Designing a Help System Using a Goms Model: A Preliminary Method Execution Analysis

Abstract

The GOMS model (Card, Moran, and Newell, 1983) was used to develop the content of a help system from the goals, operators, methods, and selection rules needed to perform HyperCard™ authoring tasks. Three groups of 12 novice HyperCard users performed 28 authoring tasks using either the GOMS help system, an original help system developed by Apple® Computer, or no help at all (a control group). In the two help groups, users were provided the most complete help method and did not have to search for the help information. The results indicated that both help systems significantly decreased the time spent performing the authoring tasks when compared to the control group. Although a 23% decrease in execution time for GOMS users compared to original users was not significant, variance ratios confirmed that GOMS users, as a group, were more consistent when compared to original and control users. Also, GOMS users spent significantly less time per help display, translating the help methods into execution performance 78% more efficiently than original users. This result probably was due to the procedurally explicit and consistent help methods specified by the GOMS model.

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