PhD Project Description - Siemen Baader

My PhD study is part of a project (CIBIS) that aims to support education in creativity and innovation for high school students with multi device technology. It takes the shape of an active collaboration between universities (AU & CBS), industry (DesignIt and Lego) and high schools (eg. Viby & Ørestad Gymnasium).

For my PhD, I investigate how user interfaces can be designed to support the creative process. First, such interfaces should allow solution ideas to be visualised and explored in several ways. Second, they should be a learning tool and allow students to learn new concepts quickly as they become needed during the creative process.

In one case, I build a Lego Mindstorms programming system that allows students to work with several (textual and graphical) program representations in order to explore possible solutions quickly. In another, I provide an interface to configure Linux based computers (PCs, phones, routers, microcontrollers) that allows students to set up idiosyncratic ad hoc workflows across devices quickly to support an immediate need in group work.

I am interested in AR as a method to develop these interfaces and evaluate them in a realistic setting with the participating high schools. I lean towards a Collaborative Practice Research approach because of its multi paradigms trait. Since I am an interface designer and inventor and am using the interfaces I develop myself for creative projects, I am also interested in Action Learning and methods for rigorous evaluation of interfaces designed for my own use.