Business & Humanities ITChttps://research.thea.ie/handle/20.500.12065/22852024-03-29T11:31:28Z2024-03-29T11:31:28ZCo-designing with engineers for community engagement in rural UgandaWhite, P.J.Okello, DorothyCasey, BrianNajjuuko, ClaireLukanga, Ronaldhttps://research.thea.ie/handle/20.500.12065/45072023-05-09T03:00:44Z2023-05-04T00:00:00ZCo-designing with engineers for community engagement in rural Uganda
White, P.J.; Okello, Dorothy; Casey, Brian; Najjuuko, Claire; Lukanga, Ronald
Co-design is seen as crucial for designing solutions for resource-constrained people living in
developing countries. To best understand their needs, user engagement and co-design
strategies need to first be developed. In this Design Practice Brief, a process of co-design
was created and used to understand ways telecommunication engineers could engage with
rural communities in Uganda. It reports and reflects on (i) the experience of co-designing
with nondesigners and (ii) creating a co-design structure and developing co-design methods
of engaging with community members living in developing countries. In doing so, it offers a
format and case study for future practitioners facilitating and conducting co-design with
nondesigners and contributes to a knowledge gap in the reporting and reflection of
co-design practice. This case study is unique as the co-design practice was achieved remotely
(online), crossed disciplines (designers and telecommunication engineers) and cultural
boundaries (European and African). It finds that in co-designing with nondesigners,
preparation and structure are key, with acknowledgement and management of cultural
and discipline differences
2023-05-04T00:00:00ZIncreasing student motivation and awareness towards career opportunities through gamificationMcGuire, AdamO Brion, DaireWhite, P.J.Deevy, ColinPower, Kenhttps://research.thea.ie/handle/20.500.12065/45052023-05-09T03:01:05Z2017-10-01T00:00:00ZIncreasing student motivation and awareness towards career opportunities through gamification
McGuire, Adam; O Brion, Daire; White, P.J.; Deevy, Colin; Power, Ken
Student engagement is important to ensure success towards their desired career opportunities (High and Andrews, 2009). Students engage with their coursework to receive the necessary grades to avoid failure (Covington, 1999). Failure can indicate a disbelief in their abilities, therefore engagement with assignments becomes a zero sum game (Middleton and Perks 2014). The results from a 2012 survey in America stated that 87.9% of the students attended college in order to receive better career opportunities (Astin et al., 2012). Intercept interviews consisting of 8 students also indicated that career opportunities are the end goal and main motivator for engagement with course modules but the relevance of some modules can be unclear to the student which decreases engagement levels with that subject. Because of this, the student may not develop the particular skillsets necessary to achieve their desired career choice. A limited awareness of career choices and what skills they require have been identified as problem areas from the interviews. To help students engage with their studies and achieve their desired career choice, students require constant feedback that is relevant to each of their identity-related needs. The development of a system that focuses on these needs may provide a clear path outlining what skillsets are necessary for each career choice and how to build them. This study utilizes gamification, the use of game elements in a non-game context, to address student needs and to answer the following research question: To what degree can a gamification system help increase student engagement and what effect do particular elements have on the user's engagement? The approach used for this study was human-centred design to develop a gamified system that focuses on the needs of the student while delivering an engaging experience. A low-fidelity prototype has been developed which focuses on developing skillsets relevant to real world jobs. The prototype has gone through user testing using the think aloud protocol. The users were interviewed to allow them to reflect back on their experience and provide feedback for the next iteration of the system.
2017-10-01T00:00:00ZFaultlines irish design research conference 2015: book of abstractsWhite, P.J.Deevy, Colinhttps://research.thea.ie/handle/20.500.12065/44962023-04-29T03:00:53Z2015-06-03T00:00:00ZFaultlines irish design research conference 2015: book of abstracts
White, P.J.; Deevy, Colin
White, P.J.; Deevy, Colin
Welcome to the Irish Design
Research Conference 2015,
an initiative of designCORE at
the Dargan Centre, Institute
of Technology Carlow. This all
island and event has been cosponsored
by ID2015 as part of
Year of Irish Design. It aims to
provide a national forum for
current design researchers to
disseminate emergent design
research taking place within
the discipline.
Ireland is showing clear
indications of economic
recovery, and a policy objective
for ID2015 is to achieve growth
within the Irish design sector.
This timely forum seeks to draw
leading academic researchers,
from across the disciplinary
bandwidth, into a stimulating,
challenging and rewarding
interdisciplinary discourse. This
can provide the growing Irish
design research community,
a means to engage with each
other, exchange experiences and
share insight. The conference
theme, FAULTLINES-Bridging
Knowledge Spaces seeks to
explore the interstices
between knowledge and
practice. For cross-disciplinary
relevance, the sessions address
the more global themes of how
design research can inform
policy, impact society and find
intervention in industry.
The importance of design
research and innovation to
the health and commercial
development of the Irish SME
sector is clear. FAULTLINES
also seeks to bridge the spaces
between academia and industry
partners. Through the various
associated events and networking
opportunities organised, it is
hoped you may identify further
potential collaborative action; for
mutual benefit.
I would like to thank keynote
speakers and delegates for their
contribution and all who have
assisted in organising this event.
I also wish to thank our sponsors
for their generous support.
While your time in Carlow and
your contribution is critically
important to the success of the
conference, I hope you will also
have a chance to visit VISUAL
Arts Centre and experience
the engaging international
exhibition in augmented reality
being held there. There are
also many events occurring
around Carlow as part of EIGSE
Arts Festival which will be of
interest. More importantly,
during the conference, I hope
you have an opportunity to grow
your networks and that you are
inspired to extend beyond the
conference itself to develop
further meaningful dialogues
together.
2015-06-03T00:00:00ZInterdisciplinary gerontological research by designWhite, P.J.Patocs, AudreyRaina, Parminderhttps://research.thea.ie/handle/20.500.12065/44952023-04-29T03:00:17Z2021-07-09T00:00:00ZInterdisciplinary gerontological research by design
White, P.J.; Patocs, Audrey; Raina, Parminder
Increasingly, gerontological research requires interdisciplinary approaches to address
complex research questions. Design methods have been proven to facilitate the growth of
interdisciplinary research as they are agile, adaptive, and iterative (White and Deevy, 2020).
Involving 140 researchers across 6 faculties, this study used design methods to create
interdisciplinary research on ageing. This paper discusses how Design methods were used to
successfully grow this research culture for over 5 years.
Low and high touch approaches to Design were used. A cross-campus environmental scan
was designed to understand cultural commonalities and differences between disciplines and
Design workshops were created to harness interdisciplinary understanding, encouraging
groups to create interdisciplinary proposals. Ethnographic research and surveys were
conducted to assess how Design methods had influenced research culture. Outputs and
partnerships were also assessed, and an international scientific committee reviewed
interdisciplinary research proposals.
Results showed that interdisciplinary partnerships and collaborations increased across
faculties. Positive changes in culture were observed, with increased interactions among
researchers. Scientific reviewers commented that proposals addressed needs, insured
stakeholders inclusion, and were likely to have a positive impact on older people. It
demonstrated that Design methods can assist in the creation of interdisciplinary
gerontological research. Design assisted researchers to find ‘common languages’ and was
beneficial in both group communication and proposal creation. Collaborating with other
disciplines offered researchers perspectives that were otherwise inaccessible and lead to more
inclusive research.
2021-07-09T00:00:00Z