Perceptual augmentation to support skilled interaction

Ecological Task Analysis (ETA) is proposed as a technique for enhancing the acquisition of skilled interaction through the design of perceptually augmented information displays. Motivated by Brunswik's approach to representing the human-environment system as an integrated unit, and Gibson's approach to understanding fluent activity as guided by perceptual information specifying action opportunities, ETA rests on the primary assumption that skilled interaction will be most readily supported by a display on which perceptual information is available to fully specify the environmental constraints upon productive behavior. Demands for learning and resource-intensive cognitive activity are assumed to result when such information is not perceptually available. ETA can thus be used to identify perceptually impoverished conditions in order to indicate how displays should be augmented with perceptual information to enhance skill acquisition. The results of an experiment using a laboratory videogame, StarCruiser, which compared human performance using a perceptually augmented display with a baseline interface, are reported. Results indicated that the display based on the ETA framework significantly enhanced the acquisition of skill.