'Touchers' And 'Mousers': Commonalities And Differences In Co-Located Collaboration With Multiple Input Devices

We present new findings on commonalities and differences between touch and mouse input for co-located interaction between teams of two people who know each other. Twenty-two participants were instructed to work as co-located pairs on three sets of two concurrent digital jigsaw puzzles, displayed on a horizontal tabletop that allows for multiple concurrent input devices. They were advised to use their preference for, or any combination of, direct (touch) and indirect (mouse) input device to achieve the goal. We increased the task's difficulty: In the second and third puzzle task, participants had to discover that pieces were mixed up between the two puzzle stacks. We used this 'hidden task' to trigger spontaneous transitions from individual to collaborative work. Based on a qualitative analysis of individual interaction trajectories of direct and indirect input devices, we discuss patterns of collaboration. This furthers scientific understanding of co-located collaboration with multiple input devices.