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Users of a computer application need a clear and consistent structure of knowledge of the system with which they interact. This knowledge only concerns that part of the machine that is directly relevant to the delegation of tasks by the user to the system, the virtual machine or user interface. The cognitive ergonomic approach that will be illustrated combines methods for the representation of the user interface or virtual machine, with the concept of mental model. Our basic ideas are: 1. The mental model is an important aspect of human-computer interaction (Norman, 1983) 2. Specifying the virtual machine means defining explicitly the conceptual model for the user interface in a knowledge based way 3. The conceptual model can be described using a multilevel approach derived from Moran (1981), which should also apply to the user’s mental model 4. This conceptual model should be presented to the user, taking into account relevant characteristics of human learning and user variables These ideas will be illustrated in a field study of managers who had to learn the basic principles of an office system.