article

Aiming and clicking in young children's use of the computer mouse

Authors:

Pieter ReitsmaAuthors Info & Claims

Computers in Human Behavior, Volume 23, Issue 6

Pages 2863 - 2874

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2006.06.002

Published: 01 November 2007 Publication History

Abstract

The present study investigated the abilities of young children to aim and click with a computer mouse. Young children have not yet fully developed their motor skills and they are therefore more likely than adults to click next to targets on the computer screen. Because in educational software incorrect clicks could result in incorrect answers, children may initiate a laborious aiming process that increases the risk of repetitive strain injuries. The present study evaluated some factors that could affect the difficulty of aiming and clicking for children from Kindergarten 2 and Grade 1. Adults participated to serve as a reference group. The results show that the accuracy of mouse clicks and aiming speed are related the size of targets. The shape of targets or a context of distracting objects did not affect accuracy or speed. This work recommends the use of targets of at least 1 centimeter wide and tall in the design of software for young children.

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Cosentino GGelsomini MGiannakos M(2023)MOVES: Going beyond hardwired multisensory environments for childrenProceedings of the 22nd Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference10.1145/3585088.3594493(716-720)Online publication date: 19-Jun-2023
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Cosentino GGelsomini MSharma KGiannakos M(2023)Interaction Modalities and Children’s Learning in Multisensory Environments: Challenges and Trade-offsProceedings of the 22nd Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference10.1145/3585088.3589385(397-410)Online publication date: 19-Jun-2023
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Pandey VKhan NGupta AGajos K(2023)Accuracy and Reliability of At-Home Quantification of Motor Impairments Using a Computer-Based Pointing Task with Children with Ataxia-TelangiectasiaACM Transactions on Accessible Computing10.1145/358179016:1(1-25)Online publication date: 28-Mar-2023
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Index Terms

Aiming and clicking in young children's use of the computer mouse
1. Applied computing
  1. Education

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Copyright © Elsevier Ltd © 2006.

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Elsevier Science Publishers B. V.

Netherlands

Publication History

Published: 01 November 2007

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Cited By

Cosentino GGelsomini MGiannakos M(2023)MOVES: Going beyond hardwired multisensory environments for childrenProceedings of the 22nd Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference10.1145/3585088.3594493(716-720)Online publication date: 19-Jun-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3585088.3594493
Cosentino GGelsomini MSharma KGiannakos M(2023)Interaction Modalities and Children’s Learning in Multisensory Environments: Challenges and Trade-offsProceedings of the 22nd Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference10.1145/3585088.3589385(397-410)Online publication date: 19-Jun-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3585088.3589385
Pandey VKhan NGupta AGajos K(2023)Accuracy and Reliability of At-Home Quantification of Motor Impairments Using a Computer-Based Pointing Task with Children with Ataxia-TelangiectasiaACM Transactions on Accessible Computing10.1145/358179016:1(1-25)Online publication date: 28-Mar-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3581790
Dietz GLe JTamer NHan JGweon HMurnane ELanday JKitamura YQuigley AIsbister KIgarashi TBjørn PDrucker S(2021)StoryCoder: Teaching Computational Thinking Concepts Through Storytelling in a Voice-Guided App for ChildrenProceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3411764.3445039(1-15)Online publication date: 6-May-2021
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Wang JWu HHsu Y(2017)Using mobile applications for learningComputers in Human Behavior10.1016/j.chb.2016.09.03266:C(103-113)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2017
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Pariente-Martinez BGonzalez-Rodriguez MFernandez-Lanvin DDe Andres-Suarez J(2016)Measuring the role of age in user performance during interaction with computersUniversal Access in the Information Society10.1007/s10209-014-0388-615:2(237-247)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2016
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Anthony LBrown QNias JTate B(2015)Children (and adults) benefit from visual feedback during gesture interaction on mobile touchscreen devicesInternational Journal of Child-Computer Interaction10.1016/j.ijcci.2016.01.0026:C(17-27)Online publication date: 1-Dec-2015
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Ramírez EMartín-Domínguez JOrgaz BCañedo I(2015)RETRACTEDComputers & Education10.1016/j.compedu.2015.03.00286:C(43-54)Online publication date: 1-Aug-2015
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Anthony LBrown QTate BNias JBrewer RIrwin G(2014)Designing smarter touch-based interfaces for educational contextsPersonal and Ubiquitous Computing10.1007/s00779-013-0749-918:6(1471-1483)Online publication date: 1-Aug-2014
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Anthony LBrown QNias JTate BHourcade JSawhney NReardon E(2013)Examining the need for visual feedback during gesture interaction on mobile touchscreen devices for kidsProceedings of the 12th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children10.1145/2485760.2485775(157-164)Online publication date: 24-Jun-2013
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