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Topics of Inquiry:

The course will involve the investigation of methodological tools for studying domestic computing along with case studies of domestic practice and technology design. The following list includes potential case study areas and potential readings on these topics. For the specific topics that will be covered each term, see the Calendar.

1. Introduction to Domestic & Social Computing
This explores the basics for the fields of domestic and social computing to provide a framework for understanding the field.

  • Dourish, P. Chapter 3: Social Computing, Where the Action Is: The Foundations of Embodied Interaction, MIT Press (2001).
  • Elliot, K., Neustaedter, C., and Greenberg, S., Time, Ownership and Awareness: The Value of Contextual Locations in the Home, Proceedings of Ubicomp, Springer (2005). (.pdf)
  • Neustaedter, C., Elliot, K., and Greenberg, S. Interpersonal Awareness in the Domestic Realm, Proceedings of OzCHI?, ACM Press (2006). (.pdf)
  • Taylor, A., and Swan, L. Artful Systems in the Home, Proceedings of CHI, ACM Press (2005). (.pdf)
  • Tolmie, P., Pycock, J., Diggins, T., MacLean?, A., and Karsenty, A. Unremarkable Computing, Proceedings of CHI, ACM Press (2002). (.pdf)

2. Methodologies
This explores methodologies for studying domestic practice to inform design requirements and methods for evaluating domestic technologies.

  • Gaver, W., Dunne, T., & Pacenti, E. Cultural Probes, interactions, 6(1), (1999), 21-29. (.pdf)
  • Hutchinson, H., Mackay, W., Westerlund, B., Bederson, B., Druin, A., Plaisant, C., Beaudouin-Lafon, M., Conversy, S., Evans, H., Hansen, H., Rouseel, N., Eiderback, B., Lindquist, S., and Sundblad, Y. Technology Probes: Inspiring Design for and with Families, Proceedings of CHI, ACM Press (2003), 17-25. (.pdf)
  • Spradley, J. Chapter 1: Ethnography and Culture, Participant Observation, Wadsworth Publishing Company (1980).
  • Spradley, J. Chapter 3: The Ethnographic Research Cycle, Participant Observation, Wadsworth Publishing Company (1980).
  • Tolmie, P., and Crabtree, A., Deploying Research Technology in the Home, Proceedings of CSCW, ACM Press (2008). (.pdf)
  • Weiss, R. Chapter 4: Interviewing, Learning From Strangers: The Art and Method of Qualitative Interview Studies, The Free Press (1994).
  • Schensul, S., Schensul, J., and LeCompte?, M. Chapter 7: Semistructured Interviewing, Essential Ethnographic Methods: Observations, Interviews, and Questionnaires, Altamira Press (1999).
  • Baillie, L., and Benyon, D. Place and Technology in the Home, Journal of CSCW, 17, Springer (2007). (covers Technology Tours)

3. Case Study: Video Conferencing in the Home
This explores how families use video chat and video conferencing systems to connect with loved ones over distance.

  • Ames, M., Go, J., Kaye, J., Spasojevic, M., Making Love in the Network Closet: The Benefits and Work of Family Videochat, Proc. CSCW, ACM Press (2010), 145-154. (.pdf)
  • Greenberg, S. and Neustaedter, C. Shared Living, Experiences, and Intimacy one Video Chat in Long Distance Relationships, Connecting Families: The Impact of New Communication Technologies on Domestic Life, Springer (forthcoming). (.pdf)
  • Neustaedter, C. and Greenberg, S. Intimacy in Long-Distance Relationships over Video Chat, Research report 2011-1014-26, Department of Computer Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, August (2011). (.pdf)
  • Judge, T.K. and Neustaedter, C., Sharing Conversation and Sharing Life: Video Conferencing in the Home, Proc. CHI, ACM Press (2010), 655-658. (.pdf)
  • Judge, T.K., Neustaedter, C. and Kurtz, A., The Family Window: The Design and Evaluation of a Domestic Media Space, Proc. CHI, ACM Press (2010). (.pdf)
  • Judge, T.K., Neustaedter, C., Harrison, S., and Blose, A., The Family Portals: Connecting Families Through a Multifamily Media Space, Proc. CHI, ACM Press (2011). (.pdf)
  • Kirk, D., Sellen, A., and Cao, X., Home Video Communication: Mediating 'Closeness', Proc. CSCW, ACM Press (2010). (.pdf)

4. Case Study: Pervasive Games
This explores how games can be used to study social culture and play in leisure time.

  • Bell, M., Chalmers, M., Barkhuus, L., Hall, M., Sherwood, S., Tennent, P., and Brown, B. (2006) Interweaving Mobile Games with Everyday Life, Proceedings of the Conference on Computer Human Interaction (CHI 2006), Montreal, pp. 417-426. (.pdf)
  • Benford, S., Crabtree, A., Reeves, S., Flintham, M., Drozd, A., Sheridan, J., and Dix, A. The Frame of the Game: Blurring the Boundary between Fiction and Reality, Proc. CHI 2006, ACM Press (2006), 427–436. (.pdf)
  • Neustaedter, C., Tang, A., and Judge, T., The Role of Community and Groupware in Geocache Creation and Maintenance, Proceedings of CHI 2010, ACM Press. (.pdf)
  • Neustaedter, C. and Judge, T. The Curious Case of Content Creation: Challenges in Designing a Scalable Location-Based Game, in Submission to the Proceedings of CSCW, ACM Press (2012).
  • O’Hara, K. Understanding Geocaching Practices and Motivations, Proc. CHI 2008, ACM Press (2008). (.pdf)

5. Case Study: Capturing and Sharing Family Memories
This explores how families capture and share their experiences through digital photos and videos.

  • Crabtree, A., Rodden, T., and Mariani, J. Collaborating around Collections: Informing the Continued Development of Photoware, Proc. CHI 2004, ACM Press (2004). (.pdf)
  • Frohlich, D., Kuchinsky, A., Pering, C., Don, A., and Ariss, S. Requirements for photoware, Proc. CSCW 2002, ACM Press (2002). (.pdf)
  • Kirk, D., Sellen, A., Rother, C., and Wood, K. Understanding Photowork, Proc. CHI 2006, ACM Press (2006), 761-770. (.pdf)
  • Miller, A., and Edwards, K. Give and Take: A Study of Consumer Photo-Sharing Culture and Practice, Proc. CHI 2007, ACM (2007). (.pdf)
  • Neustaedter, C., and Fedorovskaya, E. Understanding and Improving Flow in Digital Photo Ecosystems, Proceedings of Graphic Interface, ACM Press (2008). (.pdf)
  • Nunes, M., Greenberg, S. and Neustaedter, C. Sharing Digital Photographs in the Home through Physical Mementos, Souvenirs, and Keepsakes, Proceedings of DIS, ACM Press (2008). (.pdf)

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

  • 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). (.pdf)
  • 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). (.pdf)
  • 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. (.pdf)
  • Yarosh, S., Inkpen, K.M., and Brush, A.J. Video Playdate: Toward Free Play across Distance, Proceedings of CHI, ACM Press (2010), 1251-1260 (.pdf)

7. Case Study: Teenagers Use of Chat and Mobile Phones
This explores the use of mobile devices and chat by teenagers.

  • 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). (.pdf)
  • 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) (.pdf)
  • Ling, R. ‘We will be reached’: The use of mobile telephony among Norwegian youth, Information technology and people, 13 (2), (2000).
  • Tutt, D. Mobile Performances of a Teenager: A Study of Situated Mobile Phone Activity in the Living Room, Convergence 2005, 11(2), SAGE (2005).

8. Case Study: Mobile Devices
This explores the effect of mobile device usage on family routines and dynamics.

  • 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). (.pdf)
  • 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. and Yttri, B. 'Nobody sits at home and waits for the telephone to ring:' Micro and hypercoordination through the use of the mobile telephone, Proc. Perpetual Reachability Conference, Rutgers University (1999).
  • Ling, R. and Haddon, L. Mobile telephony, mobility and the coordination of everyday life, Kjeller: Telenor Forskning go Utvikling (2001).

9. 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). (.pdf)
  • 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). (.pdf)
  • 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. (.pdf)
  • Rowan, J., and Mynatt, E., Digital Family Portrait Field Trial: Support for Aging in Place, Proc. CHI, ACM Press (2005), 521-530. (.pdf)

10. 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). (.pdf)
  • Neustaedter, C., and Brush, A.J., “LINC-ing” the Family: The Participatory Design of an Inkable Family Calendar, Proceedings of CHI, ACM Press (2006). (.pdf)
  • 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). (.pdf)
  • 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). (.pdf)