Individual audio channels with single display groupware: effects on communication and task strategy

We introduce a system that allows four users to each receive sound from a private audio channel while using a shared tabletop display. In order to explore how private audio channels affect a collaborative work environment, we conducted a user study with this system. The results reveal differences in work strategies when groups are presented with individual versus public audio, and suggest that the use of private audio does not impede group communication and may positively impact group dynamics. We discuss the findings, as well as their implications for the design of future audio-based “single display privacyware” systems. Categories and Subject Descriptors H.5.3 [Information Interfaces and Presentation (e.g., HCI)]: Group and Organization Interfaces – computer-supported cooperative work. General Terms Design, Experimentation, Human Factors. Keywords Single display groupware, audio interfaces, single display privacyware, multimodal interfaces, tabletop interfaces.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2004
• Where: CSCW
• Authors: Meredith Ringel Morris, Dan Morris, Terry Winograd
• Keywords: CSCW 2004, Private Audio, Private Audio Channels, Single Display Privacyware, Social Sciences