ABSTRACT
For the component “users,” “real” means actual users or approximations of them, such as students. The “representational user” means descriptions or models of the user. For the component “computer,” “real” means the physical presence of the computer and software system or an approximation of it. The system, prototypes and simulations all count as a real computer presence in the usability evaluation. “Representational computer” refers to the notational models or the user’s mental representation of the computer. In questionnaires and interviews or during
code inspection, users work with their symbolic mental representations of the computer. Based on this classification, the evaluation methods are divided into four categories: analytic methods, specialist reports, user reports and observational methods.
