models can enhance understanding of human-computer interactions. Understanding these interactions and models also has implications for instructional design. Furthermore, to satisfy the location and evaluation requirements for IL means that to find computer-accessible information, one must be able to communicate successfully at the HCIf. Although some are implied above, the purposes of this article should be stated more specifically, including those listed below: * To provide information about some basic aspects of HCI research * To suggest a relation between these aspects and IL * To briefly discuss prominent models of communication * To relate these models to human-computer interactions and IL * To provide a different or additional viewpoint that suggests IL has a multidisciplinary character * To possibly contribute to the emergence or evolution of IL as a field of study or hybrid discipline (McCrank 1992, 485) * To help clarify the basic components or elements of IL (McCrank 1992) * To add more information about these topics to the library literature * To stimulate awareness, thinking, and discussion about these topics and their interrelationships so they will possibly become a larger part of not only the library literature, but also the literature of information science in general, the fields of education and communication, and the variety of disciplines that contribute to HCI research and are relevant to IL. …

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