ANDREW
WALENSTEIN
walenste@ieee.org
Research Scientist
Center for Advanced Computer Studies
University of Louisiana @ Lafayette
|
Chapter 2: The Need for Cognitive Support Theories
Many psychological aspects of software engineering (SE) tools are
rarely studied. When developer tools are designed and evaluated, very
little explicit theory is available to be called upon. Moreover, there
is very little awareness for why this is a problem for tools research.
In this chapter I present a case for why SE researchers need cognitive
support theories for understanding, evaluating, comparing, and designing
SE tools. The argument revoles around highlighting many problems found
in SE research and tracing them back to a lack of suitable theories of
cognitive support. Many tools researchers feel that it is possible to
more or less ignore the psychology behind their tools; to hide behind
deep expertise and finesse the cognitive aspects by eliminating them from
tool evaluations or design sessions. This chapter argues that this is
unwise; that we need to begin delving deeper into the cognitive aspects
of our tools.
Although I adovcate consideration of the cognitive consequences
of tools, I am careful to avoid suggesting that SE researchers do
cognitive psychology and theoretical HCI. That is best left for others
in contributing disciplines to do. They do it well, and get funding
and recognition for that work. Instead, the chapter presents a vision
for how psychological science and tools research can work together.
It establishes a reasonable role for tools researchers who wish to be
responsible scientifically by making use of cognitive support theories.
It is true that there are many problems caused because of an insufficient
theoretical foundation< but the right solution is not to have tools
researchers producing the needed theories. Instead it is more appropriate
to encourage them to use the theories that exist, and to make sure
that applied theoreticians are diligent in collecting the science base
into accessible and usable applied theories. This dissertation works
towards this vision by taking steps to provide such integrated applied
theories, and by investigating and promoting ways of letting tools
researchers apply them.
|
|
[ up ]
thesis overview
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
|