International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction

Tanaka, Takahiro; Abe, Ryosuke; Aoki, Kazuaki; Fujita, Kinya

doi: 10.1080/10447318.2014.986635pmid: N/A

Frequent and uncontrolled interruptions by information systems that do not reflect the user’s state can result in fragmented working times and decreased intellectual productivity. To avoid adverse interruptions, interruptibility estimation methods based on PC operation information have been proposed. However, workers who use PCs to accomplish their primary tasks occasionally engage in paperwork. Occasional paperwork activities, which are not reflected in the PC’s operation information, can cause estimation errors. This study focuses on using the position of the head, posture, temporal motion, and continuity of the head position and posture while a worker is at his or her desk as indices to reflect engagement in the task at hand. Based on an analysis of the relationship between the head-related parameters and interruptibility, an interruptibility estimation algorithm is proposed using four head-related indices that reflect interruptibility during PC and non-PC work. Experiments indicate that estimation accuracy improves as a result of incorporating these indices in the algorithm.

Wu, Sheng-Yi; Chen, Sherry Y.; Hou, Huei-Tse

doi: 10.1080/10447318.2014.986637pmid: N/A

There is an increasing growth of Social Network Services (SNSs). A variety of SNSs are applied in online interpersonal platforms. Among them, asynchronous and synchronous discussions are widely examined. However, there is a lack of research into the effects of integrated discussion services that combines asynchronous and synchronous discussions. Thus, the study investigates users’ performances and behavior patterns in a mixed discussion model that integrates asynchronous and synchronous discussions with a lag sequential analysis. The results showed that most groups chose to adopt the mixed discussion model (i.e., using both synchronous and asynchronous discussions), and only one group totally adopted the asynchronous discussion model. The study further analyzed the learners’ learning effectiveness and behavioral patterns, and the results indicated that the groups using the mixed model had a positive performance to a certain extent in terms of learning effectiveness and knowledge construction. In addition, users with the mixed discussion model demonstrated diverse behaviors, which were more complex than that of those with a single-way discussion model. Furthermore, regarding the groups using “balanced synchronous and asynchronous discussions” and the groups “mainly using synchronous discussion supplemented by less asynchronous discussion” in the mixed model (simultaneously using synchronous and asynchronous discussions), those users who mainly used synchronous discussion supplemented by asynchronous discussion had more diverse behaviors of knowledge construction.

Datcu, Dragoş; Lukosch, Stephan; Brazier, Frances

doi: 10.1080/10447318.2014.994193pmid: N/A

One of the key challenges of augmented reality (AR) interfaces is to design effective hand-based interaction supported by computer vision. Hand-based interaction requires free-hands tracking to support user interaction in AR for which this article presents a novel approach. This approach makes it possible to compare different types of hand-based interaction in AR for navigating using a spatial user interface. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of a study with 25 subjects indicate that tangible interaction is the preferred type of interaction with which to determine the position of the user interface in AR and to physically point to a preferred option for navigation in augmented reality.

Barrero, Aurora; Melendi, David; Pañeda, Xabiel G.; García, Roberto; Cabrero, Sergio

doi: 10.1080/10447318.2014.994195pmid: N/A

Remote controls are especially problematic for writing text, something necessary in many interactive digital TV applications (IDTV). In the context of research aimed at finding effective entry methods for IDTV applications, an empirical investigation was carried out and is presented in this article. The study analyzed the errors committed by 82 users in an experiment in which they wrote 7,395 sentences. Several typing methods suitable for IDTV contexts were used for experimentation. There were 3,562 of the sentences that registered at least one error. These errors were classified and their main causes analyzed, the particular characteristics of the users taken into account. The results show that the most frequent errors are proximity mistakes in all the evaluated methods. They appear in between 13.75% and 32.31% of the sentences, depending on the input method. Also, age and background are major aspects affecting the number and type of mistakes. The results could be the basis of changes in the design of conventional remote controls or in the design of advanced techniques for error recognition and correction.