Presence and Usability in Shared Space Virtual Conferencing: A Participatory Design Study

Abstract

The use of teleconferencing as an alternative to taking part in expensive or impractical traditional meetings is becoming more and more popular. However, there are limitations to both audio and video conferencing, such as lack of presence and involvement. These can potentially be avoided by the use of virtual shared space conferencing. This paper describes a three-phase study intended to investigate the issues of presence and usability with respect to this alternative form of conferencing. The first phase involved informal tests to establish a suitable starting point for the second phase, which employed a participatory design methodology whereby users of a prototype system contributed to its development toward an optimally usable and well-featured design, both for the meeting environment and for the user interface to it. The third phase involved further user trials to assess and refine the conclusions indicated by the second phase. The results of the study indicate a number of requirements for optimal design of shared space conferencing systems. These requirements include (1) the need to be selective about the degree of realism in different aspects of the system, (2) the importance of view control and avatar animation in support of talker identification, (3) the desire of users for flexibility and freedom with regard to turn-taking and gesture control, and (4) the benefits of symbolic acting when certain important considerations for its implementation are respected. Finally, the results also show that, following a short period of user habituation, shared space conferencing can induce a strong sense of involvement and presence for users.

Social Presence in Synchronous Virtual Learning Situations: The Role of Nonverbal Signals Displayed by Avatars

“…Position, orientation, and focus of attention in CVEs can be manipulated by moving and placing the avatar for example, by use of keyboard arrows, the mouse, navigation buttons on the monitor, or "hot spots" displayed for teleportation in the virtual environment (Anderson et al 2001;Bowers et al 1996;Hindmarsh et al 2001, Peterson, 2006. Nonverbal signals in predefined repertoires have in common that they have to be consciously activated by the user.…”

“…Nonverbal signals in predefined repertoires have in common that they have to be consciously activated by the user. Nevertheless, in some CVEs, there are nonverbal signals, also called "liveliness signals", for instance blinking of the eyes or breathing, which are automatically generated by the system (Anderson et al 2001;Guye-Vuillème et al 1999). Some CVEs also include signals that are activated by certain activities in the virtual environment, for instance a whisper gesture, if one user addresses another in a private chat channel (Allmendinger, 2005).…”

“…For instance, speech bubbles containing text Fig. 3 Options window to adapt vitero to the needs of the learning situation chat messages can be provided or signals that help to identify who is talking in the audio channel, such as mouth movements or sound waves at the avatar's loudspeaker (Anderson et al 2001;Scheck et al 2008). Moreover, positive involvement of learners can be achieved, for example by providing feedback and cues for the nonverbal expression of emotions.…”

Measuring Spatial Presence: Introducing and Validating the Pictorial Presence SAM

“…A vast body of research within different fields such as computer science, media studies, psychology, engineering, and philosophy underlines the concept's academic and practical relevance. Studies found presence to be relevant in various contexts such as teleoperations (e.g., piloting an unmanned aerial vehicle: Ruff, Narayanan, & Draper, 2002), online gaming (Weibel, Wissmath, Habegger, Steiner, & Groner, 2008), reading (Weibel, Wissmath, & Mast, 2011a), watching television (Weibel, Wissmath, & Mast, 2011b), video conferencing (Anderson, Ashraf, Douther, & Jack, 2001), and IMAX movies (Lombard & Ditton, 1997). In addition, it is assumed that presence is a precondition for successful cybertherapy (Price & Anderson, 2007).…”

Teleconference Use among Office Workers: An Interorganizational Comparison of an Extended Theory of Planned Behavior Model

“…Previous studies have compared user's views on specific features of computer-mediated versus face-to-face communication [3,5,6,12,13]. In addition to objective features of technological facilities, these studies have shown that attitudes towards and perceptions of such facilities are important influences on teleconference's success as an alternative to face-to-face meetings.…”