Title:  Designing and Evaluating a Contextual Mobile Application to Support Situated Learning

Speaker: Dr. Abeer Alnuaim

Abstract:.

This research emerged from seeking to identify ways of getting Human-Computer Interaction Design students into real world environments, similar to those in which they will eventually be designing, thus maximising their ability to identify opportunities for innovation. In helping students learn how to become proficient and innovative designers and developers, it is crucial that their ‘out of the classroom’ experience of the environments in which their designs will be used, augments and extends in-class learning. The aim of this research is to investigate the process of designing a mobile learning application in a blended learning model. This app was designed to support students in a design task and to develop their independent learning and critical thinking skills, as part of their Human-Computer Interaction coursework. It explores the challenges in implementing and deploying such an app in the learning context. A number of evaluations were conducted to assess the design, usability and effectiveness of the app. Promising results show that the app has helped students in developing critical skills for designing technology. However, there were a number of concerns discovered regarding the context of use of a mobile device, including usability of interface elements and acceptability of using the app in a public place.

Speaker's Bio: Dr. Abeer is an assistant professor at the Department of Natural and Engineering Sciences at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She graduated in 2015 from The University of the West of England, UK having a PhD in Computing Science, Human Computer Interaction. She received her MSc in Advanced Computing - Internet Technologies with Security in 2008 from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Bristol, UK. She is currently appointed as the Vice Chair of the Department of Natural and Engineering Sciences at King Saud University. Her research interests include Human Computer Interaction, Mobile Learning, and User experience.

Date/Time: Tuesday, August 18, 2015 at 12-1pm

Location: Maria Auditorium, F50 in Building 6 (Broadcast to Room 2079 in CCIS Building 31)

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