Does Repeatedly Typing the Same Phrase Provide a Good Estimate of Expert Text Entry Performance?

Abstract

To identify if novel/unfamiliar keyboard layouts like OPTI can outperform QWERTY, lengthy training through longitudinal studies is typically required. To reduce this logistical bottleneck, a popular approach in the literature requires participants to type the same phrase repeatedly. However, it is still unknown whether this approach provides a good estimate of expert performance. To validate this method, we set up a study where participants were tasked with typing the same phrase 96 times for both OPTI and QWERTY. Results showed that this approach has the potential to estimate expert performance for novel/unfamiliar keyboards faster than the traditional approach with different phrases. Yet, we also found that accurate estimates still require training over several days and, therefore, do not eliminate the need for a longitudinal study. Our findings thus show the need for research on faster, easier, and more reliable empirical approaches to evaluate text entry systems. © 2023 Owner/Author.