The Impact of the Mode of Information Presentation on Learning and Performance

A logistics management game was modified to provide an information/decision system that would serve as a framework for experimentally investigating the impact of the mode of information presentation. Subjects played the game by making a series of weekly decisions during each of two playing sessions. The experimental treatments were varied between sessions to permit the testing of a set of hypotheses pertaining to the impact that information and its mode of presentation might have upon performance and the rate of performance change. Data on player decisions and simulated results (performance) were collected automatically by the modified gaming system while data on player backgrounds were collected via questionnaires. The experimental data provide some support for hypotheses relating to the superiority of display terminals and the influence of user background on exhibited learning. The data does not, however, provide solid support for hypotheses relating to the impact of additional information or of graphical forms of information presentation. Analysis of the experimental data suggests the need to consider individual and user-group differences in systems design. User background differences may also considerably complicate the design of graphical output for information systems. Experimental research involving human interaction with information systems is a very difficult undertaking. The experiences gained from this project and reported in this paper should aid other researchers in designing effective experiments. The findings discussed also point toward several areas offering potential for further research. Many different variables influence the development and use of computer-based information systems. This paper presents the results of an experiment designed to examine the impact of the amount of information provided, the mode of presentation of that information, and the differences in personal backgrounds on the performance and rate of performance change for users of a computer-based system.