TY - GEN
T1 - A usability analysis of blocks-based programming editors using cognitive dimensions
AU - Holwerda, Robert
AU - Hermans, Felienne
PY - 2018/10/23
Y1 - 2018/10/23
N2 - Blocks-based programming holds potential for end-user developers. Like all visual programming languages, blocks-based programming languages embody both a language design and a user interface design for the editing environment. For blocks-based languages, these designs are focused on learnability and low error rates, which makes them effective for education. For end-user developers who program as part of their professions, other characteristics of usability, like efficiency of use, will also be important. This paper presents a usability analysis, supported by a user study, of the editor design of current blocks-based programming systems, based on the Cognitive Dimensions of Notations framework, and we present design manoeuvres aimed at improving programming time and effort, program comprehension and programmer comfort.
AB - Blocks-based programming holds potential for end-user developers. Like all visual programming languages, blocks-based programming languages embody both a language design and a user interface design for the editing environment. For blocks-based languages, these designs are focused on learnability and low error rates, which makes them effective for education. For end-user developers who program as part of their professions, other characteristics of usability, like efficiency of use, will also be important. This paper presents a usability analysis, supported by a user study, of the editor design of current blocks-based programming systems, based on the Cognitive Dimensions of Notations framework, and we present design manoeuvres aimed at improving programming time and effort, program comprehension and programmer comfort.
KW - Blocks-based languages
KW - Cognitive dimensions
KW - End-user development
KW - Programmer experience
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85056853649&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85056853649&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/VLHCC.2018.8506483
DO - 10.1109/VLHCC.2018.8506483
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85056853649
T3 - Proceedings of IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing, VL/HCC
SP - 217
EP - 225
BT - Proceedings - 2018 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing, VL/HCC 2018
A2 - Kelleher, Caitlin
A2 - Engels, Gregor
A2 - Fernandes, Joao Paulo
A2 - Cunha, Jacome
A2 - Mendes, Jorge
PB - IEEE Computer Society
T2 - 2018 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing, VL/HCC 2018
Y2 - 1 October 2018 through 4 October 2018
ER -