Authors:
Sayeem Md Abdullah
and
Md. Sami Uddin
Affiliation:
Department of Computer Science, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Keyword(s):
Command Selection, Spatial Memory Development, Menu Design, Tablets, Multi-Touch.
Abstract:
Multiplexing can overload the command capacity of spatially stable tablet menus like FastTap by overlaying multiple tabs of commands. While multiplexed menus can facilitate spatial learning and quick command selections with a limited number of commands (20 items per tab), it is unclear whether multiplexed tablet menus support spatial learning as the capacity of each tab increases. To that end, we conducted a controlled study with four tab-based FastTap menus and investigated spatial learning in three sizes of tabs: Small (16 commands per tab), Medium (30), and Large (42). Results indicated that participants developed spatial memory of commands in all conditions; however, the spatial memory development rate significantly slowed down when the menu size grew. We discovered a reverse correlation between command capacity and spatial memory development in multiplexed contexts, which could guide the design of future spatial memory interfaces for tablets with increased command capacity.