Spatial Knowledge Acquisition Research Articles

Spatial Learning in Smart Applications: Enhancing Spatial Awareness through Visualized Off-Screen Landmarks on Mobile Devices

Smartphones have become a significant platform in everyone’s daily lives. For example, maps and map-based services on smartphones bring great convenience for wayfinding. They affect users’ spatial awareness, however, due to their small sizes. That impacted spatial awareness can lead to degraded spatial knowledge and disorientation. This study intends to address these issues associated with spatial learning on smartphones by adapting cartographic and cognitive theories and investigating a new design for presenting spatial information on smartphones that can support users’ awareness of space. The design uses the distinctive identities of spatial locations beyond the mapped screen as landmarks and visualizes the identities and distances of landmarks in distance through visual variables. Following previous pilot studies, this study evaluates the effectiveness of using such a design on aspects related to spatial awareness. Results provide additional details on the advantage of using specific visual variables to enhance the acquisition of spatial knowledge and spatial orientation. Although smart devices are ubiquitous in everyone’s lives, it is still important to address the cognitive issues between those devices and their users. This study provides evidence that design can further contribute to the improvement of map-based applications on smartphones, which provides convenience and enhances users’ spatial learning of new places. Key Words: off-screen landmarks, orientation, spatial awareness, visual variable, visualization.

Augmented reality head-up displays effect on drivers’ spatial knowledge acquisition

Background: Drivers gather most of the information they need to drive by looking at the world around them and at visual displays within the vehicle. Navigation systems automate the way drivers navigate. In using these systems, drivers offload both tactical (route following) and strategic aspects (route planning) of navigational tasks to the automated SatNav system, freeing up cognitive and attentional resources that can be used in other tasks (Burnett, 2009). Despite the potential benefits and opportunities that navigation systems provide, their use can also be problematic. For example, research suggests that drivers using SatNav do not develop as much environmental spatial knowledge as drivers using paper maps (Waters & Winter, 2011; Parush, Ahuvia, & Erev, 2007). With recent growth and advances of augmented reality (AR) head-up displays (HUDs), there are new opportunities to display navigation information directly within a driver’s forward field of view, allowing them to gather information needed to navigate without looking away from the road. While the technology is promising, the nuances of interface design and its impacts on drivers must be further understood before AR can be widely and safely incorporated into vehicles. Specifically, an impact that warrants investigation is the role of AR HUDS in spatial knowledge acquisition while driving. Acquiring high levels of spatial knowledge is crucial for navigation tasks because individuals who have greater levels of spatial knowledge acquisition are more capable of navigating based on their own internal knowledge (Bolton, Burnett, & Large, 2015). Moreover, the ability to develop an accurate and comprehensive cognitive map acts as a social function in which individuals are able to navigate for others, provide verbal directions and sketch direction maps (Hill, 1987). Given these points, the relationship between spatial knowledge acquisition and novel technologies such as AR HUDs in driving is a relevant topic for investigation. Objectives: This work explored whether providing conformal AR navigational cues improves spatial knowledge acquisition (as compared to traditional HUD visual cues) to assess the plausibility and justification for investment in generating larger FOV AR HUDs with potentially multiple focal planes. Methods: This study employed a 2x2 between-subjects design in which twenty-four participants were counterbalanced by gender. We used a fixed base, medium fidelity driving simulator for where participants drove while navigating with one of two possible HUD interface designs: a world-relative arrow post sign and a screen-relative traditional arrow. During the 10-15 minute drive, participants drove the route and were encouraged to verbally share feedback as they proceeded. After the drive, participants completed a NASA-TLX questionnaire to record their perceived workload. We measured spatial knowledge at two levels: landmark and route knowledge. Landmark knowledge was assessed using an iconic recognition task, while route knowledge was assessed using a scene ordering task. After completion of the study, individuals signed a post-trial consent form and were compensated $10 for their time. Results: NASA-TLX performance subscale ratings revealed that participants felt that they performed better during the world-relative condition but at a higher rate of perceived workload. However, in terms of perceived workload, results suggest there is no significant difference between interface design conditions. Landmark knowledge results suggest that the mean number of remembered scenes among both conditions is statistically similar, indicating participants using both interface designs remembered the same proportion of on-route scenes. Deviance analysis show that only maneuver direction had an influence on landmark knowledge testing performance. Route knowledge results suggest that the proportion of scenes on-route which were correctly sequenced by participants is similar under both conditions. Finally, participants exhibited poorer performance in the route knowledge task as compared to landmark knowledge task (independent of HUD interface design). Conclusions: This study described a driving simulator study which evaluated the head-up provision of two types of AR navigation interface designs. The world-relative condition placed an artificial post sign at the corner of an approaching intersection containing a real landmark. The screen-relative condition displayed turn directions using a screen-fixed traditional arrow located directly ahead of the participant on the right or left side on the HUD. Overall results of this initial study provide evidence that the use of both screen-relative and world-relative AR head-up display interfaces have similar impact on spatial knowledge acquisition and perceived workload while driving. These results contrast a common perspective in the AR community that conformal, world-relative graphics are inherently more effective. This study instead suggests that simple, screen-fixed designs may indeed be effective in certain contexts.

Acquisition and transfer of spatial knowledge during wayfinding.

In the current study, we investigated the ways in which the acquisition and transfer of spatial knowledge were affected by (a) the type of spatial relations predominately experienced during learning (routes determined by walkways vs. straight-line paths between locations); (b) environmental complexity; and (c) the availability of rotational body-based information. Participants learned the layout of a virtual shopping mall by repeatedly searching for target storefronts located in 1 of the buildings. We created 2 novel learning conditions to encourage participants to use either route knowledge (paths on walkways between buildings) or survey knowledge (straight-line distances and directions from storefront to storefront) to find the target, and measured the development of route and survey knowledge in both learning conditions. Environmental complexity was manipulated by varying the alignment of the buildings with the enclosure, and the visibility within space. Body-based information was manipulated by having participants perform the experiment in front of a computer monitor or using a head-mounted display. After navigation, participants pointed to various storefronts from a fixed position and orientation. Results showed that the frequently used spatial knowledge could be developed similarly across environments with different complexities, but the infrequently used spatial knowledge was less developed in the complex environment. Furthermore, rotational body-based information facilitated spatial learning under certain conditions. Our results suggest that path integration may play an important role in spatial knowledge transfer, both from route to survey knowledge (cognitive map construction), and from survey to route knowledge (using cognitive map to guide wayfinding). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Incorporating directional signs into indoor navigation systems

Abstract. Recent years have witnessed the rapid development of navigation systems. They gradually become the default way of navigating in our daily life. Despite benefiting from their convenience, we may be negatively influenced by them (Parush et al. 2007). Current navigation systems usually draw too much of users' attention to the mobile devices, which leads to users’ lacking interaction with the environment. It is often the case that people easily forget travelled route and get lost without navigation systems (Reilly et al. 2008). Empirical study shows that by dividing attention, navigation systems impair users’ spatial memory, and thus impact their navigation skills (Gardony et al. 2013). Since a higher engagement with the environment can improve users’ spatial knowledge acquisition without decreasing efficiency (Brügger et al. 2017), navigation systems should incorporate important environmental features.As objects of visual, cognitive or structural importance (Sorrows & Hirtle 1999), landmarks have been extensively studied, and considered as an important environmental feature to be incorporated into navigation systems (Nuhn & Timpf 2018, Richter 2017, Duckham et al. 2010, Raubal & Winter 2002). They serve as references to provide users with more natural and pleasant navigating experience (Richter & Winter 2014). However, most of landmark-related studies are in outdoor environment. Although researchers have attempted to classify and assess indoor landmarks (Ohm 2014, Viaene 2014), it is still very difficult to determine suitable ones. As a subset of semantic indoor landmarks, existing navigational aids (e.g. signs and floor plans) are designed to assist navigation. Among them, signs are most preferred by users (Wang et al. 2017). Being the signs that give necessary information to route users to possible destinations, directional signs contribute most to wayfinding (Gibson 2009). With route information explicitly presented by them, they are relevant environmental features to be incorporated into indoor navigation systems.In this study, we therefore propose to incorporate directional signs into indoor navigation systems, in order to guide users’ attention back to the environment, to facilitate their spatial learning and improve their spatial knowledge acquisition.We incorporated directional signs into a proof-of-concept indoor navigation system. First, we integrated directional signs and their semantics into a graph-based model. A directional sign was modelled as a node. Each destination on the sign was linked with the sign by an edge. In order to differentiate it from the normal edge, it was marked as semantic edge. Thus, the semantics of the sign was modelled directly into the graph, instead of being stored as attributes in a previous version of our study (Wang & Gartner 2018). Then, a top-K shortest path algorithm was employed to find candidate routes (Yen 1971). In the end, the route with the largest coverage of semantic edges was suggested to the user. The users would then be explicitly guided to follow the directional signs in the environment.In the next step, we will evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed navigation system by an empirical study with human subjects. Within the experiment, we will also investigate on whether this kind of guidance can succeed in drawing users’ attention back to the environment and support their spatial knowledge acquisition.

Map Usage on Smartphones and Acquisition of Spatial Knowledge

Abstract. The study of spatial cognition has been one of important research domain for geographic information science. Recently our circumstance to acquire geographic information have been changed (e. g. Wakabayashi, Itoh, & Nagami, 2011), so It is important to clarify the influence of the environmental change in the acquisition of spatial knowledge.In this study we revealed relationships between the tendency to use geospatial information on smartphones and the acquisition of spatial knowledge. Currently, most people own smartphones and obtain transit information from them, such as train transit planners and Google maps, when they visit a place for the first time. The usage of geospatial information on smartphones significantly affects the accuracy of cognitive maps. Maps, including train route maps, present locational information widely, in a two-dimensional space; thus, users can understand the relationships among locations over a wide area. In contrast, the small displays of smartphones permit the concurrent viewing of only small areas of geospatial information. Locational information, such as the results of transportation planner applications, are typically described in a one-dimensional space, from start point to goal point.Little is known regarding the effect of accessing geospatial information through smartphones on cognitive maps. The purpose of this study was to determine how people obtain locational information and how the experience of accessing locational information through smartphones affects the acquisition spatial knowledge regarding locations of places. To understand this spatial knowledge acquisition, we conducted two experiments.

Experiment on People’s Selection of Route Landmarks from Different Types of Geospatial Pictures

Abstract. Different types of geospatial pictures, such as maps and aerial imagery, have varying potential to provide spatial knowledge for the viewers. Our earlier review has assessed different common types of geopictures with regard to their support for acquiring different types of spatial knowledge (Kettunen et al., 2012). The assessment was based on previous literature about geopicture experiments as well as analytical itemization of the information available on the pictures as a function of picture characteristics, namely vantage point, number of visible vertical features, and visual realism. In addition to the actual assessment, the review concluded that there is an important shortage of empirical evaluations on spatial knowledge acquisition from geopictures, which lag we are addressing with the experiment described here.The aim of the experiment is to find out what kind of geospatial features, or landmarks (see Presson and Montello, 1988; Richter and Winter, 2014), people read from geopictures, does reading differ between pictures, and how does it differ. For the experimental task, we chose a common map activity of planning navigation for walking through an urban route. The stimuli are five different types of common geopictures with both aerial vertical and aerial oblique vantage points as well as with both abstract and photorealistic levels of visual realism (Figure 1). Five routes are to be planned in different areas of city of Helsinki so that a different geopicture type is shown for each route. The pictures are shown as corridors surrounding the shortest walking route.The participants have been recruited from expert and non-expert social media groups and e-mail lists, being called to be over 18 years old. The background questionnaire has asked about their age, gender, possible visual disorders, and frequency of use for each type of map in the experiment.The experimental design for measuring the effect of geopicture type was built randomized and between-participants so that each participant completes series of five pictures, each of different type, in randomized order, and from different geographical areas. Two rounds of five pictures are shown: first, to measure the actual selection of landmarks, and second, to investigate the level of recall of the selected landmarks later. The procedure of the experiment is the following (Figure 2): 1) Introduction, 2) Consent to participate, 3) Training trial of the landmark selection task (1 picture), 4) Testing trials of the landmark selection task (5 pictures), 5) Training trial of the selection recall task (1 picture), 6) Testing trials of the landmark selection task (5 pictures), 7) Background questionnaire, and 8) Thanks and feedback. The Start and End points of the routes are drawn on the pictures (Figure 1) and the participants are asked to plan the shortest route between the points along roads and paths, to point 3–7 features along the route in navigation route for being able to navigate the route, and to enter common names for the features after pointing each feature. Response times, pointed coordinates, and feature names are recorded in order to analyze the participants’ answers.The presentation at the ICC2019 conference will introduce preliminary results of the conducted experiment, reflect them on the previous studies on maps and routing and discuss their implications on the design of map contents from the viewpoint of route planning. The results will build empirical foundation about differences in reading of geospatial picture types, and for selecting appropriate features to be drawn on maps.

Learning of Spatial Properties of a Large-Scale Virtual City With an Interactive Map.

To become acquainted with large-scale environments such as cities people combine direct experience and indirect sources such as maps. To ascertain which type of spatial knowledge is acquired by which source is difficult to evaluate. Using virtual reality enables the possibility to investigate whether knowledge is learned by direct experience or the use of a map differentially. Therefore, we designed a large virtual city, comprised of over 200 houses, and evaluated spatial knowledge acquisition after city exploration with an interactive map following one and three 30-min exploration sessions. We tested subjects’ knowledge of the orientation of houses facing directions toward cardinal north, of orientations of houses facing directions relative to each other and pointing from one house to another. Our results revealed that increased familiarity after extended exploration with the map improved task accuracy. Further, it revealed task differences, caused mainly by a better accuracy in the relative orientation task than the pointing task. Time for cognitive reasoning improved overall task accuracy. Learning with our VR city map revealed an absence of distance effect, an alignment effect of tested house orientation toward map north and an angular difference effect between tested stimuli. Self-reported knowledge of cardinal directions learned in the real environment was positively correlated with task accuracy testing houses orientations toward cardinal north. Overall, our results suggest that participants learned spatial information that is directly available in the interactive map, while a spatial task that needed integration of learned knowledge stayed at lower accuracy levels.

Assessment of changes in neural activity during acquisition of spatial knowledge using EEG signal classification

Objective. This study explored the classification of electroencephalography (EEG) signals to assess changes in neural activity as individuals performed a training task in a virtual environment simulator. Commonly, task behavior and perception are used to assess a trainee’s ability to perform a task, however, changes in cognition are not usually measured and could be important to provide a true indication of an individual’s level of knowledge or skill. Approach. In this study, 15 participants acquired spatial knowledge via 60 navigation trials (divided into ten blocks) in a novel virtual environment. Time performance, perceived certainty, and EEG signal data were collected. Main results. A significant increase in alpha power and classification accuracy of EEG data from block 1 against blocks 2–10 was observed and stabilized after block 7, while time performance and perceived certainty measures improved and stabilized after block 5 and 6, respectively. Significance. Results suggest that changes in neural activity, which may reflect an increase in cognitive efficiency, could provide additional insight beyond time performance and perceived certainty.

Perspective switch and spatial knowledge acquisition: effects of age, mental rotation ability and visuospatial memory capacity on route learning in virtual environments with different levels of realism

ABSTRACTWe report on a study in which we examine if the visual design of virtual environments (VEs) affects visuospatial knowledge acquisition in younger and older adults with varying cognitive abilities in the context of navigational learning, specifically when a perspective switch is involved. Perspective switch between first-person and aerial-views is an important and commonly executed task in navigation; and it is a special case in studying the effects of aging on navigational performance as well, because, reportedly, it is particularly harder for older people. In a controlled experiment, our participants learned a route in first-person view VE, and reproduced what they learned in an aerial-perspective view in immediate and delayed recall stages. To examine the effects of (and interactions between) multiple factors involved in the experiment in relation to the given task, we provide an in-depth investigation of group differences in spatial knowledge acquisition when a perspective switch is required based on age, mental rotation abilities, and visuospatial memory capacity with three VE designs that differ in levels of realism. Our findings based on the recall accuracy of 81 (42 younger, 39 older) participants in sketching tasks demonstrate significant differences across VE types, overall, in favor of our custom-designed VE in this demanding task. Furthermore, we demonstrate that age and visuospatial memory abilities are strong moderating factors, explicitly in this sketching task that requires a perspective switch, irrespective of VE types.

Spatial Learning with Orientation Maps: The Influence of Different Environmental Features on Spatial Knowledge Acquisition

The prevalent use of GPS-based navigation systems impairs peoples’ ability to orient themselves. This paper investigates whether wayfinding maps that accentuate different types of environmental features support peoples’ spatial learning. A virtual-reality driving simulator was used to investigate spatial knowledge acquisition in assisted wayfinding tasks. Two main conditions of wayfinding maps were tested against a base condition: (i) highlighting local features, i.e., landmarks, along the route and at decision points; and (ii) highlighting structural features that provide global orientation. The results show that accentuating local features supports peoples’ acquisition of route knowledge, whereas accentuating global features supports peoples’ acquisition of survey knowledge. The results contribute to the general understanding of spatial knowledge acquisition in assisted wayfinding tasks. Future navigation systems could enhance spatial knowledge by providing visual navigation support incorporating not only landmarks but structural features in wayfinding maps.

How does navigation system behavior influence human behavior?

Navigation systems are ubiquitous tools to assist wayfinders of the mobile information society with various navigational tasks. Whenever such systems assist with self-localization and path planning, they reduce human effort for navigating. Automated navigation assistance benefits navigation performance, but research seems to show that it negatively affects attention to environment properties, spatial knowledge acquisition, and retention of spatial information. Very little is known about how to design navigation systems for pedestrian navigation that increase both navigation performance and spatial knowledge acquisition. To this end, we empirically tested participants (N = 64) using four different navigation system behaviors (between-subject design). Two cognitive processes with varying levels of automation, self-localization and allocation of attention, define navigation system behaviors: either the system automatically executes one of the processes (high level of automation), or the system leaves the decision of when and where to execute the process to the navigator (low level of automation). In two experimental phases, we applied a novel empirical framework for evaluating spatial knowledge acquisition in a real-world outdoor urban environment. First, participants followed a route assisted by a navigation system and, simultaneously, incidentally acquired spatial knowledge. Second, participants reversed the route using the spatial knowledge acquired during the assisted phase, this time without the aid of the navigation system. Results of the route-following phase did not reveal differences in navigation performance across groups using different navigation system behaviors. However, participants using systems with higher levels of automation seemed not to acquire enough spatial knowledge to reverse the route without navigation errors. Furthermore, employing novel methods to analyze mobile eye tracking data revealed distinct patterns of human gaze behavior over time and space. We thus can demonstrate how to increase spatial knowledge acquisition without harming navigation performance when using navigation systems, and how to influence human navigation behavior with varying navigation system behavior. Thus, we provide key findings for the design of intelligent automated navigation systems in real-world scenarios.

The acquisition of survey knowledge for local and global landmark configurations under time pressure

ABSTRACTThe influence of stress states on cognition is widely recognized. However, the manner in which stress affects survey knowledge acquisition is still unresolved. For the present study, we investigated whether survey knowledge acquisition during a stressful task (i.e., under time pressure) is more accurate for the mental representation of global or local landmarks. Participants navigated through virtual cities with a navigation aid and explicit learning instructions for different landmark configurations. Participants’ judgments of relative direction (JRDs) suggest that global landmark configurations were not represented more accurately than local landmark configurations and that survey knowledge acquisition was not impaired under time pressure. In contrast to prior findings, our results indicate the limitations of the utility of global landmarks for spatial knowledge acquisition.

Spatial Knowledge Acquisition in the Process of Navigation: A Review

Spatial cognition has become an increasingly important area of study since it represents a major type of human knowledge with considerable practical significance. The general assumption is that people’s spatial knowledge forms people’s spatial behaviour, such as navigation, in the environment. However, there are some critical issues within this area, including: how such knowledge is represented and organised, the mechanisms by which it is activated, and the elementary and higher-level cognitive processes that function upon the knowledge base to produce new knowledge as well as the factors that are influential on acquiring spatial knowledge. The theories regarding spatial knowledge acquisitions have attempted to address these issues. This paper discusses these issues by reviewing the literature. As such, the paper firstly provides the research background on spatial knowledge acquisition and the theories of spatial knowledge development. Secondly, the paper debates the main factors affecting acquiring and forming knowledge about the environment. In doing that, the effects of two main factors are discussed: 1) the means of spatial knowledge acquisition (direct experience, physical map, and mobile maps), and 2) the role of different properties of physical environment.

Comparing the critical features of e-applications for three-dimensional anatomy education

Anatomical e-applications are increasingly being created and used in medical education and health care for the purpose of gaining anatomical knowledge. Research has established their superiority over 2D methods in the acquisition of spatial anatomy knowledge. Many different anatomy e-applications have been designed, but a comparative review is still lacking. We aimed to create an overview for comparing the features of anatomy e-applications in order to offer guidance in selecting a suitable anatomy e-application.A systematic search was conducted. Data were retrieved from the 3D model designs (realism), software aspects and program functionality.The non-commercial e-applications focused on small body regions and received an average score of 3.04 (range 1–5) for model realism. Their average score on program functionality was 8.8 (range 0–14). The commercial e-applications covered the entire human body and received an average score of 2.85 (range 1–5) for model realism. Their average score on program functionality was 10.4 (range 0–14).Non-commercial anatomy e-applications received higher scores on realism and facilities like performing a virtual dissection, while the commercial anatomy e-applications offer a much wider range of anatomical structures available and they showed higher scores on program functionality. These scores gave good insight of the e-applications’ possibilities, and may help future users to make an informed choice among the large number of available e-applications.

A USABILITY EVALUATION OF A 3D MAP DISPLAY FOR PEDESTRIAN NAVIGATION

Abstract. This paper is focused to address the map display usability for finding given POI addresses in a popular urban city area. LOD 1 of 3D representations of city buildings are presented into a 2.5D map for pedestrian navigation test. This 3D map display is evaluated against familiar 2D map system on the test participants’ smartphones. 16 participants were involved in the field test. The typical walking model of a searching task that is focused only to look for a certain address of building is chosen as the way finding model during the field test. Three kinds of navigation processes i.e. self-orientation, spatial knowledge acquisition and navigation decision for searching task were evaluated for each test participant. Usability measures of 3D map-based display over 2D-map based display for pedestrian navigation were collected from test participants’ mobile devices. In addition to that, activities of test participants in terms of acceleration and orientation information are used to support analysis of pattern and trends of test participants. As the testing app is also intended to support smart city application, its ability to provide user report on complaints was also assessed. Most participants agreed with the statements in the questionnaire that were organized into three sections, i.e. addressing participants’ interaction, participants’ responses in navigation processes and crowdsensing. The results suggest that 3D map-based pedestrian navigation is more usable to be used to look for a certain address of building in central tourist area of urban city.

COMMUNICATING MULTILEVEL EVACUATION CONTEXT USING SITUATED AUGMENTED REALITY

Abstract. Emergency preparedness is a fundamental component of a successful emergency management strategy. This includes a proactive communication strategy that informs all stakeholders of the emergency plan and helps translate that knowledge to real spaces. Communicating multilevel built environments can be difficult, as the architectural complexity creates problems for both visual and mental representations of networks in 3D space. Modern mobile technology offers emerging opportunities for emergency managers to develop and deploy 3D visualizations of multilevel spaces that preserve the topology of those spaces while adding the spatial context that allows the individual to better understand their position within it. In this paper, we present a collection of mixed reality (specifically augmented reality) geovisualizations that overcome the visual limitations associated with the traditional static 2D methods of communicating the evacuation plans of multilevel structures. We demonstrate how this technology can provide spatially contextualized 3D geovisualizations that promote spatial knowledge acquisition and support cognitive mapping. These geovisualizations are designed as a proactive emergency management tool to educate and prepare at risk populations prior to the occurrence of a hazardous event.

Supplemental Material for Acquisition and Transfer of Spatial Knowledge During Wayfinding

Supplemental Material for Acquisition and Transfer of Spatial Knowledge During Wayfinding

Pokémon GO and Improvement in Spatial Orientation Skills

Cartographic interpretation requires accurate spatial orientation. Two main sources of spatial knowledge acquisition inform spatial orientation ability: map-like perspective (map reading), and ground level perspective (wayfinding). The Pokémon GO game incorporates both types as players use a map to orient themselves while also moving around in the environment. This article presents research with university students in which the impact of Pokémon GO on spatial orientation is measured. The Pokémon GO application can offer great possibilities for planning workshops for improving spatial orientation.

Impact of Navon-Induced Global and Local Processing Biases on the Acquisition of Spatial Knowledge

We examined the effect of local or global processing bias (in the Navon task) on the acquisition of spatial knowledge from maps and route videos. Before spatial learning, participants completed a 5-min Navon task (biased toward global or local stimuli). After participants studied a map or route video, route knowledge was measured using a route distance estimation task, and survey knowledge was measured using a straight-line distance estimation task and map-sketching task. We found that participants in the global group performed better in the straight-line distance estimation task, and their sketch maps were more accurate in both overall configuration and interlandmark relationships compared with those of participants in the local group, regardless of learning materials. We conclude that Navon-induced biases influenced both the encoding and the visuospatial transformation of spatial knowledge.

Evaluating the effects of collaboration and competition in navigation tasks and spatial knowledge acquisition within virtual reality environments

Current virtual reality environments, due to their higher viewing resolution and degree of immersion, can help users to acquire spatial knowledge with more ease. In addition, they are considered suitable environments that can facilitate collaborative engagement. With recent advances, we have a new wave of virtual reality technologies in the form of portable head-mounted displays (HMD), like the HTC Vive and Oculus RIFT. In this research, we investigate the effects of collaboration and competition activities, that are carried out within HMD VR environments, on users’ navigation behavior and acquisition of spatial knowledge. To do this investigation, we have developed a 3D virtual shopping mall with 3 floors and a number of shops. This mall resembles one that people would normally visit in real life. We then have conducted an experiment with two groups of paired users and one group of single users. Their task is twofold: (1) to navigate within the virtual mall and collect a set of items placed throughout the mall; and (2) to remember the locations of the items and several designated shops. While they have to do this in the shortest time possible, one group of paired users have to work in collaboration with each other, and the other group in competition. Paired users in both groups are physically co-located and are allowed to talk to each other. The third group of users have to work alone. After the experiment, each user is requested to pinpoint the location of the items and shops on a map with the layout of the virtual mall. The results show different patterns of user behavior for the two paired groups and single users. In addition, they indicate gender differences in behavior and performance. Overall, the results help us understand the effects of competition and cooperation in navigation behavior and spatial memory recall using commercial HMD VR systems.