Investigation of the effects of context on users’ behaviors and performance in mobile computing systems

Mobile computing is an empowering notion to many people. Different design and evaluation paradigms need to exist for mobile computing devices and environments. The context of use must be considered because there are multiple tasks taking place in many mobile computing interactions. However, few empirical studies on mobile computing regarding changes in context impact users’ abilities to perform effectively are conducted to date. This paper presents the detachment between the actual use and the evaluation of mobile devices by varying contextual conditions and recording changes in behavior. A study was conducted to examine the specific effects of changes in motion and lighting on user performance and workload. The results indicate that common contextual variations can lead to dramatic changes in behavior and that interactions between contextual factors are also important to consider. Key-Words: Mobile computing system, User’s contextual behavior, User’s performance, Mobile computing interaction