The Effects of Pictorial Realism, Delay of Visual Feedback, and Observer Interactivity on the Subjective Sense of Presence

Two experiments examined the effects of pictorial realism, observer interactivity, and delay of visual feedback on the sense of presence. Subjects were presented pairs of virtual enviornments (a simulated driving task) that differed in one or more ways from each other. After subjects had completed the second member of each pair they reported which of the two had produced the greater amount of presence and indicated the size of this difference by means of a 1-100 scale. As predicted, realism and interactivity increased presence while delay of visual feedback diminished it. According to subjects\u27 verbal responses to a postexperiment interview, pictorial realism was the least influential of the three variables examined. Further, although some subjects reported an increase in the sense of presence over the course of the experiment, most said it reamined unchanged or became weaker

A collaborative artefact reconstruction environment

A novel collaborative artefact reconstruction environment design is presented that is informed by experimental task observation and participatory design. The motivation for the design was to enable collaborative human and computer effort in the reconstruction of fragmented cuneiform tablets: millennia-old clay tablets used for written communication in early human civilisation. Thousands of joining cuneiform tablet fragments are distributed within and between worldwide collections. The reconstruction of the tablets poses a complex 3D jigsaw puzzle with no physically tractable solution. In reconstruction experiments, participants collaborated synchronously and asynchronously on virtual and physical reconstruction tasks. Results are presented that demonstrate the difficulties experienced by human reconstructors in virtual tasks compared to physical tasks. Unlike computer counterparts, humans have difficulty identifying joins in virtual environments but, unlike computers, humans are averse to making incorrect joins. A successful reconstruction environment would marry the opposing strengths and weaknesses of humans and computers, and provide tools to support the communications and interactions of successful physical performance, in the virtual setting. The paper presents a taxonomy of the communications and interactions observed in successful physical and synchronous collaborative reconstruction tasks. Tools for the support of these communications and interactions were successfully incorporated in the “i3D” virtual environment design presented

A head-mounted display as a personal viewing device : Dimensions of subjective experiences

The use of head-mounted displays (HMDs) can produce both positive and negative experiences. In an effort increase positive experiences and avoid negative ones, researchers have identified a number of variables that may cause sickness and eyestrain, although the exact nature of the relationship to HMDs may vary, depending on the tasks and the environments. Other non-sickness-related aspects of HMDs, such as users opinions and future decisions associated with task enjoyment and interest, have attracted little attention in the research community. In this thesis, user experiences associated with the use of monocular and bi-ocular HMDs were studied. These include eyestrain and sickness caused by current HMDs, the advantages and disadvantages of adjustable HMDs, HMDs as accessories for small multimedia devices, and the impact of individual characteristics and evaluated experiences on reported outcomes and opinions. The results indicate that today s commercial HMDs do not induce serious sickness or eyestrain. Reported adverse symptoms have some influence on HMD-related opinions, but the nature of the impact depends on the tasks and the devices used. As an accessory to handheld devices and as a personal viewing device, HMDs may increase use duration and enable users to perform tasks not suitable for small screens. Well-designed and functional, adjustable HMDs, especially monocular HMDs, increase viewing comfort and usability, which in turn may have a positive effect on product-related satisfaction. The role of individual characteristics in understanding HMD-related experiences has not changed significantly. Explaining other HMD-related experiences, especially forward-looking interests, also requires understanding more stable individual traits and motivations.Päässä pidettävän näytön käyttö voi olla mukava kokemus ilman silmärasituksen tai pahoinvoinnin oireita. Joskus siihen voi liittyä myös erilaisia negatiivisia tuntemuksia. Vuosien varrella on tunnistettu monia systeemiin, käyttäjään ja tehtävään liittyviä taustamuuttujia, joilla on vaikutusta negatiivisten tuntemusten ja kokemusten syntyyn. Muita, päässä pidettävän näytön käyttöön liittyviä kokemuksia ja käyttäjien mielipiteitä on tutkittu vain vähän tai ei ollenkaan. Tässä väitöskirjassa tutkittiin markkinoilla olevien erilaisten päässä pidettävien näyttöjen käyttökokemuksia. Yksityiskohtaisemmin tarkasteltiin päässä pidettävien näyttöjen käyttöön liittyvä silmärasitusta ja pahoinvointia sekä näytön säätömahdollisuuden hyötyjä ja haittoja käyttäjän näkökulmasta. Lisäksi tutkittiin laitteen käyttöä lisälaitteena muille pienille multimedialaitteille sekä sitä, miten erilaiset taustamuuttujat ja laitteen käyttöön liittyvät kokemukset auttavat meitä ymmärtämään laitteen tulevaan käyttöön liittyviä mielipiteitä. Tässä väitöskirjassa esitettyjen tutkimustulosten mukaan päässä pidettävät näytöt voivat aiheuttaa lievää silmärasitusta ja pahoinvointia, mutta erot muihin näyttöihin ovat selvästi pienentyneet. Päässä pidettävän näytön säätömahdollisuus parantaa katselukokemusta etenkin monokulaarisen päässä pidettävän näytön tapauksessa, mutta näyttöjen säädettävyys voi hyödyttää myös bi-okulaaristen näyttöjen käyttäjiä. Päässä pidettävän näytön käyttö lisälaitteena pienille multimedialaitteille pidentää sovelluksen käyttöaikaa ja mahdollistaa sellaisten tehtävien suorituksen, jotka olisivat erittäin vaativia pienellä näytöllä. Aikaisemmin julkaistujen tulosten mukaan monet käyttäjän yksilölliset ominaisuudet auttavat ymmärtämään koettua silmärasitusta ja pahoinvointia. Myös väitöskirjassa esitetyt tulokset tukevat tätä näkemystä. Johtopäätöksenä voidaankin esittää, että jos tavoitteena on ymmärtää laitteen tulevaan käyttöön liittyviä mielipiteitä, niin välittömien käyttökokemusten lisäksi pitäisi tarkastella myös käyttäjän persoonallisuuspiirteiden ja motivaatioiden vaikutusta

Using Diffusion of Innovations to Explore Digital Gaming in Undergraduate Library Instruction

Digital games and simulations are receiving considerable notice within the Library and Information Science (LIS) community. This study adds to the depth of knowledge in this area by providing research on the likelihood a hypothetical digital game delivery method for library instruction achieves sufficient adoption to justify its development. Furthermore, this knowledge will assist decision making processes for individuals debating the current or potential role of digital gaming at their institutions. In this mixed methods study, over 300 undergraduates were surveyed about their technology preferences, including digital gaming, for delivery of two forms of academic library instruction. The two forms of library instruction were (a) providing users with spatial information on physical library layout, and (b) educating users on information literacy topics and skills. Observational data was collected during the survey sessions, occurring at face-to-face library instruction sessions. Self-selected survey participants were also interviewed to further probe their survey responses. Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations was the theoretical foundation to this research. The primary innovation of study was the digital game delivery method. Detailed analysis of the survey-based data set included three nonparametric scaling methods: 1) rank-sum scaling; 2) circular triad analysis; and 3) multidimensional preference mapping. Content analysis of the observations and semi-structured interviews also occurred. Major outcomes were 1) the digital game delivery method achieved mediocre preference across both questions; 2) the audiovisual delivery method received the highest overall preference ranking; and 3) overall preference for the audio-only delivery method was remarkably low. The most important theme across the observational data was the participants' waning attention during the face-to-face library instruction sessions. The most important outcome from the semi-structured interviews was interviewees' stated appreciation for useful technologies. Over 95% of participants were so-called digital natives, that is, born post-1980. Rogers' assertion that age plays a minor role in predicting technology adoption appears warranted, since the more innovative digital game delivery method achieved mediocre overall preference