Abstract:

My research focuses on democratising the development of emerging technologies. More specifically, by establishing accessible approaches for designing and building emerging technologies such as robotics, wearables, and shape-changing interfaces. To advance the field, my research focuses not only on understanding these technologies (e.g., their design), but also how to build them (e.g., engineer them), and how to innovate with them (e.g., application). In this talk, I will go into detail about some of the projects I have worked on around this topic across the fields of HCI, Design, and Engineering.

Bio:

More about Dr. Aluna Everitt

Event details:

• When: 17th March 2025 12:00-13:00
• Where: Jack Cole 1.33B

Abstract:

The Internet-of-Things (IoT) promises to enhance even the most mundane of objects with computational properties. Yet, IoT has largely focused on new devices, and so, has required households to replace their possessions to adopt IoT. Replacement brings disruption to the home and generates substantial waste. To address this, my research asks us to re-envision how IoT is integrated into the home and asks us to imagine, what if we could upcycle our existing possessions with IoT so that family practices are resilient to technological change? In this talk I’ll describe day to day family life, how families imagine IoT making home life better, a lightweight system to graft IoT onto existing possessions, and open problems in tangible interaction, DIY modification, and sensor uncertainty that need addressed to make an Upcycled IoT possible. Along the way, I’ll describe work my lab has been doing to make progress on these open challenges and the implications these have for making IoT both sustainable and capable of supporting resilient homes.

Bio:

More about Dr Kristin Williams

Event details:

• When: 12th March 2025 13:00-14:00
• Where: Jack Cole 1.33A

Wikipedia has become an essential pillar of global knowledge-sharing, but it is far from perfect. Gaps in coverage and skewed information disproportionately impact underrepresented communities, creating a biased view of the world. They also lay the groundwork for biased AI systems that rely on flawed data.

Come and join this webinar to hear from Abd Alsattar Ardati from University of St Andrews about the Digital Inclusion WikiConnect project that empowers participants with the skills and resources to close critical knowledge gaps, raise awareness about digital poverty, and build a more inclusive, equitable digital knowledge ecosystem.

Find out how curating accessible, high-quality content on digital inclusion, WikiConnect doesn’t just document inequalities—it actively works to reduce them, such as the role of shared knowledge in breaking down barriers to digital literacy and other examples of how small, deliberate contributions can ripple outward, driving meaningful change and empowering communities.

You can be part of this too! Come and join, and share this.

(Click to see original post)

📅 Thursday, February 13th | 5 PM – 6 PM (UK time)
👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/esK9Xznu

Speaker: Abd Alsattar Ardati

Excited to be speaking at this upcoming British Computer Society webinar—open to all! If you’re interested in digital inclusion, open knowledge, collaboration, or AI bias, this one’s for you. Hope to see some familiar faces there!

We need to rethink collaboration to close critical knowledge gaps on Wikipedia—gaps that don’t just limit access to information but fuel a vicious cycle of digital exclusion. AI systems trained on incomplete or biased data don’t just reflect inequalities—they amplify them [1]. As McDowell [2] puts it, ‘bias in, bias out’—a spin on ‘garbage in, garbage out’, highlighting how gaps in data can perpetuate systemic bias.

I’ll share insights from my participatory design research and explore how we can build a more inclusive, equitable digital knowledge ecosystem. I’ll also highlight how the WikiConnect project, part of The IDEA Network in Open Research at the University of St Andrews, raises awareness about digital poverty and shows how you can get involved.

Would love to hear your thoughts—let’s start the conversation! 💡

References:

[1] Hall, M., Maaten, L. van der, Gustafson, L., Jones, M., & Adcock, A. (2022). A Systematic Study of Bias Amplification (No. arXiv:2201.11706). arXiv. https://lnkd.in/ec-x6ei2

[2] McDowell, Z. J. (2024). Wikipedia and AI: Access, representation, and advocacy in the age of large language models. Convergence, 30(2), 751–767. https://lnkd.in/eUqUCvgu

Abstract:

The expansion of AI to the civic realm promises to enhance the local community. We discuss perspectives on AI for community engagement, including opportunities and challenges as we navigate this paradigm shift towards increasing automation.

Bio:

More about Dr Tiffany Knearam

Event details:

• When: 13th February 2025 12:00 – 13:00
• Where: Jack Cole 1.33B

VocabulARy: Learning Vocabulary in Augmented Reality Supported by Keyword Method

Abstract:

The “keyword method” is an effective mnemonic technique for learning vocabulary in a foreign language. It involves creating a mental association between the object the foreign word represents and a word in one’s native language that sounds similar (called the keyword). Learning foreign language vocabulary is enhanced when we encounter words in context. This context can be provided by the place or activity we are engaged with. This talk will present our work “VocabulARy” which enhances the language learning process by providing users with keywords and their visualisations in context using augmented reality (AR).

Bio:

More about Maheshya Weerasinghe Arachchillage

Event details:

• When: 10th April 2024 12:30 – 13:30
• Where: Jack Cole 1.19

If you’re interested in attending any of the seminars in room 1.19, please email the SACHI seminar coordinator: aaa8@st-andrews.ac.uk so they can make appropriate arrangements for the seminar based on the number of attendees.

Perspective taking, partner models and user language use in speech based human-machine dialogue

Abstract:

Bio:

Event details:

• When: 3rd April 2024 12:30 – 13:30
• Where: Jack Cole 1.19

If you’re interested in attending any of the seminars in room 1.19, please email the SACHI seminar coordinator: aaa8@st-andrews.ac.uk so they can make appropriate arrangements for the seminar based on the number of attendees.

We have 2 presentations on the 13th March focusing on Tangible interfaces by Laura Pruszko and Anna Carter.

Talk 1: Designing for Modularity – a modular approach to physical user interfaces

Abstract:

Bio:

Bio:

Event details:

• When: 13th March 2024 12:00 – 14:00. There’ll be cakes and soft drinks from 12 onwards. The talks will be from 12:30 – 13:30
• Where: Jack Cole 1.33 (Soft drinks and cake provided by F&D)

Abstract:

Alex will discuss a critique of modern software engineering and outline how it systematically produces systems that have negative social consequences. To help counter this trend, he offers the notion of rights-driven development, which puts the concept of a right at the heart of software engineering practices. Alex’s first step to develop rights-driven practices is to introduce a language for rights in software engineering. He provides an overview of the elements such a language must contain and outlines some ideas for developing a domain-specific language that can be integrated with modern software engineering approaches. 

Bio:

Alex Voss, who’s an Honorary Lecturer here at the school and an external member of our group. Alex was also a Technology Fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and an Associate in the Department of Philosophy at Harvard.

Alex holds a PhD in Informatics and works at the intersection of the social sciences and computer science. His current research aims to develop new representations, practices and tools for rights-respecting software engineering. He is also working on the role that theories of causation have in making sense of complex socio-technical systems.

His research interests include: causality in computing, specifically in big data and machine learning applications; human-centric co-realization of technologies; responsible innovation; computing and society; computer-based and computer-aided research methods.

More about Alex: https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/persons/alexander-voss

Event details:

• When: 28th February 2024 12:30 – 13:30
• Where: Jack Cole 1.19

If you’re interested in attending any of the seminars in room 1.19, please email the SACHI seminar coordinator: aaa8@st-andrews.ac.uk so they can make appropriate arrangements for the seminar based on the number of attendees.

Designing for Care in Online Communities

Abstract:

Join us for an insightful seminar by our recent PhD graduate discussing the intricacies of co-designing for online communities. Abd will present a novel framework stemming out of his PhD project, the Ethnographically-informed Distributed Participatory Design (EDPD) Framework for Sociotechnical Change. This framework offers a holistic approach to co-design, emphasising the importance of understanding online communities’ social dynamics and technological infrastructures. 

Bio:

Abd is an HCI and Software Engineering Lecturer with a passion for addressing pressing societal issues through sociotechnical systems design. Under the supervision of Alex Voss, Uta Hinrichs, Ian Gent, and Angela Miguel, Abd took on a challenging yet fulfilling journey to explore the complexities of designing for online communities. Currently, he continues to delve into the intersection of technology and society, focusing on digital poverty and open knowledge gaps. Abd’s research aims to bridge the gap between technology and society, enabling a more inclusive and equitable digital landscape. He is particularly interested in bringing researchers closer to communities, fostering collaboration and co-design efforts that empower individuals and promote meaningful social change. 

Event details:

Date: Wednesday, 06/12/2023 

Time: 2:30 PM 

Location: Room 1.19 

We are delighted to see Xu, Pireh, and Abd graduated this week! Congratulations!