Comment by kokey
I love it, I have been meaning to put together a similar simulation to demonstrate the effects of interruptions and context switches on developers.
Something like the following:
- a game or puzzle which requires working memory, like matching pairs or some puzzles that need a lot of working memory and/or flipping between screens
- this gets interrupted by fullscreen interruptions of someone's face, and text asking questions, or announcing something, and you have to pick an answer or a reaction (multiple choice)
- it could start with questions like 'hi, are you busy?' or 'can I ask you a question?'
- answers which tries to end the conversation quickly could lead to even more demanding reactions or questions
- interruptions stating there is an emergency can lead to a lot of questions and answers which then leads you to discover than it is in fact not an emergency
- once one of these engagements finish you can return to the game and try to complete it
- you'll get multiple interruptions like this
- other interruptions can also flash up, like a notification that a meeting is due in x minutes
- it could then have a short simulated meeting, perhaps just a line by line scroll of dialogue between others, where you need to say nothing
- however, at some point someone will ask you directly about one of the items discussed, and you will be given a set of fairly ambiguous multiple choice answers which you will have to try out until you get to the 'correct' one
- at the end of the meeting you return to the working memory task/game
- this gets interrupted by someone then asking you about the action points in the meeting
- return to the game
- get notifications about the end of your work day coming up
- more interruptions, etc.
In agile circles I have seen this exercise:
Have two people sit next to each other, each with a blank piece of paper and a pen.
Have them both simultaneously write down the numbers from 1 to 1: one time in decimal, one time in roman numbers and one time as letters of the alphabet (a=1, b=2...)
One person goes about it system by system (first decimal, then Roman... ). The other goes about it number by number (1,I,A,2,II,B...)
Time them both and compare their times.