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Virginia Tech

Spatial History: Using Spatial Memory to Recall Information

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Some computer users employ large displays, 6 or more monitors, in order to view a large amount of data on a single desktop at one time. This layout can be useful when the user is performing tasks in which they must view several different information sources at a time. For example, a user may be writing a paper in which they may be simultaneously typing a document, reading another paper, and view a spreadsheet. After the task is completed, the user may close all of the windows, however sometime later they may want to view a document associated with that task. A possible scenario is for the user to know that they were viewing an important document in their top left monitor, but they cannot remember which document. SpatialHistory looks to allow a user to recall which windows and documents were open at a certain time spatially. The user may query a particular region of a large display and SpatialHistory will report the windows that were open in that area. Through a user study, we conclude that i) some users organize their large displays in a spatial manner placing certain types of documents and windows in certain places and that ii) our tool has the potential to help users recall previously viewed windows based on a spatial memory of their desktop.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Computer Science and Applications
Department dc:contributor.department
Computer Science
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2012

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Logan, Kevin Robert
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • North, Christopher L.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Bowman, Douglas A.
  • Tatar, Deborah Gail

Subjects

dc:subject × 3

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
vt_gsexam:245
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/19211

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Logan, Kevin Robert. Spatial History: Using Spatial Memory to Recall Information. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/19211