SocialEyes: Scaling Mobile Eye-tracking to Multi-person Social SettingsEye movements provide a window into human behaviour, attention, and interaction dynamics. Challenges in real-world, multi-person environments have, however, restrained eye-tracking research predominantly to single-person, in-lab settings. We developed a system to stream, record, and analyse synchronised data from multiple mobile eye-tracking devices during collective viewing experiences (e.g., concerts, films, lectures). We implemented lightweight operator interfaces for real-time-monitoring, remote-troubleshooting, and gaze-projection from individual egocentric perspectives to a common coordinate space for shared gaze analysis. We tested the system in a live concert and a film screening with 30 simultaneous viewers during each of two public events (N=60). We observe precise time-synchronisation between devices measured through recorded clock-offsets, and accurate gaze-projection in challenging dynamic scenes. Our novel analysis metrics and visualizations illustrate the potential of collective eye-tracking data for understanding collaborative behaviour and social interaction. This advancement promotes ecological validity in eye-tracking research and paves the way for innovative interactive tools.2025SSShreshth Saxena et al.McMaster University, Dept. of Psychology, Neuroscience & BehaviourEye Tracking & Gaze InteractionSocial & Collaborative VRCHI
Designing Collaborative Technology for Intergenerational Social Play over DistanceCollaborative social play not only offers entertainment but also acts as a powerful catalyst in nurturing intergenerational relationships and strengthening community ties. In order to explore user preferences and interaction dynamics within this context, we investigated remote intergenerational communication through an analysis of 15 groups of parents and children from 16 families. Given the importance of collaborative activities in family and intergenerational connections, we aim to understand how these interactions and practices can adapt to remote environments. Our findings highlight both similarities and notable differences in the use of communication methods, workspace, and objects between parents and children. Particularly, we observed distinct patterns in gestural and verbal communication and identified specific challenges encountered by children in remote settings. Our findings also revealed the dynamics of play sessions, especially when co-located participants are involved, shedding light on the complexities of remote intergenerational communication. Our work offers valuable empirical insights on designing more effective and engaging remote collaborative platforms for families.2024YYYe Yuan et al.Session 4a: Intergenerational ConnectionsCSCW
Designing Smart Home Technology For Passive Co-Presence Over DistanceWhen families live in the same home, they feel a sense of connection through the subtle, passive aspects of family life. Over distance, these passive aspects are hard to experience as most communication technologies support sharing conversations or activities. Through a research-through-design methodology, we explored the design of smart home technologies for passive co-presence over distance. Based on our design explorations, we arrived at an interaction space which includes the dimensions of Activity, Solitude, Synchronicity, and Spontaneity. Our research-through-design process additionally resulted in the design of two smart home systems. The There Chair employs the senses of touch and sight to passively display when a remote family member is sitting at the dining room table. The Fragrance Frame is a paired picture frame that detects when a remote family member is passing by their frame, and emits a scent reminiscent of togetherness. We reflect on our design decisions and propose considerations for future design.2024HSHanieh Shakeri et al.Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)Context-Aware ComputingSmart Home Interaction DesignDIS
Virtual Reality, Real Pedagogy: A Contextual Inquiry of Instructor Practices with VR VideoVirtual reality (VR) offers promise in education given its immersive and socially engaging nature, but it can pose challenges for educators when creating VR-specific content. VR videos can function as a new educational tool for VR content creation due to their creation affordability and user-friendliness. However, little empirical research exists on how educators utilize VR videos and associated pedagogy in real classes. Our research employed a contextual inquiry, through in-person interviews and online surveys with 11 instructors to gain actionable insights from envisioned teaching scenarios for VR videos that are informed by actual instructional practices. Our study aims to understand the factors that motivate instructors' adoption of VR videos, identify challenges educators face when incorporating VR videos into instructional units, and examine pedagogical adjustments when integrating VR videos into teaching. Through empirical evidence, we provide design implications for the development of VR-based learning experiences across diverse educational contexts. Our study also serves as a practical case of how VR can be adopted and integrated into education.2024QJQiao Jin et al.University of MinnesotaSocial & Collaborative VROnline Learning & MOOC PlatformsCHI
So I Can Feel Normal: Participatory Design for Accessible Social Media for Individuals with Traumatic Brain InjuryTraumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in chronic sensorimotor, cognitive, psychosocial, and communication challenges that can limit social participation. Social media can be a useful outlet for social participation for individuals with TBI, but there are barriers to access. While research has drawn attention to the nature of access barriers, few studies have investigated technological solutions to address these barriers, particularly considering the perspectives of individuals with TBI. To address this gap in knowledge, we used a participatory approach to engage 10 adults with TBI in conceptualizing tools to address their challenges accessing Facebook. Participants described multifaceted challenges in using social media, including interface overload, social comparisons, and anxiety over self-presentation and communication after injury. They discussed their needs and preferences and generated ideas for design solutions. Our work contributes to designing assistive and accessibility technology to facilitate an equal access to the benefits of social media for individuals with TBI.2023HLHajin Lim et al.Seoul National University, University of Wisconsin-MadisonCognitive Impairment & Neurodiversity (Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia)Universal & Inclusive DesignSocial Platform Design & User BehaviorCHI
Constraints and Workarounds to Support Clinical Consultations in Synchronous Text-based PlatformsMedical consultations over synchronous text-based platforms are becoming increasingly popular for virtual care, yet little is known about how physicians translate their training to this healthcare medium. We report the constraints, workarounds, and opportunities highlighted by eight primary care physicians who used such a platform in simulated medical scenarios with standardized patients. We found that due to the perceived inefficiency of communicating over text, the physicians made subconscious use of double-barreled questions and action multiplexing to streamline the conversation. In addition, the physicians overcame the lack of missing verbal and visual cues by adding explicit messages to convey empathy and active listening. We also identify several affordances of text-based platforms, such as the ability for users to reference the conversation history and for patients to feel a sense of privacy during sensitive disclosure. From these findings, we propose design opportunities for how future synchronous text-based platforms can better support medical consultations.2023BLBrenna Li et al.University of TorontoMid-Air Haptics (Ultrasonic)Mental Health Apps & Online Support CommunitiesCHI
Understanding Cybersecurity Practices in Emergency DepartmentsEmergency departments (EDs) have unique operational requirements within hospitals. They have strong availability demands, are staffed by rotating personnel, and must provide services as quickly as possible. Modern EDs are also heavily computerized, and as such cybersecurity practices play a key role in meeting the expected operational standards. To better understand the cybersecurity challenges in EDs, we conducted a survey asking 347 ED personnel across Canada about their cybersecurity practices. The survey collected information relating to authentication and password management, use of personal devices for handling patient data, Internet connectivity on personal and hospital systems, and institutional security policies. Our results show that across multiple hospitals, deployed computer security systems fail to integrate with the requirements of staff and patients, leading to interruptions and inefficiencies.2020ESElizabeth Stobert et al.Carleton UniversityPrivacy by Design & User ControlCybersecurity Training & AwarenessCHI
A Data-Driven Analysis of Workers’ Earnings on Amazon Mechanical TurkA growing number of people are working as part of on-line crowd work. Crowd work is often thought to be low wage work. However, we know little about the wage distribution in practice and what causes low/high earnings in this setting. We recorded 2,676 workers performing 3.8 million tasks on Amazon Mechanical Turk. Our task-level analysis revealed that workers earned a median hourly wage of only ~$2/h, and only 4% earned more than $7.25/h. While the average requester pays more than $11/h, lower-paying requesters post much more work. Our wage calculations are influenced by how unpaid work is accounted for, e.g., time spent searching for tasks, working on tasks that are rejected, and working on tasks that are ultimately not submitted. We further explore the characteristics of tasks and working patterns that yield higher hourly wages. Our analysis informs platform design and worker tools to create a more positive future for crowd work.2018KHKotaro Hara et al.Singapore Management University, Carnegie Mellon UniversityCrowdsourcing Task Design & Quality ControlImpact of Automation on WorkCHI