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Differences in Human–Avatar Interactions of Older Adults Depend on the Presentation Setting and Health Status of the Participants
No full textThis article examines the interaction between humans and avatars in a long-term care facility. It explores how older people interact with the socially supportive avatar Ann-Sophie in two different situations: individually and in group sessions. Based on qualitative
field research, we analyze the differences in communication patterns between residents with and without dementia. Our results show that the dynamics of interaction vary significantly depending on both the social context and cognitive health status. Residents without dementia tended to engage with the avatar in a more goal-oriented manner, while residents with dementia showed more spontaneous and affect-driven reactions. Group settings promoted shared attention and co-present comments, while individual sessions allowed for more focused, personal engagement. By highlighting the interplay between setting, cognitive state, and communicative behavior, we aim to contribute to ongoing discussions in the community about how digital technologies can be embedded in everyday care practice. We argue that understanding such nuanced interaction contexts is essential for designing socially meaningful and inclusive avatar systems in elder care
Navigating Sociocultural Tensions in Prenatal Care: Opportunities for Digital Health from Diverse Stakeholders in Techiman, Ghana
Full text linkPregnant women in the Global South face significant challenges due to lack ofresources and informational gaps. In this paper, we take an assets-based lens toexamine the experiences of pregnant women in a low-resource setting in Ghana,focusing on the role of information and technology in prenatal care. Throughinterviews and co-design workshops, we illuminate the perspectives of multiplestakeholders including pregnant women, their family members, and health pro-fessionals. We highlight the complexities involved in making decisions duringpregnancy including the challenges arising from the tension between traditionalhealthcare practices and modern Western health services. We discuss opportuni-ties in digital maternal health where we argue for the importance of attendingto local needs and values and advocate for recognizing community strengths andintegrating rural care practices as valuable assets in prenatal intervention design.Our work aims to bridge some of the gaps between the theoretical understand-ing of digital health and the practical realities of prenatal care in low-resource settings
Investigating Design Opportunities for Work-Life Balance Technologies
No full textThe challenge of achieving work-life balance (WLB) is increasingly pronounced in modern society. Research suggests that technological advances, accelerated by COVID-19, have significantly transformed the already demanding work and life domains, with observations that note persistent blurring of boundaries due to the continuous use of technology in daily experiences. An imbalance in this spectrum has been linked to stress, diminished job performance, health problems, work family conflicts, etc. Existing research has not been able to fully resolve the issues of WLB. Therefore, this research will contribute to the literature by examining the design of technologies that support the negotiation of WLB using a practice-centered computing approach predicated on the Design Case Study (DCS) framework, comprising of three phases: pre-study, design, and appropriation. These stages employ a multi-method approach, incorporating interviews, ethnographic observations, ideation, prototyping, usability evaluation, to name but a few. Throughout the process, a comprehensive understanding of practices associated with the phenomenon of interest will be developed. This understanding will inform the design of technological artifacts, which, upon their appropriation, will result in the emergence of new practices
‘You were going online for that person’: How Digital Tools Shaped Irish Mourning Experiences Amidst COVID-19
No full textPhysical restrictions in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic affected almost all aspects of social life, including end-of-life rituals such as funerals. In Ireland, public health restrictions required mourners to adapt to alternative rituals to customary Irish mourning practices, which are traditionally community-focused and highly social. This period brought significant changes and challenges in the way Irish people and communities mourn, and in how events such as funerals were experienced through digital and online technologies. This paper reports on a qualitative study that contributes a better understanding of the experiences of mourners in Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly regarding the use and role of digital tools during this period, and their continued use following the lifting of pandemic restrictions. Overall, the findings indicate that participants felt a sense of unfulfillment and faced a series of challenges in managing altered support mechanisms, while acknowledging the importance and utility of digitally-mediated experiences, such as participation in live-streamed funerals and in online books of condolences. The paper sheds further light in the experiences of use of technology during the pandemic and provides insights to inform the future design and use of end-of-life digital tools and services, as they remain widely used also after the end of the pandemic
Potentials and Challenges of CSCW‐Research in Future‐Proofing of Rural (and industrialized) Regions
Full text linkRural regions are of upmost importance to the political stability of liberal democracies. So far, CSCW has a long tradition to study studies of work environments, social networks, and political movements. The panel will explore opportunities to expand this research program towards the future-proofing of rural (and industrialized) regions. Against the background of their experiences, the panelists will discuss potentials and challenges for such a research agenda
Invisible Work in Social Service Access: Barriers, Resources, and Consequences
Full text linkThis contribution, based on an interview study with social service users, delves into the intricate process of accessing this system and the invisible work it necessitates beforehand. Addressing Knecht and Schubert's resource taxonomy, the study analyzes the interplay of personal and environmental resources, revealing how their cultivation and maintenance constitute 'invisible work'—a pivotal factor in achieving successful service access. Through 12 in-depth interviews, complemented by a written contribution, participants' initial pathways to social services were reconstructed. The interviews illustrate that informal resources and pathways frequently play a decisive role, alongside formal procedures. These informal routes vary considerably in the amount of invisible work they demand. To alleviate this hidden burden, I propose the exploration of digital platforms or centralized entry points as potential solutions. These innovations could streamline access, reduce the reliance on informal networks, and ultimately enhance equity in service provision
Designing and Understanding Collaboration in Mixed Reality: Behavior, Awareness and Interaction in AR, VR, and Cross-Platform Environments
No full textThis research explores collaboration in Mixed Reality (MR) environments, focusing on design principles, user behaviors, and analytical frameworks across tablet-based AR, tablet-based VR, and cross-platform collaboration. By examining multi-user interactions in urban design and team development, this study addresses key research gaps, including collaboration in larger groups, verbal and nonverbal communication, and awareness across the Reality-Virtuality continuum (RVC). Through user-centered design and empirical studies, my research contributes design guidelines for MR collaboration, insights into communication patterns, and measurements for collaboration quality. My findings highlight how mutual awareness, spatial interaction, and role distribution influence MR collaboration, offering recommendations for designing mixed-space experiences. Ultimately, this work advances the understanding of cross-platform MR collaboration, providing a foundation for academic research and industry applications in immersive, hybrid, and distributed cooperation settings
Unlocking Sensitive Data for Research: Breaking Barriers, Seizing Opportunities, Rethinking Consent
No full textAccessing and utilising sensitive data remains a complex endeavour arising from regulatory constraints, ethical considerations, the need for public trust, and resultant technical challenges. Based on healthcare data in the United Kingdom (UK), this panel of interdisciplinary specialists will examine collaborative models that respond to these challenges, focussing in particular on participatory governance and socio-technical responses that deliver ethical and efficient data sharing.
With responsible data governance, research can drive transformational patient outcomes and guide evidence-based policy in health and care services. We will discuss how healthcare organisations, policymakers, community stakeholders, and citizens can work together to co-produce secure data environments that provide interoperability and ethical frameworks for collaborative healthcare data analyses. The conversations will highlight case studies of collective decision-making, as well as frameworks that enable cross-sector cooperation in health data governance and research.
Through an interdisciplinary, cross-sector, and interactive format, this panel will provide insights into best practices for collaborative data work for research that foster ethical and privacy-preserving data-sharing functions, and public trust. Through identifying pathways that promote data access while maintaining ethical integrity, the panel discussions will contribute to releasing the potential of healthcare data for societal benefit in the UK and globally
Investigating Coordinative Work Practices in Distributed Workgroups Using Narrative Networks
No full textThe use of collaboration software to coordinate collaborative work has
become essential for the organisation of joint work in distributed settings. However, the analysis of distinct Coordinative Work Practices (CWP) is challenging as flexible work arrangements, digital workplace initiatives, and new types of collaboration software have increased the complexity of coordinating. Research studies mainly provide textual descriptions and there are few rich visualisations of CWP. To address these shortcomings, this research investigates CWP within distributed workgroups by using Narrative Networks (NN) as a novel and promising application for this context. NN is a research approach to describe, visualise and analyse software in use as sequences of actions. While NN have primarily been used to study structured work processes with repetitive/prescriptive tasks
(e.g., invoice processing) and software designed to support these kinds of processes (e.g., ERP systems), this research argues that it is also suitable to investigate CWP, which involves less formalized/less well-defined tasks and that occur as a variety of nested activities. More comprehensive understanding of CWP can be gained using NN in the context of distributed workgroups in the digital workplace
From Transformation to Co-Determination: Lessons Learned from a Unionised Makerspace
No full textThis paper reports on an ethnographic study, following an action research approach that accompanied the establishment of a
makerspace initiated by a local trade union in a rural, industrialized region in Germany. The resulting makerspace, initially envisioned
as an exploration lab for technical innovation, evolved into a hybrid space shaped by local needs, volunteer engagement, and the
socio-political practices of the union. Drawing from a series of workshops, field observations, and a ‘train-the-trainer’ program, we
explore how the involvement of this unique setting effected the development of the makerspace and discovered signs of appropriation.
We examined four themes: (1) openness, (2) unionisation, (3) the makerspace as a local community hub, and (4) the visibility of the
trade union through the makerspace to analyse how the union appropriated the infrastructure and how this, in turn, influenced the
development of communities in the makerspace