Recording of UCLIC Research Seminar of Cara Wilson, University of Edinburgh.
Title: Co-design Beyond Words: Exploring Digital and Tangible Technology Design in Neurodiverse Classrooms
Abstract: This talk will provide insight into participatory design in the context of autism-specific primary school contexts, exploring how to better support the integration of non-verbal and minimally-verbal design contributions into the design process. Both the conceptual and technological outcomes of four years of fieldwork will be discussed, including tangible technologies such as the ExpressiBall and methodological innovations such as the CoDesign Beyond Words approach. The talk will conclude with speculations on new directions for interaction design which endeavours to move beyond the verbal.
Speaker Bio: Dr Cara Wilson is a Lecturer in Children and Technology and a founding member of the Children, Interaction, and Design Group in the Centre for Research in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh. With a background in Human-Computer Interaction and Psychology, she explores how to better support inclusion and diversity in the development of technologies which pervade children's lives, for example, working with neurodiverse children in primary school contexts. Through creative, explorative and participatory design methods, her research endeavours to support the strengths, voice, and agency of individuals who are often overlooked in the process of design, particularly the design of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Tangible User Interfaces.
