Conditions for the acquisition of operating knowledge for solving technical problems

微电子领域的进步与新产品创新(例如智能家居系统)齐头并进，导致人-技术-交互的变化。这种相互作用中的干扰是有问题的。一方面，干扰可以归因于系统因素，这些因素在可用性研究的范围内进行研究(例如，用户界面的设计)，但另一方面，它们也可能是由个人影响(例如，缺乏操作知识)引起的。由于产品种类的增加、产品生命周期的缩短和产品复杂性的增加，开发足够的操作知识可能是具有挑战性的，并且正变得更加困难。我们的研究项目着眼于这一教育视角。技术设备的操作被视为一个解决问题的过程(技术问题解决)：通过与设备交互，人的目标是将当前的启动系统状态转换为期望的目标状态。在这样做的过程中，出现了障碍，这些障碍使过渡变得困难，而这些障碍不能通过常规行动来解决。这项研究项目关注的是获得操作知识的条件和形式，以克服这些障碍。该项目的核心是调查个人认知和动机特征的作用，以及可能有利于或阻碍与数字化技术进行胜任互动的系统因素。使用建立的用于解决技术问题的基于计算机的测试，该测试可用于记录交互数据(例如，鼠标点击)，调查在获取操作知识和有目的地控制技术设备方面的偏好和过程。考虑来自家庭自动化、家用电器以及信息和通信技术(例如，加热控制、洗碗机或互联网路由器)领域的日常技术系统。所使用的基于计算机的测试是进一步开发(例如，通过用户手册扩展)并在研究1中基于广泛的成人样本进行校准的。在研究2中，除了评估个人在解决技术问题方面的表现外，还将评估他们的认知和动机特征(即智力、阅读技能或技术自我概念)。基于所获得的数据，调查问题(A)人们是否更喜欢某种形式的知识获取或结合不同的形式(例如，通过系统探索和用户手册中的阅读说明来发现功能)，(B)在什么情况下人们使用特定的方法(例如，技术自我概念较低的人更有可能从用户手册中获取知识？)以及(C)在何种程度上，日常技术手段的成功使用可以归因于个人特征、知识获取战略和所获得知识的各个方面。

Advances in the field of microelectronics go hand in hand with new product innovations (e.g., smart home systems), which result in changes in human-technology-interaction. Interferences in this interaction are problematic. On the one hand, interferences can be attributed to system factors, which are researched within the scope of usability studies (e.g., design of user interfaces), but on the other hand they can also arise from individual influences (e.g., lack of operating knowledge). The development of adequate operating knowledge can be challenging and is becoming more difficult due to increasing product variety, shorter product life cycles and increasing product complexity. Our research project focuses on this educational perspective. The operation of a technical device is seen as a problem solving process (technical problem solving): By interacting with a device, a person aims at transforming a current start system state into a desired target state. In doing so, barriers occur which make a transition difficult and which cannot be solved by routine actions. This research project is concerned with the conditions and forms of acquiring operating knowledge to overcome such barriers. The core of the project is to investigate the role of individual cognitive and motivational characteristics as well as system factors that may favor or hinder competent interaction with digitized technology. Using an established computer-based test for technical problem solving, which can be used to record interaction data (e.g., mouse clicks), preferences and processes in the acquisition of operating knowledge and in the purposeful control of a technical device are investigated. Everyday technical systems from the fields of home automation, household appliance and information and communication technology (e.g., heating control, dishwasher, or Internet router) are considered. The computer-based test used is further developed (e.g., extended by user manuals) and calibrated in Study 1 based on a broad adult sample. In Study 2, cognitive and motivational characteristics of individuals (i.e., intelligence, reading skills, or technical self-concept) will be assessed in addition to their performance in technical problem solving. Based on the obtained data, the questions are investigated (a) whether people prefer some form of knowledge acquisition or combine different forms (e.g., discovering a function through system exploration with reading instructions in the user manual), (b) under which conditions people use a certain method (e.g., Is a person with a low technical self-concept more likely to acquire knowledge from user manuals? ) and (c) to which extent the successful use of everyday technical devices can be attributed to individual characteristics, strategies of knowledge acquisition and aspects of acquired knowledge.