The World of HCC According to Michaelanne

For one of my PhD classes this semester, I need to produce an artistic representation of what the field of Human-Centered Computing (HCC) means to me. During the past week, I have gone through many different iterations of possible representations of the field of HCC. However, I found it difficult to get started.

 

I finally decided that the best tools for conveying how I see the world of HCC were the very ones I am currently conducting my research on: the Internet, social media, blogs, the written word and, best of all, GIFs. 

Without further ado, I give you, THE WORLD OF HCC...

... ACCORDING TO MICHAELANNE

Let's start with a high-level view of this world. According to Wikipedia (yes, I'm using Wikipedia and if you doubt the validity of Wikipedia, please read this), the field of Human-centered computing (HCC) "studies the design, development, and deployment of mixed-initiative human-computer systems" and has "emerged from the convergence of multiple disciplines that are concerned both with understanding human beings and with the design of computational artifacts."

From my perspective, human beings and technology are intimately intertwined. 

Technological artifacts are deeply embedded in our lives. 

Therefore, it is crucial to seek to understand the interplays between technology and people as well as the multiple contexts that affect and are affected by them, including, social, historical, political, and cultural. 

How do we do this? From an interdisciplinary approach that includes theories and methods from multiple fields including but not limited to, psychology, sociology, computer science, communication studies and..... that's right....



Some of the main theories, frameworks, and methods employed by HCC include:

ACTIVITY THEORY

DISTRIBUTED COGNITION

LEGITIMATE PERIPHERAL PARTICIPATION

However, since the study of people and technology is so complex, it is necessary for practitioners to narrow their research focus. Let's travel to a specific country within the world of HCC called, Social Computing. 

Social computing is concerned with the social aspect of people and their behavior through the study of how individuals interact and collaborate online.  

There are many areas within social computing including social media, social networking, social perceptions, crowdsourcing, gaming, collective intelligence, and many more.

Let's travel to a specific state on the coast of the country of social computing called social media. Within the state of social media exists many different counties and cities. One of the biggest of these is Facebook. 

I focus on this site because it's central to my work... but before we discuss that more...

Let's zoom out once again to the world of HCC in order to sail across the sea to the country of Information Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD).

ICTD is mainly concerned with the study of information and communication technologies and how they affect disadvantaged populations around the globe, usually in developing countries. ICTD explores issues such as human rights, international development, and poverty reduction through the use of ICTs.

In my view, between these two countries there is an island called, Michaelanne's Research. Currently, there are bridges under construction that connect to the countries of Social Computing and ICTD.

Presently, this island is concerned with studying the use of social computing technologies....

...through the lens of ICTD theories (such as postcolonial computing)...

.... particularly in the country of Cuba.

This island wants to understand how people in historically isolated situations.... 

...are impacted by the introduction of social computing technologies and how they appropriate these technologies. 

Also, how we can design systems with people that are appropriate for their needs and the contexts in which they find themselves?

So in summary

So we have HCC...

Social Computing...

ICTD

And my work...

Not really

That concludes our brief, whirlwind tour of the world of HCC according to Michaelanne. 

Old School Sesame Street Music Videos

I loved me some Sesame Street back in the day.

When my siblings and I were growing up, we were allowed very little TV time by our parental overlords.  And on those seemingly scarce occasions when we were actually granted permission to sit in front of "the tube" (as my dad called it), we were often interrupted by my parents (which, I now realize, was just them wanting to play with us). {Rough life, right?}

In addition to time limitations, our television restrictions also included content considerations (in other words, we didn't have cable and we watched a lot of PBS (Public Broadcasting). As a result, while other kids played "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Power Rangers,"my household playmates and I reenacted the Underground Railroad and built extensive, miniature cities entirely from shoeboxes, popsicle sticks, string and glue. All in all - a fascinating childhood. But enough about that.

This post is dedicated to some of my favorite old-school Sesame Street music videos. Honestly, some of these still get stuck in my head on a rather consistent basis.







In the words of Cookie Monster, "me love it!"

Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday pic of Tim and Oana in Cluj, Romania, back in 2006. 

Understanding MOOCs

Working at Georgia Tech has given me a new perspective on the changing landscape of education, especially in the realm of online education. Make no doubt about it, (much needed) change is happening. I'm continually surprised, however, at the number of individuals who are either running in fear or are in denial that change is even occurring. Regardless of your feelings or occupation, I think it's important to be informed regarding the evolving landscape of education.

One of the most important arenas where experimentation in education is occurring is in the form of MOOCS.  There are many aspects to the MOOC debate and summarizing them can be overwhelming. Luckily, Allison Morris, a writer from Online College Courses, has produced a great graphic (below) that explains MOOCs and the debate surrounding this platform.

Stay tuned as I hope to post more about MOOCs and, specifically  the College of Computing at Georgia Tech's new Online Master's of Science in Computer Science.

Dream. Encode.

I wanted to share my latest project for work. We've been working on a re-branding of the College of Computing at Georgia Tech. Basically, our message is this: At Georgia Tech, we teach, research and learn Computing unlike any other program, because we are unlike any other program. We think bigger and bolder. We move forward with more energy and creativity. We empower our students, faculty and staff to Be More.

In this vein, we asked one of our recent grads, Connie Chen (2012 College of Computing grad and award-winning filmmaker) to create a “cinematic interpretation” of what it means to study computing and what it means to be more. The result is a poignant portrayal of inspiration and impact – the story of a small spark of interest and a healthy sense of curiosity flourishing into something more.

Check it out!

Best Photobombs Ever

Like photobombs? I sure do. You know what I like more than photobombs? Animal photobombs.

Alpaca photobomb

Homeslice does not seem very amused with his pal's photobomb

Hello there!

Hilarious

Awesome

Note: These photos are courtesy of Reddit/aww.

Teddy

I love my dog. That is all.