A user interface paradigm for virtual environments
Mary Jane Willshire, Cynthia M. Calongne · 1997
User interface techniques employed in virtual environments most often feature a domain-specific simulation in a controlled environment or the use of a windows user interface style. This research examines the development and evaluation of a user interface paradigm that is generic, not dependent on text-based labels, and includes interface objects that need not be location dependent nor need to remain resident in the user's workspace. In addition, the interface method is designed to support a variety of application domains and a varied user population. During the course of this research, a prototype was developed and formally evaluated to assess the merit of the paradigm. Usability attributes for the user interface required the interface to be easy to use, easy to understand, and easy to learn. The prototype was limited to supporting file operations, such as save, load, print, and exit. A toolset of objects which represent these commands was distributed throughout the environment. Test subjects performed a series of tasks which evaluated the usability of these object commands. A statistical analysis of the experimental data revealed that the prototype of the user interface falls well above the critical region of the null hypothesis. These results, as well as the conclusions and recommendations, are presented, along with areas where further investigation is indicated.