What is EN ISO 18397:2018

The EN ISO 18397:2018 is a technical document that provides guidelines and specifications for the evaluation of human performance in tasks involving interactive systems. This international standard is relevant to various domains where human interaction with technology plays a crucial role, such as automotive, aviation, and software development.

Understanding Human Performance Evaluation

Human performance evaluation refers to assessing how well individuals perform specific tasks within an interactive system. It aims to measure various aspects like efficiency, effectiveness, and user satisfaction. The EN ISO 18397:2018 standard outlines key principles and methods to conduct evaluations and obtain reliable results.

The Importance of Standardization

Standardization is vital in the field of human performance evaluation as it ensures consistency and comparability of results across different studies and industries. EN ISO 18397:2018 provides a unified framework, enabling researchers and practitioners to benchmark their evaluations and promote best practices.

Key Elements of EN ISO 18397:2018

The EN ISO 18397:2018 standard addresses several critical aspects of human performance evaluation, including task analysis, performance metrics, data collection techniques, and reporting procedures.

1. Task Analysis: This section emphasizes the importance of defining clear tasks and goals to evaluate human performance objectively. It highlights factors like task complexity, workload, and user characteristics that should be considered during analysis.

2. Performance Metrics: The standard suggests various metrics to quantitatively measure human performance, such as completion time, error rates, and subjective assessments. It also provides guidance on selecting appropriate metrics based on the evaluation goals.

3. Data Collection Techniques: EN ISO 18397:2018 describes different methods for data collection, including direct observation, interviews, questionnaires, and eye-tracking. It emphasizes the importance of considering user feedback to gain insights into their subjective experience.

4. Reporting Procedures: This standard outlines guidelines for reporting evaluation results, ensuring transparency and enabling comparisons between different studies. It includes recommendations for presenting data, interpreting results, and identifying limitations.

In conclusion, the EN ISO 18397:2018 standard plays a crucial role in promoting standardized human performance evaluations in interactive systems. By following its guidelines, researchers and practitioners can obtain reliable and comparable results, leading to improved design and usability of various technologies.