You are invited to the next School of Computer Science seminar co-hosted by the Digital Wellbeing Lab.
The Pretence of Theory in Human-Computer Interaction
Assistant Professor Elisa Mekler,
IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Abstract:
Human-computer interaction (HCI) has seen a surge in calls for more theory: The promise is that theory-driven research will more effectively inform design, support more rigorous studies, and facilitate cumulative knowledge building. In these accounts, however, “theory” is typically invoked without consideration for the practices and conditions that shape theory use. I call this the “pretence of theory”. In this talk, I showcase how this trend may actually hurt HCI scholarship. Taking Self-Determination Theory in HCI games scholarship as an example, I illustrate how theory is often used in perfunctory and unquestioned ways, and examine conditions and practices that perpetuate this. I then ponder how we might overcome the “pretence of theory” in HCI, and instead move towards more intentional and fruitful uses of theory.
Much of this work was done in close collaboration with Dr. April Tyack, and the talk will be interspersed with personal anecdotes.
Bio
Elisa Mekler is assistant professor at the IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Her research interests pertain to emotional and motivational aspects of games, what constitutes “good” interaction with technology, and research practices in HCI. Elisa’s work has garnered multiple Best Paper and Honourable Mention awards at CHI and CHI PLAY. She is currently leading the European Research Council project “Theorycraft – Bridging the Research-Practice Gap in Games through Theory Translation”, which investigates the use of psychological theories in games research and design practice, and aims to develop methods to more productively translate theories from other disciplines into HCI.
Details:
| Location: | QUT Gardens Point Campus, S Block, Room S303 [link to map] |
| Start Date: | 01/02/2024 [add to calendar] |
| Start Time: | 1:30pm |
| End Date: | 01/02/2024 |
| End Time: | 2:30pm |
| Organiser: | School of Computer Science and Digital Wellbeing Lab |