Project Assignment (3000 words)

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Microsoft Math Solver System Report 1. Introduction

Microsoft Math Solver is a system that has been selected for this project. The system was launched in 2019 and uses artificial intelligence to provide solutions for a wide range of mathematical problems including statistics, calculus, quadratic equations and elementary arithmetic. The system allows users to add their problems directly by typing, handwriting or scanning. However, the application is still under active development as numerous interactions are not polished. This provides an opportunity for the system to be improved. This report is closely related to the course material learned so far because to improve the experience of it, we need to specify the targeted users, including their knowledge background, expectation, etc through user profiling or user persona. It also needs us to study how users interact with the current system and how we can improve it, which introduces the user journey maps.

This report discusses the structure of Microsoft math solver and how it works. This report also outlines the actual users of the system and describes how it can be improved to improve user experience. The Microsoft Math Solver application was selected because it is small enough to be redesigned in this project and it has areas that need improvement. This project specifically focuses on the “draw'' tab which makes it difficult for users to write a whole equation on the phone in portrait mode. The landscape mode also lacks a delicate design. This project aims to make the canvas of the application scrollable.

2. Description of the system and its users

2.1 User Interface

On start, the application will show the “Draw” tab as the first screen as shown in figure 1. It is the part we want to focus on.

Figure 1: The initial “Draw” tab

Users can handwrite their problem statement by drawing on the canvas area of their tablet or smartphone when the “pencil” tool is selected. Figure 2 shows the canvas after drawing an example input “2+3”.

Figure 2: The “Draw” tab after drawing with the “pencil” tool

Users can also select the “eraser” tool to erase their input. The “eraser” will remove the part of the line that contacts it, like a real eraser, rather than removing the line as a whole in some other software. Figure 3 shows the above input “2+3” after using the “eraser”.

Figure 3: The “Draw” tab after using with the “eraser” tool

Users can tap the “undo” button to discard the last drawn line and the “bin” button to clear all drawings.

Once a line has been drawn on the canvas, the application will continuously analyze and phrase the input, as shown in figure 4.

Figure 4: The “Draw” tab while analyzing the input.

When the application is analyzing, an indicator will appear above the canvas. Once the analysis is finished, as shown in figure 5, the indicator will disappear.

Figure 5: The “Draw” tab after analyzing the input.

The phrased result of the input, together will the evaluated value of it, will appear above the canvas. Also, there will be an “arrow” button at the right of the result, tapping it will navigate to a new page, showing the evaluation steps of the input, as shown in figure 6. There are many possible actions which can be performed on this page, but as it is not our main focus, we will not illustrate it.

Figure 6: The “evaluation steps” page.

The application supports landscape mode, as shown in figure 7. The canvas does not rotate with the device if users continue drawing on the canvas, the application will evaluate the input based on the orientation of the device, resulting in incorrect results. Also, the tab for navigation disappears in this mode.

Figure 7: The “draw” tab in landscape mode

Alternatively, users can tap the “Type” tab at the top of the “Draw” screen and type their problem on the screen using a scientific calculator as shown in figure 8.

Figure 8: The “Type” tab.

Users can tap the “Scan” tab at the top of the “Draw” screen and let the application scan a photo by taking a picture or import an image from the device as shown in figure 9.

Figure 9: The “Scan” tab.

Tapping the “list” button on the top left will show the “Note” page as shown in figure 10. There is a tab at the button which navigates to four different sections: bookmarks, History, Quiz and Examples.

Figure 10: The “Note” page.

Tapping the “gear” button on the top right will show the “Settings” page as shown in figure 11.

Figure 11: The “Settings” page.

The application supports 22 languages. Of this, 12 are Indian languages including Tamil, Punjabi, Marathi, Kannada, Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali and Assamese among others. The application also supports a wide range of international languages such as Russian, Spanish and German. This wide language support allows users from different parts of the world to use the application appropriately to solve their math problems. In addition, the application provides additional resources for learning such as similar worksheets and video tutorials. The additional resources make it easier for learners to practice a wide range of math problems. The application also has features for interactive graphs that help students to understand correlations between various variables easily.

2.2 Profiles

There are two groups of users for the Microsoft math solver application including college students and math teachers. College students are the primary users for this application. Their main aim is to get solutions for the mathematics they come across in the daily school's life. The students are motivated to learn new ways of computing their mathematical problems. They also display great mathematical thinking and are conscious of quantitative information in their surroundings. In addition, math students think symbolically and logically about abstract, quantitative and spatial relationships. They also communicate, justify and work mathematical concepts in an intuitive and creative manner.

Math teachers can use this application as a notebook to capture problems they want to use in class. They can use it to convert handwritten or recorded statements into LaTex format for their essays or exams. They have sound mathematical knowledge and can be able to follow the steps provided by the application for various mathematical problems. They are also good motivators. They are able to create a wide range of programs to motivate their students to achieve success in mathematics. They are constantly learning. This group of users knows that they are not perfect and as a result, they read new materials to improve their mathematical knowledge.

2.3 Domain in which the system operates

The Microsoft math Solver operates in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) domain. Specifically, the application operates in the formal tasks domain of AI which involves the concepts of mathematics, logic, calculus and statistics. The use case of AI in this application includes handwriting recognition and step-by-step statment evaluation based on mathematical roles rather than a computational method. The goals of the math students are to find solutions to their math problems and to learn the steps of arriving at the solution. The main goals of math teachers are to expand their mathematical knowledge and learn new ways to teach their students how to compute certain mathematical problems. Teachers also aim to appreciate the power, beauty and the usefulness of the application in solving complex math problems.

The domain description for the application was derived from observing, interviewing and talking to domain experts in the area of artificial intelligence. The information was also obtained from existing documentations of artificial intelligence and its domains. A wide range of domain experts was consulted to derive the descriptions of the application’s domain. The goals list of the users was derived from evaluating their needs. This involved interviewing the users and asking them to complete a questionnaire concerning the application. Appropriate questions were included in the questionnaire to collect the appropriate information required.

2.4 Tasks Involved in Achieving the Goals

There are various tasks involved in finding solutions for a certain math problem. First, the students add their problem statement by drawing on the screen of their tablet or Smartphone using a stylus of the figure. Alternatively, the students can type their problem on the screen using a scientific calculator or take a photo of their problem and add it to the application. The application then uses artificial intelligence to recognize the input and display it on the screen. Ultimately, a solution to the problem is displayed on the screen of the student’s tablet or Smartphone.

The tasks depend on the types of the type of question that the math student wants to solve. Certain problems can be types while others can be drawn. The student needs to have the basic mathematical knowledge to understand the steps undertaken to arrive at the solution provided by the application. Time is not a crucial factor in these tasks as students have all the time they need to solve their problems and learn the steps of arriving at the solution. The student can conduct the activities listed above either alone or with other students.

2.5 The Environment

The environment must have an Internet connection to the application servers.

These activities need to take place in a closed room which has sufficient lighting. Temperatures of the room need to be optimal to allow the user to conduct their activities effectively. In addition, the room must have a very low level of noise. Computing mathematical problems need a high level of concentration. A high level of noise would affect the level of concentration of the student. The room also has to be spacious to allow room for the student to complete the tasks effectively. If using a computer, the room needs to have a desk for accommodating the computer system.

The students can share information with other students regarding the steps outlined by the application in solving a particular problem. Users can help each other understand the steps outlined by the application for solving math problems. One of the students is responsible for downloading the application and installing it in a digital device for use. However, each student in the group has a digital device, they can download the application themselves. Mathematics needs a high level of cooperation. Users for this application need to work together in order to have a deeper understanding of the steps involved in solving math problems.

The math students and teachers need application manuals to learn ways in which to use the application appropriately. Users need to have digital devices such as Smartphones or tablets to be able to use the application. For novice users, experts who have expensive knowledge and skills in the use of the application are required to show the users how to use the application effectively. Users who have adequate knowledge of the use of the application can also help beginners use the application in the right manner. However, Microsoft Math Solvers is not a complex application and is designed in such a way that novice users can navigate easily.

2.6 Importance of Efficiency, Effectiveness and Satisfaction in the System

It is important for the system to have the efficiency to ensure that the inputs are used in the right way and produces a positive input-output ratio. This is critical in ensuring the user gets the correct steps for solving their mathematical problems. It is also of great importance for the system to be effective in such a way that it allows the users to get the desired output. The application ought to produce the right output in terms of both quality and quantity. A positive input-output ration and the goodness of the output will ensure that the users are satisfied with the system.

One of the most effective metrics for effectiveness is the completion rate. This refers to the percentage of users who were able to use the application to complete their tasks. The success rate metric can be easily measured by assigning binary values of zero and one for the users. In this measurement, those who successfully complete their task are assigned 1 and those who fail to complete their tasks are assigned 0. Time on task metric can be used to measure the efficiency of the system. This measures the time spent by the user to complete a particular task.

The user satisfaction for the application can be measured using a post-task satisfaction metric. This involves handing over questionnaires to the user for them to provide their feedback about the usability of the system. The questionnaire may consist of five questions aiming to get responses concerning the user experience with the system. These measurements are sufficient for measuring the usability of the Microsoft Math Solver. These metrics combine the data obtained in both qualitative and quantitative ways. The information collected from the three metrics concerning the usability of the application can be used to enhance user experiences in the future.

3. Investigation and Analysis

3.1 User Interview

After observing how the user groups use the Microsoft Math Solver application, it was clear that users had a problem in writing their mathematics problem in the portrait mode. Some users tried to use the landscape mode but that did not help as the mode is designed poorly. Users are required to use the “draw” tab to write their problems in the application either using a figure or use drawing tools such as pen, clear and eraser among others. When users decide to use a hand to enter their problems in the application they cannot use drawing tools at the same time.

In addition, canvas in the application is not scrollable. Users struggled to enter their mathematics problems to the application particularly when their equations are long and the screen space was limited. The application also did not allow users to decide whether they wanted to draw or move the canvas. The system only allows the user to write their problems. This may be challenging particularly for users who are not willing to write. As a result, users took considerable time trying to write their problems in a way that the application would understand. The application needs to allow users to choose how they want to input their math problems.

Using the “draw” tab is also problematic because the eraser works like a real one. This makes it very difficult for the user to delete characters that may have been written by mistake. The user has to keep moving the eraser up and down to erase contents that are not needed. This again consumers a lot of time and is also labour-intensive. The system should provide a way that when the user touches a line the entire content of that line is deleted. This is critical in reducing the time used to get a solution to a math problem.

Some users tried to enter long math problems to the application but they could not fit in the small screen. This forced them to use the landscape mode which was not good enough in terms of location of drawing tools and operability of the digital devices. The dissatisfaction of users could be seen and others could stop using the application and result in using manual approaches to get solutions for their math problems. In addition, some users were not willing to draw and were looking for options to move the canvas. However, they could not find such options and they resulted in drawing their problems. Some tried to erase the entire equations and this took them considerable time. If the eraser could have an option for deleting the entire line it could have been easier for the users to delete unwanted contents.

3.2 Concrete Use case

A concrete use case is a detailed description of tasks and how the system should respond. In this assignment, the use case is written in table form outlining the way the task performed is shared between the users and the application. The following is a concrete use case for drawing a mathematical problem in the application.

User Action (UA) System Response (SR)

The user clicks on the draw tab The system displays an empty screen.

The user draws the math problem in the display section.

The system displays the problem that has been drawn.

The user clicks the “next” arrow. The system displays the solution for the math problem.

The system displays an option for step-by-step solutions.

User clicks the option for a step-by-step solution.

The system displays a step-by-step solution for the problem.

3.3 Cognitive Walkthrough

A cognitive walkthrough “evaluates the steps required to perform a task and attempts to uncover mismatches between how the users think about a task and how the UI designer thinks about the task”. The following questions will be used to evaluate the relationship of how the user thinks and how the UI designer thinks.

Q1: Is the correct action sufficiently evident to the user?

Q2: Will the user connect the description of the correct action with what he or she is trying to do?

Q3: Will the user know if he or she has made a right or wrong choice?

The following is the cognitive-walkthrough for the task of drawing a math problem in the Microsoft Math Solver application.

User Action 1 The user clicks on the draw tab

Q1 No. Space is not enough for long questions

Q2 Only if the user is able to draw the problem in the available space.

Q3 No. The system does not show errors.

User Action 2 The user draws the math problem in the display section.

Q1 Yes. There is only one section where the user can type the problem

Q2 No. there are no features to show the user that he/she is doing the right thing.

Q3 No. The system only displays the answer to the problem drawn.

User Action 3 The user clicks the “next” arrow

Q1 Yes. There is only one arrow displayed on the screen.

Q2 Yes. A solution will be displayed on the screen.

Q3 Yes. The system will show an error if there is a mistake.

User Action 4 User clicks the option for a step-by-step solution.

Q1 Yes. There is only one option displayed on the screen.

Q2 Yes. The application provides descriptions for each step.

Q3 Yes. If the system produces a solution the user knows he/she has done the right thing.

3.4 Comparison and Discussion

I learned a lot of things about the problematic tasks from the interviews and observations. The design of the application does not allow users to enter long mathematics problems effectively in the portrait mode. This problem is even exacerbated by the fact that the landscape mode of the system was designed poorly. This is a great opportunity to improve the application. The application also did not allow the user to decide whether they wanted to draw or move the canvas. Including an option for allowing users to choose would be an effective way to improve the application.

I also learned a wide range of things about the “draw” tab when creating the concrete use case. I realized that the canvas in the application is not scrollable. Users struggled to enter their mathematics problems to the application particularly when their equations are long and the screen space was limited. The application also did not allow users to decide whether they wanted to draw or move the canvas. The system only allows the user to write their problems. This may be challenging particularly for users who are not willing to write.

In the cognitive walkthrough section, I learned various problems associated with the “draw” tab that could have negative effects on the usability of the application. I realized that the system needs improvement because it did not show errors in the first two tasks to indicate that the user was not doing it in the right way. In addition, I learned that the application did not allow the user to connect the descriptions of the right action with what is being done.

4. Conclusion

In conclusion, this report had described the structure of Microsoft math solver and how it works. The report has also outlined the actual users of the system and described how it can be improved to enhance user experience. Through the report, I have been able to identify the problems associated with the “draw” tab in the Microsoft Math Solver. There are two groups of users for the Microsoft math solver application including math students and math teachers. Math students are the primary users while math teachers are the secondary users.

I have been able to learn many things concerning the problems associated with the “draw” tab of the Microsoft Math Solver in interviewing and observing the users, creation of concrete use cases and the cognitive walkthrough. The System can be improved by making the canvas scrollable when the users are drawing math problems in portrait mode. It can also be improved by including features that let users choose if they want to draw or move the canvas. The function of the eraser can be modified to clear the whole line once the eraser touches a line. Rather than working as a real eraser.