Interactive Multimedia in an Informal Setting: The Use of a Multimedia Information Kiosk by University Students

This article reports on a study that evaluated the use of a multimedia information kiosk by university students over a period of two years. It examined the users' perception of the system, their media preferences, and their patterns of use through actual on-line data and survey information. The results of the study highlighted several important features that an effective public access systems should have: 1) multiple navigation paths to accommodate users with different needs, 2) simple graphical user interface, and 3) visual media as the primary presentation means. Implications for designing public access systems and for future research were discussed.