User model depicts profile of end users of computer system - Software Process Improvement

Discussion

• Nirja Shah   -Posted on 27 Oct 15
  User model
  - This model represents a collection of personal data associated with a specific user.
  
  - Therefore, it is the basis for any adaptive changes to the system's behaviour.
  
  - The data which is included in the model depends on the purpose of the application.
  
  - It can include personal information such as users' names and ages, their interests, their skills and knowledge, their goals and plans, their preferences and their dislikes or data about their behaviour and their interactions with the system.
  
  - There are different design patterns for user models and often a mixture of them is used.
  
  Static user models
  - These models are the most basic kinds of user models.
  - All the data when gathered normally do not change they remain static.
  - Shifts in users' preferences are not registered and no learning algorithms are used to alter the model.
  
  Dynamic user models
  - These models allow a more up to date representation of users.
  - The user model are influenced by the changes in their interests, their learning progress or interactions with the system are noticed.
  - These models can be updated and they take the current needs and goals of the users into account.
  
  Stereotype based user models
  - This model is based on the demographic statistics.
  - Users are classified into common stereotypes based on the information that is gathered.
  - The system then adapts to this stereotype.
  - The application can make assumptions about a user even though there might be no data about that specific area, because demographic studies have shown that other users in this stereotype have the same characteristics.
  - These models mainly rely on statistics and do not take into account that personal attributes might not match the stereotype.
  - They allow predictions about a user even if there is rather little information about him or her.
  
  Highly adaptive user models
  - These models try to represent one particular user and therefore allow a very high adaptivity of the system.
  - They do not rely on demographic statistics but aim to find a specific solution for each user in contrast to stereotype based user models .
  - Even though users can take great benefit from this high adaptivity, this model needs to gather a lot of information first.
  

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