Tim Coughlan

Interaction in creative tasks

The design of tools for creative activities affects the creative processes and output of users. In this paper we consider how an understanding of creative interaction can inform the design of support tools in a creative domain, and where creative needs cross domain boundaries. Using observations of musical composers we analyse the theoretical approaches to understanding creativity and their use to HCI. Cycles of ideation and evaluation are suggested as atomic elements of creative interactions, with the representation of ideas a central activity for individual and collaborating composers. A model of collaborative composition was developed, along with an analysis of the representational types used in the domain. This led to the design and evaluation of a prototype Sonic Sketchpad for musical idea representation.

Understanding productive, structural and longitudinal interactions in the design of tools for creative activities

A deeper understanding of the interactions between people and artefacts that characterise creative activities could be valuable in designing the next generation of creativity support. This paper presents three perspectives on creative interaction that have emerged from four years of empirical and design research. We argue that creative interaction can be usefully viewed in terms of Productive Interaction - focused engagement on the development of a creative outcome, Structural Interaction - the development of the structures in which production occurs, and Longitudinal Interaction - the long-term development of resources and relationships that increase creative potential. An analysis of each perspective is described, along with the development of an exemplary prototype. The use of the perspectives as a basis for design is considered, including the influence of contextual factors on instances of creative activities.

Exploring Interpretations of Data from the Internet of Things in the Home

The ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) can be expected to radically increase the amount of potentially sensitive data gathered in our homes. This study explores the social implications of the presentation of data that could be collected within the household. In particular, it focuses on how ambiguities in these data, combined with existing interpersonal relationships, could influence social dynamics. Thirty-five participants were each presented with three separate household scenarios, involving ambiguous data that were collected and presented via near-future IoT technologies. Each participant was asked to respond to a series of open and closed questions about how they would interpret the data, how they would react to it and their general opinions of the technologies presented. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis of their responses, we contribute an understanding of how people interpret information about those around them. We find a common willingness to make inferences based on ambiguities within the data, even when participants are aware of the limitations of their understanding. We also find that sharing data produced via tagging of everyday objects raises a high level of privacy concern, and that, in a somewhat incoherent stance, users are more comfortable in sharing data publicly than in a targeted fashion with commercial organizations. Our findings also suggest that the age of the target user group has a greater effect on ease of use judgements than the nature of the technology, and we find some evidence that user’s interpretations can be biased by an individual’s age.

Building open bridges: collaborative remixing and reuse of open educational resources across organisations

In this paper we analyse the remixing and reuse of online learning materials offered as Open Educational Resources (OER). We explore the practices that developed as a set of course materials were released as OER from the UK, remixed for a US context by a cross-organisational, cross-cultural team, and then reused in a broad range of educational settings. We analyse the approaches taken during these remixing and reuse activities as novel forms of creative collaboration. As a basis for comparison, we explore similarities and differences with openness in other domains. We identify how openness provoked novel inter-organisational collaboration and forms of ownership; define forms of open practice that need support, and present issues that should be considered in devising and supporting open projects in education and beyond.

Assessing OER impact across organisations and learners: experiences from the Bridge to Success project

Open courses have received a lot of attention in the last two years; however, the question of whether they serve learners has yet to be determined. This paper explores the challenges and potential in assessing the impact of open educational initiatives, particularly those that produce and share Open Educational Resources (OER). We use a collaborative international project as a case study to explore this issue. Bridge to Success was supported as part of the Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) programme to work with a range of community colleges and other organisations in the US through monitored pilots. The project adapted existing course materials in mathematics and learning/personal development skills and released these as OER. A range of approaches were then used to assess the impact of the materials across a diverse set of users, combining data gathered from interviews and questionnaires with both educators and learners and from instructor rating of performance and related student results. This approach allows different indicators of performance to be brought together and so demonstrate the value of OER. However, our findings also highlight tensions between applying robust research methodologies in situations of open use with diverse stakeholders. We provide reflections and suggestions for ways forward in addressing the particular characteristics of openness and how they affect research, and how the multiple perspectives on what constitutes impact can be addressed.

Exploring Acceptance and Consequences of the Internet of Things in the Home

The Internet of Things (IoT) presents huge potential for designing new technologies. However it is not yet clear which of these technologies will actually be accepted as a part of our everyday lives. Alongside the development of prototypes and exploratory evaluations, other research methods could be useful in eliciting responses to future visions, and developing implications that can inform design. In this paper we explore factors that could affect the acceptance of IoT technologies in the home. We present a review of relevant literature from human factors, HCI, sociology and psychology, and analyse the results of a survey in which participants were presented with scenarios of near-future IoT systems in use in the home. Based on this, we develop an initial set of design principles for IoT technologies in the home.

An exploration of constraints and end user development in environments for creative tasks

Creative tasks are performed within constraining structures. However, the exploration and development of these structures is central to the creative process. This paper summarizes research on the role of constraint in creative tasks, defines the role of constraint development in a model of the creative process, and classifies types of constraint in order to inform the design of environments for creative tasks. Links between constraint development and end user development in software environments are explored through analysis of the design and use of Music Builder, a prototype for the user development of musical instruments in a collaborative composition environment. Conclusions include the value of scaffolding as a metaphor in design, the utility of collaborative constraint development to negotiation, and coordination and the value of sharing structures in collaborative development.

A Systematic Review of Dementia Focused Assistive Technology

This paper presents a systematic review which explores the nature of assistive technologies currently being designed, developed and evaluated for dementia sufferers and their carers. A search through four large databases, followed by filtering by relevance, led to the identification and subsequent review of papers. Our review revealed that the majority of research in this area focuses on the support of day-to-day living activities, safety monitoring, memory aids and preventing social isolation. We conclude that the majority of AT currently available support day-to-day living activities, safety monitoring and assisting healthcare. However these devices merely address the ‘ease of living’ rather than focusing on ‘quality of life’. Although there are some devices which address social symptoms of Dementia, few address behavioural issues such as aggression and virtually none are available to support recreational activities. After discussing the implications of these findings, we finally reflect on general design issues for assistive technologies in this domain that became apparent during the review.

Methods for studying technology in the home

Technology is becoming ever more integral to our home lives, and visions such as ubiquitous computing, smart technologies and the Internet of Things represent a further stage of this development. However studying interactions and experiences in the home, and drawing understanding from this to inform design, is a substantial challenge. A significant strand of research on technology in home life has developed in the CHI community and beyond, with a range of methods being created, adapted and used in combination. This workshop brings together a diverse group of researchers to develop a coherent understanding of this methodological space, and to identify connections and gaps, where further development of methods can occur to overcome issues specific to studying the home.

Tailored scenarios: a low-cost online method to elicit perceptions on designs using real relationships

This paper describes the on-going development of a method to elicit perceptions of design ideas for social technologies, through automatically tailoring scenarios presented in online surveys using information gathered from respondents. The work has been driven by a desire to understand perceptions of various information sharing technologies for the home, across a broad population. Reviewing literature in this area from HCI and beyond, we find potential value in generating scenarios that are tailored to each respondents own household. We explore the results of a study using this method (n=79) and discuss initial comparisons with the results of studies using alternative methods.