Research Report - Information Environments
The Information Environments Research Program takes a human-centred approach to design for information technology. The group researches new ways of interacting with information and the information infrastructure that consider human needs, human preferences, human tasks, activities, social interaction, context of use and the various cognitive and physical capabilities of the human body. Postgraduate students who benefit from the group’s approach, areas of interest and multi-disciplinary supervisors, are those who wish to develop skills and do research in the areas of human-centred design, human-computer interaction, information design, information visualisation, multi-media and multi-modal environments,. Current postgraduate students come from a variety of different undergraduate disciplines including Information Technology, Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design, Architecture and Communication Studies. Academic staff span a variety of design, science, IT and engineering disciplines. Through research mentoring, postgraduate coursework and interdisciplinary teams, students can gain the skills in design or information technology that they need to achieve their research goals.
Current projects include
1. Design of a Gestural Input Appliance for Ubiquitous Computing Environments - designing and building a unique wireless gestural input appliance that fits into a wearable ring and watch. The appliance will detect human gestures, and will co-operate with other wireless input appliances detected in the environment, such as speech appliances, in order to select and control output appliances (screens, printers, smart custom devices etc.)
2. Design of the Collection, Integration and Display of Ambient Information -The Ambience project aims to develop technologies for specific domains, such as leisure, education and healthcare, that demand much less focus from the user on mundane interface operations in order for them to do their work or play. Some information is presented through peripheral channels or in the ‘ambience’.
3. A Theoretical Framework for Interactions in Information Environments - This research is developing an underlying framework to help us think about the range of possible interactions that can mediate information between the physical and virtual worlds and how to select interactions for information appliances and information environments that suit the given context of activity.
4. Reducing email overload - This project examines individual and corporate work strategies to reduce email overload, including technological support through enhanced email clients.
5. Design of an Internet Based Cooperative Learning Environment for Farmers and Agricultural Scientists -This project conducted with one of the group’s students in a CSIRO team investigates how to facilitate farmers’ situated learning experiences about risk management using the internet.
6. Studio Based Teaching and Learning - Several projects research the way in which students learn by interacting, designing and reflecting as they undertake Studio-based learning.
7. Next Generation Internet Services - This project explores the research, design and development of next generation internet services, applications, and device value from an end user perspective. The research is broadly leading toward establishing a wireless experience centre where these services and devices could be evaluated by end users.
8. Cognitive and Psychophysiological Impacts of Technologies - This project studies the cognitive and psychophysiological impacts of various information based technologies, with reference to the positive and negative implications for healthcare. Specific projects include the use of virtual reality in the treatment of anxiety disorders and the generation, communication and function of human emotions.
9. Affective Design (or designing for pleasure) - The project currently being undertaken explores the specific lessons we can learn from games when our goal is designing for positive affect.
Associated Staff
Dr Margot Brereton
Dr Jay Burmeister
A/Prof Robert Colomb
Ms Kristine Deray
Mr Michael Docherty
Mr David Gilbert
Dr Gregory Hooper
Prof Simon Kaplan
Dr Xue Li
Dr Anne Miller
Prof Penny Sanderson
Mr Matthew Simpson
Dr Stephen Viller
Dr Peta Wyeth
Mr Jihan Zhu
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