Chris Zhao Y, Lian J, Song S, et al. Engaging with immersive technologies in medical library: an investigation of students’ perceived affordances and constraints[C]//Proceedings of the 2022 Conference on Human Information Interaction and Retrieval. 2022: 277-283.

Abstract: The library's information practices on immersive technologies help to enhance the scenario-based user experience. However, there has been limited research on user engagement with immersive technologies in the medical library setting. In this exploratory study, we conducted interviews and on-site observations with 17 medical students who had experience with immersive technologies at the medical library. The affordance lens was used to explore how the relationship between immersive technologies and medical students enables and constrains their information practices. The preliminary results suggest that users’ perceived affordances of immersive technologies are not a solid outcome but a dynamic process. In our case, users’ perceptions of technology affordances can be categorized into perceived entertainment affordances, perceived learning affordances, perceived instrumental affordances, and perceived socializing affordances. We also identified three perceived constraints in medical students’ experiences with immersive technologies in the library setting. The study contributes to the literature on user engagement from an affordance perspective, and yield practical implications for medical training and education by leveraging the immersive technologies in the library context.

Keywords: Immersive technology, user engagement, affordance lens, medical library, information practice