St Andrews HCI Research Group

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Seminar: Design Participation: Changing Roles of Users in Innovation and Research 23rd May 2025


Abstract:

In this talk, Sampsa will introduce ideas from his forthcoming book Design Participation (September 2025, cover attached), which presents doable and demonstrated ways by which design can become a major contributor to social and environmental change. This entails a shift from seeking to define solutions to opening spaces in which others—activists, entrepreneurs, civil servants, neighbourhood communities, politicians (and so on) —can effectively elaborate on and find (re)solutions to the matters they are facing. He will reflect on over two decades of research, offering insights into how participatory methods can help tackle complex social and environmental challenges. The talk will draw from work in health tech, energy transition, and civic design.

This session should be particularly relevant to colleagues working in Human-Computer Interaction, Science and Technology Studies, systems design, and research that intersects with communities, policy, and practice.

Bio:

Sampsa Hyysalo is a Professor of Co-Design at the Aalto University School of Art, Design and Architecture in Helsinki, Finland. His research focuses on designer-user relations in sociotechnical change. This includes engagement in participatory design, co-design, open and user innovation, open design, peer knowledge creation, user communities, citizen science and user knowledge in organizations, design ethnography, longitudinal ethnography, social shaping of technology, process studies of innovation, practice theory, and sustainability transitions.

More about Sampsa.

He is the author of several books, including:

Event details:

  • When: 23rd May 2025 15:00-16:00
  • Where: Jack Cole 1.33A

Posted on May 20th, 2025

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Seminar: Radical Imagination: Knowledge Through Generations 2nd April 2025


Abstract:

We will engage with insights from a young Greek interlocutor who did not live the Cold War period firsthand. She relates to the legacies of the Cold War through radical imagination, projecting that it is only logical that the affects of the era have left irreversible psychological marks on the people who experienced it. The talk proposes a theory of psychic time and generational battles for belonging. There is a critique of history as taught in school textbooks when compared to the lived experiences of history in the present.

Bio:

Stavroula is Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the University of St Andrews, Founding Director of the interdisciplinary Centre for Minorities Research and editor of the interdisciplinary book series Routledge Advances in Minority Studies. She works on minority politics, displacement, governance, and the Cold War. She is the author of “The Grecanici of Southern Italy: Governance, Violence, and Minority Politics” (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016) and “Lurking Cold War: Life Through Historical Communion” (Berghahn 2025). Lurking Cold War explores the entangled registers of the Cold War that continue to stalk the social landscape in Italy and Greece. Critiquing the connections between global categories and individual experiences, Lurking foregrounds Cold War resonances through materiality, imagination, speculation and affect, in literature, bureaucracy and in the family. A theory of methexi illustrates how people and history are brought into communion, blurring the boundaries between known and unknown, reality and imagination, and form and interpretation. The result is an articulation of history that matters in a way that matters.

More about Dr Stavroula Pipyrou

Event details:

  • When: 2nd April 2025 13:00-14:00
  • Where: Jack Cole 1.33A

Posted on March 28th, 2025

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Seminar: Bridging Minds and Machines: Redefining Computing Education 26th March 2025


Abstract:

Since 2009, Dr Zarb has been exploring the evolving landscape of pedagogical research, collecting ideas from across disciplines and trends. In this acronym-filled talk, he offers a guided tour through some of the latest research at RGU — from grappling with the ethical dilemmas posed by conversational AI in education, to exploring “shadow podcasts” as informal learning tools. We will look at practical challenges, unexpected questions and at how rapidly shifting technology continues to shape how (and why) we teach and learn.

Bio:

Dr Mark Zarb is an Associate Professor based within the School of Computing, Engineering and Technology at RGU

His main research focus is within computing education, having led international working groups on transitions into higher education in 2018 and post-pandemic educational landscapes in 2021 and 2022.

He received his PhD (2014, University of Dundee) for work exploring the role of verbal communication styles in pair programming. His various roles and experiences allow him a wide and international perspective on computing education.

More about Dr Mark Zarb

Event details:

  • When: 26th March 2025 13:00-14:00
  • Where: Jack Cole 1.33A

Posted on March 25th, 2025

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Seminar: Performative Artefacts – From Interactions in Space to Situated in Place 26th Feb 2025


Abstract:

Tom will share some of his past work in interaction and experience design with objects, installations and space and why it has led to his current research into place, tangibles and design.

Bio:

Tom Metcalfe is an interdisciplinary designer and researcher whose work begins with social purpose, and evolves through the creation of meticulously considered forms, intuitive yet surprising interaction design, and an open, conversational quality which invites human and more-than-human connection. He works across multiple mediums and materials creating Performative Artefacts which often utilise technology in subtle ways to enhance the texture, capacity and magical animism of object-based interaction. Metcalfe’s practice is situated in Dundee and Fife, Scotland. He founded his own studio in 2014. His current major work is an exploration into the connections and opportunities in place, design and human-computer interaction – particularly tangibles and connected objects. Place is the foundation of regenerative design, and our understanding of place identity, attachment and affordances will play a crucial role in creating a more ethical, equitable and sustainable future.

More about Tom Metcalfe

Event details:

  • When: 26th Feb 2025 13:00-14:00
  • Where: Jack Cole 1.33A

Posted on February 21st, 2025

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Seminar: Democratising the Design and Development of Emerging Technologies 17th March 2025


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:

Dr. Aluna Everitt is a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Prior to moving to Christchurch (NZ), she was a Research Associate in the Cyber-Physical Systems group at the University of Oxford and a Junior Research Fellow at Kellogg College, University of Oxford. She was also a Senior Visiting Researcher and postdoc at the University of Bristol (BIG Lab). Dr. Everitt was awarded her PhD in Computer Science from Lancaster University, specializing in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). As a multi-disciplinary researcher, her areas of interest and expertise lie across the fields of HCI, Design, and Engineering. She has a particular interest in conducting both quantitative and qualitative research which combines a mix of engineering fabrication approaches for iterative prototyping, together with collaborative design (co-design) to encourage users and experts from different domains to develop content and applications for the next generation of interactive hardware systems and interfaces (e.g., shape-changing displays, wearables, and robotics).

More about Dr. Aluna Everitt

Event details:

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

Posted on February 11th, 2025

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Seminar: An Upcycled IoT 12th March 2025


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:

Kristin Williams is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science in Emory University’s College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on making programming the Internet of Things approachable to casual end user programmers. This work builds on Kristin’s longstanding interests in agency, DIY publishing, and access to information. In the past, Kristin has worked closely with community organizations to shape and evaluate assistive technologies for individuals with visual and cognitive disabilities, managed an archive of Soviet dissident literature on the political abuse of psychiatry, and created a 10+ year book project on Central Asian civil society as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan. She has a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University’s Human Compter Interaction Institute, an MS in Human-Computer Interaction from both Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Maryland, College Park and a BA in Philosophy from Reed College. She was a 2021 EECS Rising Star, an NSF EAPSI Fellow, and an AAUW Career Development Grantee.

More about Dr Kristin Williams

Event details:

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

Posted on February 10th, 2025

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WikiConnect: Bridging Knowledge Gaps for a Fairer Digital Future for all


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

Posted on February 4th, 2025

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Seminar: Digital Civics in the Age of AI: Rethinking Community Engagement 13th February 2025


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:

Tiffany Knearem is a User Experience Researcher who holds a PhD in Information Sciences and Technology from Pennsylvania State University. Her recent publications span topics of human-AI alignment, AI-supported design workflows, and community informatics. She was recently featured in ACM’s Interactions Magazine and is a regular speaker at ACM conferences.

Tiffany is coming over from the US to speak to us and at a few other universities. Apologies for the short notice – we hope some of you make it!

More about Dr Tiffany Knearam

Event details:

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

Posted on February 4th, 2025

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Seminar: Learning Vocabulary in Augmented Reality Supported 10th April 2024


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:

Maheshya Weerasinghe is a Research Associate in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) at the University of Glasgow, School of Computing Science, UK. Her research centres on extended reality and guided learning environments. She obtained her joint PhD in Computer Science at the University of St Andrews, UK, and the University of Primorska, Slovenia (2023).
Before joining the University of Glasgow, Maheshya has engaged in many collaborative research work with the HICUP Lab, University of Primorska, Slovenia; SACHI Lab, University of St Andrews, UK; Mixed Reality Lab, University of Coburg, Germany; IDM Lab, Nara Institute of Science & Technology, Japan; and the Monash University, Malaysia.

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.

Posted on April 1st, 2024

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Seminar:User Language and Perspective in Speech-Based Human-Machine Dialogue 3rd April 2024


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

Abstract:

Speech based conversational user interfaces (CUIs) such as speech agents are now commonplace. Design is critical in supporting and informing our perceptions of speech agents as dialogue partners (i.e. our partner models), which are commonly used to inform perspective taking in dialogue. My talk will explore how CUI design shapes our beliefs of a machine partner’s abilities, the dimensions relevant to partner models, how partner models are crucial to consider in terms of speech agent interaction, and how this concept can help us begin to explain our language interactions with conversational AI more broadly.

Bio:

Benjamin R Cowan is Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at University College Dublin’s School of Information & Communication Studies in Ireland. He completed his undergraduate studies in Psychology & Business Studies (2006) as well as his PhD in Usability Engineering (2011) at the University of Edinburgh. His research lies at the juncture between psychology, human-computer interaction and communication systems in investigating how design impacts aspects of user behaviour in social, collaborative and communicative AI interactions.
Prof. Cowan is the co-founder and co-director of the HCI@UCD group, one of the largest HCI research groups in Ireland. He is also Co-Principal investigator in the SFI funded ADAPT Centre, a world leading €90+ million Research Centre on AI driven content technologies, where he leads the Interaction and Control research strand. Prof. Cowan is also the co-founder of the ACM International Conferences Series on Conversational User Interfaces (ACM CUI) and has been heavily involved in the ACM CHI conference, having acted as Associate Chair (AC-2017-2018; 2021) and Subcommittee Chair (SC- 2022 & 2023) of the Understanding People Quantitative Methods Subcommittee.

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.

Posted on March 28th, 2024

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