Emerging Media

  • Partnership

    • The Emerging Media Work Package is managed by Human Technology Lab , University of Padua. The University of Padova (UNIPD) participates in the project through the Department of General Psychology (DPG) and more specifically through the Human Technology Laboratories (HTLab), directed by Prof. Luciano Gamberini.

      The research activity of the HTLab concerns the study of mediated interaction in several situations and with different technologies, with methods centered on the analysis of action (discourse analysis, gesture analysis, User Interface Events) along with more classic psychological methods (Psychophysics, Cognitive methods). The Laboratory has a great expertise in the analysis of hybrid situations generated by the use of technologies to mediate people’s presence in their life place. It have been involved in several European Funded Projects dealing with: virtual reality systems to support clinical practices (VEPSY UPDATED, 2001- 2003), or to trigger emotional responses (EMMA, 2002-2005); mixed reality to stimulate elderly people´s cognitive activity (ELDERGAMES, 2006-2009); augmented mediated communication to enhance group activity in collaborative work and gaming (PASION, 2006-2009), ubiquitous persuasive technologies to encourage energy sustainable consumption behaviors (BeAware, 2008-2011), social networking tools to improve participation and safe behavior in European citizens (DC&D, 2008-2010), integrated technologies for experiencing, analyzing and understanding massive datasets through the analysis of unconscious information (CEEDS, 2010-2014); interactive television to increase elderly people inclusion (SENIORCHANNEL, 2009-2012), for the Ambient Assisted Living Joint Programe. HTLab also had private contracts for usability and human-technologies interaction research with companies such as Honda Motor, FIAT Elasis, Electrolux, and Telecom.

      Relevant efforts and attention has been oriented to the design of “serious games”, interactive products alerting people on the consequences of risky behaviors (driving style, alcohol and drugs abuse) and promoting youth participation to the social and political life of their cities. See for examples

      The BASICS network will be involved in the design of the products content and updated about the state of the art of the Work Package. Association Psychologist without Borders will support the initiatives resulting from adoption of the “NEWIP technologies” especially considering and taking care of intercultural issues.HTLab is already collaborating and networking with other EU project exploiting e-health solutions in drug-abuse related fields (a seminars of the CORRELATION project was hosted in March2011 in University of Padua);
  • Context
    • WP7 is oriented to design, develop and investigate effectiveness of emerging media and interactive technologies as tools able to innovate and support safe night interventions and more in general social communication around drugs and alcohol related risks.

      The general idea is that new technologies are able to better vehicle sensible contents to young generation, than basic face to face interaction. Emerging media and interactive environments will be used by party/raves goers and will attract their attention longer and deeper, involving them in interactive session where will be easier to exchange information with peer and operators. “NEW” tools will provide young people with a safe environment where to experience risky behaviors and to explore cause-effect relations.

  • Objectives
    • 1.To developed innovative technologies and communication tools for harm-reduction/prevention practices

      2. To improve and innovate field work interventions (attraction power, interactivity, users participation...)

      3. To adapt responses to partygoers lifestyle, languages, trendiness, mobility.

      4. To test and validate NEW solutions efficiency and efficacy5. To train peers/professionals in the use of new media in night interventions settings
  • Methodology and Time Table
    • Participative Design will move these WP7’s actions on the field from the very beginning, involving young people in the collection and in the exploitation of ideas, narratives, scenarios, languages, graphics, sound that will be successively embodied in the development of technologies and digital environments.

      Brainstorms, focus groups and affinity diagram will be adopted to elicit users knowledge and organize ideas in a meaningful framework; also NEWIP partners will be involved in the refinement of contents and experts will be involved in checking their scientific validity.

      NEW devices will be tested and validated (ergonomics, user’s satisfaction, attractiveness…) and then adopted during the project interventions. Questionnaires and ethnographic based observations will be introduced in parallel with automatic data collection accomplished by the technological solutions. Investigations will explore several aspects of media based interventions, including effectiveness, synergy with other methods, cultural issues.

      Intended dates for action
      (M refers to month, January 2011 being Month 1)
      Timetable of the Work Package by month.

      M12 First version of audiovisual, blue safety and serious game
      M18 In field usability test, user satisfaction test, learning test
      M23 Second version of audiovisual, blue safety and serious game.
      M28 Translated version of contents and standard production
      M30 Data analysis and statistics
  • Participants info
    • Possibilities for new partners to join.

      Projects not involved in NEWIP will be invited in WP7 specific seminars and focus group, as well as in the 2nd and 3rd training session where participants will be introduced to the use of new technologies in “safe night interventions”

      Is our goal to involve EU researchers and academics and converging on seminars and/or workshops devoted to this research areas.

      Participation to HTlab-NEWIP initiatives will be open and free of charge.

  • Contact

    •      

      Prof. Luciano Gamberini
      Human Technology Lab
      luciano.gamberini@gmail.com
      Department of General Psychology, University of Padova
      luciano.gamberini@gmail.com
      via Venezia, 8
      35131 Padova. Italy
      Website: htlab.psy.unipd.it

  • Partners