Classifying physical strategies in tangible tasks: a video-coding framework for epistemic actions

Tangible interaction is a compelling interface paradigm that elegantly merges the fluency of physical manipulation with the flexibility of digital content. However, it is currently challenging to understand the real benefits and advantages of tangible systems. To address this problem, this paper argues that we need new evaluation techniques capable of meaningfully assessing how users perform with tangible, physical objects. Working towards this aim, it presents a video-coding framework that supports the granular identification of epistemic actions (physical actions that are made to simplify cognitive work) during tangible tasks. The framework includes 20 epistemic actions, identified through a systematic literature review of 77 sources. We argue that data generated by applying this process will help us better understand epistemic behavior and, ultimately, lead to the generation of novel, grounded design insights to support physically-grounded cognitive strategies in tangible tasks.