The Reality of Reality-Based Interaction: Understanding the Impact of a Framework as a Research Tool

• Published in: ACM transactions on computer-human interaction 2019-09, Vol.26 (5), p.1-35, Article 35
• Main Authors: Girouard, Audrey, Shaer, Orit, Solovey, Erin T., Poor, G. Michael, Jacob, Robert J. K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Computing education; HCI theory, concepts and models; Human computer interaction (HCI); Human-centered computing; Information retrieval; Information systems; Link and co-citation analysis; Professional topics; Search engine architectures and scalability; Social and professional topics
• ISSN: 1073-0516; 1557-7325
• DOI: 10.1145/3319617

Frameworks such as Direct Manipulation or Instrumental Interaction have been an important force in HCI research. Evaluating the impact of frameworks can identify whether and how a framework was used, how it has evolved, and what trends have developed over time. However, studying the impact of such theoretical contributions requires consideration of various perspectives and level of impact. As a case study for investigating the impact of theoretical work in HCI, we present our evaluation of the impact of the Reality Based Interaction (RBI) framework, introduced by the authors in 2008. We provide our findings about the impact of the framework both on contemporary research, through content-based citation analysis, and in HCI education, through a survey we conducted on emerging interaction frameworks. The article contributes a comprehensive methodology for evaluating the impact of frameworks through our twofold approach: content-based citation analysis, including the design of a new citation typology; and a survey on the use of frameworks in education using a taxonomy of learning goals. We also consider the role of frameworks in HCI as well as the future of the RBI framework.