dfi brief [iv] - research review

this brief required a critique of a research paper from HCI2005; this year's human-computer interaction (hci) conference. i chose to study the usability of digital ink technologies for children and teenagers, by janet read; which is an empirical investigation into the usefulness and relevance of digital ink products (digital pens, graphics tablets, tablet pcs etc) as classroom learning resources.

i'm not really sure why i picked this subject, as it isn't something i'm particularly interested in...but all the same, once i'd got my head around the academic language, it turned out to be quite interesting. janet is a senior lecturer in hci for children, and has a thorough background in that aspect of usability. her research concluded that these technologies have great potential to aid children with learning or handwriting difficulties (such as dyslexia, motor function disabilities, or poor presentation), as well as reducing risks of rsi-related injuries. she also commented that the exising products could benefit from ergonomic redesigns for this new target market.

read the full review in all its glory here