In the online world, user engagement refers to the quality of the user experience that emphasizes the positive aspects of the interaction with technology and, in particular, the phenomena associated with wanting to use that technology longer and frequently. This definition is motivated by the observation that successful technologies are not just used, but they are engaged with. Engagement is... [read more]

In the online world, user engagement refers to the quality of the user experience that emphasizes the positive aspects of the interaction with technology and, in particular, the phenomena associated with wanting to use that technology longer and frequently. This definition is motivated by the observation that successful technologies are not just used, but they are engaged with. Engagement is measured in many ways, through self-report methods (e.g., questionnaires), observer methods (e.g., facial expression analysis, speech analysis, desktop actions, etc.), and neuro-physiological signal processing methods (e.g., respiratory and cardiovascular accelerations and decelerations, muscle spasms, etc.). However, little is known in validating and relating these metrics and so providing a firm basis for assessing the quality of the user experience. My research aims to address this problem by combining techniques from web analytics, information retrieval evaluation, and existing works on user engagement coming from the domains of information science, multimodal human computer interaction and cognitive psychology.

This talk comprises three parts: (1) I will define user engagement, list its many characteristics as identified in the research and analytic literature, and discuss through real examples the challenges associated with measuring user engagement. (2) I will describe recent data-driven approaches looking at user engagement through the development of new measures that allow for a better representation of how users engage with and across different web services. (3) I will describe how emerging research directions looking at affect and cognition are providing additional insights into measuring user engagement.