An Evaluation of Interaction Techniques for the Exploration of 3D-1llustrations

Abstract

We present an empirical evaluation of innovative interaction techniques in an educational hypermedia system. The techniques investigated include the integration of 3d-interaction and hypertext-functionality, the use of fisheye techniques for the purpose of navigating in textual information and the generation of figure captions which automatically describe the images presented. The system under evaluation is particularly useful for anatomy teaching, although it is not restricted to this domain. We compared a fully-fledged version of this system with a cut-down version which used only traditional interaction techniques which was otherwise identical. Both systems use exactly the same geometric models and textual explanations so that the comparison yields reliable results. Eight medical students and recently-qualified medical doctors took part in the evaluation. The results indicate the usefulness and the acceptance of the newlydeveloped interaction techniques.