Towards concise gaze sharing

Abstract

Computer-supported collaboration changed the way we learn and work together, as co-location is no longer a necessity. While presence, pointing and actions belong to the established inventory of awareness functionality which aims to inform about peer activities, visual attention as a beneficial cue for successful collaboration does not. Several studies have shown that providing real-time gaze cues is advantageous, as it enables more efficient referencing by reducing deictic expressions and fosters joint attention by facilitating shared gaze. But the actual use is held back due to its inherent limitations: Real-time gaze display is often considered distracting, which is caused by its constant movement and an overall low signal-to-noise ratio. As a result, the transient nature makes it difficult to associate with a dynamic stimulus over time. While it is helpful when referencing or shared gaze is crucial, the application in common collaborative environments with a constant alternation between close and loose collaboration presents challenges. My dissertation work will explore a novelty gaze sharing approach, that aims to detect task-related gaze patterns which are displayed in concise representations. This work will contribute to our understanding of coordination in collaborative environments and propose algorithms and design recommendations for gaze sharing.