DEVELOPING PROCESS MODELS AS SUMMARIES OF HCI ACTION SEQUENCES

We describe the utility of process models for summarizing the sequenti al actions of individuals. Such models describe why users did what the y did, what information they used from the outside environment, and wh at knowledge they used to perform the task. These detailed explanation s of users' thoughts and actions can enhance interface design by offer ing behavior summaries that are inspectable and transferable to new in terfaces. Sequential data sets and models for human-computer interacti on are often large and complex. We present a computer-supported method ology for developing these models as summaries of sequential data. We illustrate that this methodology can make building and using such mode ls tractable by applying it to an existing model for using an on-line database.