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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
PhD Project Template
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Use one form per project
Please complete & submit to international@nuigalway.ie as soon as possible, and by 27/11/2012
In your email, begin the subject line with [SWB] (be sure to use square brackets) to ensure that
your email is filed correctly. Emails will be automatically filed
PI name & contact details:
School:
Karen Young
Information Technology
karen.young@nuigalway.ie
Engineering and Informatics
Has project been agreed with head (or
nominee) of proposed registration school?
Research Centre / group affiliation:
Computational Intelligence Research Group
Research group / centre website:
http://www3.it.nuigalway.ie/cirg/
PI website / link to CV:
http://www3.it.nuigalway.ie/cirg/
Brief summary of PI research / research group / centre activity (2 or 3 lines max):
The research group has been in existence since 1999 with in excess of 140 peer-reviewed publications in the
following domains Information Retrieval, Collaborative Filtering, Machine learning, Evolutionary Computation
and Evolutionary Game Theory.
PI’s research interests and activities include human computer interaction, user centred design, technology
enhanced learning, and requirements gathering and representation.
Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web):
Technology enhanced learning: increasing user satisfaction
Title: Effectiveness of learning support technologies
Description: In recent years there has been a proliferation of online course offerings at every level
and a corresponding increase in demand for these courses. The focus of this research is to assess
the environment in which these courses are offered with respect to user satisfaction. This research
incorporates diverse perspectives:
 User: engagement with learning environments, from functionality and usability to
desirability (e.g., affect, gamification, playful design); efficiency of learning experience and
user satisfaction with the environment
 Content: interactivity of diverse forms (from digital to physical, interactive digital content:
visual, textual, audio etc.)
 Technology: diverse devices and their characteristics; evaluation wrt user satisfaction
This project is suited to students with an interest in Human Computer Interaction, E-Learning,
Education, Psychology or digital content development and evaluation.
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
Unique selling points of PhD project in NUI Galway:
For this project, there is experience in HCI, Interaction design, user modelling, user interaction IR, data mining,
social media in Information technology and also access to expertise in psychology. The universities boasts
suitable supports for international students (international office), structured PhD programmes where students
can support their research through related modules.
Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above:
Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply:
Computer Science, Engineering, Informatics, Psychology with numerate background
Ciência sem Fronteiras / Science Without Borders Priority Area:
Please indicate the specific programme priority area under which the proposed PhD project fits- choose only
one (tick box):
Engineering and other technological areas
Pure and Natural Sciences (e.g. mathematics, physics, chemistry)/Physical Sciences (Mathematics,
Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Geosciences)
Health and Biomedical Sciences / Clinical, Pré-clinical and Health Sciences
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), Computing
X
Aerospace
Pharmaceuticals
Sustainable Agricultural Production
Oil, Gas and Coal
Renewable Energy
Minerals, Minerals Technology
Biotechnology
Nanotechnology and New Materials
Technologies for Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Disasters
Bioprospecting and Biodiversity
Marine Sciences
Creative Industry
New technologies in constructive engineering
Please indicate which of the following applies to this project (referring to Science Without Borders
arrangements):
Suitable only as a Full PhD (Y/N): _ _Y__
Available to candidates seeking a Sandwich PhD arrangement (Y/N): __Y___
Suitable for either/Don’t know: _____