Title:
Design of human-information interaction for cognitive tools: Enhancing their epistemic utility
Date:
Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 2:30pm
Location:
E2-304 EITC Building, University of Manitoba Fort Garry Campus
Speaker:
Kamran Sedig
Department of Computer Science, University of Western Ontario
Abstract:
Cognitive tools are technologies that are intended to support and mediate users’ intellectual and epistemic activities. Here, epistemic activities refer to all activities that are knowledge-oriented, such as problem solving, sensemaking, learning, and decision making, among others. One of the main features of these tools is that they allow their human users to interact with representations of information-where the representations can encode objects, structures, processes, and concepts from different information spaces, and the interaction can involve such operations as generation, interpretation, transformation, and sharing of information. Using this definition, cognitive tools can have diverse applications and encompass a wide array of computational technologies in different domains, such as interactive mathematical visualizations, serious games, scientific simulations, programming environments, and even digital libraries.
Design of the human-information interaction aspect of these tools plays a crucial role in their epistemic value. This design involves at least two levels of consideration: macro and micro. Macro-level design deals with macroscopic operations and structures of the tools. Micro-level design is concerned with microscopic elements and features of the tools – such as how to represent information and what interaction techniques to employ.
In this talk, I will focus on the micro-level design of cognitive tools. I will present some tools, discuss their design, highlight the need for and value of design frameworks, and talk about some lines of action for future research.
Speaker Bio:
Kamran Sedig is an Associate Professor at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. He is a member of the Cognitive Engineering Laboratory and has a joint position in the Department of Computer Science and the Faculty of Information and Media Studies. He received his B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. from Concordia, McGill, and the University of British Columbia, respectively. His research interests include design of digital cognitive tools and human-information interaction. More information can be found on his website: http://www.csd.uwo.ca/faculty/sedig.
Cost:
This will be a free event.
Contact:
If you would like additional information or if you might be interested in presenting a seminar, please contact Steph Durocher or the Department of Computer Science.
