SSSeeerririeieess s I ISISSSSSNNN:: : 1 11999444666---777666888000 TTT UUU MMM RRR NNN SSSYYYNNNTTTHHHEEESSSIIISSS LLLEEECCCTTTUUURRREEESSS OOONNN EEE &&&CCC MMMooorrrgggaaannn& & & CCClllaaayyypppoooooolll PPPuuubbbllliiissshhheeerrrsss RRR HHHUUUMMMAAANNN---CCCEEENNNTTTEEERRREEEDDD I IINNNFFFOOORRRMMMAAATTTIIICCCSSS SSSeeerrriiieeesss E EEdddiiitttooorrr::: J JJooohhhnnn M MM.. . C CCaaarrrrrrooolllll,l, , P PPeeennnnnn S SStttaaattteee U UUnnniiivvveeerrrsssiiitttyyy HHHooowww WWWeee CCCooopppeee wwwiiittthhh HHHooowww WWWeee CCCooopppeee wwwiiittthhh DDDiiigggiiitttaaalll TTTeeeccchhhnnnooolllooogggyyy PPPhhhiilil l T TTuuurrrnnneeerrr,, , E EEdddiininnbbbuuurrrggghhh N NNaaapppiieieerrr U UUnnniivivveeerrrssisitittyyy DDDiiigggiiitttaaalll TTTeeeccchhhnnnooolllooogggyyy DDDiigiggiititataall l t teteeccchhhnnnooolloloogggyyy h hhaaasss b bbeeecccooommmeee a aa d ddeeeffifininniininnggg c cchhhaaarrraaaccctteteerrriisissttiticicc o ooff f m mmooodddeeerrrnnn l lilififefee.. . A AAllmlmmooossstt t e eevvveeerrryyyooonnneee u uussseeesss i itit,t,w,wweee a aallllll rrereellylyy o oonnn i itit,t, , a aannnddd m mmaaannnyyy o ooff f u uusss o oowwwnnn a aa m mmuuulltltitititutuudddeee o ooff f d ddeeevvviicicceeesss.. . W WWhhhaaatt t i isiss m mmooorreree,, , w wweee a aalllll l e eexxxpppeeeccctt t t totoo b bbeee a aabbbllelee t totoo u uussseee t ththheeessseee tteteeccchhhnnnooolloloogggiieieesss “ “s“ssttrtrraaaiigigghhhtt t o oouuutt t t ththheee b bboooxxx..”.” ” T TThhhiisiss l leleecccttutuurreree d ddiisisscccuuusssssseeesss h hhooowww w wweee a aarreree a aabbbllelee t totoo d ddooo t ththhiisiss w wwiitiththhooouuutt t a aappppppaaarrereennnttt ppprroroobbblleleemmmsss... HHH WWWeee a aarreree a aabbbllelee t totoo u uussseee d ddiigiggiititataall l t teteeccchhhnnnooolloloogggyyy b bbeeecccaaauuussseee w wweee h hhaaavvveee l leleeaaarrrnnneeeddd t totoo c ccooopppeee w wwiitiththh i itit.t. . “ ““TTTooo c ccooopppeee”” ” i isiss u uussseeeddd i ininn OOO WWW ppphhhiililoloosssoooppphhhyyy t totoo m mmeeeaaannn “ “a“aabbbsssooorrrbbbeeeddd e eennngggaaagggeeemmmeeennntt,t,”,” ” t ththhaaatt t i isiss,, , w wweee u uussseee o oouuurr r s ssmmmaaarrrtt t p pphhhooonnneeesss a aannnddd t tataabbblleleett t c ccooommmpppuuutteteerrsrss w wwiitiththh W W W EEE llilitittttltlelee o oorr r n nnooo c ccooonnnsssccciioioouuusss e eefffffofoorrrtt.t. . I IInnn h hhuuummmaaannn---cccooommmpppuuutteteerr r i ininntteteerraraacccttitioioonnn t ththhiisiss k kkiininnddd o ooff f u uussseee i isiss m mmooorreree o oofftfteteennn d ddeeessscccrrriibibbeeeddd a aasss C C C OOO iininnttutuuiitititivivveee.. .W WWhhhiililelee t ththhiisiss,, ,o ooff f c ccooouuurrsrsseee,, ,i isiss t teteesssttataammmeeennntt t t totoo i imimmppprroroovvveeeddd d ddeeesssiigiggnnn,, ,o oouuurr r i ininntteteerrereessstt t i ininn t ththhiisiss l leleecccttutuurreree i isiss i ininn t ththheee h hhuuummmaaannn PPP EEE sssiididdeee o ooff f t ththheeessseee i ininntteteerraraacccttitioioonnnsss.. . W WWeee c ccooopppeee w wwiitiththh t teteeccchhhnnnooolloloogggyyy b bbeeecccaaauuussseee w wweee a aarreree f fafaammmiilililiaiaarr r w wwiitiththh i itit.t.. W W W III WWWeee d ddeeeffifininneee f fafaammmiilililiaiaarrriititytyy a aasss t ththheee r rereeaaadddiininneeessssss t totoo e eennngggaaagggeee w wwiitiththh t teteeccchhhnnnooolloloogggyyy w wwhhhiicicchhh a aarrriisisseeesss f ffrroroommm b bbeeeiininnggg r rereepppeeeaaatteteedddllylyy THTHTH eeexxxpppooossseeeddd t totoo i itit—t——ooofftfteteennn f ffrroroommm b bbiirirtrththh.. . T TThhhiisiss e eexxxpppooosssuuurreree i ininnvvvooollvlvveeesss t ththheee f ffrrereeqqquuueeennntt t u uussseee o ooff f i itit t a aannnddd s sseeeeeeiininnggg p ppeeeooopppllelee a aalllll l a aarroroouuunnnddd D D D III GGG uuusss u uusssiininnggg i itit t e eevvveeerrryyy d ddaaayyy.. . D DDiigiggiititataall l t teteeccchhhnnnooolloloogggyyy h hhaaasss b bbeeecccooommmeee a aasss c ccooommmmmmooonnn a aa f fefeeaaattutuurreree o ooff f o oouuurrr e eevvveeerrryyydddaaayyy l lilivivveeesss a aasss t ththheee III TTT AAA mmmooottotoorr r c ccaaarr,r , ,T TTVVV, , ,c ccrrereedddiitit t c ccaaarrdrdd, , ,c ccuuuttltleleerrryy,y , ,o oorr r a aa d ddooozzzeeennn o ootththheeerr r t ththhiininngggss s w wwhhhiicicchhh w wweee a aallslsosoo u uussesee w wwiitiththhooouuutt t c ccooonnnsscscciioioouuuss s d ddeeellilibibbeeerraraattitioioonnn... LLL T T T WWWeee w wwiilillll l a aarrgrgguuueee t ththhaaatt t w wweee c ccooopppeee w wwiitiththh d ddiigiggiititataall l t teteeccchhhnnnooolloloogggyyy i ininn t ththheee s ssaaammmeee w wwaaayyy a aasss w wweee d ddooo t ththheeessseee o ootththheeerr r t teteeccchhhnnnooolloloogggiieieesss EEE CCC HHH bbbyyy m mmeeeaaannnsss o ooff f t ththhiisiss e eevvveeerrryyydddaaayyy f fafaammmiilililiaiaarrriititytyy... NNN OOO PPPhhhiiilll TTTuuurrrnnneeerrr BBBuuutt t t ththhiisiss i isiss o oonnnllylyy h hhaaallflf f o ooff f t ththheee s ssttotoorrryyy.. . W WWeee a aallslssooo r rereeggguuullalaarrrllylyy s ssuuuppppppooorrrtt t o oorrr s sscccaaafffffofoolldldd o oouuurrr u uussseee o ooff f t teteeccchhhnnnooolloloogggyyy..T.TThhheeessseee LLL OOO ssscccaaafffffofoolldlddiininnggg a aacccttitivivviitititieieesss a aarreree d ddeeessscccrrriibibbeeeddd a aasss “ “e“eepppiisisstteteemmmiicicc a aacccttitioioonnnsss”” ” w wwhhhiicicchhh w wweee a aadddoooppptt t t totoo m mmaaakkkeee i itit t e eeaaasssiieieerrr f fofoorrr u uusss t totoo GGG YYY aaaccccccooommmpppllilisisshhh o oouuurr r g ggoooaaallslss.. . W WWiitiththh d ddiigiggiititataall l t teteeccchhhnnnooolloloogggyyy t ththheeessseee e eepppiisisstteteemmmiicicc a aacccttitioioonnnsss i ininnccclluluudddeee a aapppppprrorooppprrriiaiaattitininnggg i itit t t totoo m mmooorreree ccclloloossseeerr r m mmeeeeeett t o oouuurr r n nneeeeeedddsss... IIInnn s susuummmmmmaaarrryy,y , ,c ccooopppiininnggg i isis s a aa s sisititutuuaaatteteeddd, , ,e eemmmbbbooodddiieieeddd, , ,a aannnddd d ddiisiststrtriribibbuuutteteeddd d ddeeesscsccrriripippttitioioonnn o ooff f h hhooowww w wweee u uussesee d ddiigiggiititataall l t teteeccchhhnnnooolloloogggyy.y.. AAAbbbooouuuttt S SSYYYNNNTTTHHHEEESSSIIIsss TTThhhiisiss v vvooolluluummmeee i isiss a aa p pprririninntteteeddd v vveeerrsrssiioioonnn o ooff f a aa w wwooorrkrkk t ththhaaatt t a aappppppeeeaaarrsrss i ininn t ththheee S SSyyynnntththheeessisisiss DDDiigiggiititataall l L LLiibibbrrraaarrryyy o ooff f E EEnnngggiininneeeeeerrriininnggg a aannnddd C CCooommmpppuuutteteerrr S SSccicieieennnccecee.. . S SSyyynnntththheeessisisis s L LLeeecccttutuurrereesss MMM OOO ppprroroovvviididdeee c ccooonnnccciisisesee, , ,o oorririgiggiininnaaall l p pprrereesseseennnttataattitioioonnnss s o ooff f i imimmpppooorrtrtataannntt t r rereesseseeaaarrcrcchhh a aannnddd d ddeeevvveeelloloopppmmmeeennnttt RRR ttotoopppiiciccss,s , ,p ppuuubbbllilisishshheeeddd q qquuuiicicckkkllyly,y , ,i ininn d ddiigiggiititataall l a aannnddd p pprririninntt t f fofoorrmrmmaaattsts.s . .F FFooorr r m mmooorreree i ininnffofoorrmrmmaaattitioioonnn GGG AAA vvviisisisitit t w wwwwwwww..m.mmooorrrgggaaannncccllalaayyypppooooooll.l.c.ccooommm NNN &&& SSSYYYNNNTTTHHHEEESSSIIISSS LLLEEECCCTTTUUURRREEESSS OOONNN IIISSSBBBNNN::: 999777888---111---666222777000555---111000111---999 CCC MMMooorrrgggaaannn & & & CCClllaaayyypppoooooolll PPPuuubbbllliiissshhheeerrrsss 999000000000000 LALALA HHHUUUMMMAAANNN---CCCEEENNNTTTEEERRREEEDDD I IINNNFFFOOORRRMMMAAATTTIIICCCSSS YYY PPP wwwwwwwww...mmmooorrrgggaaannnccclllaaayyypppoooooolll...cccooommm OOO 999777888111666222777000555111000111999 OOO LLL JJJooohhhnnn M MM.. . C CCaaarrrrrrooolllll,l, , S SSeeerrriiieeesss E EEdddiiitttooorrr How We Cope with Digital Technology iii Synthesis Lectures on Human-Centered Informatics Editor John M. Carroll, Penn State University Human-Centered Informatics (HCI) is the intersection of the cultural, the social, the cognitive, and the aesthetic with computing and information technology. It encompasses a huge range of issues, theories, technologies, designs, tools, environments and human experiences in knowledge work, recreation and leisure activity, teaching and learning, and the potpourri of everyday life. The series publishes state-of-the-art syntheses, case studies, and tutorials in key areas. How We Cope with Digital Technology Phil Turner 2013 Translating Euclid: Designing a Human-Centered Mathematics Gerry Stahl 2013 Adaptive Interaction: A Utility Maximization Approach to Understanding Human Interaction with Technology Stephen J. Payne and Andrew Howes 2013 Making Claims: Knowledge Design, Capture, and Sharing in HCI D. Scott McCrickard 2012 HCI Theory: Classical, Modern, and Contemporary Yvonne Rogers 2012 Activity Theory in HCI: Fundamentals and Reflections Victor Kaptelinin and Bonnie Nardi 2012 iv Conceptual Models: Core to Good Design Jeff Johnson and Austin Henderson 2011 Geographical Design: Spatial Cognition and Geographical Information Science Stephen C. Hirtle 2011 User-Centered Agile Methods Hugh Beyer 2010 Experience-Centered Design: Designers, Users, and Communities in Dialogue PeterWright and John McCarthy 2010 Experience Design: Technology for All the Right Reasons Marc Hassenzahl 2010 Designing and Evaluating Usable Technology in Industrial Research: Three Case Studies Clare-Marie Karat and John Karat 2010 Interacting with Information Ann Blandford and Simon Attfield 2010 Designing for User Engagement: Aesthetic and Attractive User Interfaces Alistair Sutcliffe 2009 Context-Aware Mobile Computing: Affordances of Space, Social Awareness, and Social Influence Geri Gay 2009 Studies ofWork and theWorkplace in HCI: Concepts and Techniques Graham Button andWes Sharrock 2009 v Semiotic Engineering Methods for Scientific Research in HCI Clarisse Sieckenius de Souza and Carla Faria Leitão 2009 Common Ground in Electronically Mediated Conversation Andrew Monk 2008 Copyright © 2013 by Morgan & Claypool All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. How We Cope with Digital Technology Phil Turner www.morganclaypool.com ISBN: 9781627051019 print ISBN: 9781627051026 ebook DOI 10.2200/S00519ED2V01Y201307HCI018 A Publication in the Morgan & Claypool Publishers series SYNTHESIS LECTURES ON HUMAN-CENTERED INFORMATICS Lecture #18 Series Editor: John M. Carroll, Penn State University Series ISSN 1946-7680 Print 1946-7699 Electronic How We Cope with Digital Technology Phil Turner Edinburgh Napier University SYNTHESIS LECTURES ON HUMAN-CENTERED INFORMATICS #18 M &C MORGAN & CLAYPOOL PUBLISHERS viii ABSTRACT Digital technology has become a defining characteristic of modern life. Almost everyone uses it, we all rely on it, and many of us own a multitude of devices. What is more, we all expect to be able to use these technologies “straight out the box.” This lecture discusses how we are able to do this without apparent problems. We are able to use digital technology because we have learned to cope with it. “To cope” is used in philosophy to mean “absorbed engagement,” that is, we use our smart phones and tablet computers with little or no conscious effort. In human-computer interaction this kind of use is more often described as intuitive. While this, of course, is testament to improved design, our in- terest in this lecture is in the human side of these interactions. We cope with technology because we are familiar with it. We define familiarity as the readiness to engage with technology which arises from being repeatedly exposed to it—often from birth. This exposure involves the frequent use of it and seeing people all around us using it every day. Digital technology has become as common a feature of our everyday lives as the motor car, TV, credit card, cutlery, or a dozen other things which we also use without conscious deliberation. We will argue that we cope with digital technology in the same way as we do these other technologies by means of this everyday familiarity. But this is only half of the story. We also regularly support or scaffold our use of technology. These scaffolding activities are described as “epistemic actions” which we adopt to make it easier for us to accomplish our goals. With digital technology these epistemic actions include appropriating it to more closer meet our needs. In summary, coping is a situated, embodied, and distributed description of how we use digital technology. KEYWORDS coping, familiarity, prior knowledge, epistemic actions, scaffolding ix Contents Acknowledgments .................................................. xvii 1 Introduction ....................................................... . 1 1.1 Digital Natives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1.2 Unruly, Complex Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1.3 Monday, Monday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1.4 The Habitual Nature of Everyday Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1.5 Coping, Comportment, and Cognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 1.6 Actions to Support Coping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 1.7 This Lecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2 Familiarity ........................................................ 11 2.1 Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 2.2 Defining Familiarity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 2.3 Readiness to Cope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 2.3.1 Making Use of the Tacit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 2.3.2 A Structure for Prior Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 2.3.3 Collages and Vicarious Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 2.4 Our Involvement with Digital Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 2.5 Not Being Familiar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 2.5.1 Reconfiguring One’s World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 2.5.2 Computers are Part of ‘Modern Life’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 2.5.3 Participating in The Modern World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 2.5.4 The Meeting of Two Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 2.5.5 In Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 2.6 Familiarity within HCI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 2.6.1 Making Sense of Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 2.6.2 Shared Meaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 2.6.3 Learning To Be Familiar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 2.7 In Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 3 Coping ........................................................... 29 3.1 Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29