The Usability of Digital Ink Technologies for Children and Teenagers

Abstract

This paper describes an empirical study that considered the usability of digital pens, Tablet PCs, and laptop PCs for handwritten text input by young users. The study was carried out in two parts, firstly with young children aged 7 and 8, and then with older children aged 12 and 13. The study found that digital pens were particularly well suited to older children and that the both sets of children were able to use the Tablet PC without too many errors. Digital ink technologies are often evaluated by the calculation of recognition rates and this paper exposes some of the flaws in the process of estimating recognition rates from activities involving the copying of text. With particular reference to the personalization of text, possibilities for the use of digital ink for the task of writing are explored and a new interaction, digital doodling, is presented.