Spatial Context Switches During Knowledge Tasks in Extended Reality

Paper Title

Spatial Context Switches During Knowledge Tasks in Extended Reality

Publication Info

• Topic area: Impact of spatial transitions on productivity tasks in Extended Reality (XR).
• Keywords: Extended Reality, spatial computing, productivity tools, layout strategies, virtual workspaces, user study, document organization, adaptive interfaces, task interruptions, mobile knowledge work.

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Limited research exists on how frequent location changes affect productivity tasks in XR environments, particularly regarding how users adapt virtual content layouts after task interruptions.
• Significance: Understanding these effects is critical for designing XR systems that support mobile and dynamic work environments, enabling seamless transitions and improved productivity.
• Motivation and related work: Prior studies have explored XR for productivity tasks and spatial layouts but often focused on static environments. Research on adaptive layouts has shown potential, but there is a gap in understanding user behavior during frequent spatial transitions in realistic knowledge tasks.

Solution

• Proposed approach: Conducted an exploratory user study to examine how users adapt document layouts during frequent location changes in a video-see-through XR (VST-XR) setting.
• Novelty:
  1. Investigated the impact of frequent spatial transitions on document-centric tasks in XR.
  2. Identified layout strategies and patterns used by participants.
  3. Derived design guidelines for XR knowledge work systems in mobile contexts.
  4. Provided experimental task design and associated documents for future research.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Participants (N=17) performed a document-centered planning task in three different locations, switching every five minutes.
  • Layouts supported world-referenced, body-referenced, and surface-referenced arrangements.
  • Data collected included video recordings, interaction logs, questionnaires (SUS, NASA TLX), and post-study interviews.
  • Analysis focused on layout strategies, task load, usability, and the effects of spatial transitions.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • Body-referenced and world-referenced layouts were most commonly used (48% and 45% of time, respectively), while surface-referenced layouts were less frequent (7%).
  • Five main layout strategies were identified: half-circle, full-circle, linear, multi-row linear, and loose/irregular layouts.
  • Participants iteratively refined layouts over time, often transitioning between strategies.
  • Usability score (SUS): 66.8 (average). Task load (NASA TLX): mental demand 79.7, physical demand 51.8, effort 73.2, frustration 45.3.
• Advantage over baselines: Demonstrated how XR systems can support dynamic work environments by accommodating user preferences for layout adaptation and task continuity during spatial transitions.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • Conducted in three realistic locations (meeting room, seating area, standing table) within an institute building.
  • Task involved organizing 11 documents to answer event-related questions.
  • Counterbalanced location order to mitigate environmental effects.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Small sample size (N=17) with limited demographic diversity.
  • Short task sessions (five minutes) and limited location diversity.
  • Future work should explore longer sessions, diverse tasks, and improved prototypes.

Summary

This study explored how frequent spatial transitions affect document-centric tasks in VST-XR environments. Participants employed diverse layout strategies, primarily body- and world-referenced, and iteratively refined their arrangements over time. The findings suggest that task requirements, rather than the physical environment, drive layout strategies. While transitions were not highly disruptive, minor adjustments were often needed. The study highlights the importance of supporting flexible, adaptive layouts and user control in XR systems to accommodate subjective preferences and dynamic task requirements. These insights inform the design of future XR productivity tools for mobile and dynamic work contexts.