Engaging with Nature through Technology: a Scoping Review of HCI Research

Title of the Paper

Engaging with Nature through Technology: A Scoping Review of HCI Research

Paper Information

• Field of Study: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and nature engagement, exploring methods to enhance human-nature interaction through digital technologies.
• Keywords: Nature, technology, environmental engagement, HCI research, digital media, ecological education, sustainable design, nature experience

Research Background and Issues

• Identified Problems or Challenges: While modern technological advancements protect humans from natural threats, they simultaneously reduce human interaction with nature, leading to a decline in environmental awareness and appreciation. However, nature engagement is crucial for mental health, ecological conservation, and education.
• Significance of the Problem: A significant portion of the population resides in urban areas, limiting opportunities for direct interaction with nature. The reduction in nature engagement is associated with the "extinction of experience," which profoundly impacts awareness and responses to ecological crises.
• Research Motivation and Related Work:
  • The positive effects of nature engagement on health and psychological recovery have been confirmed across various fields.
  • HCI-related work includes the development of nature learning tools, technology-supported citizen science projects, and technology designs promoting ecological conservation. However, a comprehensive review and classification framework are lacking.

Solution

• Proposed Methods or Solutions:
  • Conduct a scoping review summarizing HCI research on nature engagement over the past 25 years.
  • Propose two classification frameworks: one exploring the directness and distance dimensions of nature engagement, and another summarizing six roles of technology.
• Innovative Contributions:
  • Compare technological applications across different research themes.
  • Introduce an interaction classification based on directness and distance dimensions for systematic analysis of technology-supported nature engagement.
  • Identify the roles technology plays in nature engagement, integrating theoretical and practical exploration.
• Implementation Steps and Key Techniques:
  1. Define research questions: Clearly define nature engagement and the roles of technology.
  2. Literature screening: Select relevant HCI papers from the ACM Digital Library through multiple rounds of keyword and topic searches.
  3. Data visualization: Organize and classify information using the Arksey and O’Malley scoping review framework.
  4. Analysis and reporting: Summarize findings, propose classification frameworks, and analyze research directions.

Research Outcomes

• Specific Findings:

  • Proposed a classification framework analyzing technological applications in nature engagement based on directness (direct or indirect engagement) and distance from nature (on-site, local, remote).
  • Identified six roles of technology: supporting understanding of nature, aggregating knowledge, providing nature experiences on demand, learning about nature, discovering and navigating natural locations, and experiencing nature from alternative perspectives.
  • Suggested future research directions, including exploring combinations of direct and indirect nature engagement and studying long-term impacts.

• Comparative Advantages:

  • Compared to previous work, this review systematically organizes diverse designs, intervention mechanisms, and theoretical approaches in HCI research on nature engagement.
  • The classification framework helps understand the relationship between research motivations and technological applications, aiding in the optimized design of technological interventions.

• Experimental or Evaluation Results:

  • Certain technologies, such as augmented reality and sensor technologies, demonstrated potential in facilitating nature observation and interaction.
  • However, many studies have yet to fully validate the long-term effects of technological interventions on attitudes and behaviors related to nature engagement.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • Limitations: Most current studies are based on short-term experiments, making it difficult to assess the impact of technology on long-term relationships with nature or ecological conservation. Research is predominantly focused on Western countries, lacking consideration of cultural differences.
  • Future Directions:
    1. Explore the relationship between direct and indirect nature engagement.
    2. Investigate how sensory-rich technologies enhance the depth of nature experiences.
    3. Evaluate the long-term impact of technological interventions on ecological awareness and behaviors.
    4. Conduct more interdisciplinary explorations, integrating theories from environmental psychology and social ecology.

Conclusion

This paper reviews HCI research over the past 25 years aimed at promoting human-nature interaction, proposing two classification frameworks and summarizing diverse technological intervention methods and their theoretical foundations. While the study highlights the potential of technology in fostering nature engagement, future research needs to delve deeper into its mechanisms and long-term impacts on ecological conservation. The paper establishes a theoretical foundation for further innovative design and interdisciplinary collaboration.