Ebook: Frontiers of Human-Centered Computing, Online Communities and Virtual Environments

Rae Earnshawand John A. Vince --_. . _----- 1 Introduction The USPresident's Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC)recently advised the US Senate of the strategic importance of investing in IT for the 21st century, particularlyin the areas of software,human-computer interaction, scalable information infrastructure, high-end computing and socioeconomic issues [1]. Research frontiers ofhuman-computer interaction include the desire that interac­ tion be more centered around human needs and capabilities, and that the human environment be considered in virtual environments and in other contextual infor­ mation-processing activities. The overall goal is to make users more effective in their information or communication tasks by reducing learning times, speeding performance, lowering error rates, facilitating retention and increasing subjective satisfaction. Improved designs can dramatically increase effectiveness for users, who range from novices to experts and who have diverse cultures with varying educational backgrounds. Their lives could be made more satisfying, their work safer, their learning easier and their health better.

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This volume presents the results of a joint National Science Foundation and European Commission Workshop which was set up to identify the future key strategic research directions in the areas of human-centred interaction, online communities and virtual environments. A research agenda is proposed for each area. There is an urgent need to make interaction more centred around human needs and capabilities, and to consider the human environment in virtual environments and in other contextual information-processing activities. The overall goal is to make users more effective in their information or communication tasks by reducing learning times, speeding up performance, lowering error rates, facilitating retention, and increasing subjective satisfaction. Online communities is an area of rapid and dynamic growth with new kinds of interaction, behaviours, communication, and relationship to the world of users and information. Guidelines for basic user interface design need to be extended to accommodate these new technologies and interfaces to users. Fruitful lines of research investigation in all these areas are set out in this book.

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This volume presents the results of a joint National Science Foundation and European Commission Workshop which was set up to identify the future key strategic research directions in the areas of human-centred interaction, online communities and virtual environments. A research agenda is proposed for each area. There is an urgent need to make interaction more centred around human needs and capabilities, and to consider the human environment in virtual environments and in other contextual information-processing activities. The overall goal is to make users more effective in their information or communication tasks by reducing learning times, speeding up performance, lowering error rates, facilitating retention, and increasing subjective satisfaction. Online communities is an area of rapid and dynamic growth with new kinds of interaction, behaviours, communication, and relationship to the world of users and information. Guidelines for basic user interface design need to be extended to accommodate these new technologies and interfaces to users. Fruitful lines of research investigation in all these areas are set out in this book.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xv
Introduction....Pages 1-9
Front Matter....Pages 11-11
Virtual Environments: a Review....Pages 13-26
The Role of Virtual Humans in Virtual Environment Technology and Interfaces....Pages 27-38
Perceptual User Interfaces....Pages 39-51
Guidelines for Telepresence and Shared Virtual Environments....Pages 52-64
Front Matter....Pages 65-65
Mobile Augmented Reality: a Complex Human-Centered System....Pages 67-79
Toward Tightly Coupled Human Interfaces....Pages 80-98
Situation-Aware Mobile Assistance....Pages 99-115
Front Matter....Pages 117-117
Devices for Display and Interaction....Pages 119-136
Technologies for Virtual Reality/Tele-Immersion Applications: Issues of Research in Image Display and Global Networking....Pages 137-159
Front Matter....Pages 161-161
Post-Wimp User Interfaces: the Human Connection....Pages 163-178
Universal Usability: A Research Agenda for Human-Computer Interaction to Empower Every Citizen....Pages 179-189
Virtual Spaces Revive Real World Interaction....Pages 190-197
An HCI Agenda for the Next Millennium: Emergent Global Intelligence....Pages 198-219
Front Matter....Pages 221-221
Application Drivers for Virtual Environment Technology Development....Pages 223-236
3D Data Visualization Components on the Web-Results from AVS’s Involvement in Several EC Esprit Research Projects....Pages 237-251
Creating a Shared Reality for Research and Education Through Networked Virtual Reality....Pages 252-259
Front Matter....Pages 261-261
Online Communities: Usability, Sociabilty, Theory and Methods....Pages 263-277
Collaboration and Shared Virtual Environments — from Metaphor to Reality....Pages 278-298
On the Need for Cultural Representation in Interactive Systems....Pages 299-310
Front Matter....Pages 261-261
Internet Security from Diverse Viewpoints....Pages 311-321
Front Matter....Pages 323-323
Why Performance Always Comes Last in Interactive System Design, and What To Do About It....Pages 325-330
Virtual Environments for Human-Centered Computing....Pages 331-339
Some Aspects of the Human Communication Process: Preliminary Steps Towards a Conceptual Framework....Pages 340-346
Natural Human-Human-System Interaction....Pages 347-363
Front Matter....Pages 365-365
Challenges and Frontiers of Computer Graphics: a Vision for an Applied Research Agenda....Pages 367-393
Society and Human Action: Technology Revisited....Pages 394-412
Business, Academia, Government: Toward Symbiotic Collaboration in a Networked Society....Pages 413-424
A Research Agenda for Visualization and Human Interfaces: a Position Paper....Pages 425-430
Publishing Technologies: Towards a Wider Concept of Documents and Related Issues....Pages 431-436
The Future and Its Enemies....Pages 437-442
Front Matter....Pages 443-443
New Industrial Temporal Objects....Pages 445-460
Cognition and Computers: The Context of the Matter, the Matter of Context....Pages 461-468
Supporting Creativity with Advanced Information- Abundant User Interfaces....Pages 469-480
Back Matter....Pages 481-482

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This volume presents the results of a joint National Science Foundation and European Commission Workshop which was set up to identify the future key strategic research directions in the areas of human-centred interaction, online communities and virtual environments. A research agenda is proposed for each area. There is an urgent need to make interaction more centred around human needs and capabilities, and to consider the human environment in virtual environments and in other contextual information-processing activities. The overall goal is to make users more effective in their information or communication tasks by reducing learning times, speeding up performance, lowering error rates, facilitating retention, and increasing subjective satisfaction. Online communities is an area of rapid and dynamic growth with new kinds of interaction, behaviours, communication, and relationship to the world of users and information. Guidelines for basic user interface design need to be extended to accommodate these new technologies and interfaces to users. Fruitful lines of research investigation in all these areas are set out in this book.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xv
Introduction....Pages 1-9
Front Matter....Pages 11-11
Virtual Environments: a Review....Pages 13-26
The Role of Virtual Humans in Virtual Environment Technology and Interfaces....Pages 27-38
Perceptual User Interfaces....Pages 39-51
Guidelines for Telepresence and Shared Virtual Environments....Pages 52-64
Front Matter....Pages 65-65
Mobile Augmented Reality: a Complex Human-Centered System....Pages 67-79
Toward Tightly Coupled Human Interfaces....Pages 80-98
Situation-Aware Mobile Assistance....Pages 99-115
Front Matter....Pages 117-117
Devices for Display and Interaction....Pages 119-136
Technologies for Virtual Reality/Tele-Immersion Applications: Issues of Research in Image Display and Global Networking....Pages 137-159
Front Matter....Pages 161-161
Post-Wimp User Interfaces: the Human Connection....Pages 163-178
Universal Usability: A Research Agenda for Human-Computer Interaction to Empower Every Citizen....Pages 179-189
Virtual Spaces Revive Real World Interaction....Pages 190-197
An HCI Agenda for the Next Millennium: Emergent Global Intelligence....Pages 198-219
Front Matter....Pages 221-221
Application Drivers for Virtual Environment Technology Development....Pages 223-236
3D Data Visualization Components on the Web-Results from AVS’s Involvement in Several EC Esprit Research Projects....Pages 237-251
Creating a Shared Reality for Research and Education Through Networked Virtual Reality....Pages 252-259
Front Matter....Pages 261-261
Online Communities: Usability, Sociabilty, Theory and Methods....Pages 263-277
Collaboration and Shared Virtual Environments — from Metaphor to Reality....Pages 278-298
On the Need for Cultural Representation in Interactive Systems....Pages 299-310
Front Matter....Pages 261-261
Internet Security from Diverse Viewpoints....Pages 311-321
Front Matter....Pages 323-323
Why Performance Always Comes Last in Interactive System Design, and What To Do About It....Pages 325-330
Virtual Environments for Human-Centered Computing....Pages 331-339
Some Aspects of the Human Communication Process: Preliminary Steps Towards a Conceptual Framework....Pages 340-346
Natural Human-Human-System Interaction....Pages 347-363
Front Matter....Pages 365-365
Challenges and Frontiers of Computer Graphics: a Vision for an Applied Research Agenda....Pages 367-393
Society and Human Action: Technology Revisited....Pages 394-412
Business, Academia, Government: Toward Symbiotic Collaboration in a Networked Society....Pages 413-424
A Research Agenda for Visualization and Human Interfaces: a Position Paper....Pages 425-430
Publishing Technologies: Towards a Wider Concept of Documents and Related Issues....Pages 431-436
The Future and Its Enemies....Pages 437-442
Front Matter....Pages 443-443
New Industrial Temporal Objects....Pages 445-460
Cognition and Computers: The Context of the Matter, the Matter of Context....Pages 461-468
Supporting Creativity with Advanced Information- Abundant User Interfaces....Pages 469-480
Back Matter....Pages 481-482
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