Paper 131

TITLE: Design Principles for Learning Spatial Relationships

AUTHORS: Giuliano Benelli, Maurizio Caporali, Antonio Rizzo, Elisa Rubegni

AFFILIATION: University of Sienna, Department of Communication Science, Via dei Termini 6, Sienna - Italy

KEYWORD(s): Map, spatial learning, information design

PRESENTER / CONTACT PERSON: Antonio Rizzo

CONTACT EMAIL:rizzo@unisi.it

ABSTRACT:

Maps are cognitive artifacts that represent not only the characteristics of the information space but also the use people do of this space. There are three privileged modalities by which humans learn the relationships in existing spaces: path-based learning, landmark-based learning, learning by regions. These three modalities are differently sustained by maps and by the real environments. Maps afford Simultaneous experience of the space, Single point of view, Survey knowledge, Secondary spatial activity; while real environments afford Progressive Experience of the space, Multiple point of view, Procedural knowledge, Primary Spatial activity. The most important attempt to modify this differences between maps and real environments, and to merge their properties, has been the creation of visual structure that enable focus + context views; that is dynamic distortion of the space where overviews and details are combined into a single visual structure. The principles used to obtain such a view are the combination of Simultaneous and Progressive Experience of the space as a Secondary spatial activity.

We are designing new views for a graphic information system by merging the affordances for learning spatial relations offered by traditional maps and real environment. The emerging views will be presented and discussed from a theoretical point of view and exemplified in their application to the design of an information system for a National park in Italy. The prototype of the information system was tested by human factors specialists and by end-users; and the results of the test show both strength and weakness in the implementation of the proposed design principles.

Last modified October 28, 2001 by Scott Tilley.