Basic interaction at the human-computer interface

To successfully interact with the computer, the user must:

Recognize that the computer system can be used to achieve a particular goal

Identify the necessary procedures to be carried out in using the computer to achieve the desired goal

Know the necessary commands to give to the computer system to access the required computer functions as part of carrying out their tasks

Identify and understand the various states that the program is in and the replies that are issued by the program

Possess the necessary skills, for example, typing, pointing, or speaking, to be able to input commands to the computer system

(Johnson, 1992)

Ideally, a successful interaction is the shared responsibility of the user and the system

The concept of 'task' can be split into external and internal components