Cognitively Informed Systems: Justifications and Foundations

Abstract

Cognitively informed systems as introduced by Alkhalifa (2005b) is a perspective that encourages system designers to consider the findings of cognitive science as informative to the design of their systems. This relies on an underlying assumption that the presentation, interaction abilities, as well as the system structure, are likely to achieve more efficient communication if the design is aligned with the expectations of the human cognitive machine. In other words, this perspective deals with issues such as how to best present materials for the perceptual system to isolate the required differences and focus on the correct points in the image, how to offer sufficient interaction to enhance learning, or how to elicit different levels of cognitive engagement with the system. This chapter offers a survey of the main areas of the field and examples are given of how these areas can inform particular aspects of future system design. A case study is also presented as support to this perspective. The main conclusion thatcan be drawn is that this new perspective is not only practical but also worthwhile.