Augmented Cognition: An Approach to Increasing Universal Benefit from Information Technology

Complex information technology (IT) is available to a wide audience; however, it is not designed typically to serve the needs of users from diverse populations. As part of the Universal Benefit from Information Technology Research Program, we have examined the design of IT in several areas. Our aim is to identify and mitigate cognitive breakdowns that can occur in the design or the use of IT. We provide an overview of our efforts to augment cognition in the areas of web site design, user assistance, and graphical image translation. For each project, we describe our approach to augmenting cognition, the project's current status, and findings that are relevant to other researchers who are interested in these areas. We think that a focus on resolving cognition breakdowns, as well as usability and accessibility issues, can produce solutions that enhance cognition and benefits from IT.