Katharine S. Willis

A Comparison of Spatial Knowledge Acquisition with Maps and Mobile Maps

Abstract We investigated the effects of different modes of information provision on spatial knowledge acquisition in a large-scale environmental setting by comparing two groups of participants; those who had learned the environment from a map and those who had learned it using a mobile map. The experiment was conducted in an external urban environment and consisted of two phases; an initial learning phase, and a testing phase where participants were asked to provide orientation, Euclidean and route distance estimates. The results show that there are differences in the spatial knowledge acquired, and that mobile map users performed worse than map users on route distance estimation. Also, only mobile map users showed differences in configurational knowledge between different types of locations. We propose that mobile map users acquire a more fragmented and regionalised knowledge representation based on strong connections between locally clustered landmarks along the route. This can be attributed both to the piecemeal presentation of views during navigation and to increased requirements on users’ attention. We conclude by discussing the implications for learning with mobile navigation applications in urban environments.

WiMo: location-based emotion tagging

In this paper we introduce WiMo, a location-based social networking tool that enables users to share and store their emotional feelings about places. WiMo creates a mobile social network based on common interests and enables users to share not just information but also opinions, experiences and passions. The application uses a geo-emotional tagging system running on a GPS enabled mobile phone to ascribe emotions to places. In this paper we describe the development of an emotion tagging interface and present a case study scenario to situate the application in a real world setting. We then describe work-in-progress on the development of the WiMo prototype interface, and the interaction process for users. We further outline the features of the system and finally discuss next steps in the development of the application.

Shared encounters

Our everyday lives are characterised by encounters, some are fleeting and ephemeral and others are more enduring and meaningful exchanges. Shared encounters are the glue of social networks and have a socializing effect in terms of mutual understanding, empathy, respect and thus tolerance towards others. The quality and characteristics of such encounters are affected by the setting, or situation in which they occur. In a world shaped by communication technologies, non-place-based networks often coexist alongside to the traditional local face-to-face social networks. As these multiple and distinct on and off-line communities tend to carry out their activities in more and more distinct and sophisticated spaces, a lack of coherency and fragmentation emerges in the sense of a shared space of community. Open public space with its streets, parks and squares plays an important role in providing space for shared encounters among and between these coexisting networks. Mobile and ubiquitous technologies enable social encounters located in public space, albeit not confined to fixed settings, whilst also offering sharing of experiences from non-place based networks. We will look at how to create or support the conditions for meaningful and persisting shared encounters. In particular we propose to explore how technologies can be appropriated for shared interactions that can occur spontaneously and playfully and in doing so re-inhabit and connect place-based social networks.

Hide&SEEK: sharing cultural knowledge

In this paper, we describe the project; Hide&SEEK, which creates opportunities for cultural knowledge transfer through a street game experience. The game narrative is based on the concept of sharing place-based knowledge where participants assume the role of either Guest or Host of the story. The Host creates a personalized adventure route through a known space and publishes it to a specific person. The Guest then has the opportunity to explore an unknown place through an unraveling of a series of clues, which lead them through a particular spatial experience. The treasure at the end of the game is not a material reward but rather the construction of a shared social experience; the exploration and revealing of a place known to the Host and initially unknown to the Guest developing as a valuable artifact in the memory of both game participants.

Understanding Mobile Spatial Interaction in Urban Environments

In order to act in urban environments an individual accesses various types of knowledge, such as memories, spatial strategies and also information from the environment so as to develop plans and make decisions. This chapter will investigate the nature of spatial knowledge acquisition in an environmental setting by comparing performance in a task where the participants learnt the environment using spatial assistance either from a map or from a . It outlines the early results of an empirical experiment which evaluated participants’ spatial knowledge acquisition for orientation and distance estimation tasks in a large-scale urban environmental setting. The initial findings of the experiment highlight the fact that participants performed worse in distance estimation tasks than map participants and that their errors for complex routes were high. We will conclude by analysing the results of this experiment in terms of the specific types of knowledge afforded by mobile maps and the implications for spatial learning in urban environments.

Developing a neighbourhood locative media toolkit

We describe the development of a toolkit using locative media and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies as an approach to enabling neighbourhoods to engage with their local built and social environment. We address how the local community informed the concept, development and presentation of the projects through a series of public consultation workshops and events where neighbourhood residents were invited to trial the projects. The paper describes and documents work in progress.

Editorial: Special issue of international journal of human-computer studies locative media and communities

The development of locative media applications is not simply about the physical location or social setting in which cohesion and collaboration and locative media from a range of different perspectives. The papers look at the context of the interaction occurs, but also about situating the media within the social setting of a community. This special issue explores the potential for locative media applications to support community cohesion and the integration of such media within existing community structures and practices. The articles address the dual challenge of capturing the temporary and spatially changeful nature of behaviours with locative media, as well as responding to the intricate web of strong and weak social ties that make up local social networks, in order to find ways to support community frameworks and practices. In terms of methodology it focuses on ethnographic approaches for investigating and evaluating the integration of media in these social settings. Many studies have investigated how mobile computing can respond dynamically to the setting in which the interaction occurs. Locative media has tended to refer to mobile ‘contextaware’ technologies which respond directly to location and features of spatial settings. These technologies and applications typically recognise the current location of the user, either through GPS or other location-based sensing and enable certain actions that are relevant to the location. However, here, we refer to locative media in a much broader sense; as those which are embedded within a social framework or setting so that they are ‘located’ within their sociocultural context. This draws on and extends approaches introduced by researchers such as Suchman (1987) and Dourish (2001) which see computing as situated or embodied within a rich and complex social world. Therefore we define locative media as ‘media that situates communication practices within a local social or spatial setting’. This setting may have the location in space as a critical aspect of the interaction, but the social network or community in which it is embedded is the primary factor. The articles in this special issue seek to foster a scientific understanding of how locative media interact and affect place-based communities. The special issue begins with a review article by Heather Horst, who provides a valuable perspective on the topic by presenting it in the context of related research in the field. The five papers that follow discuss and describe research related to the nature of social

Community Practices and Locative Media

The development of locative media applications is not simply about the physical location or social setting in which the interaction occurs, but rather about situating the media within a community of practice. This workshop will provide the environment for researchers to explore the potential for locative media applications to support community practices. The workshop will highlight the many open areas that require research attention, identify key problems that need to be addressed, and also discuss approaches for solving these issues. In particular the workshop will focus on appropriate methodologies for identifying requirements, evaluating behaviour and integrating locative media in specific real-world community structures.

Sharing Knowledge About Places as Community Building

Our experience of places is one that goes hand-in-hand with social exchange. It is rare that we visit a place purely to experience it as an isolated encounter with a physical setting. Instead, we visit places in groups, use a myriad of ways to tell others about the experience, and we often seek out and take pleasure from encounters with local people in the setting. Our experience of place is embedded within a social framework for sharing knowledge. In this chapter, we discuss the motivations for sharing place-based knowledge and how this can contribute to community building. We then proceed to review three projects that create platforms for knowledge exchange and discuss their different approaches. This is followed by a discussion on the range of practices for sharing knowledge about places and in particular those that support social frameworks in a community setting. In conclusion, we propose directions for future work in the area.