Masterclasses Program
Monday, 27th June
MC 1: Introduction to Practice-centred Computing // 9:30-12:30 UTC+1 (half day)
Fabiano Pinatti, Univ. of Siegen, Germany
Practice-centred computing has been at the heart of much of past and current computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) and human-computer interaction (HCI) research. Paying attention to people’s practices in context has proved to be essential to understand what types of support they would need in particular situations and think of innovative technological solutions for them. In this masterclass, the ontological and epistemological foundations of practice-centred computing will be introduced and discussed. Special attention will be dedicated to the grounded design (GD) research paradigm, a praxeological worldview focusing on investigating the quality of technological artefacts by the understanding of how human practices change, as people engage in using and appropriating them. In particular, the masterclass will address different methods and methodologies that can be used within this paradigm, and how these methods and methodologies can be systematically organised within a research framework, which can be instrumentally used for the design of useful and usable computer technologies.
Short Bio.
Aparecido Fabiano Pinatti de Carvalho, PhD, is an Associate Researcher at the Institute of Information Systems and New Media and Deputy Director of the Chair of Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Media, both at the University of Siegen (Germany). He is also the EUSSET Community Building Chair and one of the EUSSET Competence Network Co-Chairs. He holds a BSc and a MSc in Computer Science from the Federal University of São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil, and a multidisciplinary PhD developed within a joint project between the Interaction Design Centre of the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, University of Limerick, Ireland, and the Department of Sociology at the same university. His interests span Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Supported Cooperative Work, Practice-based Computing, Interaction Design, Software Accessibility, Cyber-Physical Systems, Mobile and Nomadic Work and Informatics in Education. Since 2016, he has been leading and carrying out assorted Grounded Design projects predicated on the Design Case Study framework. The focus of his research is on technologically-mediated human practices, more specifically on the understanding on how practices can help identify the design space of new and innovative technologies, and how they can shape and be shaped by their usage. He has published several articles on topics related to these fields of research in prestigious international conferences.
MC 5: Sketchnoting // 14:00-17:00 UTC+1 (half day)
David Struzek, University of Siegen, Germany
The pandemic situation has led to a high amount of working from home and in front of our screens. Conferences, staff meetings, collaboration with research partners and user research have taken place online. At the same time, informal social and creative spaces have been left behind. However, the flood of information without a creative break can be very overwhelming, on the recipients’ as well as the transmitters’ side. Sketchnoting might provide support as a method for documenting information in a creative and visual way. Words and pictures are being combined to better illustrate contexts, to explain facts more easily and to remember content for longer. Especially when recording new information, as well as presenting results in a research context, this method can be helpful.
In this master class we will get to know and try out the sketchnoting method together. Basic terms and psychological backgrounds of sketchnoting will be introduced and its application in socio-informatics and with qualitative research methods will be discussed. The Masterclass will be of interest to anyone who does a lot of handwritten note-taking, conducts field observations and user workshops, or is involved in teaching. Depending on whether the Masterclass is online or on-site, participants should bring paper or a notepad, a pencil and eraser, and highlighters in various colors, as well as a black pen. Otherwise, ballpoint pens and colored pencils may be used. The masterclass will last 3 hours.
Short Bio.
David Struzek is a PhD student and research assistant at the Chair of Information Systems, especially “IT for the Aging Society” at the University of Siegen. Currently, in addition to teaching activities, he coordinates the internationally funded research project Active City Innovation, fostering joy of movement in public space. David Struzek graduated with a Master’s degree (M.Sc.) in Human Computer Interaction at University of Siegen. David’s further research interests are User Experience, Usability & Accessibility and Creative Science.
Tuesday, 28th June
MC 2: Practicing Thematic Analysis: From In-Depth Qualitative Data to Implications for Design // 9:30-12:30 & 14:00-17:00 UTC+1 (full day)
Fabiano Pinatti, Univ. of Siegen, Germany
Much of computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) and human-computer Interaction (HCI) research and practice is noticeably grounded on deep understandings of users’ contexts and practices. In order to achieve such understandings, assorted socio-scientific qualitative methods for data collection – e.g., in-depth interview, ethnographic observation and focus group – and analysis – e.g., discourse analysis, content analysis, and thematic analysis – have been appropriated and used within those fields. In this masterclass, participants will be introduced to a particular approach to thematic analysis (TA), which has been instrumental in many CSCW and HCI projects. The masterclass will particularly focus on how TA can be successfully used to move from rich qualitative data towards empirically grounded implications for design to orient the conceptualisation and development of new and innovative computer technologies. By means of a practical exercise, consisted of thematically analysing an interview transcript collaboratively, participants will have the opportunity to go through all the phases of the referred approach and understand how it can help them demonstrate rigour in the generation of implications for design.
MC 3: Qualitative Methods in CSCW // 9:30-12:30 UTC+1 (half day)
Marén Schorch, Univ. of Siegen, Germany
Qualitative methods like open or semi-structured interviews and participant observation, focus groups, design workshops or cultural probes have been essential parts of many research and design projects in CSCW. Most of these methods have their origins in sociology, social sciences and anthropology. In contrast to quantitative studies, the aim of qualitative empirical studies is not to test a theory or hypotheses but to openly explore and meet the complexity of cooperative and collaborative practices in the respective setting. Doing qualitative research in CSCW is exciting but time-consuming and demanding, especially if such methods were not part of the academic curriculum. Since the Covid19 pandemic started, the basic premise for fieldwork “on the ground” has also been challenged. Over time, we had to adapt and expand our methodological spectrum with online interviews, cultural probes, etc.
This masterclass aims at imparting knowledge about qualitative methods, related frameworks such as ethnography (among others Randall et al. 2007, Hammersley & Atkinson 2007) and Grounded Theory (Glaser & Strauss 1967) and explicitly diverse options for data collection, preparation and data analysis. We will discuss a larger spectrum of possible methods and how to take one’s pick, depending on the respective research and design interest.
Recommended first reading:
Blomberg, J. and Karasti, H. (2013): Reflections on 25 Years of Ethnography in CSCW. Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), vol. 22, no. 4-6, pp. 1-51.
Short Bio.
Marén Schorch is a PostDoc researcher with a PhD in Sociology and a specialisation in qualitative social methods, preferring ethnographic approaches. She was the leader of the interdisciplinary junior research group “KontiKat” at the University of Siegen, Germany (2017-2021). Using her long-term experience in multidisciplinary research projects and settings in CSCW, she has been involved in multiple participatory design projects at the University of Siegen and international partners since 2013. Her PostDoc research focuses on the interplay of continuity and (digital, social, economic) change in the context of crisis, the construction of “safety”, and its impact on cooperation and collaboration in small and medium-sized companies and society. More particularly, she has conducted multiple empirical studies dealing with risk awareness, crisis experience and practices of (emergency) preparedness as part of the resilience of people and organisations. She has published many articles on her varied research and co-organized several CSCW-related workshops such as on ECSCW 2011, 2020 and 2021, CSCW 2014 and CSCW 2017, COOP 2016 and GROUP 2016. She has been AC for CSCW 2021, CHI 2018 and 2020, chair for the track “Exploratory papers” at ECSCW 2019 (with Ingrid M. Erickson) and regularly reviews for ECSCW, CSCW, GROUP, CHI etc.
MC 4: Doing CSCW Research in Small and Medium Enterprises // 14:00-17:00 UTC+1 (half day)
Marén Schorch, Univ. of Siegen, Germany
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are often described as “the backbone of the European economy” (Annual report on European SMEs 2014/2015), counting about 22 million active SMEs in 2014 and employing almost 90 million people (ibidem). You can find a wide variety of branches and fields, including diverse examples such as IT start-ups, shops, metalworking or ancillary industry. Many successful, longstanding SMEs have already experienced multiple socio-economic changes and phases of transformation like the “third industrial revolution” with the integration of automatisation and information & communication technologies (ICT). Within the last decade, many companies have faced the so-called “industry 4.0” development and the correlated digitalisation processes. Since the start of the ongoing Covid19 pandemic in early 2020, some of these processes were accelerated (home office, coving phases of quarantine, shift to e-commerce etc.), some additional aspects like delivery problems, loss of orders, sales collabs, absence of personnel) are an enduring challenge for many SMEs.
These issues are interesting from a CSCW perspective: How do the involved actors in the companies deal with such challenges and processes of digitalisation and technological transformation? How do the different stakeholders cooperate on an intra-, inter-and external level (meaning within the respective SME, with their collaborative partners and providers of infrastructure etc.), especially in times of crisis? In the masterclass, you will zoom into SMEs, learn about crucial concepts connected with the outlined issues above, discuss methodological approaches, and engage stakeholders for cooperation when conducting research and design projects in this practical field.
Recommended first reading:
Syed, H. A., Schorch, M., Ankenbauer, S. A., Hassan, S. S., Meisner, K., Stein, M., Skudelny, S., Karasti, H. and Pipek, V. (2021): Infrastructuring for organizational resilience: Experiences and perspectives for business continuity. Proceedings of the 19th European Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (ECSCW 2021) – Workshops, EUSSET (ISSN 2510-2591), doi:10.18420/ecscw2021-wsmc02
