Exploring Models of Interactivity from Multiple Research Traditions: Users, Documents, And Systems

fUTURE Directions

Within each of these types of interactivity, an important factor to consider is the locus of control. As control shifts among senders and receivers and between humans and computer systems, the nature of interactivity shifts. Studies that focus on user-to-user interactivity should also carefully consider the direction of communication between and among senders and receivers who interact in computer-based environments. Studies that focus on user-to-documents interactivity should carefully consider the audience: how active do members of the audience wish to be? And studies that focus on user-to-system interactivity should focus on the human-computer interface: how transparent can and should that interface be?

These models may provide direction for scholars who seek to explore specific aspects of interactive communication. For example, studies of role taking in interactive environments are probably most appropriately based in the user-to-user literature while studies of interactive fiction are probably centered in user-to-documents literature and studies involving virtual reality center on user-to-system issues. However, these classifications should not be viewed as either mutually exclusive or all-inclusive. For example, virtual reality studies need to incorporate human communication factors from the user-to-user model and content creators who are considering how users interact with documents also need to address interface issues from the user-to-system model. And some forms of interactivity and new media may not fit into any of these categories at all.

In sum, when approaching interactivity at the surface level we may be able to ‘know it when we see it.’ But we can understand it better if we recognize that it is a multi-faceted concept that resides in the users, the documents, and the systems that facilitate interactive communication.

Figures

		Direction of Communication
		One-Way	Two-Way
Level of	High	Feedback	Mutual Discourse
Receiver Control	Low	Monologue	Responsive Dialogue

S = Sender, R = Receiver, P = Participant (sender/receiver roles are interchangeable)

Figure 1 – Four Models of User-to-User Interactivity

		Nature of Audience
		Passive	Active
Level of	High	Content-On-Demand	Co-Created Content
Receiver Control	Low	Packaged Content	Content Exchange

S = Sender, R = Receiver, P = Participant (sender/receiver roles are interchangeable)

Figure 2 – Four Models of User-to-Documents Interactivity

		Interface
		Apparent	Transparent
Center of	Human	Human-Based Interaction	Flow
Control	Computer	Computer-Based Interaction	Adaptive Interaction

S = Sender, R = Receiver, P = Participant (sender/receiver roles are interchangeable)

Figure 3 – Four Models of User-to-System Interactivity

Directory: ~sjmcmill -> Research
Research -> The Role of Interactivity and Involvement

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