Introduction:
Suchman argues that plans are an important component in computer science and Artificial Intelligence research. According to Suchman, plans are understood best not as determinates of action but are explained as rhetorical devices for explaining the action. This helps her to explain the aspect of human-machine interaction. She recommended methods like conversation analysis and ethnomethodology for studying the relation between machines and human beings in reality. Suchman used methods and theories from different fields or disciplines in order to understand fully the concept of human –machine relationship. The examples of the real world problems dealing interacting with human beings in a society with the support of full theoretical explanations for such situations.
In the context of designers dealing with machines, this concept of human-machine interaction helps to explain the impact of the various objects in relation to human interaction with such objects in real life. This concept helps us by providing the methods to assess the impact of the objects with the human beings. This, therefore, helps to show that plans are best understood as tools for rhetorical analysis of action rather than as determinates of such actions.
Suchman ideas also helps the readers to understand the difficult concepts by explaining the details as well as introductions in order to elaborate complex details. The footnotes will help the readers to understand things and concepts which are beyond their scope of comprehension. The central concepts relating to agency and figuration are well elaborated I relation to situated action and plans.
Suchman also argues against the artificial intelligence and the planning view of actions in real life problems. She argues that the plans represents the actions and suggests that plans are results of the situations and not the rules. She also argues that the plans are the resources applied in the service of action, but plans do not determine the actions, as opposed to a literal view. Suchman argued that the planning view of action is not practical, and it does not help in solving the situations relation to human-machine interaction.
She employed ethnography and conversation analysis in studying the behavior of individuals based on human-machine interaction in real life examples and circumstances. This research helped in showing that inadequacy of the conversation analysis in understanding the human-machine interaction. “The commitment to situated action orients us, however, always to the question of just how, and for whom, culturally and historically recognizable formations take on their relevance to the moment at hand” .The interface designs were inadequate making the method not appropriate for solving problems related to planning. Her argument states that the conversation analysis was to some extent helpful in planning for the action of such human-machine interaction aspects in life. The dynamic model of conversation proves reasonable in relation to the human-machine interaction in the society rather than its use for determination of the actions. Situational competencies are also a helpful tool in showing the suitable approach for human action complications that the planning view cannot solve in real life situations.
Suchman also provides and analyze various traditional views of action and how the people in viewing the aspects relating to action especially in relation to the human-machine interactions. This helps to prove that cognition is something in action other than just thinking of it. Research on social aspects is also portrayed to influence the aspects of artificial intelligence among the people.
She also argued about agency and configuration in order to advance the ways in which the human-machine interactions are analyzed to give the reasonable results in solving real life problems. The concept of figuration helps to show how man interacts with machines to give representations of the world. The sticky nature of figures makes it difficult to adjust to the new representations in the world. She also argues about the aspects of agency in relation to human-machine interaction. This helps us in understanding the role of machines in helping us accomplish various aspects of life. Machines are brought out as active agents rather than programming gents.
She also argues that the aspect of human-machine interaction should be dealt with the b relational terms. Her arguments insist on the combination of the human beings and machines in providing relevant flow of activities in life. She argues that machines and humans should not be treated separately because are intertwined closely in the real life situations. The constructive nature of the human-machine interaction is emphasized by the Suchman in her arguments.
In conclusion, Suchman provides analysis of various situations and experiments in order to show the aspects of human-machine interaction as a rhetorical way of explaining actions rather than the meditation of actions.” To reach that understanding will require an account of the relation between planning-as-activity, the artifacts of that activity, and the subsequent activities to which those artifacts are meaningfully related”. The aspects of human-machine interaction are emphasized. The human-machine interaction is emphasized as a means of providing an interactive interface in order solve various problems in the society.
Works Cited
Suchman, Lucille A. Human-machine Reconfigurations: Plans and Situated Actions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Print.
