| Friday 31st October Daniel Johnson (Research Associate, Cambridge University) Title: Psychology and DesignConsideration will be given to a recent projects that employ knowledge of psychology as a means of improving the design of products and interfaces. Firstly, the concept of Inclusive Design will be introduced, the value of a capability database for informing design will be covered, and the challenges inherent in building such a database will be explored. Secondly, the results of a recent workshop focussed on the ways in which Information Communication Technology can be employed as a means of improving the wellbeing of older people will be discussed. Thirdly, the media equation (the notion that people often treat computers as though they were human) will be described and examples will be provided of the way in which people's social and natural reactions to computers and digital interfaces can inform design. Finally, time permitting, a very brief exploration will be undertaken of how mood can impact on a person's experience of a product and how this might inform design. About the speaker:Daniel is investigating the measurement of people's varying abilities with a view to informing product design. He is also looking at the impact of context (social, psychological and physical) on relative difficulty with product use. Daniel is also actively involved with research on well-being at the University of Cambridge Well-being Institute. Download the presentation files |
| Friday 14th November Stuart Battersby & Christopher Frauenberger (University of London) Title: Shared 3D interaction spaces with humans and avatars: A summary of motion capture case studies and an introduction to an experimental platformAbout the speakers: Stuart is a PhD student with the Interaction, Media and Communication research group, in the Computer Science Department at Queen Mary, University Of London. He spends his time examining the spatial and gestural features of multiparty, face to face human interaction. This involves collecting and using data from the Augmented Human Interaction lab which can be used to demonstrate these features in 3D space. He uses this to offer a comparison of video mediated communication and face to face, and to account for the differences between the two. Christopher is a research assistant for the AHI Lab. He develops applications that involve the Vicon motion capture system, virtual and augmented reality with reactive avatars and 3D sound environments. In the DBI (discipline bridging initiative) project "3D Analysis of Interactional Synchrony in Schizophrenia" He investigated the use of motion capture techniques to study interactional cues in schizophrenic patients. |
| Friday 28th November Sarah Lewthwaite (University of Nottingham) Title & Abstract Disability 2.0: Facebook, the Academy and Student (dis)Connections. For many young people, online social networks such as Facebook are an essential part of their student experience. Other social web-based services like Wikipedia and YouTube are also an important facet of everyday student life. New technologies have always been scrutinized for their capacity to support education and, as these social technologies become more pervasive, universities are increasingly seeking to appropriate them for teaching and learning. However, the educational impact of applying these Web 2.0 technologies for all users is unclear. The experiences of disabled students crystallize many of the issues raised by the movement of the academy into the digital domain, disputing the notion of social networks as universally popular, transparent and inclusive. This presentation is based upon ongoing qualitative PhD research. Discussion will focus on data collected during 14 interviews with disabled students at different stages in their University studies. Interviews utilise screen capture, participatory and accessible methods to explore how the societal elements of disability transpire and transform online. About the speaker: Sarah is a PhD student at the University of Nottingham in the UK. She is based at the School of Education and is a Graduate Associate of the Learning Sciences Research Institute. |