From Toil to Thought: Designing for Strategic Exploration and Responsible AI in Systematic Literature ReviewsSystematic Literature Reviews (SLRs) are fundamental to scientific progress, yet the process is hindered by a fragmented tool ecosystem that imposes a high cognitive load. This friction suppresses the iterative, exploratory nature of scholarly work. To investigate these challenges, we conducted an exploratory design study with 20 experienced researchers. This study identified key friction points: 1) the high cognitive load of managing iterative query refinement across multiple databases, 2) the overwhelming scale and pace of publication of modern literature, and 3) the tension between automation and scholarly agency. Informed by these findings, we developed ARC, a design probe that operationalizes solutions for multi-database integration, transparent iterative search, and verifiable AI-assisted screening. A comparative user study with 8 researchers suggests that an integrated environment facilitates a transition in scholarly work, moving researchers from managing administrative overhead to engaging in strategic exploration. By utilizing external representations to scaffold strategic exploration and transparent AI reasoning, our system supports verifiable judgment, aiming to augment expert contributions from initial creation through long-term maintenance of knowledge synthesis.2026RYRunlong Ye et al.University of TorontoExplainable AI (XAI)AI-Assisted Decision-Making & AutomationUser Research Methods (Interviews, Surveys, Observation)IUI
Exploring Communication and Collaboration in Distributed AR Escape Rooms: Design Opportunities to Support Social PlayEscape rooms are traditionally in-person activities that foster collaboration. Augmented reality (AR) enables these experiences to extend into distributed (all participants separated) and hybrid settings (both co-located and remote) while retaining embodied, physically grounded play. This study examines how players communicate and collaborate in an AR escape room across different spatial configurations, and how design choices affect situation awareness, engagement, and social connection. We developed an AR application for distributed escape room play and evaluated it with 19 participants in eight groups. Findings show how participants dynamically appropriated multimodal communication channels and leveraged embodied interactions for coordination. However, they also faced challenges with maintaining situation awareness across spaces, balancing enforced collaboration with individual engagement, and ensuring equitable participation, particularly for remote or information-giving players. With these insights, we discuss design implications for creating more engaging and socially connected distributed and hybrid AR experiences through multimodal communication support, flexible embodied interaction, and equitable collaborative mechanisms.2026MBMatthew Bradbury et al.McMaster UniversitySocial & Collaborative VRMixed Reality WorkspacesImmersion & Presence ResearchCHI
SocialEyes: Scaling Mobile Eye-tracking to Multi-person Social SettingsEye movements provide a window into human behaviour, attention, and interaction dynamics. Challenges in real-world, multi-person environments have, however, restrained eye-tracking research predominantly to single-person, in-lab settings. We developed a system to stream, record, and analyse synchronised data from multiple mobile eye-tracking devices during collective viewing experiences (e.g., concerts, films, lectures). We implemented lightweight operator interfaces for real-time-monitoring, remote-troubleshooting, and gaze-projection from individual egocentric perspectives to a common coordinate space for shared gaze analysis. We tested the system in a live concert and a film screening with 30 simultaneous viewers during each of two public events (N=60). We observe precise time-synchronisation between devices measured through recorded clock-offsets, and accurate gaze-projection in challenging dynamic scenes. Our novel analysis metrics and visualizations illustrate the potential of collective eye-tracking data for understanding collaborative behaviour and social interaction. This advancement promotes ecological validity in eye-tracking research and paves the way for innovative interactive tools.2025SSShreshth Saxena et al.McMaster University, Dept. of Psychology, Neuroscience & BehaviourEye Tracking & Gaze InteractionSocial & Collaborative VRCHI
Field Trial of a Tablet-based AR System for Intergenerational Connections through Remote ReadingPrior work has explored various technology designs to support intergenerational communications and connections through remote activities such as reading or play. However, few works have explored these technologies outside the family settings. In this work, we aimed to understand how technology can support social connectedness through remote activities, by investigating the use of a tablet-based AR system among older adult volunteers and students for remote reading. We developed the system based on insights from previous research, deployed the system in the field, and observed the use of the system over six months. With the data collected from the field, we present a rich description on the use of the system and the practices that emerged around its usage in a real-world setting. Our findings highlight the importance of supporting an engaging reading experience and context understanding for social connections with the technology design. We provide insights into how such technology can support intergenerational communication and foster social connectedness.2024YYYe Yuan et al.Session 4a: Intergenerational ConnectionsCSCW
Designing Collaborative Technology for Intergenerational Social Play over DistanceCollaborative social play not only offers entertainment but also acts as a powerful catalyst in nurturing intergenerational relationships and strengthening community ties. In order to explore user preferences and interaction dynamics within this context, we investigated remote intergenerational communication through an analysis of 15 groups of parents and children from 16 families. Given the importance of collaborative activities in family and intergenerational connections, we aim to understand how these interactions and practices can adapt to remote environments. Our findings highlight both similarities and notable differences in the use of communication methods, workspace, and objects between parents and children. Particularly, we observed distinct patterns in gestural and verbal communication and identified specific challenges encountered by children in remote settings. Our findings also revealed the dynamics of play sessions, especially when co-located participants are involved, shedding light on the complexities of remote intergenerational communication. Our work offers valuable empirical insights on designing more effective and engaging remote collaborative platforms for families.2024YYYe Yuan et al.Session 4a: Intergenerational ConnectionsCSCW
Designing Smart Home Technology For Passive Co-Presence Over DistanceWhen families live in the same home, they feel a sense of connection through the subtle, passive aspects of family life. Over distance, these passive aspects are hard to experience as most communication technologies support sharing conversations or activities. Through a research-through-design methodology, we explored the design of smart home technologies for passive co-presence over distance. Based on our design explorations, we arrived at an interaction space which includes the dimensions of Activity, Solitude, Synchronicity, and Spontaneity. Our research-through-design process additionally resulted in the design of two smart home systems. The There Chair employs the senses of touch and sight to passively display when a remote family member is sitting at the dining room table. The Fragrance Frame is a paired picture frame that detects when a remote family member is passing by their frame, and emits a scent reminiscent of togetherness. We reflect on our design decisions and propose considerations for future design.2024HSHanieh Shakeri et al.Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)Context-Aware ComputingSmart Home Interaction DesignDIS
Multimedia-Enabled 911: Exploring 911 Callers’ Experience of Call Taker Controlled Video Calling in Simulated EmergenciesEmergency response to large-scale disasters is often supported with multimedia from social media. However, while these features are common in everyday video calls, the complex needs of 911 and other systems make it difficult to directly incorporate these features. We assess an ME911 (Multimedia-Enabled 911) app to understand how the design will need to deviate from common norms and how callers will respond to those non-standard choices. We expand the role of 911 call taker control over emergency situations to the calling interface while incorporating key features like map-based location finding. Participants’ experiences in mock emergencies show the non-standard design helps callers in the unfamiliar setting of emergency calling yet it also causes confusion and delays. We find the need for emergency-specific deviations from design norms is supported by participant feedback. We discuss how broader system changes will support callers to use these non-standard designs during emergencies.2024PDPunyashlok Dash et al.Simon Fraser UniversityUncertainty VisualizationCybersecurity Training & AwarenessCHI
Virtual Reality, Real Pedagogy: A Contextual Inquiry of Instructor Practices with VR VideoVirtual reality (VR) offers promise in education given its immersive and socially engaging nature, but it can pose challenges for educators when creating VR-specific content. VR videos can function as a new educational tool for VR content creation due to their creation affordability and user-friendliness. However, little empirical research exists on how educators utilize VR videos and associated pedagogy in real classes. Our research employed a contextual inquiry, through in-person interviews and online surveys with 11 instructors to gain actionable insights from envisioned teaching scenarios for VR videos that are informed by actual instructional practices. Our study aims to understand the factors that motivate instructors' adoption of VR videos, identify challenges educators face when incorporating VR videos into instructional units, and examine pedagogical adjustments when integrating VR videos into teaching. Through empirical evidence, we provide design implications for the development of VR-based learning experiences across diverse educational contexts. Our study also serves as a practical case of how VR can be adopted and integrated into education.2024QJQiao Jin et al.University of MinnesotaSocial & Collaborative VROnline Learning & MOOC PlatformsCHI
So I Can Feel Normal: Participatory Design for Accessible Social Media for Individuals with Traumatic Brain InjuryTraumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in chronic sensorimotor, cognitive, psychosocial, and communication challenges that can limit social participation. Social media can be a useful outlet for social participation for individuals with TBI, but there are barriers to access. While research has drawn attention to the nature of access barriers, few studies have investigated technological solutions to address these barriers, particularly considering the perspectives of individuals with TBI. To address this gap in knowledge, we used a participatory approach to engage 10 adults with TBI in conceptualizing tools to address their challenges accessing Facebook. Participants described multifaceted challenges in using social media, including interface overload, social comparisons, and anxiety over self-presentation and communication after injury. They discussed their needs and preferences and generated ideas for design solutions. Our work contributes to designing assistive and accessibility technology to facilitate an equal access to the benefits of social media for individuals with TBI.2023HLHajin Lim et al.Seoul National University, University of Wisconsin-MadisonCognitive Impairment & Neurodiversity (Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia)Universal & Inclusive DesignSocial Platform Design & User BehaviorCHI
Sensing Their Presence: How Emerging Adults And Their Parents Connect After Moving ApartWhen emerging adults move out of their parents’ homes for the first time, their needs for togetherness and connection evolve, as do their parents’. In co-located homes, people often experience togetherness passively by sensing one another’s presence in their environment. However, when no longer living together, methods of experiencing togetherness change. Thus, we conducted an interview and co-design study with 16 pairs of parents and emerging adults that explores this concept across distance. The study uncovered differences in the connection needs of emerging adults and their parents, including their goals in connecting, the amount of communication they needed, and their needs for privacy and transparency. We additionally found that passive connecting factors included ambient sounds of the home, visual shared experiences and traces of one another in the home, ambient home smellscapes and smell memories, touching left-behind objects or gifted objects, and the taste of family recipes and the ambience of family mealtimes. We discuss suggestions for designing for passive co-presence based on this new knowledge.2023HSHanieh Shakeri et al.Simon Fraser UniversityContext-Aware ComputingChildren & Family IoTSocial Robot InteractionCHI
Constraints and Workarounds to Support Clinical Consultations in Synchronous Text-based PlatformsMedical consultations over synchronous text-based platforms are becoming increasingly popular for virtual care, yet little is known about how physicians translate their training to this healthcare medium. We report the constraints, workarounds, and opportunities highlighted by eight primary care physicians who used such a platform in simulated medical scenarios with standardized patients. We found that due to the perceived inefficiency of communicating over text, the physicians made subconscious use of double-barreled questions and action multiplexing to streamline the conversation. In addition, the physicians overcame the lack of missing verbal and visual cues by adding explicit messages to convey empathy and active listening. We also identify several affordances of text-based platforms, such as the ability for users to reference the conversation history and for patients to feel a sense of privacy during sensitive disclosure. From these findings, we propose design opportunities for how future synchronous text-based platforms can better support medical consultations.2023BLBrenna Li et al.University of TorontoMid-Air Haptics (Ultrasonic)Mental Health Apps & Online Support CommunitiesCHI
Understanding Cybersecurity Practices in Emergency DepartmentsEmergency departments (EDs) have unique operational requirements within hospitals. They have strong availability demands, are staffed by rotating personnel, and must provide services as quickly as possible. Modern EDs are also heavily computerized, and as such cybersecurity practices play a key role in meeting the expected operational standards. To better understand the cybersecurity challenges in EDs, we conducted a survey asking 347 ED personnel across Canada about their cybersecurity practices. The survey collected information relating to authentication and password management, use of personal devices for handling patient data, Internet connectivity on personal and hospital systems, and institutional security policies. Our results show that across multiple hospitals, deployed computer security systems fail to integrate with the requirements of staff and patients, leading to interruptions and inefficiencies.2020ESElizabeth Stobert et al.Carleton UniversityPrivacy by Design & User ControlCybersecurity Training & AwarenessCHI