A usability analysis of blocks-based programming editors using cognitive dimensions

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A usability analysis of blocks-based programming editors using cognitive dimensions

Conference Paper (2018)

Author(s)

Robert Holwerda (HAN University of Applied Sciences)

Felienne Hermans (TU Delft - Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science)

Research Group

Software Engineering

End-user development Blocks-based languages Cognitive dimensions Programmer experience

DOI related publication

https://doi.org/10.1109/VLHCC.2018.8506483 Final published version

To reference this document use

https://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:254afd0d-cbb6-4066-98ad-efafb1c0c790

More Info

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Publication Year

2018

Language

English

Research Group

Software Engineering

Volume number

2018-October

Article number

8506483

Pages (from-to)

217-225

Publisher

IEEE

ISBN (electronic)

978-1-5386-4235-1

Event

2018 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing, VL/HCC 2018 (2018-10-01 - 2018-10-04), Lisbon, Portugal

Downloads counter

172

Abstract

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.