Computer conference message navigation, structure, and organization: Usability evaluation of a spatial interface

The study investigated the impact of a computer-conferencing interface, Discourse, that was designed for improved message navigation and organization, on end-users' abilities to interact with the conference. The foundation for the interface prototype is a computer-conferencing communication model developed for the study that proposed improving conference navigation, structure and organization to reduce end-user feelings of being lost and of information overload and to increase end-user ability to relate local and global contexts and to find relevant information. Individual differences of spatial visualization ability (SVA) and computer experience were explored in relationship to the interface.; The development of the computer-conferencing interface was user-centered and followed usability-engineering techniques. The initial design and implementation of the interface was based on the communication model. The interface was refined following usability inspection by expert judges, and finally, end-users evaluated the interface based on two usability criterion, satisfaction and effectiveness. As a control, a second set of end-users evaluated a modified hierarchical version of Discourse that lacked the spatial layout.; End-users were significantly more satisfied with the spatial interface than with previously experienced computer-conferencing interfaces and with the control interface used for the study. Those who evaluated the spatial interface, regardless of SVA and computer experience, reported significantly higher scores for overall satisfaction, ability to avoid information overload, and ability to relate local and global contexts than did end-users who evaluated the control hierarchical interface. Those who evaluated the spatial interface, regardless of SVA, reported significantly higher scores for the ability to maintain sense of location.