ABSTRACT
Keyboard shortcuts allow fast interaction, but they are known to be infrequently used, with most users relying heavily on traditional pointer-based selection for most commands. We describe the goals, design, and evaluation of ExposeHK, a new interface mechanism that aims to increase hotkey use. ExposeHK's four key design goals are: 1) enable users to browse hotkeys; 2) allow non-expert users to issue hotkey commands as a physical rehearsal of expert performance; 3) exploit spatial memory to assist non-expert users in identifying hotkeys; and 4) maximise expert performance by using consistent shortcuts in a flat command hierarchy. ExposeHK supports these objectives by displaying hotkeys overlaid on their associated commands when a modifier key is pressed. We evaluated ExposeHK in three empirical studies using toolbars, menus, and a tabbed \'18ribbon' toolbar. Results show that participants used more hotkeys, and used them more often, with ExposeHK than with other techniques; they were faster with ExposeHK than with either pointing or other hotkey methods; and they strongly preferred ExposeHK. Our research shows that ExposeHK can substantially improve the user's transition from a \'18beginner mode' of interaction to a higher level of expertise.
Supplemental Material
- Alexander, J. Understanding and Improving Navigation Within Electronic Documents. PhD thesis, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New-Zealand, 2009.Google Scholar
- Appert, C., and Zhai, S. Using strokes as command shortcuts: cognitive bene\'01ts and toolkit support. CHI '09, ACM, 2289--2298. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Bailly, G., Lecolinet, E., and Nigay, L. Flower menus: a new type of marking menu with large menu breadth, within groups and ef\'01cient expert mode memorization. AVI '08, ACM, 15--22. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Bau, O., and Mackay, W. Octopocus: a dynamic guide for learning gesture-based command sets. UIST '08, ACM, 37--46. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Bhavnani, S. K., and John, B. E. The strategic use of complex computer systems. Hum.-Comput. Interact. 15, 2 (Sept. 2000), 107--137. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Callahan, J., Hopkins, D., Weiser, M., and Shneiderman, B. An empirical comparison of pie vs. linear menus. CHI '88, ACM, 95--100. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Card, S., Moran, T., and Newell, A. The keystroke-level model for user performance time with interactive systems. Commun. ACM 23 (July 1980), 396--410. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Card, S., Newell, A., and Moran, T. The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction. L. Erlbaum Associates Inc., 1983. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Carroll, J. M., and Rosson, M. B. Paradox of the active user. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, 1987, 80--111. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Cockburn, A., and Gutwin, C. A predictive model of human performance with scrolling and hierarchical lists. HumanComputer Interaction 24, 3 (2009), 273--314.Google Scholar
- Common commands in speech recognition. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-NZ/windows-vista/ Common-commands-in-Speech-Recognition.Google Scholar
- Grossman, T., Dragicevic, P., and Balakrishnan, R. Strategies for accelerating on-line learning of hotkeys. CHI '07, ACM, 1591--1600. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Hart, S., and Staveland, L. Development of nasa-tlx (task load index): Results of empirical and theoretical research. Human mental workload, Elsevier, 139--183.Google Scholar
- Hornof, A. Visual search and mouse-pointing in labeled versus unlabeled two-dimensional visual hierarchies. ACM Trans. Comput.-Hum. Interact. 8, 3 (Sept. 2001), 171--197. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Howes, A., Payne, S. J., and Woodward, A. The trouble with shortcuts. CHI '00 Extended Abstracts, CHI EA '00, ACM, 267--268. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Jorgensen, A., Garde, A., Laursen, B., and Jensen, B. Using mouse and keyboard under time pressure: Preference, strategies and learning. Behaviour & Information Technology 21, 5 (2002), 317--319.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Krisler, B., and Alterman, R. Training towards mastery: overcoming the active user paradox. NordiCHI '08, ACM, 239--248. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Kurtenbach, G., and Buxton, W. Issues in combining marking and direct manipulation techniques. UIST '91, ACM, 137--144. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Kurtenbach, G. P. The design and evaluation of marking menus. PhD thesis, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1993. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Lane, D., Napier, A., Peres, C., and Sandor, A. The Hidden Costs of Graphical User Interfaces: The Failure to Make the Transition from Menus and Icon Tool Bars to Keyboard Shortcuts. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction 18 (2005), 133--144.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Mac os x human interfaces guidelines. https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/ UserExperience/Conceptual/AppleHIGuidelines/Intro/Intro.html.Google Scholar
- Matejka, J., Li, W., Grossman, T., and Fitzmaurice, G. Communitycommands: command recommendations for software applications. UIST '09, ACM, 193--202. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Miller, C. S., Denkov, S., and Omanson, R. C. Categorization costs for hierarchical keyboard commands. CHI '11, ACM, 2765--2768. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Odell, D., Davis, R., Smith, A., and Wright, P. Toolglasses, marking menus, and hotkeys: a comparison of one and two-handed command selection techniques. GI '04, 17--24. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Peres, C., Tamborello, F., Fleetwood, M., Chung, P., and Paige-smith, D. Keyboard shortcut usage: The roles of social factors and computer experience. HFES '04, 803--807.Google Scholar
- Poulton, E., and Freeman, P. Unwanted asymmetrical transfer effects with balanced experimental designs. Psychological Bulletin 66, 1 (1966).Google ScholarCross Ref
- Quinn, P., and Cockburn, A. The effects of menu parallelism on visual search and selection. AUIC '08, Australian Computer Society, 79--84. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Rekimoto, J., Ishizawa, T., Schwesig, C., and Oba, H. Presense: interaction techniques for \'01nger sensing input devices. UIST '03, ACM, 203--212. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Richardson, J. T. Eta squared and partial eta squared as measures of effect size in educational research. Educational Research Review 6, 2 (2011), 135--147.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Scarr, J., Cockburn, A., Gutwin, C., and Bunt, A. Improving command selection with commandmaps. CHI '12, ACM, 257--266. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Scarr, J., Cockburn, A., Gutwin, C., and Quinn, P. Dips and ceilings: understanding and supporting transitions to expertise in user interfaces. CHI' 11, ACM, 2741--2750. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Schmidt, R. A., and Lee, T. D. Motor control and learning: A behavioral emphasis, vol. 3. Human Kinetics, 2005.Google Scholar
- Schneider, W., and Chein, J. Controlled & automatic processing: behavior, theory, and biological mechanisms. Cognitive Science 27, 3 (2003), 525--559.Google ScholarCross Ref
Index Terms
- Promoting Hotkey use through rehearsal with ExposeHK
Recommendations
IconHK: Using Toolbar button Icons to Communicate Keyboard Shortcuts
CHI '17: Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing SystemsWe propose a novel perspective on the design of toolbar buttons that aims to increase keyboard shortcut accessibility. IconHK implements this perspective by blending visual cues that convey keyboard shortcut information into toolbar buttons without ...
Longer Delays in Rehearsal-based Interfaces Increase Expert Use
Rehearsal-based interfaces are designed to encourage a transition from novice to expert, but many users fail to make this transition. Most of these interfaces activate novice mode after a short delay, between 150 and 500 ms. We investigate the impact of ...
Towards a Unified and Efficient Command Selection Mechanism for Touch-Based Devices Using Soft Keyboard Hotkeys
We advocate for the usage of hotkeys on touch-based devices by capitalising on soft keyboards through four studies. First, we evaluated visual designs and recommended icons with command names for novices while letters with command names for experts. ...
Comments