Peter Scupelli

Physically large displays improve performance on spatial tasks

Large wall-sized displays are becoming prevalent. Although researchers have articulated qualitative benefits of group work on large displays, little work has been done to quantify the benefits for individual users. In this article we present four experiments comparing the performance of users working on a large projected wall display to that of users working on a standard desktop monitor. In these experiments, we held the visual angle constant by adjusting the viewing distance to each of the displays. Results from the first two experiments suggest that physically large displays, even when viewed at identical visual angles as smaller ones, help users perform better on mental rotation tasks. We show through the experiments how these results may be attributed, at least in part, to large displays immersing users within the problem space and biasing them into using more efficient cognitive strategies. In the latter two experiments, we extend these results, showing the presence of these effects with more complex tasks, such as 3D navigation and mental map formation and memory. Results further show that the effects of physical display size are independent of other factors that may induce immersion, such as interactivity and mental aids within the virtual environments. We conclude with a general discussion of the findings and possibilities for future work.

With similar visual angles, larger displays improve spatial performance

Large wall-sized displays are becoming prevalent. Although researchers have articulated qualitative benefits of group work on large displays, little work has been done to quantify the benefits for individual users. We ran two studies comparing the performance of users working on a large projected wall display to that of users working on a standard desktop monitor. In these studies, we held the visual angle constant by adjusting the viewing distance to each of the displays. Results from the first study indicate that although there was no significant difference in performance on a reading comprehension task, users performed about 26% better on a spatial orientation task done on the large display. Results from the second study suggest that the large display affords a greater sense of presence, allowing users to treat the spatial task as an egocentric rather than an exocentric rotation. We discuss future work to extend our findings and formulate design principles for computer interfaces and physical workspaces.

Physically large displays improve path integration in 3D virtual navigation tasks

Previous results have shown that users perform better on spatial orientation tasks involving static 2D scenes when working on physically large displays as compared to small ones. This was found to be true even when the displays presented the same images at equivalent visual angles. Further investigation has suggested that large displays may provide a greater sense of presence, which biases users into adopting more efficient strategies to perform tasks. In this work, we extend those findings, demonstrating that users are more effective at performing 3D virtual navigation tasks on large displays. We also show that even though interacting with the environment affects performance, effects induced by interactivity are independent of those induced by physical display size. Together, these findings allow us to derive guidelines for the design and presentation of interactive 3D environments on physically large displays.

Project view IM: a tool for juggling multiple projects and teams

Previous research suggests working on multiple projects may lead to stress and misallocation of attention. A modest redesign of Instant Messenger (IM) could help team members juggle multiple projects and teams. This paper describes the implementation of this redesign--an IM plug-in called Project View IM (PVIM). PVIM uses automatic project status logging to show active project-related files and team members. In a preliminary evaluation experiment, participants working collaboratively with different partners on two projects found PVIM and IM to be equally usable and informative but PVIM participants reported less workload stress. We discuss future work to iterate the design and measure allocation of attention and task performance.

Using isovist views to study placement of large displays in natural settings

In this paper we present the concept of an isovist, derived from the architectural literature, and describe how isovists can help HCI researchers understand visibility in a physical environment. An isovist is defined as the set of all points visible in all directions from a given vantage point in space. The overlap in isovists from two or more locations can be used to assess reciprocal visibility and thereby assist in the placement of large displays for public or shared use. We illustrate the value of isovists for HCI research using field data from two OR suites in two major urban hospitals. First, we show how patterns of interaction between anesthesiologists and nurses in each of two OR suites are associated with quantity of isovist overlap. Then, we show how an isovist analysis can be used to determine a better placement for the shared display in one of the OR suites to enhance coordination between groups.

Beyond Eco-Feedback: Adding Online Manual and Automated Controls to Promote Workplace Sustainability

Whereas eco-feedback has been widely studied in HCI and environmental psychology, online manual control and automated control have been rarely studied with a focus on their long-term quantitative impact and usability. To address this, an intervention was tested with eighty office workers for twenty-seven weeks. Through the long-term field test, it was found that the addition of online controls in the feedback intervention led to more energy savings than feedback only and worked better for light and phone usage than computer and monitor usage. The addition of automated control led to the greatest savings but was less effective for efficient users than inefficient ones.

The Design and Evaluation of Intelligent Energy Dashboard for Sustainability in the Workplace

Office workers typically don’t know how much energy they consume at work. Since the workers don’t pay the energy bills, they tend to waste energy. To support energy conservation and motivate workers, the Intelligent Dashboard for Occupants (ID-O) was developed using multiple intervention strategies – eco-feedback (self-monitoring, advice, and comparison), remote controls, and automated controls. The baseline data was collected for fourteen weeks from eighty office workers and ID-Os with different features were deployed for seven weeks. The results show that the group with all the features (eco-feedback, remote controls, automated controls) made the biggest energy savings at 35.4%, the group that had eco-feedback and the remote controls showed 20.2% energy savings, the feedback only group achieved 9% energy savings, and the last group (the control group) produced 3.6% energy savings. The automated control feature produced the biggest energy savings, and was most effective in energy management for lights and phones, but not for computers and monitors.

Trajectories in Multiple Group Coordination: A Field Study of Hospital Operating Suites

Hospital surgery environments are dynamic and high risk. They require coordination across multiple groups whose incentives, cultures, and routines can conflict. In this paper, we describe a field study of multi-group coordination in the operating room (OR) environment. We studied work trajectories from the perspective of each group involved. Coordination breakdowns at group boundaries involving patients, doctors, nurses, and other staff led to local problem solving, but also to delays and interpersonal tension and conflict across groups. We conclude with design recommendations for multiple group coordination support that would promote trajectory awareness and learning at the organizational level

Juggling Work Among Multiple Projects and Partner

Prior research suggests people have trouble juggling effort across multiple projects with multiple partners. We investigated this problem, with an experiment where groups of four participants enacted the roles of police detectives. Each detective was assigned two homicide cases, each case with a different partner. To solve each case, detectives read their case documents and discussed relevant information with their partners. Half the groups used IM to communicate and the other half used an enhanced IM tool called project-view IM (PVIM). PVIM lists partners and joint projects and lets users know what a partner is working on. We analyzed keystroke level computer activity and the content of conversations. Generally, work unfolded as follows: coordinate across cases, start first case, read documents, coordinate within case with partner, switch to second case, and so on, but with frequent interruptions. We describe implications of our findings for theories of multitasking

Contextual factors affecting hint utility

BackgroundInteractive learning environments often provide help strategies to facilitate learning. Hints, for example, help students recall relevant concepts, identify mistakes, and make inferences. However, several studies have shown cases of ineffective help use. Findings from an initial study on the availability of hints in a mathematics problem-solving activity showed that early access to on-demand hints were linked to lack of performance improvements and longer completion times in students answering problems for summer work. The same experimental methodology was used in the present work with a different student sample population collected during the academic year to check for generalizability.ResultsResults from the academic year study showed that early access to on-demand-hints in an online mathematics assignment significantly improved student performance compared to students with later access to hints, which was not observed in the summer study. There were no differences in assignment completion time between conditions, which had been observed in the summer study and has been attributed to engagement in off-task activities. Although the summer and academic year studies were internally valid, there were significantly more students in the academic year study who did not complete their assignment. The sample populations differed significantly by student characteristics and external factors, possibly contributing to differences in the findings. Notable contextual factors that differed included prior knowledge, grade level, and assignment deadlines.ConclusionsContextual differences influence hint effectiveness. This work found varying results when the same experimental methodology was conducted on two separate sample populations engaged in different learning settings. Further work is needed, however, to better understand how on-demand hints generalize to other learning contexts. Despite its limitations, the study shows how randomized controlled trials can be used to better understand the effectiveness of instructional designs applied in online learning systems that cater to thousands of learners across diverse student populations. We hope to encourage additional research that will validate the effectiveness of instructional designs in different learning contexts, paving the way for the development of robust and generalizable designs.