A preliminary apparatus and teaching structure for passive tactile training of stenography

Passive tactile learning (PTL) is a method of training motor skills using repeated tactile cues applied to the body even while the user is focused on unrelated tasks.Prior inquiry into PTL has determined that it may be used to teach a variety of input methods, including those that require simultaneous actions (chords) and spatial tasks that give individual fingers multiple responsibilities. No research has combined these techniques to construct a training system that teaches a spatial, chorded input method. Computer stenography is one such input method, and the need for improved training techniques for computer stenography is apparent. Many aspiring stenographers quickly lose motivation due to the difficulty of the input method and the scarcity of effective learning resources. Passive tactile training may be a useful training mechanism to combat the learning crisis in the stenography field. In a study with 12 participants, we demonstrate that PTL may be a useful aide to learning computer stenography. Despite the complexity of the input method, results suggest that PTL may be effective in teaching users fundamental building blocks of stenography that can be applied broadly to the task of mastering the input method.