CHI, Part II

Well, either it’s a down year at CHI or I’m finally understanding the academic world. My friend Arvind and I got a Work-in-Progress (w-i-p) paper into the same conference I’ve been accepted for the student design competition. While it isn’t an archived publication, it’s a feat nonetheless (now I can at least Google Scholar myself . The w-i-p is basically a call for papers on projects that either aren’t yet completed or are in a preliminary, exploratory state. The paper is a part of our ongoing Master’s capstone project where we are trying to develop a framework for HCI/d practitioners in the developing world–specifically in the village. He is concentrating mainly on his homeland of India, I am concentrating on Africa–though I really place my research specifically in Southern Zambia (coincidentally my fiance is completing her phd in anthropology there). The paper itself shows how Activity Theory can serve as backbone for deriving practical methods for the field. Activity Theory, very briefly, seeks to steer away from previous models in HCI that focused more on cognition and information processing. It is more in the field of ethnomethodology, action-network theory and situated action theory. However, it distinguishes itself from those in that it puts more emphasis on the individual and his/her activities as they exist in the world. Activity Theory does allow for broader group activities to be analyzed but it leaves room for how individuals can affect the collective whole. Getting back to earth…we wrote that in areas where there is no previous computer technology with which to study interaction, a theory that doesn’t focus on artifacts and technology is best suited. This is a cluttered explanation but if you really want to know more I’ll post the paper when it’s all ‘camera ready’. Until then you can get a better picture of Activity Theory by looking at Bonnie Nardi’s papers over the last decade (I’m also reviewing her latest book with Victor Kaptelinin in another post). For info on the other areas, start out with looking at Yvonne Rogers’ paper from I think ‘94 because she gives a great overview of HCI theories.

Anyway, this CHI conference will be absolutely amazing. I have to make two posters now and if I get through the poster round in the competition I will then give a presentation with my group members. On top of all that, I really hope to meet a lot of people because there is a ton of stuff going on that I’m interested in.