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Sample Student Project Topics:

The following is a list of potential student topics and suggested readings for each. Students will also be allowed to select a topic outside of these areas with the approval of the instructor.

1. Case Study: Design for Children
This explores designing technology to connect children over distance to grandparents, friends, or other family members.

  • Inkpen, K. Connecting Children for Play, Connecting Families: The Impact of New Communication Technologies on Domestic Life, Springer (forthcoming).
  • Raffle, H., Ballagas, R., Revelle, G., Horii, H., Follmer, S., Go, J., Reardon, E., Mori, K., Kaye, J., and Spasojevic, M. Family story play: reading with children, Proc. CHI, ACM Press (2010).
  • Raffle, H., Revelle, G., Mori, K., Ballagas, R., Buza, K., Horii, H., Kaye, J., Cook, K., Freed, N., Go, J., Spasojevic, M. Hello, Is Grandma There? StoryVisit?: Family Video Chat and Connected E-Books, Proc. CHI, ACM Press (2011).
  • Yarosh, S., Cuzzort, S., Mueller, H., and Abowd, G.D. Developing a Media Space for Remote Synchronous Parent-Child Interaction, Proc. of IDC, ACM Press (2009), 97-105.
  • Yarosh, S., Inkpen, K.M., and Brush, A.J. Video Playdate: Toward Free Play across Distance, Proceedings of CHI, ACM Press (2010), 1251-1260

2. Case Study: Mobile Devices and Family Life
This explores the use of mobile devices in family life and their effect on domestic routines.

  • Taylor, A. S. and Harper, R. Age-old practices in the 'new world': a study of gift-giving between teenage mobile phone users, Proceedings of CHI, ACM Press (2002).
  • Grinter, R. and Palen, L. Chatting with Teenagers: Considering the Place of Chat Technologies in Teen Life, ACM Transactions on CHI, Vol. 13(4), ACM Press (2006)
  • Ling , R. ‘One can talk about common manners!’: the use of mobile telephones in inappropriate situations, Themes in mobile telephony Final Report of the COST 248 Home and Work group. Haddon, L (ed), (1997)
  • Ling, R. ‘We will be reached’: The use of mobile telephony among Norwegian youth, Information technology and people, 13 (2), (2000).
  • Nylander, S., Lundquist, T., and Brannstrom, A. At Home and with Computer Access – Why and Where People Use Cell Phones to Access the Internet, Proceedings of CHI, ACM Press (2009).

3. Case Study: Design for Older Adults
This explores the design of technologies to connect older adults with their families and to avoid social isolation and loneliness.

  • Baecker, R. and Moffatt, K. Connecting Grandparents and Grandchildren, Connecting Families: The Impact of New Communication Technologies on Domestic Life, Springer (forthcoming).
  • Birnholtz, J. & Jones-Rounds, M. Independence and Interaction: Understanding Seniors’ Privacy and Awareness Needs For Aging in Place, Proc. CHI, ACM Press (2010).
  • Karimi, A. and Neustaedter, C. My Grandma Uses Facebook: Communication Practices of Older Adults in an Age of Social Media, in Submission to Proceedings of CSCW, ACM Press (2012).
  • Lindley, S.E., Harper, R. and Sellen, A. Desiring to be in touch in a changing communications landscape: Attitudes of older adults, Proc. CHI, ACM Press (2009).
  • Mynatt, E., Rowan, J., Jacobs, A., Craighill, S., Digital Family Portraits: Supporting Peace of Mind for Extended Family Members, Proc. CHI, ACM Press (2001), 333-340.
  • Rowan, J., and Mynatt, E., Digital Family Portrait Field Trial: Support for Aging in Place, Proc. CHI, ACM Press (2005), 521-530.

4. Case Study: Family Calendars
This explores family coordination routines and the design of family calendars to support them.

  • Crabtree, A. and Hemmings, T. Informing the Development of Calendar Systems for Domestic Use, Proceedings of ECSCW, Kluwer Academic Publishers (2003).
  • Neustaedter, C., Brush, A.J., and Greenberg, S. "The Calendar is Crucial": Coordination and Awareness through the Family Calendar, ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (ToCHI?), Vol. 16(1), ACM Press (2009).
  • Neustaedter, C., and Brush, A.J., “LINC-ing” the Family: The Participatory Design of an Inkable Family Calendar,

Proceedings of CHI, ACM Press (2006).

  • Neustaedter, C., Brush, A.J., and Greenberg, S., (2007) A Digital Family Calendar in the Home: Lessons from Field Trials of LINC, Proceedings of Graphics Interface, ACM Press (2007).
  • Plaisant, C., Bederson, B., Clamage, A., Hutchinson, H., and Druin, A., Shared Family Calendars: Promoting Symmetry and Accessibility, ACM Transactions on CHI, Vol. 13(3), ACM Press (2006).