Browsing by Author "Mandryk, Regan L."
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Item Metadata only Analysis and comparison of target assistance techniques for relative ray-cast pointing(Elsevier, 2013) Bateman, Scott; Mandryk, Regan L.; Gutwin, Carl; Xiao, RobertPointing at displays from a distance is becoming a common method of interacting with computer applications and entertainment systems, using devices such as the Wii Remote, the PlayStation Move controller, or the Microsoft Kinect. These systems often implement relative forms of ray-cast pointing, in which the user simply points a hand-held input device towards targets on the screen. Ray-casting interaction is easy for novices to learn and understand, but this technique often suffers from accuracy problems: for example, hand jitter, arm fatigue, calibration drift, or lack of skill can all reduce people’s ability to acquire and select on-screen targets. In this paper, we analyse and evaluate the idea of target assistance as a way to address the accuracy problems of ray-cast pointing. Although several assistance schemes have been proposed for mouse-based pointing, these ideas have not been tested in distant-pointing settings, and there is little knowledge available to guide design in this increasingly common interaction scenario. To establish this basic design knowledge, we carried out four studies of relative ray-casting using three different target assistance techniques—two motor-space techniques (sticky targets and a novel form of target gravity), and one acquisition-feedback technique that combined visual, tactile, and auditory feedback. Our first three studies tested each assistance technique separately, to explore how different parameters for each method affected performance and perceptibility. Our fourth study carried out a direct comparison of the best versions of each technique, and also examined the effects of distractor objects placed in the path to the target. Our studies found that the two motor-space techniques were extremely effective in improving selection accuracy without being highly obvious to users, and that the new gravity-based technique (which attracts the cursor even when it is not over the target) performed best of all. There was no observed effect on performance when the combined acquisition-feedback technique was used. Our studies are the first to comprehensively explore the optimization, performance, and perceptibility of target assistance techniques for relative ray-casting—our results provide designers with clear guidelines about what methods to use, how to configure the techniques, and what effects can be expected from their use.Item Metadata only A Comparison of Techniques for In-place Toolbars(ACM, 2010) Doucette, Andre; Gutwin, Carl; Mandryk, Regan L.Selections are often carried out using toolbars that are located far away from the location of the cursor. To reduce the time to make these selections, researchers have proposed in-place toolbars such as Toolglasses or popup palettes. Even though in-place toolbars have been known for a long time, there are factors influencing their performance that have not been investigated. To explore the subtleties of different designs for in-place toolbars, we implemented and compared three approaches: warping the cursor to the toolbar, having the toolbar pop up over the cursor, and showing the toolbar on the trackpad itself to allow direct touch. Our study showed that all three new techniques were faster than traditional static toolbars, but also uncovered important differences between the three in-place versions. Participants spent significantly less time in the direct-touch trackpad, and warping the cursor's location caused a time-consuming attentional shift. These results provide a better understanding of how small changes to in-place toolbar techniques can affect performance.Item Metadata only Critic-proofing: how using critic reviews and game genres can refine heuristic evaluations(ACM, 2010) Livingston, Ian J.; Mandryk, Regan L.; Stanley, Kevin G.Heuristic evaluation -- a technique where experts inspect software and determine where the application violates predetermined policies for good usability - is an effective technique for evaluating productivity software. The technique has recently been applied to video games, examining playability and usability for both single and multiplayer games. However, the severity ratings assigned to usability problems and used as a coarse categorization method for triage are still subjectively and somewhat arbitrarily assigned by evaluators, offering limited organizational value. In addition, they fail to account for the diversity found between games and game genres. In this paper we present a modified heuristic evaluation technique, which produces a prioritized list of heuristic violations based on the problem's frequency, impact, persistence, the heuristic it violates, and the game's genre. We evaluate our technique in a case study and show that the technique provides substantial value with little additional effort.Item Metadata only The design and evaluation of a classroom exergame(ACM, 2013) Watson, Diane; Mandryk, Regan L.; Stanley, Kevin G.Balancing academic, physical and emotional needs of students while maintaining student interest is increasingly challenging in the resource constrained environments of the modern classroom. To answer this need we created and evaluated an exergame system called Vortex Mountain, which leverages the physical benefits of exercise and the motivational benefits of educational games to provide a healthy and engaging classroom activity for middle school students. Through a controlled study, we demonstrate that our classroom exergame provides similar affective, engagement, and learning benefits to an exercise or game intervention, while leveraging the valuable ancillary benefits of each. Thus, we believe that exergames have a future in the modern classroom and possess significant potential for future technical and pedagogical research.Item Metadata only The Effects of Graphical Fidelity on Player Experience(ACM, 2013) Gerling, Kathrin M.; Birk, Max; Mandryk, Regan L.; Doucette, AndreGraphical assets in video games have become increasingly complex over the years, but little is known about their effect on player experience (PX). In this paper, we present results of a controlled study with 48 participants comparing how abstract and stylized graphics influence player experience in casual games. Our results show that high-fidelity graphics result in a more positive impression of the game. However, we also show that many effects are only present in the game with a more challenging mechanic. This shows that casual games can be compelling and enjoyable to play despite simplistic graphics, suggesting that small game developers and researchers need not focus on elaborate visuals to engage players.Item Metadata only The effects of tactile feedback and movement alteration on interaction and awareness with digital embodiments(ACM, 2013) Doucette, Andre; Mandryk, Regan L.; Gutwin, Carl; Nacenta, Miguel; Pavlovych, AndriyCollaborative tabletop systems can employ direct touch, where people's real arms and hands manipulate objects, or indirect input, where people are represented on the table with digital embodiments. The input type and the resulting embodiment dramatically influence tabletop interaction: in particular, the touch avoidance that naturally governs people's touching and crossing behavior with physical arms is lost with digital embodiments. One result of this loss is that people are less aware of each others' arms, and less able to coordinate actions and protect personal territories. To determine whether there are strategies that can influence group interaction on shared digital tabletops, we studied augmented digital arm embodiments that provide tactile feedback or movement alterations when people touched or crossed arms. The study showed that both augmentation types changed people's behavior (people crossed less than half as often) and also changed their perception (people felt more aware of the other person's arm, and felt more awkward when touching). This work shows how groupware designers can influence people's interaction, awareness, and coordination abilities when physical constraints are absent.Item Metadata only Effects of view, input device, and track width on video game driving(Canadian Human-Computer Communications Society, 2011) Bateman, Scott; Doucette, Andre; Xiao, Robert; Gutwin, Carl; Mandryk, Regan L.; Cockburn, AndySteering and driving tasks -- where the user controls a vehicle or other object along a path -- are common in many simulations and games. Racing video games have provided users with different views of the visual environment -- e.g., overhead, first-person, and third-person views. Although research has been done in understanding how people perform using a first-person view in virtual reality and driving simulators, little empirical work has been done to understand the factors that affect performance in video games. To establish a foundation for thinking about view in the design of driving games and simulations, we carried out three studies that explored the effects of different view types on driving performance. We also considered how view interacts with difficulty and input device. We found that although there were significant effects of view on performance, these were not in line with conventional wisdom about view. Our explorations provide designers with new empirical knowledge about view and performance, but also raise a number of new research questions about the principles underlying view differences.Item Metadata only Games as neurofeedback training for children with FASD(ACM, 2013) Mandryk, Regan L.; Dielschneider, Shane; Kalyn, Michael R.; Bertram, Christopher P.; Gaetz, Michael; Doucette, Andre; Taylor, Brett A.; Orr, Alison Pritchard; Keiver, KathyBiofeedback games help people maintain specific mental or physical states and are useful to help children with cognitive impairments learn to self-regulate their brain function. However, biofeedback games are expensive and difficult to create and are not sufficiently appealing to hold a child's interest over the long term needed for effective biofeedback training. We present a system that turns off-the-shelf computer games into biofeedback games. Our approach uses texture-based graphical overlays that vary in their obfuscation of underlying screen elements based on the sensed physiological state of the child. The textures can be visually customized so that they appear to be integrated with the underlying game. Through a 12-week deployment, with 16 children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, we show that our solution can hold a child's interest over a long term, and balances the competing needs of maintaining the fun of playing, while providing effective biofeedback training.Item Metadata only Gamifying behaviour that leads to learning(ACM, 2013) Watson, Diane; Hancock, Mark; Mandryk, Regan L.Many courses require self-study to succeed. This is especially true of online courses. However, self-study activities, such as reading the textbook and completing the associated workbook, are not motivating and do not contribute directly to grades. As a result many students do not complete these activities and this may lead to a lower understanding of the material and a lower overall grade in the class. In this paper we present the prototype of a casual game, Reading Garden, which encourages self-study through casual gameplay.Item Metadata only GrabApple: The Design of a Casual Exergame(Springer, 2011) Gao, Yue; Mandryk, Regan L.Many people do not get the recommended 30 minutes of exercise per day, which can result in health problems such as obesity, muscle atrophy and chronic disease. Based on the principles of casual games and exergames, we propose and define casual exergames for motivating people to exercise in multiple small chunks of time throughout the day. We designed, implemented, and tested a casual exergame called GrabApple. Our preliminary results show that users enjoyed playing the casual exergame and that in just 10 minutes of play, their heart rate was elevated to an average of 72% of maximum heart rate, and that they burned an average of 91.8 Calories. If played three times per day, our casual exergame produced sufficient physical activity to meet current fitness guidelines. We discuss the potential health benefits of casual exergames.Item Metadata only Influencing Experience: The Effects of Reading Game Reviews on Player Experience(Springer, 2011) Livingston, Ian J.; Nacke, Lennart E.; Mandryk, Regan L.Game reviews are used by game developers for making business decisions and measuring the success of a title, and have been shown to affect player perception of game quality. We conducted a study where players read positive or negative reviews of a game before playing, and show that the valence of review text affected game ratings and that these differences could not be explained by mediating changes in mood. Although we show predictable changes in player experience over the course of the study (measured objectively through physiological sensors), there were no objective differences in experience depending on review valence. Our results suggest that reading reviews does not directly affect play experience, but rather is a post-play cognitive rationalization of the experience with the content of the review. Our results are important for understanding player experience and to the game industry where reviews and user forums affect a game’s commercial success.Item Metadata only Is movement better?: comparing sedentary and motion-based game controls for older adults(Canadian Information Processing Society, 2013) Gerling, Kathrin M.; Dergousoff, Kristen K.; Mandryk, Regan L.Providing cognitive and physical stimulation for older adults is critical for their well-being. Video games offer the opportunity of engaging seniors, and research has shown a variety of positive effects of motion-based video games for older adults. However, little is known about the suitability of motion-based game controls for older adults and how their use is affected by age-related changes. In this paper, we present a study evaluating sedentary and motion-based game controls with a focus on differences between younger and older adults. Our results show that older adults can apply motion-based game controls efficiently, and that they enjoy motion-based interaction. We present design implications based on our study, and demonstrate how our findings can be applied both to motion-based game design and to general interaction design for older adults.Item Metadata only PiNiZoRo: a GPS-based exercise game for families(ACM, 2010) Stanley, Kevin G.; Livingston, Ian; Bandurka, Alan; Kapiszka, Robert; Mandryk, Regan L.Obesity is a growing problem among children, due in part to their sedentary lifestyles. Time spent engaged in physical activity is decreasing, while time spent playing computer and video games is on the rise. We leverage children's interest in digital games to encourage families to engage in purposeful walking. We present a GPS-based game, played on a mobile device that uses walking as a primary gameplay mechanic. Our game, PiNiZoRo, includes a fighting game, triggered at points along a real-world route, and a map editor that allows parents and recreation specialists to create custom routes in their neighbourhoods. Results from an initial focus group with parents were positive, as they showed enthusiasm for the concept, implementation, and gameplay.Item Metadata only Sometimes when we touch: how arm embodiments change reaching and collaboration on digital tables(ACM, 2013) Doucette, Andre; Gutwin, Carl; Mandryk, Regan L.; Nacenta, Miguel; Sharma, SunnyIn tabletop work with direct input, people avoid crossing each others' arms. This natural touch avoidance has important consequences for coordination: for example, people rarely grab the same item simultaneously, and negotiate access to the workspace via turn-taking. At digital tables, however, some situations require the use of indirect input (e.g., large tables or remote participants), and in these cases, people are often represented with virtual arm embodiments. There is little information about what happens to coordination and reaching when we move from physical to digital arm embodiments. To gather this information, we carried out a controlled study of tabletop behaviour with different embodiments. We found dramatic differences in moving to a digital embodiment: people touch and cross with virtual arms far more than they do with real arms, which removes a natural coordination mechanism in tabletop work. We also show that increasing the visual realism of the embodiment does not change behaviour, but that changing the thickness has a minor effect. Our study identifies important design principles for virtual embodiments in tabletop groupware, and adds to our understanding of embodied interaction in small groups.Item Metadata only Ubiquitous cursor: a comparison of direct and indirect pointing feedback in multi-display environments(Canadian Human-Computer Communications Society, 2011) Xiao, Robert; Nacenta, Miguel A.; Mandryk, Regan L.; Cockburn, Andy; Gutwin, CarlMulti-display environments (MDEs) connect several displays into a single digital workspace. One of the main problems to be solved in an MDE's design is how to enable movement of objects from one display to another. When the real-world space between displays is modeled as part of the workspace (i.e., Mouse Ether), it becomes difficult for users to keep track of their cursors during a transition between displays. To address this problem, we developed the Ubiquitous Cursor system, which uses a projector and a hemispherical mirror to completely cover the interior of a room with usable low-resolution pixels. Ubiquitous Cursor allows us to provide direct feedback about the location of the cursor between displays. To assess the effectiveness of this direct-feedback approach, we carried out a study that compared Ubiquitous Cursor with two other standard approaches: Halos, which provide indirect feedback about the cursor's location; and Stitching, which warps the cursor between displays, similar to the way that current operating systems address multiple monitors. Our study tested simple cross-display pointing tasks in an MDE; the results showed that Ubiquitous Cursor was significantly faster than both other approaches. Our work shows the feasibility and the value of providing direct feedback for cross-display movement, and adds to our understanding of the principles underlying targeting performance in MDEs.Item Metadata only Wheelchair-based game design for older adults(ACM, 2013) Gerling, Kathrin M.; Mandryk, Regan L.; Kalyn, Michael R.Few leisure activities are accessible to institutionalized older adults using wheelchairs; in consequence, they experience lower levels of perceived health than able-bodied peers. Video games have been shown to be an engaging leisure activity for older adults. In our work, we address the design of wheelchair-accessible motion-based games. We present KINECTWheels, a toolkit designed to integrate wheelchair movements into motion-based games, and Cupcake Heaven, a wheelchair-based video game designed for older adults using wheelchairs. Results of two studies show that KINECTWheels can be applied to make motion-based games wheelchair-accessible, and that wheelchair-based games engage older adults. Through the application of the wheelchair as an enabling technology in play, our work has the potential of encouraging older adults to develop a positive relationship with their wheelchair.