Noticeboards

Overview

Topic status: We're looking for students to study this topic.

Project Summary

Remote Aboriginal communities suffer from geographic and cultural isolation. Web 2.0 offers a solution yet is ill-suited to traditional collective cultures, those with low English & technical literacy and the poor. We have an ARC linkage project which will research how novel public web-enabled touchscreen noticeboards, tabletops and other new forms of interface can help communication within remote Aboriginal communities, and between such communities and the outside world. The partner organisation is the Anindilyakwa Land Council on Groote Eylandt. This project encompasses a number of research topics including:

  • New models and practices of digital sharing focussed on public community hubs and other interface technologies
  • New interaction paradigms and systems enabling people with low English and technical literacy to collectively author and consume content (software and hardware: touch screens, Kinect, noticeboards…)
  • The long term evolution and sustainable use of such systems in remote settings
  • Cross-cultural participatory design methods

Students interested in these and other related areas of user interfaces, design and technology for Aboriginal communities are encouraged to apply.

Expected outcomes, applications and/or benefits

The overall project goal is to enable new forms of communication within remote Aboriginal communities and to the outside world. Key foci are culture, environment, health and education.

Particular outcomes for student vacation projects might include: software and hardware prototypes, and reports into new interaction technologies and technologies suitable for use in remote Aboriginal communities.

Required student skills/experience

Students with skills and experience in one or more of IT (technical and non-technical), design and user interfaces, novel hardware and software. Students with an interest in working with remote Aboriginal communities.

Study level
Vacation research experience scholarship
Supervisors
QUT
Organisational unit

Science and Engineering Faculty

Research area

Computer Science

Keywords
touchscreen, communication, technology
Contact
Contact the supervisor for more information