Effectiveness and User Experience of Augmented and Mixed Reality for Procedural Task Training

Use of augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) technologies for training is increasing, due in part to opportunities for increased immersion, safer training, and reduced costs. However, AR/MR training effectiveness and user experience, particularly for head-mounted displays (HMDs), is not well understood. The purpose of this study is to investigate user perceptions and retention of AR/MR training delivered through a HMD for a procedural task. This two-part study utilized a within-subjects experimental design with 30 participants to determine how instruction method (paper vs. AR vs. MR) and time of procedure recall (immediate vs. post-test vs. retention) influenced completion time, perceived task difficulty, perceived confidence in successfully completing the task, workload, user experience, and trainee reactions. Results indicate differences between instruction methods for user experience and preference, with significantly higher user experience ratings for MR and lower preference rankings for AR. Findings also show decreased performance, increased perceived task difficulty, and decreased confidence as time since training increased, with no significant differences in these measures between instruction methods. Completion times and workload were also found to be comparable between instruction methods. This work provides insight into objective and subjective differences between paper-, AR-, and MR-based training experiences, which can be used to determine which type of training is best suited for a particular use case. Recommendations for appropriately matching training modalities and scenarios, as well as for how to successfully design AR/MR training experiences, are discussed

Using Peer Mentorship to Foster Growth and Interest in Human Factors

Academic programs benefit from the addition of a formalized peer mentorship program to help undergraduate and graduate students achieve academic success, social and psychological wellbeing, and career development. This article describes a peer mentorship program developed in the Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E) program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) where students study human factors at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. We describe the steps taken to develop, maintain, and evaluate the program, along with lessons learned

Developing a Peer Mentorship Program in Human Factors Academia

Peer mentorship programs that pair more experienced students (i.e., mentors) with less experienced students (i.e., mentees) can have an effective, positive impact on university students’ personal, academic, and professional outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process and lessons learned in the creation of a peer mentorship program in a Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E) academic department. Through a combination of peer networking opportunities and skill development workshops, the mentorship program outlined in this paper aims to promote students’ academic and professional growth. Take-aways that can be utilized by other HF/E academia departments interested in starting or revamping their own peer mentorship programs are included

How to Catch an Employer’s Eye

College students use resumes to provide potential employers with an overview of their background to show they are the best fit for a full-time or internship position. In some cases, the large volume of job applicants can result in employers only spending 8 to 10 seconds on one applicant’s resume before moving onto the next. To better understand how individuals read resumes, Tobii Pro 2 eye-tracking glasses were used to monitor eye movements as participants read a student resume. With a between-subjects design, participants viewed one of two black-and-white, one-column resumes that presented information about a student with an aviation-oriented Human Factors background. The “original” version of the resume included sections such as the applicant’s contact information, work experience, and skills. The “modified” resume consisted of the same content as the original, along with a more specific objective statement and the addition of project dates and bolded project titles. Qualitative results from pilot participants garner reader perceptions and suggest differences in retention between the original and modified resumes. Eye tracking results provide insight into resume reading scan path and indicate eye movement differences associated with the presence of stylized project headings. This presentation will discuss these differences and implications for student resume design

Add Me as a Friend: Face to Face vs. Online Friendships and Implications for Happiness

Friendships are beneficial to individual happiness. Studies have examined virtual relationships; however, the quality and utility of adult, online gaming friendships and their relationship with happiness is still not well understood. Respondents were surveyed about friendship quality with their closest friends across two modalities (face-to-face or online via gaming), as well as other relationship characteristics including communication frequency and friendship length. We identified a statistically significant difference between the modalities in friendship quality. We also identified a relationship between friendship quality and happiness. We discuss these results in terms of practical implications concerning friendship quality in face-to-face and online gaming best friendships and their influence on happiness

Typing In Mid-Air With Mixed Reality

The Microsoft HoloLens 2 is a mixed reality headset that has been described as the workplace of the future (Wright, 2018), that places virtual elements on top of the user’s physical environment. The HoloLens 2 gives users the freedom to check emails, search the web, and use other Microsoft applications while still maintaining awareness of their surroundings. With these features comes the need for text input on the device. Prior research on the HoloLens 1 showed that text input controlled by head movements and air-tap hand gestures was slow, fatiguing, and frustrating for users (Derby, Rarick, & Chaparro, 2019). The HoloLens 2 attempts to improve on these concerns by implementing direct interaction with a virtual keyboard similar to that of a traditional physical keyboard. This similarity is achieved through the incorporation of hand tracking and near interaction, in addition to the tap and hold gestures of the HoloLens 1 (Meijers, 2020). This study will be attempting to evaluate the efficiency, usability, and performance of these improved text input methods on the HoloLens 2, while comparing the results to that of past research done on the HoloLens 1 to validate changes between models. Derby, J.L, Rarick, C. T, & Chaparro, B.S. (2019). Text input performance with a mixed reality head-mounted display (HDM). Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 1476-1480. DOI: 10.1177/1071181319631279 Wright, N. (2018, November 27). How Microsoft HoloLens could change the way we work [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.nigelfrank.com/blog/how-microsoft-hololens-could-change-the-way-we-work/ Meijers, A. (2020). HoloLens. Immersive Office 365 Bringing Mixed Reality and HoloLens into the Digital Workplace (1st ed. 2020.). Apress. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-5845-

Thinking Out-of-the-Box with Board Games

This study demonstrates the user experience measurement technique of Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) with a commercially available strategy board game. This method of study explores a user’s first impressions with a product, and has yet to be tested on board games in current literature. Participants were observed as they used the board game for the first time in each of the following four stages: Unboxing, Setup, Initial Play, and Disassembly. Participants were also queried for their feedback and expectations during each phase. Analysis of this data revealed several themes contributing to overall user satisfaction. Players gravitated to the art style, look, and theme of the board and pieces. However, users were frustrated with the instructions, assembly, and fundamental mechanics of gameplay. These themes can be used for design recommendations and improvements for similar board games. These findings demonstrate how OOBE can be applied to different applications, facilitating unique and interesting data that researchers would otherwise be unable to achieve

Using Peer Mentorship to Foster Growth and Interest in Human Factors

Academic programs benefit from the addition of a formalized peer mentorship program to help undergraduate and graduate students achieve academic success, social and psychological wellbeing, and career development. This article describes a peer mentorship program developed in the Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E) program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) where students study human factors at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. We describe the steps taken to develop, maintain, and evaluate the program, along with lessons learned

Developing a Peer Mentorship Program in Human Factors Academia

Peer mentorship programs that pair more experienced students (i.e., mentors) with less experienced students (i.e., mentees) can have an effective, positive impact on university students’ personal, academic, and professional outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process and lessons learned in the creation of a peer mentorship program in a Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E) academic department. Through a combination of peer networking opportunities and skill development workshops, the mentorship program outlined in this paper aims to promote students’ academic and professional growth. Take-aways that can be utilized by other HF/E academia departments interested in starting or revamping their own peer mentorship programs are included

Developing a Peer Mentorship Program in Human Factors Academia

Peer mentorship programs that pair more experienced students (i.e., mentors) with less experienced students (i.e., mentees) can have an effective, positive impact on university students’ personal, academic, and professional outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process and lessons learned in the creation of a peer mentorship program in a Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E) academic department. Through a combination of peer networking opportunities and skill development workshops, the mentorship program outlined in this paper aims to promote students’ academic and professional growth. Take-aways that can be utilized by other HF/E academia departments interested in starting or revamping their own peer mentorship programs are included