St Andrews HCI Research Group

Welcome to the website for SACHI which aims to act a focal point for human computer interaction research across the University of St Andrews and beyond.

SACHI is the St Andrews Computer Human Interaction research group (a HCI Group) based in the School of Computer Science. Members of SACHI co-supervise research students, collaborate on various projects and activities, share access to research equipment and our HCI prototyping workshop. Established in 2011, we now have a regular seminar series, social activities, summer schools and organise workshops and conferences together. Along with the above links, you can find more news about us here.
SACHI members at our away day at St Andrews Botanic Gardens.

News and Events

Engaging with the Community through Digital Inclusion WikiConnect


We are excited to announce that SACHI is supporting Digital Inclusion WikiConnect. This project aligns perfectly with our ongoing commitment to fostering community engagement and promoting high-social impact initiatives.

Digital Inclusion WikiConnect

Did you know you have the power to shape the world’s largest encyclopedia while making a real difference in digital inclusion? Whether you’re a Wikipedia beginner or a seasoned contributor, Digital Inclusion WikiConnect offers you the chance to develop new skills, contribute your expertise and help combat digital poverty. With plenty of support, workshops, and hands-on guidance, this is your chance to plug knowledge gaps and address the issue of digital poverty.

Photo CC 2.0 by Oliver Lavery on Flicker – Digital Divide

What is the project all about?

Digital Inclusion WikiConnect aims to foster collaboration between staff and students at the University of St Andrews by promoting inclusive practices and digital inclusion through the creation and editing of Wikipedia articles relevant to digital poverty and/or your area of expertise. By engaging participants in this event, we seek to increase student engagement, raise awareness about the importance of digital inclusion, particularly for marginalised communities, and celebrate good intergenerational practices within our University.

It is supported by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Fund, School of Computer Science, CS EDI Committee, and SACHI, and led by the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility in Open Knowledge Network (IDEA Network for short!)

2nd Intake Announcement 📢

🗓️ Thursday 24 October 2024, 1:00pm – 3:30pm
📍 School of Physics and Astronomy

This is your opportunity to learn new skills, contribute valuable knowledge, and help shape the future of digital inclusion through Wikipedia.

🎉 Special Highlight: We’re thrilled to have Freddie Quek, a global digital inclusion leader and founder of the #joiningthedots initiative, joining us again, but this time in person! Freddie’s work has significantly impacted national strategies to close the digital divide, and this is a rare chance to hear his insights first-hand.

Why and how would I sign up?

This project aims to deliver a real social impact on the issue of digital inclusion. Alongside this, it is also a great opportunity to showcase your skills in independent research and collaboration, which prove to be invaluable for your future studies and teaching. To find out more about the benefits of taking part and to sign up, please complete our sign up form here.

FAQs

Do I need to be a wiki contributor already?

Absolutely not. We will support you every step of the way, from signing up as an editor to publishing your first article, and all the steps in between.

I’m not an academic; can I still be involved?

Absolutely. This is open to all staff at the University, regardless of job family.

I am a PhD student; do I count as staff or student on this project?

For the purposes of this project, we will be classing PhD students as students.

I am working remotely on 24 October; can I join online?

We will have an EDI Engagement Facilitator available to support those who can only attend on 24 October online.

Why You Should Join

By participating in this project, you will:

  • Plug knowledge gaps on the world’s largest open-access platform.
  • Develop valuable skills in research, wiki writing, and addressing digital literacy issues.
  • Make an impact on digital poverty by contributing to inclusive knowledge.
  • Collaborate with peers and experts in an intergenerational knowledge-sharing effort.

Sign Up Now!

Spaces are limited, and spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If the session is fully booked, a waiting list will be available. No prior experience with Wikipedia is required—we will support you every step of the way!

👉 Sign up here

Let’s collaborate to bridge the digital divide and promote inclusive knowledge sharing together.


Welcome new SACHI PhD students


We are thrilled to be welcoming so many new faces to the SACHI group, namely:

Sachin Yadav, who is focusing on uncovering how technology has an increasingly pervasive impact on our relationship, and ability to engage, with work; particularly in online labour markets and the broader gig economy.

Jess McGowan, who is starting a PhD with SACHI and myself around the idea of TTRPG UX.

Tom Metcalfe, who is researching how sustainable tangible embodied interactions can be inspired by and connected to place.

Tilcia Woodville-Price, who has joined us to do a PhD in health data visualisation, in collaboration with the School of Medicine.

Paul Cox, who is focusing on topics related to Web privacy with a keen interest in studying user perceptions of privacy as the browse the Web.

 


Playful Interactive Data Physicalizations for engaging with Climate Change


Title: The Great Shrinking Lake 

MSc HCI Project 2023-2024 by Xiaojun Huang 

This project aims to explore how interactive data physicalization can guide the public in understanding current climate change issues in an engaging and enjoyable way, and bridge the temporal and spatial gaps of specific climate change issues, ultimately raising public awareness and encouraging participation in climate change issues. 

This project focuses on the changes in the Great Salt Lake in Utahn, U.S. from 1990 to 2022. The prototype visualizes the lake contours and the flights passing over the lake area over the years. These data are visualized on transparent acrylic layers through laser cutting. It utilized a series of lighting effects and interactive elements to enhance the users understanding and engagement with the data. Observing the changes in these two data over time can also help users gain insights into the relationship between human activities and the environment. 

 

Inspired by an article from NASA https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/150187/the-great-shrinking-lake 

Supervised by Dr. Loraine Clarke 

https://sachi.cs.st-andrews.ac.uk/