초록

Abstract

This paper explores how interface environments have an influence on novice users’ performance in social virtual worlds (SVWs), which are emerging user-centric three-dimensional cyberspaces. Despite their early popularity, SVWs have experienced that numerous new users leave the cyberspaces soon before they become long-term users. One possible reason is that unfamiliar interfaces of SVWs can be a barrier to novice users’ adaptation of the technology. To understand a role of interfaces in the users’ assimilation of SVWs, we examine an impact of three interface factors (presence, affordance, and feedback) on performance which is regarded as a yardstick for users’ adaptation of SVWs. Forty participants were recruited and went through one-hour experimental sessions with seven tasks in Second Life; they were also asked to answer a questionnaire. Findings indicate that while affordance and feedback are significant factors influencing novice users’ performance, presence has no impact on their performance.

초록

인터넷 환경과 디지털자원의 활용환경이 빠르게 변화됨에 따라 탐색과 브라우징을 제공해주는 정보시스템의 인터페이스 또한 새롭게 변해가고 있다. 특히 최근에 검색 인터페이스에서 많이 사용되고 있는 긴 리스트의 메뉴항목을 이용자가 보다 쉽게 브라우징하고 선택할 수 있도록 하기 위하여 시각화기법을 이용하여 디스플레이하고 있다. 본 연구는 이용자와 데이터 특성에 맞는 긴 메뉴항목 시각화 기법을 제안하기 위하여 긴 리스트의 메뉴항목을 시각화하기 위하여 많이 사용되고 있는 기법 즉 트리구조 메뉴, 목차방식 메뉴, 롤-오버방식 메뉴, 클릭방식 메뉴, 어안렌즈방식 메뉴를 비교하였다 그 결과 계층구조 메뉴 중에서는 전문가는 목차방식 메뉴를, 초보자는 트리구조 메뉴를 선호하고, 또 순차적 구조 메뉴 중에서는 전문가와 초보자 모두 롤-오보방식 메뉴를 선호하고 있음을 알 수 있었다.

Abstract

With the rapid change of the Web and E-transaction application, the search interface is providing more powerful search and visualization methods, while offering smoother integration of technology with task. Especially, visualization techniques for long menu-lists are applied in retrieval system with the goal of improving performance in users ability to select one item from a long list. In order to review visualization techniques appropriate to the types of users and data set, this study compared the five visualization browsers such as the Tree-structured menu, the Table-of-contents menu, the Roll-over menu, the Click menu, and Fisheye menu. The result of general analyses shows that among the hierarchical methods, the experienced group prefers the Table-of-contents method menu, whereas the novices group prefers the Tree-structure method menu. Among the linear methods, the two groups prefer the Roll-over menu. The Roll-over menu is most preferred among the five browsers by the two groups.