CHI Conference Author Presentations

CHCI affiliated authors of papers accepted at the Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) 2020 conference have presented their work at the Social Informatics Meetings during the month of April. The CHI conference (originally scheduled for April 15-30, 2020)  was cancelled due to coronavirus precautions. Authors, titles and abstracts are below, along with links to the recordings of the presentations and the CHI conference listings for these papers. Presentations were given by: Donghan Hu and Aakash Gautam.

Paper Presentation

Authors: Donghan Hu and Sang Won Lee

Title: ScreenTrack: Using Visual History of Computer Screen for Retrieving Documents and Web Pages

ABSTRACT

Computers are used for various purposes and frequent context switch is inevitable. In this setting, retrieving the documents, files, and web pages that have been used for a task can be a challenge. While modern applications provide a history of recent documents for users to resume work, this is not sufficient to retrieve all the digital resources relevant to a given primary document. The histories currently available — file names, web page titles, or URLs — does not take into account the complex dependencies that exist among resources across applications. To address this problem, we tested the idea of using a visual history of a computer screen to retrieve digital resources within a few days through the development of ScreenTrack. ScreenTrack is software that captures screenshots of a computer at regular intervals. It then generates a time-lapse video from the captured screenshots and lets users retrieve a recently opened document or web page from a screenshot that they recognize from its visuals. Through a controlled user study, it was found that participants were able to retrieve requested information more quickly with ScreenTrack than under the control condition. A follow-up study showed that the participants used ScreenTrack to retrieve previously used resources, in order to resume interrupted tasks.

Paper Presentation

Authors: Aakash Gautam, Deborah Tatar, and Steve Harrison

Title: Crafting, Communality, and Computing: Building on Existing Strengths To Support a Vulnerable Population

ABSTRACT

In Nepal, sex-trafficking survivors and the organizations that support them have limited resources to assist the survivors in their on-going journey towards reintegration. We take an asset-based approach wherein we identify and build on the strengths possessed by such groups. In this work, we present reflections from introducing a voice-annotated web application to a group of survivors. The web application tapped into and built upon two elements of pre-existing strengths possessed by the survivors — the social bond between them and knowledge of crafting as taught to them by the organization. Our findings provide insight into the array of factors influencing how the survivors act in relation to one another as they created novel use practices and adapted the technology. Experience with the application seemed to open knowledge of computing as a potential source of strength. Finally, we articulate three design desiderata that could help promote communal spaces: make activity perceptible to the group, create appropriable steps, and build in fun choices.