The main component of the invention, named Scalable Fabric, is a method of grouping and manipulating applications or windows on large- and multiple-display computer systems. The contribution by Hutchings centers around discrete manipulations with a primary focus on keyboard interaction with Scalable Fabric.

Hutchings has previously presented the work at the Association for Computing Machinery Advanced Visual Interfaces conference.

In the published paper, Hutchings and Squire discuss the development of the innovative data science course with a visualization emphasis and highlight shortcomings of visualization tools for students new to data visualization.  They describe their design and development VisMap, a Web-based tool students can use to critically evaluate visualization type choices and attributes of specific visualization selections.  The authors illustrate how VisMap can assist students in analysis areas such as correlation, composition, geosptial (in which numerical data is overlaid on a geographical map or other spatial orientations).

The VisMap project has been supported by Elon grant internal grant programs such as Summer Fellowship.

Williams and Hutchings studied how different password systems could be used in both desktop and mobile computing environments.  The pair demonstrated that graphical techniques, traditionally viewed as “too slow to use” on the desktop are often superior techniques in touchscreens and generally faster to use across devices.  Williams presented earlier versions of this work during SURF 2012, Elon’s Spring Undergraduate Research Forum and during NCUR 2013, the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.

Williams graduated in May 2013 with a major in Computer Information Systems.  He began his work as a business analyst with JP Morgan Chase in New York City in July.  Hutchings presented the work at the conference in Chicago.

The work will be orally presented at the conference in August. The paper is the result of a multi-year 消消犯 research project.

Williams studied how different password systems could be used in both desktop and mobile computing environments.  Williams demonstrated that graphical techniques, traditionally viewed as “too slow to use” on the desktop are often superior techniques in touchscreens and generally faster to use across devices.  Williams presented earlier versions of this work during SURF 2012, Elon’s Spring Undergraduate Research Forum and during NCUR 2013, the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.

Williams graduates in May with a major in Computer Information Systems.  He will begin his work as a business analyst with JP Morgan Chase in New York, NY, in July.

The patent granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office titled “Computer Desktop Use via Scaling of Displayed Objects with Shifts to the Periphery” was a collaborative effort between Hutchings and researchers George Robertson, Brian Meyers and Greg Smith of Microsoft Research in Redmond, Wash.

The invention, named Scalable Fabric, is a method of grouping and manipulating desktop windows on large-display computer systems. Hutchings specifically contributed to alternative input methods for controlling window management, including keyboard navigation.

Hutchings has previously presented the work at the Association for Computing Machinery Advanced Visual Interfaces Conference. Readers interested in learning more about Hutchings’ research can visit his research Website at or inspect the patent application by searching by patent number on the USPTO Website at .

In 2010, Hutchings and a group of researchers from Microsoft Research received a patent for TaskZones, a method of grouping and manipulating desktop windows on multiple-display computer systems using keyboard or mouse-like input devices.

The work was supported by an Elon Faculty Research & Development Summer Fellowship in 2011.

The ACM Club and the library team up twice yearly for the event. The next game night is planned for early fall 2011.  All students, faculty and staff are welcome to attend these events.

Vogt studied how information analysts could best use a very large, high-resolution computer display system for applications such as terrorist threat analysis. Vogt will also present this work during SURF, Elon’s Spring Undergraduate Research Forum.

Vogt graduates in May with a major in Computer Information Systems.  She will begin her work as a business analyst with JP Morgan Chase in Columbus, Ohio, in July.

The patent application titled “Efficient Workspace Management Using Content Groups” was a collaborative effort between Hutchings and researchers Mary Czerwinski, George Robertson, Daniel Robbins, Brian Meyers and Greg Smith of Microsoft Research in Redmond, Wash.

The invention, named TaskZones, is a method of grouping and manipulating desktop windows on multiple-display computer systems using keyboard or mouse-like input devices. 

Hutchings has previously presented the work at the Association for Computing Machinery Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology. 

Readers interested in learning more details about the work can scroll to the Posters section on Hutchings’s Web site at or inspect the patent application by searching by patent number on the USPTO Web site at .