[ { "title": "Investigating the impact of social support embedded in online consultation on physicians’ online reputation: The moderating role of media capabilities", "url": "/publication/2022-01-04", "content": "🔍 Abstract The importance of physicians’ online reputation (POR) has been recognized in the healthcare consultation process. However, few studies provide physicians with practical advice that help them improve their online reputation. Drawing on the taxonomy of social support and media synchronicity theory, this study proposes a theoretical model to study the relationship between physicians’ computer-mediated social support (CMSS) and POR, and the moderating effect of media capabilities on above relationships. This study collects online consultation records from a leading Chinese online consultation platform and employs the long short-term memory (LSTM) model to extract measurements of two types of CMSS. Our finding suggests that physicians’ action-facilitating support and nurturant support have significant positive impacts on POR. Furthermore, physicians’ communication frequency and communication depth strengthen the relationship between physicians’ action-facilitating support and POR. Readability strengthens the relationship between social support and POR. This study provides implications on how physicians can improve their online reputation. 📝 Citation", "excerpt": "This paper is about the number 3. The number 4 is left for future work.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract The importance of physicians’ online reputation (POR) has been recognized in the healthcare consultation process. However, few studies provide physicians with practical advice that help them improve their online reputation. Drawing on the taxonomy of social support and media synchronicity theory, this study proposes a theoretical model to study the relationship between physicians’ computer-mediated social support (CMSS) and POR, and the moderating effect of media capabilities on above relationships. This study collects online consultation records from a leading Chinese online consultation platform and employs the long short-term memory (LSTM) model to extract measurements of two types of CMSS. Our finding suggests that physicians’ action-facilitating support and nurturant support have significant positive impacts on POR. Furthermore, physicians’ communication frequency and communication depth strengthen the relationship between physicians’ action-facilitating support and POR. Readability strengthens the relationship between social support and POR. This study provides implications on how physicians can improve their online reputation. 📝 Citation This paper is about the number 3. The number 4 is left for future work. Wei Wang, and Libo Liu. \"Investigating the impact of social support embedded in online consultation on physicians’ online reputation: The moderating role of media capabilities.\" (2022). HICSS conference yes [\"digital_health\"] [\"digital_health\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2022-01-04" } , { "title": "Efficacy of mobile health applications to improve physical activity and sedentary behavior: a systematic review and meta-analysis for physically inactive individuals", "url": "/publication/2022-04-18", "content": "🔍 Abstract Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior (SB) have attracted growing attention globally since they relate to noninfectious chronic diseases (NCDs) and could further result in the loss of life. This systematic literature review aimed to identify existing evidence on the efficacy of mobile health (mHealth) technology in inducing physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior for physically inactive people. Studies were included if they used a smartphone app in an intervention to improve physical activity and/or sedentary behavior for physically inactive individuals. Interventions could be stand-alone interventions or multi-component interventions, including an app as one of several intervention components. A total of nine studies were included, and all were randomized controlled trials. Two studies involved interventions delivered solely via a mobile application (stand-alone intervention) and seven studies involved interventions that used apps and other intervention strategies (multi-component intervention). Methodological quality was assessed, and the overall quality of the studies was ensured. The pooled data favored intervention in improving physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior. This review provided evidence that mobile health intervention improved physical activity and reduced sedentary behavior among inactive individuals. More beneficial effects can be guaranteed when interventions include multiple components. Further studies that maintain the effectiveness of such interventions are required to maximize user engagement and intervention efficacy. 📝 Citation", "excerpt": "This paper is about the number 3. The number 4 is left for future work.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior (SB) have attracted growing attention globally since they relate to noninfectious chronic diseases (NCDs) and could further result in the loss of life. This systematic literature review aimed to identify existing evidence on the efficacy of mobile health (mHealth) technology in inducing physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior for physically inactive people. Studies were included if they used a smartphone app in an intervention to improve physical activity and/or sedentary behavior for physically inactive individuals. Interventions could be stand-alone interventions or multi-component interventions, including an app as one of several intervention components. A total of nine studies were included, and all were randomized controlled trials. Two studies involved interventions delivered solely via a mobile application (stand-alone intervention) and seven studies involved interventions that used apps and other intervention strategies (multi-component intervention). Methodological quality was assessed, and the overall quality of the studies was ensured. The pooled data favored intervention in improving physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior. This review provided evidence that mobile health intervention improved physical activity and reduced sedentary behavior among inactive individuals. More beneficial effects can be guaranteed when interventions include multiple components. Further studies that maintain the effectiveness of such interventions are required to maximize user engagement and intervention efficacy. 📝 Citation This paper is about the number 3. The number 4 is left for future work. Zhang, Meng, Wei Wang, Mingye Li, Haomin Sheng, and Yifei Zhai. \"Efficacy of mobile health applications to improve physical activity and sedentary behavior: a systematic review and meta-analysis for physically inactive individuals.\" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 8 (2022): 4905. journal yes [\"digital_health\"] [\"digital_health\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2022-04-18" } , { "title": "AFFD-Net: A Dual-Decoder Network Based on Attention-Enhancing and Feature Fusion for Retinal Vessel Segmentation", "url": "/publication/2023-05-08", "content": "🔍 Abstract mHealth interventions hold promise for supporting the self- management of chronic diseases, yet their limited use remains a problem. Given the significant variability among indi- viduals with chronic diseases, tailored approaches are imperative. Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) may help to address the diverse and evolving needs of this demographic. To investigate this approach, we developed an AUI prototype informed by existing literature and used it as the basis for a focus group and interview study involving 22 participants. Concurrently, a quantitative survey was carried out to extract preferences for AUIs in chronic disease related applications with 90 participants. Our findings reveal that user engagement with AUIs is influenced by individual capabilities and disease severity. Additionally, we explore user preferences for AUIs, expanding the adaptation literature by uncovering usage challenges, proposing practical strategies for enhanced AUI design, and acknowledging potential trade-offs between usability and adaptation. Lastly, we present design considerations for AUIs in chronic disease applications, aiming to prevent user overload and maintain critical software functionality and usability aspects. 📝 Citation", "excerpt": "This paper is about the number 3. The number 4 is left for future work.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract mHealth interventions hold promise for supporting the self- management of chronic diseases, yet their limited use remains a problem. Given the significant variability among indi- viduals with chronic diseases, tailored approaches are imperative. Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) may help to address the diverse and evolving needs of this demographic. To investigate this approach, we developed an AUI prototype informed by existing literature and used it as the basis for a focus group and interview study involving 22 participants. Concurrently, a quantitative survey was carried out to extract preferences for AUIs in chronic disease related applications with 90 participants. Our findings reveal that user engagement with AUIs is influenced by individual capabilities and disease severity. Additionally, we explore user preferences for AUIs, expanding the adaptation literature by uncovering usage challenges, proposing practical strategies for enhanced AUI design, and acknowledging potential trade-offs between usability and adaptation. Lastly, we present design considerations for AUIs in chronic disease applications, aiming to prevent user overload and maintain critical software functionality and usability aspects. 📝 Citation This paper is about the number 3. The number 4 is left for future work. Zijian, Xiang, Ning Chunyu, Li Mingye, Ma Kaizheng, Shi Lemin, Wang Wei, and Ye Guanshi. \"AFFD-Net: A Dual-Decoder Network Based on Attention-Enhancing and Feature Fusion for Retinal Vessel Segmentation.\" IEEE Access 11 (2023): 45871-45887. journal yes [\"digital_health\"] [\"digital_health\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2023-05-08" } , { "title": "Adaptive user interfaces for software supporting chronic diseases", "url": "/publication/2023-10-05", "content": "🔍 Abstract mHealth interventions hold promise for supporting the self- management of chronic diseases, yet their limited use remains a problem. Given the significant variability among indi- viduals with chronic diseases, tailored approaches are imperative. Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) may help to address the diverse and evolving needs of this demographic. To investigate this approach, we developed an AUI prototype informed by existing literature and used it as the basis for a focus group and interview study involving 22 participants. Concurrently, a quantitative survey was carried out to extract preferences for AUIs in chronic disease related applications with 90 participants. Our findings reveal that user engagement with AUIs is influenced by individual capabilities and disease severity. Additionally, we explore user preferences for AUIs, expanding the adaptation literature by uncovering usage challenges, proposing practical strategies for enhanced AUI design, and acknowledging potential trade-offs between usability and adaptation. Lastly, we present design considerations for AUIs in chronic disease applications, aiming to prevent user overload and maintain critical software functionality and usability aspects. 🎤 Talks Poster Presentations", "excerpt": "This paper is about the number 3. The number 4 is left for future work.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract mHealth interventions hold promise for supporting the self- management of chronic diseases, yet their limited use remains a problem. Given the significant variability among indi- viduals with chronic diseases, tailored approaches are imperative. Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) may help to address the diverse and evolving needs of this demographic. To investigate this approach, we developed an AUI prototype informed by existing literature and used it as the basis for a focus group and interview study involving 22 participants. Concurrently, a quantitative survey was carried out to extract preferences for AUIs in chronic disease related applications with 90 participants. Our findings reveal that user engagement with AUIs is influenced by individual capabilities and disease severity. Additionally, we explore user preferences for AUIs, expanding the adaptation literature by uncovering usage challenges, proposing practical strategies for enhanced AUI design, and acknowledging potential trade-offs between usability and adaptation. Lastly, we present design considerations for AUIs in chronic disease applications, aiming to prevent user overload and maintain critical software functionality and usability aspects. 🎤 Talks Poster Presentations This paper is about the number 3. The number 4 is left for future work. Wei Wang, Hourieh Khalajzadeh, John Grundy, Anuradha Madugalla and Humphrey O. Obie. \"Adaptive user interfaces for software supporting chronic diseases\". In 2023 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC) (pp. 215-218). IEEE. conference yes [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"digital_health\"] [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"digital_health\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2023-10-05" } , { "title": "Towards Adaptive User Interfaces: A Model-Driven Approach for mHealth Applications Targeting Chronic Disease", "url": "/publication/2023-10-06", "content": "🔍 Abstract The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and the importance of self-management highlight the need for user-friendly mHealth systems that cater to the diverse needs of users. However, existing applications often employ a one-size-fits-all design strategy, overlooking individual user characteristics and interaction history. As a result, there is a noticeable research gap when it comes to AUIs for chronic disease-related applications, indicating the need of further investigation in this area. In this paper, I provide an overview of my current progress, including the findings from a systematic review of AUI research in the chronic disease domain and preliminary results regarding end users’ understanding and expectations regarding AUI solutions for individuals with particular chronic diseases. 🎤 Talks Poster Presentations 📝 Citation", "excerpt": "This paper is about the number 3. The number 4 is left for future work.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and the importance of self-management highlight the need for user-friendly mHealth systems that cater to the diverse needs of users. However, existing applications often employ a one-size-fits-all design strategy, overlooking individual user characteristics and interaction history. As a result, there is a noticeable research gap when it comes to AUIs for chronic disease-related applications, indicating the need of further investigation in this area. In this paper, I provide an overview of my current progress, including the findings from a systematic review of AUI research in the chronic disease domain and preliminary results regarding end users’ understanding and expectations regarding AUI solutions for individuals with particular chronic diseases. 🎤 Talks Poster Presentations 📝 Citation This paper is about the number 3. The number 4 is left for future work. Wei Wang. \"Towards Adaptive User Interfaces: A Model-Driven Approach for mHealth Applications Targeting Chronic Disease.\" In 2023 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC), pp. 296-298. IEEE, 2023. conference yes [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"digital_health\"] [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"digital_health\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2023-10-06" } , { "title": "Adaptive user interfaces in systems targeting chronic disease: a systematic literature review", "url": "/publication/2023-12-18", "content": "🔍 Abstract eHealth technologies have been increasingly used to foster proactive self-management skills for patients with chronic diseases. However, it is challenging to provide each user with their desired support due to the dynamic and diverse nature of the chronic disease and its impact on users. Many such eHealth applications support aspects of adaptive user interfaces – interfaces that change or can be changed to accommodate the user and usage context differences. To identify the state-of-art in adaptive user interfaces in the field of chronic diseases, we systematically located and analysed 48 key studies in the literature with the aim of categorising the key approaches used to date and identifying limitations, gaps and trends in research. Our data synthesis is based on the data sources used for interface adaptation, the data collection techniques used to extract the data, the adaptive mechanisms used to process the data and the adaptive elements generated at the interface. The findings of this review will aid researchers and developers in understanding where adaptive user interface approaches can be applied and necessary considerations for employing adaptive user interfaces to different chronic disease-related eHealth applications. 📝 Citation", "excerpt": "This paper is about fixing template issue #693.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract eHealth technologies have been increasingly used to foster proactive self-management skills for patients with chronic diseases. However, it is challenging to provide each user with their desired support due to the dynamic and diverse nature of the chronic disease and its impact on users. Many such eHealth applications support aspects of adaptive user interfaces – interfaces that change or can be changed to accommodate the user and usage context differences. To identify the state-of-art in adaptive user interfaces in the field of chronic diseases, we systematically located and analysed 48 key studies in the literature with the aim of categorising the key approaches used to date and identifying limitations, gaps and trends in research. Our data synthesis is based on the data sources used for interface adaptation, the data collection techniques used to extract the data, the adaptive mechanisms used to process the data and the adaptive elements generated at the interface. The findings of this review will aid researchers and developers in understanding where adaptive user interface approaches can be applied and necessary considerations for employing adaptive user interfaces to different chronic disease-related eHealth applications. 📝 Citation This paper is about fixing template issue #693. Wei Wang, Hourieh Khalajzadeh, John Grundy, Anuradha Madugalla, Jennifer McIntosh, and Humphrey O. Obie. \"Adaptive user interfaces in systems targeting chronic disease: a systematic literature review.\" User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction 34, no. 3 (2024): 853-920. UMUAI conference yes [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"digital_health\"] [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"digital_health\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2023-12-18" } , { "title": "Enhancing Cellular Microscopy: Artificial Intelligence-Powered Fluorescence Feature Compensation and Multi-Planar Reconstruction via Cycle-Generated Adversarial Network", "url": "/publication/2024-03-01", "content": "🔍 Abstract In the field of molecular diagnostics, Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is pivotal, notably influencing blood analysis, early tumor detection, and genetic studies. Despite its significance, FISH faces the technical challenge of uneven staining and high noise, which impede the precise delineation of chromosomal features in cell nuclei. Conventional microscopy, although adept at identifying chromosomal aberrations, struggles with the manual intensity adjustments required when processing voluminous datasets, leading to potential data loss or distortion. Addressing this, this study introduces an approach driven by artificial intelligence (AI) – a fluorescence feature compensation method utilizing a Cycle-Generated Adversarial Network (Cycle-GAN). This AI contribution lies in the automated enhancement of fluorescent features through advanced grayscale mapping, which, when paired with the calculated weightings of channel and spatial images, distinctly accentuates the desired features. On the engineering application front, we employ this AI framework for the meticulous layer-by-layer compensation of intracellular fluorescence, culminating in a multi-planar reconstruction of images. Our method not only augments to the average intensity of the three fluorescence characteristics increased by 30.65%, 33.91%, and 48.42%, respectively, but also demonstrates a 36% average improvement in fluorescent spot feature visibility compared to traditional imaging techniques. The application of this enhanced visibility through multi-planar reconstruction expands the depth and continuity of chromosomal features, thereby providing a more robust dataset for the investigation of cellular spatial arrangements. This advancement offers a significant leap in the accuracy and depth of molecular diagnostics, contributing valuable insights into the spatial distribution of intracellular elements, which is crucial for unraveling cancer mechanisms and crafting targeted therapeutic approaches. Our research bridges the gap between AI’s potential in image processing and its practical engineering application, setting a new standard for precision in FISH analysis 📌 Submission Submited to Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence at 01/03/2024. 📝 Citation", "excerpt": "This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract In the field of molecular diagnostics, Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is pivotal, notably influencing blood analysis, early tumor detection, and genetic studies. Despite its significance, FISH faces the technical challenge of uneven staining and high noise, which impede the precise delineation of chromosomal features in cell nuclei. Conventional microscopy, although adept at identifying chromosomal aberrations, struggles with the manual intensity adjustments required when processing voluminous datasets, leading to potential data loss or distortion. Addressing this, this study introduces an approach driven by artificial intelligence (AI) – a fluorescence feature compensation method utilizing a Cycle-Generated Adversarial Network (Cycle-GAN). This AI contribution lies in the automated enhancement of fluorescent features through advanced grayscale mapping, which, when paired with the calculated weightings of channel and spatial images, distinctly accentuates the desired features. On the engineering application front, we employ this AI framework for the meticulous layer-by-layer compensation of intracellular fluorescence, culminating in a multi-planar reconstruction of images. Our method not only augments to the average intensity of the three fluorescence characteristics increased by 30.65%, 33.91%, and 48.42%, respectively, but also demonstrates a 36% average improvement in fluorescent spot feature visibility compared to traditional imaging techniques. The application of this enhanced visibility through multi-planar reconstruction expands the depth and continuity of chromosomal features, thereby providing a more robust dataset for the investigation of cellular spatial arrangements. This advancement offers a significant leap in the accuracy and depth of molecular diagnostics, contributing valuable insights into the spatial distribution of intracellular elements, which is crucial for unraveling cancer mechanisms and crafting targeted therapeutic approaches. Our research bridges the gap between AI’s potential in image processing and its practical engineering application, setting a new standard for precision in FISH analysis 📌 Submission Submited to Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence at 01/03/2024. 📝 Citation This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work. Lemin Shi, Mingye Li, Zeng Li, Wei Wang, Ren Xu, Ping Gong, Dianxin Song and Xin Feng. Enhancing Cellular Microscopy: Artificial Intelligence-Powered Fluorescence Feature Compensation and Multi-Planar Reconstruction via Cycle-Generated Adversarial Network. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence. journal [\"digital_health\"] [\"digital_health\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2024-03-01" } , { "title": "Adaptive User Interfaces for Software Supporting Chronic Disease", "url": "/publication/2024-04-12", "content": "🔍 Abstract mHealth interventions hold promise for supporting the selfmanagement of chronic diseases, yet their limited use remains a problem. Given the significant variability among individuals with chronic diseases, tailored approaches are imperative. Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) may help to address the diverse and evolving needs of this demographic. To investigate this approach, we developed an AUI prototype informed by existing literature and used it as the basis for a focus group and interview study involving 22 participants. Concurrently, a quantitative survey was carried out to extract preferences for AUIs in chronic disease related applications with 90 participants. Our findings reveal that user engagement with AUIs is influenced by individual capabilities and disease severity. Additionally, we explore user preferences for AUIs, expanding the adaptation literature by uncovering usage challenges, proposing practical strategies for enhanced AUI design, and acknowledging potential trade-offs between usability and adaptation. Lastly, we present design considerations for AUIs in chronic disease applications, aiming to prevent user overload and maintain critical software functionality and usability aspects. 🎤 Talks Conference Presentations 📝 Citation", "excerpt": "This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract mHealth interventions hold promise for supporting the selfmanagement of chronic diseases, yet their limited use remains a problem. Given the significant variability among individuals with chronic diseases, tailored approaches are imperative. Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) may help to address the diverse and evolving needs of this demographic. To investigate this approach, we developed an AUI prototype informed by existing literature and used it as the basis for a focus group and interview study involving 22 participants. Concurrently, a quantitative survey was carried out to extract preferences for AUIs in chronic disease related applications with 90 participants. Our findings reveal that user engagement with AUIs is influenced by individual capabilities and disease severity. Additionally, we explore user preferences for AUIs, expanding the adaptation literature by uncovering usage challenges, proposing practical strategies for enhanced AUI design, and acknowledging potential trade-offs between usability and adaptation. Lastly, we present design considerations for AUIs in chronic disease applications, aiming to prevent user overload and maintain critical software functionality and usability aspects. 🎤 Talks Conference Presentations 📝 Citation This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work. Wei Wang, Hourieh Khalajzadeh, John Grundy, Anuradha Madugalla, and Humphrey O. Obie. \"Adaptive user interfaces for software supporting chronic disease.\" In Proceedings of the 46th International Conference on Software Engineering: Software Engineering in Society (ICSE-SEIS ’24), pp. 118-129. 2024. ICSE conference yes [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"digital_health\", \"selected\"] [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"digital_health\", \"selected\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2024-04-12" } , { "title": "End-Users vs Software Practitioners: Recruitment Challenges and Strategies in Software Engineering Research", "url": "/publication/2024-09-09", "content": "🔍 Abstract This paper shares insights from our first-hand experience with key recruitment challenges encountered in software engineering research, focusing on two distinct participant groups: end-users and software practitioners. By conducting a reflective analysis, we emphasise the particular challenges we faced when engaging these groups during empirical study recruitment phases. Significant challenges we faced in recruiting end-users include ensuring authenticity, maintaining engagement, achieving demographic diversity, and addressing privacy concerns. Conversely, we faced different challenges when recruiting software practitioners, including sourcing the right expertise, utilising online recruiting platforms, navigating time constraints, aligning incentives, obtaining a representative sample, and coordinating with remote and distributed teams. By detailing the strategies we employed to address these challenges, this paper contributes practical knowledge to enhance the efficacy and inclusiveness of research practices, ultimately fostering more robust software engineering research outcomes. 🎤 Talks Workshop Presentations 📝 Citation", "excerpt": "This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract This paper shares insights from our first-hand experience with key recruitment challenges encountered in software engineering research, focusing on two distinct participant groups: end-users and software practitioners. By conducting a reflective analysis, we emphasise the particular challenges we faced when engaging these groups during empirical study recruitment phases. Significant challenges we faced in recruiting end-users include ensuring authenticity, maintaining engagement, achieving demographic diversity, and addressing privacy concerns. Conversely, we faced different challenges when recruiting software practitioners, including sourcing the right expertise, utilising online recruiting platforms, navigating time constraints, aligning incentives, obtaining a representative sample, and coordinating with remote and distributed teams. By detailing the strategies we employed to address these challenges, this paper contributes practical knowledge to enhance the efficacy and inclusiveness of research practices, ultimately fostering more robust software engineering research outcomes. 🎤 Talks Workshop Presentations 📝 Citation This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work. Wei Wang, Dulaji Hidellaarachchi, John Grundy, Hourieh Khalajzadeh, Humphrey O. Obie, and Anuradha Madugalla. \"End-Users vs Software Practitioners: Recruitment Challenges and Strategies in Software Engineering Research.\" In 2024 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC), pp. 400-411. IEEE, 2024. conference yes [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"digital_health\"] [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"digital_health\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2024-09-09" } , { "title": "Development of an Adaptive User Support System Based on Multimodal Large Language Models", "url": "/publication/2024-09-10", "content": "🔍 Abstract As software systems become more complex, some users find it challenging to use these tools efficiently, leading to frustration and decreased productivity. We tackle the shortcomings of conventional user support mechanisms in software and aim to create and assess a user support system that integrates Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs) for producing support messages. Our system initially segments the user interface to serve as a reference for selection and requests users to specify their preferences for support messages. Following this, the system creates personalised user support messages for each individual. We propose that user support systems enhanced with MLLMs can provide more efficient and bespoke assistance compared to conventional methods. 🎤 Talks Poster Presentations 📝 Citation", "excerpt": "This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract As software systems become more complex, some users find it challenging to use these tools efficiently, leading to frustration and decreased productivity. We tackle the shortcomings of conventional user support mechanisms in software and aim to create and assess a user support system that integrates Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs) for producing support messages. Our system initially segments the user interface to serve as a reference for selection and requests users to specify their preferences for support messages. Following this, the system creates personalised user support messages for each individual. We propose that user support systems enhanced with MLLMs can provide more efficient and bespoke assistance compared to conventional methods. 🎤 Talks Poster Presentations 📝 Citation This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work. Wei Wang, Lin Li, Shavindra Wickramathilaka, John Grundy, Hourieh Khalajzadeh, Humphrey O. Obie, and Anuradha Madugalla. \"Development of an Adaptive User Support System Based on Multimodal Large Language Models.\" In 2024 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC), pp. 344-347. IEEE, 2024. conference yes [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"digital_health\"] [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"digital_health\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2024-09-10" } , { "title": "Investigating the Impact of Computer-Mediated Social Support on Patient Empowerment in Chronic Disease Management by Using Large Language Models", "url": "/publication/2024-11-02", "content": "🔍 Abstract As healthcare systems continue to evolve, understanding how digital health tools like Online Health Consultation (OHC) platforms contribute to patient empowerment and self-management becomes increasingly important. In this study, we explore the intricate dynamics between computer-mediated social support, patient empowerment, and self-management in the context of chronic disease management by using large language models. We gathered 10022 full consultation records from 923 different doctors between 2022 and 2023. Our findings indicate that both informational and emotional support provided through OHC platforms significantly enhance patient empowerment, thereby positively influencing self-management practices.In addition, disease severity moderates the relationship between social support, with stronger effects in the group of cancer patients compared to those with diabetes. Findings of this study have the potential to inform the development of more effective digital health interventions, ultimately contributing to better management of chronic diseases and addressing the challenges posed by these conditions on both individual and societal levels. 📌 Submission Journal of Medical Internet Research（JMIR) at 02/11/2024. 📝 Citation", "excerpt": "This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract As healthcare systems continue to evolve, understanding how digital health tools like Online Health Consultation (OHC) platforms contribute to patient empowerment and self-management becomes increasingly important. In this study, we explore the intricate dynamics between computer-mediated social support, patient empowerment, and self-management in the context of chronic disease management by using large language models. We gathered 10022 full consultation records from 923 different doctors between 2022 and 2023. Our findings indicate that both informational and emotional support provided through OHC platforms significantly enhance patient empowerment, thereby positively influencing self-management practices.In addition, disease severity moderates the relationship between social support, with stronger effects in the group of cancer patients compared to those with diabetes. Findings of this study have the potential to inform the development of more effective digital health interventions, ultimately contributing to better management of chronic diseases and addressing the challenges posed by these conditions on both individual and societal levels. 📌 Submission Journal of Medical Internet Research（JMIR) at 02/11/2024. 📝 Citation This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work. Wei Wang, Lin Li, Libo Liu, Chao Chen. 2024. Investigating the Impact of Computer-Mediated Social Support on Patient Empowerment in Chronic Disease Management by Using Large Language Model. journal [\"digital_health\"] [\"digital_health\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2024-11-02" } , { "title": "Global Progress and/or Local Intent? Exploring Human Perceptions of Communication Strategies in Human-Robot Collaboration", "url": "/publication/2025-01-23", "content": "🔍 Abstract Human-robot collaboration has become increasingly complex and dynamic, highlighting the need for effective and intuitive communication. Two communication strategies for robots have been explored: (i) global-perspective strategy to share an overview of task progress, aimed at achieving consensus on completed and upcoming tasks; and (ii) local-perspective strategy to share the robot’s intent, aimed at conveying the robot’s immediate intentions and next actions. However, existing studies merely rely on the distinct focus to differentiate between the use of different strategies, lacking a deeper exploration of how these strategies affect user perceptions and responses in practice. For example, a possible concern could be which strategy is more likely to inspire human effort in collaboration. To this end, this paper conducts a user experiment (N=15) within a collaborative cooking scenario, and provides design insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each strategy from three dimensions to inform the design of human-sensitive communication. 📌 Submission IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Information and Systems-02 May 📝 Citation", "excerpt": "This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract Human-robot collaboration has become increasingly complex and dynamic, highlighting the need for effective and intuitive communication. Two communication strategies for robots have been explored: (i) global-perspective strategy to share an overview of task progress, aimed at achieving consensus on completed and upcoming tasks; and (ii) local-perspective strategy to share the robot’s intent, aimed at conveying the robot’s immediate intentions and next actions. However, existing studies merely rely on the distinct focus to differentiate between the use of different strategies, lacking a deeper exploration of how these strategies affect user perceptions and responses in practice. For example, a possible concern could be which strategy is more likely to inspire human effort in collaboration. To this end, this paper conducts a user experiment (N=15) within a collaborative cooking scenario, and provides design insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each strategy from three dimensions to inform the design of human-sensitive communication. 📌 Submission IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Information and Systems-02 May 📝 Citation This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work. Jialong Li, Shogo Morita, Wei Wang, Mingyue Zhang, Nianyu Li, Kenji Tei. 2024. Global Progress and/or Local Intent? Exploring Human Perceptions of Communication Strategies in Human-Robot Collaboration. IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Information and Systems journal [\"human_aspects_se\"] [\"human_aspects_se\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2025-01-23" } , { "title": "Designing Adaptive User Interfaces for mHealth Applications Targeting Chronic Disease: A User-Centered Approach", "url": "/publication/2025-05-10", "content": "🔍 Abstract Mobile Health (mHealth) applications have demonstrated considerable potential in supporting chronic disease self-management; however, they remain underutilized due to low engagement, limited accessibility,and poor long-term adherence. These issues are particularly prominent among users with chronic disease, whose needs and capabilities vary widely. To address this, Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) offer a dynamic solution by tailoring interface features to users’ preferences, health status, and contexts. This paper presents a two-stage study to develop and validate actionable AUI design guidelines for mHealth applications. In stage one, an AUI prototype was evaluated through focus groups, interviews, and a standalone survey, revealing key user challenges and preferences. These insights informed the creation of an initial set of guidelines. In stage two, the guidelines were refined based on feedback from 20 end users and evaluated by 43 software practitioners through two surveys. This process resulted in nine finalized guidelines. To assess real-world relevance, a case study of four mHealth applications was conducted, with findings supported by user reviews highlighting the utility of the guidelines in identifying critical adaptation issues. This study offers actionable, evidence-based guidelines that help software practitioners design AUI in mHealth to better support individuals managing chronic diseases. 📌 Submission TOSEM Published. Preprint 📝 Citation", "excerpt": "This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract Mobile Health (mHealth) applications have demonstrated considerable potential in supporting chronic disease self-management; however, they remain underutilized due to low engagement, limited accessibility,and poor long-term adherence. These issues are particularly prominent among users with chronic disease, whose needs and capabilities vary widely. To address this, Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) offer a dynamic solution by tailoring interface features to users’ preferences, health status, and contexts. This paper presents a two-stage study to develop and validate actionable AUI design guidelines for mHealth applications. In stage one, an AUI prototype was evaluated through focus groups, interviews, and a standalone survey, revealing key user challenges and preferences. These insights informed the creation of an initial set of guidelines. In stage two, the guidelines were refined based on feedback from 20 end users and evaluated by 43 software practitioners through two surveys. This process resulted in nine finalized guidelines. To assess real-world relevance, a case study of four mHealth applications was conducted, with findings supported by user reviews highlighting the utility of the guidelines in identifying critical adaptation issues. This study offers actionable, evidence-based guidelines that help software practitioners design AUI in mHealth to better support individuals managing chronic diseases. 📌 Submission TOSEM Published. Preprint 📝 Citation This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work. Wei Wang, John Grundy, Hourieh Khalajzadeh, Anuradha Madugalla, and Humphrey O. Obie. 2025. Designing Adaptive User Interfaces for mHealth Applications Targeting Chronic Disease: A User-Centered Approach. ACM Trans. Softw. Eng. Methodol. 1, 1 (June 2025), 56 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3731750 TOSEM journal yes [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"digital_health\", \"selected\"] [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"digital_health\", \"selected\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2025-05-10" } , { "title": "User-Centric Requirements Prioritization in mHealth Applications: Insights from a Discrete Choice Experiment", "url": "/publication/2025-07-15", "content": "🔍 Abstract Mobile health (mHealth) applications are widely used for chronic disease management, but usability and accessibility challenges persist due to the diverse needs of users. Adaptive user interfaces (AUIs) offer a personalized solution to enhance user experience, yet barriers to adoption remain. Understanding user preferences and trade-offs is essential to ensure widespread acceptance of adaptation designs. This study aims to identify the key factors influencing user preferences for mHealth adaptation designs and examine trade-offs users make when choosing between different adaptation features. A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted with 186 participants who have chronic diseases and use mHealth applications. Participants were asked to select preferred adaptation designs from choices featuring six attributes with varying levels. A mixed logit model was used to analyze preference heterogeneity and determine the factors most likely influencing adoption. Additionally, subgroup analyses were performed to explore differences by age, gender, health conditions, and coping mechanisms. Maintaining usability while ensuring controllability over adaptations, infrequent adaptations, and small-scale changes are key factors that facilitate the adoption of adaptive mHealth app designs. In contrast, frequently used functions and caregiver involvement can diminish the perceived value of such adaptations. This study employs a data-driven approach to quantify user preferences, identify key trade-offs, and reveal variations across demographic and behavioral subgroups through preference heterogeneity modeling. Furthermore, our results offer valuable guidance for developing future adaptive mHealth applications and lay the groundwork for continued exploration into requirements prioritization within the field of software engineering. 📌 Submission IST Accepted. 📝 Citation", "excerpt": "This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract Mobile health (mHealth) applications are widely used for chronic disease management, but usability and accessibility challenges persist due to the diverse needs of users. Adaptive user interfaces (AUIs) offer a personalized solution to enhance user experience, yet barriers to adoption remain. Understanding user preferences and trade-offs is essential to ensure widespread acceptance of adaptation designs. This study aims to identify the key factors influencing user preferences for mHealth adaptation designs and examine trade-offs users make when choosing between different adaptation features. A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted with 186 participants who have chronic diseases and use mHealth applications. Participants were asked to select preferred adaptation designs from choices featuring six attributes with varying levels. A mixed logit model was used to analyze preference heterogeneity and determine the factors most likely influencing adoption. Additionally, subgroup analyses were performed to explore differences by age, gender, health conditions, and coping mechanisms. Maintaining usability while ensuring controllability over adaptations, infrequent adaptations, and small-scale changes are key factors that facilitate the adoption of adaptive mHealth app designs. In contrast, frequently used functions and caregiver involvement can diminish the perceived value of such adaptations. This study employs a data-driven approach to quantify user preferences, identify key trade-offs, and reveal variations across demographic and behavioral subgroups through preference heterogeneity modeling. Furthermore, our results offer valuable guidance for developing future adaptive mHealth applications and lay the groundwork for continued exploration into requirements prioritization within the field of software engineering. 📌 Submission IST Accepted. 📝 Citation This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work. Wei Wang, Hourieh Khalajzadeh, John Grundy, Anuradha Madugalla, and Humphrey O. Obie. 2025. User-Centric Requirements Prioritization in mHealth Applications: Insights from a Discrete Choice Experiment. Information and Software Technology, 57 pages. journal yes [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"digital_health\"] [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"digital_health\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2025-07-15" } , { "title": "Invisible Load: Uncovering the Challenges of Neurodivergent Women in Software Engineering", "url": "/publication/2025-12-01", "content": "🔍 Abstract Neurodivergent women in Software Engineering encounter distinctive challenges at the intersection of gender bias and neurological differences. To the best of our knowledge, no prior work in SE research has systematically examined this group, despite increasing recognition of neurodiversity in the workplace. Underdiagnosis, masking, and male-centric workplace cultures continue to exacerbate barriers that contribute to stress, burnout, and attrition. In response, we propose a hybrid methodological approach that integrates InclusiveMag’s inclusivity framework with the GenderMag walkthrough process, tailored to the context of neurodivergent women in SE. The overarching design unfolds across three stages, scoping through literature review, deriving personas and analytic processes, and applying the method in collaborative workshops. We present a targeted literature review that synthesize challenges into cognitive, social, organizational, structural and career progression challenges neurodivergent women face in SE, including how under/late diagnosis and masking intensify exclusion. These findings lay the groundwork for subsequent stages that will develop and apply inclusive analytic methods to support actionable change. 📌 Submission ICSE-SEIS ’26 📝 Citation", "excerpt": "This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract Neurodivergent women in Software Engineering encounter distinctive challenges at the intersection of gender bias and neurological differences. To the best of our knowledge, no prior work in SE research has systematically examined this group, despite increasing recognition of neurodiversity in the workplace. Underdiagnosis, masking, and male-centric workplace cultures continue to exacerbate barriers that contribute to stress, burnout, and attrition. In response, we propose a hybrid methodological approach that integrates InclusiveMag’s inclusivity framework with the GenderMag walkthrough process, tailored to the context of neurodivergent women in SE. The overarching design unfolds across three stages, scoping through literature review, deriving personas and analytic processes, and applying the method in collaborative workshops. We present a targeted literature review that synthesize challenges into cognitive, social, organizational, structural and career progression challenges neurodivergent women face in SE, including how under/late diagnosis and masking intensify exclusion. These findings lay the groundwork for subsequent stages that will develop and apply inclusive analytic methods to support actionable change. 📌 Submission ICSE-SEIS ’26 📝 Citation This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work. Munazza Zaib, Wei Wang, Dulaji Hidellaarachchi, and Isma Farah Siddiqui. 2026. Invisible Load: Uncovering the Challenges of Neurodivergent Women in Software Engineering. In 2026 IEEE/ACM 48th International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE-SEIS ’26), April 12–18, 2026, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 5 pages. ICSE conference yes [\"human_aspects_se\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"empirical_se_methods\", \"selected\"] [\"human_aspects_se\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"empirical_se_methods\", \"selected\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2025-12-01" } , { "title": "Anxiety-free Public Dentistry for Adults with Disability: Protocol for a Head-Mounted Virtual Reality Feasibility Study", "url": "/publication/2026-01-01", "content": "🔍 Abstract Background: Oral disease remains a global public health concern, disproportionately affecting people facing financial or social disadvantage. Adults with disabilities or health conditions face additional barriers to dental care, including physical accessibility, communication challenges, and heightened anxiety. These factors contribute to care avoidance and poorer oral health outcomes. While virtual reality (VR) has shown promise in reducing procedural anxiety in pediatric and private dental settings, its application in adult public dentistry, particularly for people with disabilities, remains underexplored. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of SmileyScopeTM, a TGA-approved head-mounted VR headset, in reducing dental anxiety and enhancing care experiences for adults with disability health conditions in public dental clinics. Methods: A mixed-methods convergent design will be implemented across community dental sites in Victoria, Australia. Fifty adult patients and up to ten dental staff will be recruited. Primary feasibility signals include recruitment rate (≥60% consent), completion rate (≥80% SUS completion), and usability threshold (mean SUS ≥68). The primary analysis will be descriptive with 95% confidence intervals reported. Quantitative data will be collected using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for willingness, the System Usability Scale (SUS), and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews will be thematically analysed. The study is co-designed with a disability advocate and integrates lived experience throughout all phases, including recruitment, evaluation, and dissemination. Results: The project was funded in 2025, and ethics approval was granted by Peninsula Health HREC (Project ID 117565). Data collection was scheduled for October 2025 - March 2026 at the participating community dental sites. Primary feasibility estimates and qualitative themes are expected to be submitted for publication in mid-2026. Conclusions: This protocol outlines a feasibility study that will inform scalable models for VR integration in public dental services. The findings will contribute to improved oral health equity and patient-centred care, advancing the evidence base for inclusive digital health innovation in dentistry. 📌 Submission JMIR 📝 Citation", "excerpt": "This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract Background: Oral disease remains a global public health concern, disproportionately affecting people facing financial or social disadvantage. Adults with disabilities or health conditions face additional barriers to dental care, including physical accessibility, communication challenges, and heightened anxiety. These factors contribute to care avoidance and poorer oral health outcomes. While virtual reality (VR) has shown promise in reducing procedural anxiety in pediatric and private dental settings, its application in adult public dentistry, particularly for people with disabilities, remains underexplored. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of SmileyScopeTM, a TGA-approved head-mounted VR headset, in reducing dental anxiety and enhancing care experiences for adults with disability health conditions in public dental clinics. Methods: A mixed-methods convergent design will be implemented across community dental sites in Victoria, Australia. Fifty adult patients and up to ten dental staff will be recruited. Primary feasibility signals include recruitment rate (≥60% consent), completion rate (≥80% SUS completion), and usability threshold (mean SUS ≥68). The primary analysis will be descriptive with 95% confidence intervals reported. Quantitative data will be collected using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for willingness, the System Usability Scale (SUS), and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews will be thematically analysed. The study is co-designed with a disability advocate and integrates lived experience throughout all phases, including recruitment, evaluation, and dissemination. Results: The project was funded in 2025, and ethics approval was granted by Peninsula Health HREC (Project ID 117565). Data collection was scheduled for October 2025 - March 2026 at the participating community dental sites. Primary feasibility estimates and qualitative themes are expected to be submitted for publication in mid-2026. Conclusions: This protocol outlines a feasibility study that will inform scalable models for VR integration in public dental services. The findings will contribute to improved oral health equity and patient-centred care, advancing the evidence base for inclusive digital health innovation in dentistry. 📌 Submission JMIR 📝 Citation This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work. Dung T. Bui, Fiona McAlinden, Alice Urban, Charmine E. J. Hartel, Kristian Rotaru, Kadek Ananta Satriadi, Tanner Person,Wei Wang, Libby Callaway, 2026. Anxiety-free Public Dentistry for Adults with Disability: Protocol for a Head-Mounted Virtual Reality Feasibility Study. J Med Internet Res 2026. journal yes [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"empirical_se_methods\"] [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"empirical_se_methods\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2026-01-01" } , { "title": "From Empathy to Engineering: A Pedagogical Framework and its Authentic mHealth Implementation", "url": "/publication/2026-01-26", "content": "🔍 Abstract Accessible design is crucial for ensuring equitable access to digital services, yet it remains relegated to elective modules or late-stage compliance in many computing curricula. We propose a human-centered pedagogical framework that embeds inclusive thinking across key phases of the software development process. We introduce two reusable educational tools: a cross-phase persona engine for guiding requirement prioritization and evaluation, and a guideline-reflection instrument that couples accessibility heuristics with structured prompts. The framework is instantiated in an undergraduate course through the redesign of a national mobile health (mHealth) application—a domain where poor accessibility directly exacerbates systemic health inequities. Preliminary pre-course surveys ( N = 45) reveal moderate conceptual knowledge of inclusive design but low confidence in its application, underscoring the need for structured longitudinal scaffolding. We discuss the course design, assignments, toolkit and argue that this approach helps students move from abstract empathy to actionable accessibility, offering a framework that can be adapted to other domains. 📌 Submission ICSE 2026 🔗 Related project From Empathy to Engineering Project 📝 Citation", "excerpt": "This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract Accessible design is crucial for ensuring equitable access to digital services, yet it remains relegated to elective modules or late-stage compliance in many computing curricula. We propose a human-centered pedagogical framework that embeds inclusive thinking across key phases of the software development process. We introduce two reusable educational tools: a cross-phase persona engine for guiding requirement prioritization and evaluation, and a guideline-reflection instrument that couples accessibility heuristics with structured prompts. The framework is instantiated in an undergraduate course through the redesign of a national mobile health (mHealth) application—a domain where poor accessibility directly exacerbates systemic health inequities. Preliminary pre-course surveys ( N = 45) reveal moderate conceptual knowledge of inclusive design but low confidence in its application, underscoring the need for structured longitudinal scaffolding. We discuss the course design, assignments, toolkit and argue that this approach helps students move from abstract empathy to actionable accessibility, offering a framework that can be adapted to other domains. 📌 Submission ICSE 2026 🔗 Related project From Empathy to Engineering Project 📝 Citation This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work. Wei Wang, Jialong Li, and Devi Karolita. 2026. From Empathy to Engineering: A Pedagogical Framework and its Authentic mHealth Implementation. In 2026 IEEE/ACM 48th International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE ’26), April 12–18, 2026, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 2 pages. conference yes [\"digital_health\", \"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"empirical_se_methods\", \"se_education\"] [\"digital_health\", \"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"empirical_se_methods\", \"se_education\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2026-01-26" } , { "title": "A Proxy‑Stakeholder Approach to Requirements Engineering for Inclusive Navigation", "url": "/publication/2026-02-10", "content": "🔍 Abstract Wayfinding, or the ability to navigate one’s surroundings, is crucial for independent living and requires a complex combination of cognitive abilities, environmental awareness, and technology. Individuals with cognitive impairment (IwCI) often face significant challenges in learning and navigating their environment. Despite its importance, limited research has addressed the real-world wayfinding experience of IwCI and the role of their carers in aiding the navigation process. This study aims to address both personal and social aspects of challenges faced by IwCI. Through an online survey and in-depth interviews with health professionals, caregivers, and support workers, we analyse the wayfinding behaviours, expectations, and support strategies for IwCI, as well as how their daily wayfinding activities are managed by their carers. Our findings highlight essential requirements and design recommendations for navigation software, including customisability, accessibility enhancements, and carer support functionalities. By focusing on adaptable system designs and the critical role of carers, this work establishes a groundwork for future research on navigation systems for IwCI, with a special emphasis on the caregiver’s role in supporting IwCI’s wayfinding behaviour, promoting greater independence and accessibility for a wide range of users. 📌 Submission TOSEM at 02/12/2024. TOSEM accepted at 10/02/2026 📝 Citation", "excerpt": "This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract Wayfinding, or the ability to navigate one’s surroundings, is crucial for independent living and requires a complex combination of cognitive abilities, environmental awareness, and technology. Individuals with cognitive impairment (IwCI) often face significant challenges in learning and navigating their environment. Despite its importance, limited research has addressed the real-world wayfinding experience of IwCI and the role of their carers in aiding the navigation process. This study aims to address both personal and social aspects of challenges faced by IwCI. Through an online survey and in-depth interviews with health professionals, caregivers, and support workers, we analyse the wayfinding behaviours, expectations, and support strategies for IwCI, as well as how their daily wayfinding activities are managed by their carers. Our findings highlight essential requirements and design recommendations for navigation software, including customisability, accessibility enhancements, and carer support functionalities. By focusing on adaptable system designs and the critical role of carers, this work establishes a groundwork for future research on navigation systems for IwCI, with a special emphasis on the caregiver’s role in supporting IwCI’s wayfinding behaviour, promoting greater independence and accessibility for a wide range of users. 📌 Submission TOSEM at 02/12/2024. TOSEM accepted at 10/02/2026 📝 Citation This paper is about the number 1. The number 2 is left for future work. Wei Wang, Anuradha Madugalla, John Grundy, Paul McIntosh, Charmine E. J. Hartel. 2026. A Proxy‑Stakeholder Approach to Requirements Engineering for Inclusive Navigation. ACM Trans. Softw. Eng. Methodol. 1, 1 (January 2026), 42 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3797907 TOSEM journal yes [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"empirical_se_methods\", \"selected\"] [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"empirical_se_methods\", \"selected\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2026-02-16" } , { "title": "ChroniUXMag: A persona-driven framework for inclusive mHealth requirements engineering", "url": "/publication/2025-01-22", "content": "🔍 Abstract Context: Mobile health (mHealth) applications are increasingly adopted for chronic disease management, yet people living with chronic diseases continue to face challenges related to accessibility, inclusivity, usability, and sustained engagement with these applications. Although contemporary requirements engineering (RE) practices can accommodate changing requirements, chronic disease mHealth introduces domain-specific challenges related to clinical context, caregiver involvement, trust, and long-term use. Objective: This study introduces ChroniUXMag, a framework for eliciting and analysing inclusivity requirements in mHealth design. Building on InclusiveMag and GenderMag principles, the framework aims to help researchers and practitioners systematically capture and evaluate factors that influence how individuals with chronic conditions perceive, trust, and interact with mHealth systems. Method: ChroniUXMag was developed using the Scope and Derive stages of InclusiveMag as a meta-methodological guide, while the underlying evidence was generated through a systematic literature review, focus groups, interviews, and an online survey. In the first stage, candidate inclusivity facets were identified from literature and empirical data. In the second stage, these facets were organised into personas representing diverse health situations, attitudes, and digital practices, and integrated into an adapted cognitive walkthrough form. Results: The qualitative analysis generated thirteen categories, which were consolidated into six ChroniUXMag facets: health situation, health attitude, cultural differences, level of dependency, trust in mHealth apps, and users’ involvement with the app. These facets support structured, persona-driven evaluations that reveal inclusivity barriers often missed by traditional usability assessments. Conclusion: ChroniUXMag contributes to RE research by providing an empirically grounded, facet-driven framework and persona-based artefacts for representing inclusivity concerns during requirements elicitation and early analysis. Its utility in professional RE practice remains to be evaluated with practitioners. Future work will extend the third stage (Apply) through practitioner-led evaluation in real-world design contexts. 📖 Publication and full text Published online in November 2026 in Information and Software Technology, volume 201, article 108375 (January 2027 issue). Download the accepted manuscript (PDF) Published article Free publisher access until 22 December 2026 The accepted manuscript is shared under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence. 📝 Citation Wei Wang, Devi Karolita, Hourieh Khalajzadeh, John Grundy, Anuradha Madugalla, and Humphrey O. Obie. 2027. ChroniUXMag: A persona-driven framework for inclusive mHealth requirements engineering. Information and Software Technology 201, 108375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2026.108375", "excerpt": "A persona-driven framework for eliciting and analysing inclusivity requirements in mobile health applications for people living with chronic disease.", "searchable": "🔍 Abstract Context: Mobile health (mHealth) applications are increasingly adopted for chronic disease management, yet people living with chronic diseases continue to face challenges related to accessibility, inclusivity, usability, and sustained engagement with these applications. Although contemporary requirements engineering (RE) practices can accommodate changing requirements, chronic disease mHealth introduces domain-specific challenges related to clinical context, caregiver involvement, trust, and long-term use. Objective: This study introduces ChroniUXMag, a framework for eliciting and analysing inclusivity requirements in mHealth design. Building on InclusiveMag and GenderMag principles, the framework aims to help researchers and practitioners systematically capture and evaluate factors that influence how individuals with chronic conditions perceive, trust, and interact with mHealth systems. Method: ChroniUXMag was developed using the Scope and Derive stages of InclusiveMag as a meta-methodological guide, while the underlying evidence was generated through a systematic literature review, focus groups, interviews, and an online survey. In the first stage, candidate inclusivity facets were identified from literature and empirical data. In the second stage, these facets were organised into personas representing diverse health situations, attitudes, and digital practices, and integrated into an adapted cognitive walkthrough form. Results: The qualitative analysis generated thirteen categories, which were consolidated into six ChroniUXMag facets: health situation, health attitude, cultural differences, level of dependency, trust in mHealth apps, and users’ involvement with the app. These facets support structured, persona-driven evaluations that reveal inclusivity barriers often missed by traditional usability assessments. Conclusion: ChroniUXMag contributes to RE research by providing an empirically grounded, facet-driven framework and persona-based artefacts for representing inclusivity concerns during requirements elicitation and early analysis. Its utility in professional RE practice remains to be evaluated with practitioners. Future work will extend the third stage (Apply) through practitioner-led evaluation in real-world design contexts. 📖 Publication and full text Published online in November 2026 in Information and Software Technology, volume 201, article 108375 (January 2027 issue). Download the accepted manuscript (PDF) Published article Free publisher access until 22 December 2026 The accepted manuscript is shared under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence. 📝 Citation Wei Wang, Devi Karolita, Hourieh Khalajzadeh, John Grundy, Anuradha Madugalla, and Humphrey O. Obie. 2027. ChroniUXMag: A persona-driven framework for inclusive mHealth requirements engineering. Information and Software Technology 201, 108375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2026.108375 A persona-driven framework for eliciting and analysing inclusivity requirements in mobile health applications for people living with chronic disease. Wei Wang, Devi Karolita, Hourieh Khalajzadeh, John Grundy, Anuradha Madugalla, and Humphrey O. Obie. 2027. ChroniUXMag: A persona-driven framework for inclusive mHealth requirements engineering. Information and Software Technology 201, 108375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2026.108375 Information and Software Technology journal yes [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"digital_health\"] [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"digital_health\"]", "collection": "publications", "date": "2026-11-02" } , { "title": "Investigating the impact of social support embedded in online consultation on physicians’ online reputation: the moderating role of media capabilities", "url": "/research/Master", "content": "👤 Supervisors Dr Libo Liu (Main Supervisor)- The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, AU 📝 Publications Investigating the impact of social support embedded in online consultation on physicians’ online reputation: The moderating role of media capabilities Investigating the Impact of Computer-Mediated Social Support on Patient Empowerment in Chronic Disease Management by Using Large Language Models 🔍 Background Context: Online Health Consultation (OHC) platforms are gaining popularity due to COVID-19’s impact, facilitating both social and economic returns for health providers and consumers. Issue Addressed: Examines how the embedding of social support in online consultation impacts physicians’ online reputation and how media capabilities moderate this effect. Key Theories: Online Reputation Mechanism: Influences physicians’ economic returns and patients’ choices, with citations from recent studies. Social Support Types: Analyzes action-facilitating and nurturant support within OHC, focusing on problem-focused and emotion-focused coping. 📊 Research Model Development Research Questions: How do different categories of Computer-Mediated Social Support (CMSS) influence Physicians’ Online Reputation (POR)? How do media capabilities of OHC moderate the relationship between different types of CMSS and POR? 📊 Research Methodology Approach: Utilizes data from a Chinese OHC platform, employing Python for data pre-processing and text mining to extract variables from physician-patient interactions. 👥 Results & Discussions Findings: Highlights the significant impacts of action-facilitating and nurturant support on POR. Explores how communication depth and frequency, as well as readability, serve as moderating factors. 🧩 Implications and Limitations Theoretical Contributions: Enhances understanding of POR mechanisms in OHC through text mining and media synchronicity theory. Practical Implications: Assists physicians in developing effective communication strategies and suggests modifications to OHC platforms to support these strategies. Limitations: Notes the use of cross-sectional data and suggests future studies could use longitudinal data for more robust results. 🔚 Conclusion Summary: This research provides valuable insights into the dynamics of social support in online health consultations and its complex interaction with media capabilities affecting physicians’ online reputation.", "excerpt": "👤 Supervisors Dr Libo Liu (Main Supervisor)- The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, AU", "searchable": "👤 Supervisors Dr Libo Liu (Main Supervisor)- The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, AU 📝 Publications Investigating the impact of social support embedded in online consultation on physicians’ online reputation: The moderating role of media capabilities Investigating the Impact of Computer-Mediated Social Support on Patient Empowerment in Chronic Disease Management by Using Large Language Models 🔍 Background Context: Online Health Consultation (OHC) platforms are gaining popularity due to COVID-19’s impact, facilitating both social and economic returns for health providers and consumers. Issue Addressed: Examines how the embedding of social support in online consultation impacts physicians’ online reputation and how media capabilities moderate this effect. Key Theories: Online Reputation Mechanism: Influences physicians’ economic returns and patients’ choices, with citations from recent studies. Social Support Types: Analyzes action-facilitating and nurturant support within OHC, focusing on problem-focused and emotion-focused coping. 📊 Research Model Development Research Questions: How do different categories of Computer-Mediated Social Support (CMSS) influence Physicians’ Online Reputation (POR)? How do media capabilities of OHC moderate the relationship between different types of CMSS and POR? 📊 Research Methodology Approach: Utilizes data from a Chinese OHC platform, employing Python for data pre-processing and text mining to extract variables from physician-patient interactions. 👥 Results & Discussions Findings: Highlights the significant impacts of action-facilitating and nurturant support on POR. Explores how communication depth and frequency, as well as readability, serve as moderating factors. 🧩 Implications and Limitations Theoretical Contributions: Enhances understanding of POR mechanisms in OHC through text mining and media synchronicity theory. Practical Implications: Assists physicians in developing effective communication strategies and suggests modifications to OHC platforms to support these strategies. Limitations: Notes the use of cross-sectional data and suggests future studies could use longitudinal data for more robust results. 🔚 Conclusion Summary: This research provides valuable insights into the dynamics of social support in online health consultations and its complex interaction with media capabilities affecting physicians’ online reputation. 👤 Supervisors Dr Libo Liu (Main Supervisor)- The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, AU The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, AU [\"digital_health\"]", "collection": "research", "date": "2022-01-01" } , { "title": "Design Way Finding Systems for Cognitive Impairments", "url": "/research/RA", "content": "👤 Investigator Dr Anuradha Madugalla - Deakin University, Melbourne, AU Prof John Grundy - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Prof Charmine Härtel - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Paul McIntosh- Monash University, Melbourne, AU 📝 Publications A Proxy‑Stakeholder Approach to Requirements Engineering for Inclusive Navigation 🔍 Background Effective navigation and spatial information interpretation are essential for daily activities in our increasingly complex and information-rich environments. Whether determining one’s location within a building or finding the fastest route across a city, wayfinding plays a crucial role in personal autonomy and mobility. This process involves a complex interaction of cognitive skills, environmental awareness, and the use of technology. However, for individuals with cognitive impairment (IwCI), this situational awareness and navigation process can pose very significant challenges, as such impairments can affect memory, spatial reasoning and decision making, making navigation a daunting task. This research seeks to fill these gaps by examining the navigation requirements and challenges encountered by IwCI and their carers, and exploring ways to support the shared presence of multiple stakeholders in wayfinding decisions, involving health professionals, support workers, and caregivers. 🔍 Motivation Digital Navigation Tools Lack pedestrian/accessibility details Visual/gesture-based interfaces exclude some users. Complex instructions require strong spatial skills. Universal Design Gap: One-size-fits-all approach ignores diverse needs Challenges for IwCI Difficulty recalling routes, learning environments, making decisions. Poor spatial orientation and landmark recognition. Limited research on IwCI; extensive focus on visual impairments Wayfinding influenced by caregivers and social interactions. Minimal research on collaborative navigation and societal barriers. 📊 Methodology User study We employ a mixed-method approach to enable us to explore various aspects of key challenges of navigation software for IwCI and their carers, and key requirements and design principles for more inclusive navigation software. Our surveys and interviews capture the ’what’ via quantitative data and the ’why’ and ’how’ through qualitative data. Interview: Our interviews involved a total of 15 interview participants. The interview cohort consists mainly of 25-54-year-olds (93%), with 80% female participants, mostly from Victoria (93%). Support workers (60%), caregivers, and health professionals (13% each) dominate the sample. Experience ranges from 4 months to over a decade. Participants care for individuals with autism (87%), epilepsy (80%), and other cognitive impairments, reflecting a diverse and experienced group. Survey: Our survey received 80 valid respondents and participants had a diverse demographic profile. Most of the participants (78%) indicated having between 1 and 10 years of experience with IwCI, averaging 4 years within this range. Professionally, health professionals constituted the largest group (63%), supplemented by support workers (19%) and caregivers (13%), highlighting a wide spectrum of roles involved in the care of IwCI. 🧩 Design recommendations Design recommendations for navigation software for IwCI Design recommendations for navigation software for caregivers and support workers 📲 Prototype design 📲 Prototype Evaluation ongoing", "excerpt": "👤 Investigator Dr Anuradha Madugalla - Deakin University, Melbourne, AU Prof John Grundy - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Prof Charmine Härtel - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Paul McIntosh- Monash University, ...", "searchable": "👤 Investigator Dr Anuradha Madugalla - Deakin University, Melbourne, AU Prof John Grundy - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Prof Charmine Härtel - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Paul McIntosh- Monash University, Melbourne, AU 📝 Publications A Proxy‑Stakeholder Approach to Requirements Engineering for Inclusive Navigation 🔍 Background Effective navigation and spatial information interpretation are essential for daily activities in our increasingly complex and information-rich environments. Whether determining one’s location within a building or finding the fastest route across a city, wayfinding plays a crucial role in personal autonomy and mobility. This process involves a complex interaction of cognitive skills, environmental awareness, and the use of technology. However, for individuals with cognitive impairment (IwCI), this situational awareness and navigation process can pose very significant challenges, as such impairments can affect memory, spatial reasoning and decision making, making navigation a daunting task. This research seeks to fill these gaps by examining the navigation requirements and challenges encountered by IwCI and their carers, and exploring ways to support the shared presence of multiple stakeholders in wayfinding decisions, involving health professionals, support workers, and caregivers. 🔍 Motivation Digital Navigation Tools Lack pedestrian/accessibility details Visual/gesture-based interfaces exclude some users. Complex instructions require strong spatial skills. Universal Design Gap: One-size-fits-all approach ignores diverse needs Challenges for IwCI Difficulty recalling routes, learning environments, making decisions. Poor spatial orientation and landmark recognition. Limited research on IwCI; extensive focus on visual impairments Wayfinding influenced by caregivers and social interactions. Minimal research on collaborative navigation and societal barriers. 📊 Methodology User study We employ a mixed-method approach to enable us to explore various aspects of key challenges of navigation software for IwCI and their carers, and key requirements and design principles for more inclusive navigation software. Our surveys and interviews capture the ’what’ via quantitative data and the ’why’ and ’how’ through qualitative data. Interview: Our interviews involved a total of 15 interview participants. The interview cohort consists mainly of 25-54-year-olds (93%), with 80% female participants, mostly from Victoria (93%). Support workers (60%), caregivers, and health professionals (13% each) dominate the sample. Experience ranges from 4 months to over a decade. Participants care for individuals with autism (87%), epilepsy (80%), and other cognitive impairments, reflecting a diverse and experienced group. Survey: Our survey received 80 valid respondents and participants had a diverse demographic profile. Most of the participants (78%) indicated having between 1 and 10 years of experience with IwCI, averaging 4 years within this range. Professionally, health professionals constituted the largest group (63%), supplemented by support workers (19%) and caregivers (13%), highlighting a wide spectrum of roles involved in the care of IwCI. 🧩 Design recommendations Design recommendations for navigation software for IwCI Design recommendations for navigation software for caregivers and support workers 📲 Prototype design 📲 Prototype Evaluation ongoing 👤 Investigator Dr Anuradha Madugalla - Deakin University, Melbourne, AU Prof John Grundy - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Prof Charmine Härtel - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Paul McIntosh- Monash University, Melbourne, AU Monash University, Melbourne, AU [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\"]", "collection": "research", "date": "2023-05-01" } , { "title": "Towards Adaptive User Interfaces: mHealth Applications Targeting Chronic Disease", "url": "/research/PhD", "content": "👤 Supervisors Prof John Grundy (Main Supervisor)- Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Hourieh Khalajzadeh - Deakin University, Melbourne, AU Dr Anuradha Madugalla - Deakin University, Melbourne, AU Dr Humphrey O. Obie - Monash University, Melbourne, AU 📝 Publications ChroniUXMag: A Preliminary Framework for mHealth App Adaptation in Chronic Disease Management Development of an Adaptive User Support System Based on Multimodal Large Language Models End-Users vs Software Practitioners: Recruitment Challenges and Strategies in Software Engineering Research Adaptive User Interfaces for Software Supporting Chronic Disease Designing Adaptive User Interfaces for mHealth applications targeting chronic disease: A User-Centric Approach” Adaptive user interfaces in systems targeting chronic disease: a systematic literature review Towards Adaptive User Interfaces: A Model-Driven Approach for mHealth Applications Targeting Chronic Disease Adaptive user interfaces for software supporting chronic diseases User-Centric Requirements Prioritization in mHealth Applications: Insights from a Discrete Choice Experiment 🔍 Background Chronic diseases are long-lasting conditions with persistent effects. Key points include: Prevalence: Almost half of Australians were estimated to have one or more chronic diseases in 2020–21. Impact: Nearly 9 in 10 deaths in 2021 are associated with chronic diseases. Characteristics of chronic diseases: Highly heterogeneous, affecting patients differently. Phases of chronic disease change over time, often including multimorbidity. Typically long-lasting and span a person’s lifetime. Involves diverse backgrounds and varying psychological and cognitive traits. 🔍 Motivation Despite the growing promise of mobile health (mHealth) applications in supporting chronic disease self-management, user engagement remains low — particularly among populations with fluctuating symptoms, limited digital literacy, and accessibility needs. Current mHealth solutions often adopt a one-size-fits-all design, overlooking the lived experiences, psychosocial challenges, and evolving conditions of users. This results in high attrition rates, limited long-term effectiveness, and digital exclusion for those who may benefit the most. While Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) offer potential to improve accessibility and personalization, existing research often neglects the human factors critical to their success — such as user trust, perceived control, and the complexity of chronic disease management. Furthermore, challenges like inconsistent adaptation strategies, limited interdisciplinary collaboration, and a lack of inclusive design frameworks continue to hinder progress. ❓ Research problem To bridge this gap, this research seeks to answer the following problem: How can Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) be effectively designed to enhance accessibility and personalization in mHealth applications for chronic disease management? 🎯 Research overview This PhD research addresses the critical challenge of designing Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) for mobile health (mHealth) applications that support chronic disease self-management. The study is structured into two main stages across four research objectives (RO1–RO4), moving from foundational understanding to practical solution development. Stage One – Understanding the Landscape Research Objective 1 (RO1): Review the current state of AUIs in eHealth. RQ1: What is the current state of the art in applying AUIs within applications designed for chronic disease management? Refining the research scope. Most existing AUIs adopt rigid, one-size-fits-all approaches and lack patient-centered adaptability. Refined scope to focus on mobile applications for chronic disease patients, excluding health professionals and general wellness users. Stage Two – Empirical Design and Validation RO2: Understanding User Experiences RQ2: How do users of chronic disease management applications perceive and interact with AUIs? RO3: Investigating Individual Differences RQ3: What key user characteristics influence decision-making in adaptive mHealth applications? RQ4: What trade-offs are users willing to make between different adaptive features? RO4: Designing and Evaluating Guidelines RQ5: How can we facilitate the process of AUI development and inform the design of AUI in applications for chronic disease management? RQ6: How effective are the AUI guidelines in supporting software practitioners and improving the design of real-world mHealth applications? 🔬 RQ1: What is the current state of the art in applying AUIs within applications designed for chronic disease management? This research question presents a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) grounded in current empirical evidence and analysis. This research question introduces a taxonomy categorizing data sources for adaptation, data collection techniques, adaptive strategies, adaptation actors, and adaptive elements in AUIs for chronic disease management applications. Additionally, it identifies key research gaps and outlines researchable issues that can inform future advancements in AUI development and evaluation. By addressing RQ1, this research narrows the research scope to focus on mHealth applications incorporating AUIs, specifically targeting patients with chronic diseases. The findings of this research question serve as a foundation for the subsequent RQs. Publication: Adaptive user interfaces in systems targeting chronic disease: a systematic literature review 🔬 RQ2: How do users of chronic disease management applications perceive and interact with AUIs? This research question presents a qualitative and quantitative investigation into user experience with Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) in chronic disease management. A qualitative study—comprising interviews and focus groups—explores how individuals interact with AUIs. Complementing this, a quantitative survey captures user preferences across various dimensions of adaptation. This research question identifies four key user challenges encountered during interaction with AUIs, along with a set of user-driven design recommendations for improving usability, personalization, and user control in mHealth applications. These findings provide actionable insights to guide the development of more intuitive and patient-centered AUIs in chronic disease management systems. Publication: Adaptive user interfaces for software supporting chronic diseases Adaptive User Interfaces for Software Supporting Chronic Disease 🔬 RQ3: What key user characteristics influence decision-making in adaptive mHealth applications? This research question investigates how user-specific factors shape adaptation preferences in mHealth applications for chronic disease management. Building upon the persona-based approach of GenderMag, a multi-method study integrates both qualitative and quantitative data. A persona taxonomy—ChroniUXMag—is introduced, identifying six user dimensions that influence adaptation needs: health situation, health attitude, cultural differences, level of dependency, user involvement, and trust in mHealth applications. This study contributes a structured framework that translates user diversity into actionable design requirements, supporting the creation of user-centered AUIs in chronic disease management. Publication: ChroniUXMag: A Preliminary Framework for mHealth App Adaptation in Chronic Disease Management 🔬 RQ4: What trade-offs are users willing to make between different adaptive features? A Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) was conducted with 186 individuals managing chronic diseases who use mHealth applications. DCEs are a widely recognized method for quantifying preferences and setting priorities in healthcare, helping researchers understand which attributes users value most and what trade-offs they are willing to make. In this study, participants selected preferred adaptation designs from choices that varied across six attributes. By applying a data-driven approach, this study identifies critical design trade-offs and uncovers preference heterogeneity across diverse user segments—providing essential insights for designing effective, user-centered AUIs in mHealth. Publication: Leveraging Discrete Choice Experiments for User-Centric Requirements Prioritization in mHealth Applications 🔬 RQ5 and RQ6 These two research questions introduce a structured process for designing and validating Adaptive User Interface (AUI) guidelines, specifically tailored for mHealth applications used in chronic disease management. The guidelines were developed through a two-stage methodology: an initial user study informing early recommendations, followed by refinement through surveys with end users and validation by software practitioners. To assess real-world relevance, a case study involving four commercial mHealth apps was conducted. By addressing RQ5 and RQ6, this research contributes a validated set of design guidelines that support usability, accessibility, and long-term engagement. These findings inform the development of user-centered AUIs and serve as a key component in advancing adaptive mHealth systems for chronic disease self-management. Publication: Designing Adaptive User Interfaces for mHealth applications targeting chronic disease: A User-Centric Approach” 🧠 Summary of key research contributions My PhD research focused on designing Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) for mobile health (mHealth) applications to support chronic disease self-management. Through a combination of systematic review, empirical studies, and design validation, the following eight key contributions were made: RC1 – AUI Taxonomy for Chronic Disease Management Developed a comprehensive taxonomy outlining core components of AUIs in healthcare, including adaptation data sources, collection methods, interface elements, system actors, and adaptation strategies. RC2 – Research Gaps and Future Directions Identified a set of researchable issues critical to understanding user needs, personalization strategies, and evaluation challenges in AUIs. RC3 – User Perceptions of AUIs Conducted mixed-method investigations (surveys, interviews, focus groups) with people living with chronic diseases to explore how they perceive and engage with adaptive features. RC4 – Design Challenges and Practical Trade-Offs Identified design tensions such as usability vs. control, personalization vs. consistency, and flexibility vs. simplicity. Provided practical design recommendations and critical trade-offs that inform more responsible, user-centered AUI design in mHealth contexts. RC5 – ChroniUXMag: A User Requirements Framework Introduced a structured six-dimension user model tailored to people with chronic conditions. RC6 – Prioritizing Adaptation via Trade-Off Modeling Quantified what users value most in adaptive features and where they’re willing to compromise. This approach offers a data-driven method for prioritizing features that align with users’ lived realities. RC7 – Evidence-Based AUI Design Guidelines Synthesized insights into a set of actionable AUI guidelines that promote user trust, accessibility, and engagement. The guidelines address when and how to implement specific adaptations, with practical examples and decision-support tools for mHealth designers. RC8 – Real-World Validation with End Users & Practitioners Validated the proposed guidelines through user, and assessments of four real-world mHealth applications. Together, these contributions form a systematic and user-centered foundation for future AUI research and practice in health technology. They bridge theory and real-world needs, empowering the design of inclusive, adaptive, and accessible tools that align with the complex lives of people managing chronic conditions. 🔚 Final Remarks This research set out to tackle a central challenge in digital health: how can we design mobile health (mHealth) applications that adapt to the diverse and evolving needs of people managing chronic diseases? While mHealth holds great promise, many tools fail to engage users long-term due to one-size-fits-all designs. This thesis explored how Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) can enhance personalization, accessibility, and sustained engagement in self-management tools. Through a structured approach—spanning literature reviews, empirical user studies, choice experiments, and real-world validations—this work advanced the understanding of user-centered adaptation in mHealth. Ultimately, this research moves the field beyond technical optimization, offering a roadmap for creating more inclusive, personalized, and effective mHealth applications. It lays a strong foundation for future innovation at the intersection of digital health, accessibility, and software engineering.", "excerpt": "👤 Supervisors Prof John Grundy (Main Supervisor)- Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Hourieh Khalajzadeh - Deakin University, Melbourne, AU Dr Anuradha Madugalla - Deakin University, Melbourne, AU Dr Humphrey O. Obie...", "searchable": "👤 Supervisors Prof John Grundy (Main Supervisor)- Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Hourieh Khalajzadeh - Deakin University, Melbourne, AU Dr Anuradha Madugalla - Deakin University, Melbourne, AU Dr Humphrey O. Obie - Monash University, Melbourne, AU 📝 Publications ChroniUXMag: A Preliminary Framework for mHealth App Adaptation in Chronic Disease Management Development of an Adaptive User Support System Based on Multimodal Large Language Models End-Users vs Software Practitioners: Recruitment Challenges and Strategies in Software Engineering Research Adaptive User Interfaces for Software Supporting Chronic Disease Designing Adaptive User Interfaces for mHealth applications targeting chronic disease: A User-Centric Approach” Adaptive user interfaces in systems targeting chronic disease: a systematic literature review Towards Adaptive User Interfaces: A Model-Driven Approach for mHealth Applications Targeting Chronic Disease Adaptive user interfaces for software supporting chronic diseases User-Centric Requirements Prioritization in mHealth Applications: Insights from a Discrete Choice Experiment 🔍 Background Chronic diseases are long-lasting conditions with persistent effects. Key points include: Prevalence: Almost half of Australians were estimated to have one or more chronic diseases in 2020–21. Impact: Nearly 9 in 10 deaths in 2021 are associated with chronic diseases. Characteristics of chronic diseases: Highly heterogeneous, affecting patients differently. Phases of chronic disease change over time, often including multimorbidity. Typically long-lasting and span a person’s lifetime. Involves diverse backgrounds and varying psychological and cognitive traits. 🔍 Motivation Despite the growing promise of mobile health (mHealth) applications in supporting chronic disease self-management, user engagement remains low — particularly among populations with fluctuating symptoms, limited digital literacy, and accessibility needs. Current mHealth solutions often adopt a one-size-fits-all design, overlooking the lived experiences, psychosocial challenges, and evolving conditions of users. This results in high attrition rates, limited long-term effectiveness, and digital exclusion for those who may benefit the most. While Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) offer potential to improve accessibility and personalization, existing research often neglects the human factors critical to their success — such as user trust, perceived control, and the complexity of chronic disease management. Furthermore, challenges like inconsistent adaptation strategies, limited interdisciplinary collaboration, and a lack of inclusive design frameworks continue to hinder progress. ❓ Research problem To bridge this gap, this research seeks to answer the following problem: How can Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) be effectively designed to enhance accessibility and personalization in mHealth applications for chronic disease management? 🎯 Research overview This PhD research addresses the critical challenge of designing Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) for mobile health (mHealth) applications that support chronic disease self-management. The study is structured into two main stages across four research objectives (RO1–RO4), moving from foundational understanding to practical solution development. Stage One – Understanding the Landscape Research Objective 1 (RO1): Review the current state of AUIs in eHealth. RQ1: What is the current state of the art in applying AUIs within applications designed for chronic disease management? Refining the research scope. Most existing AUIs adopt rigid, one-size-fits-all approaches and lack patient-centered adaptability. Refined scope to focus on mobile applications for chronic disease patients, excluding health professionals and general wellness users. Stage Two – Empirical Design and Validation RO2: Understanding User Experiences RQ2: How do users of chronic disease management applications perceive and interact with AUIs? RO3: Investigating Individual Differences RQ3: What key user characteristics influence decision-making in adaptive mHealth applications? RQ4: What trade-offs are users willing to make between different adaptive features? RO4: Designing and Evaluating Guidelines RQ5: How can we facilitate the process of AUI development and inform the design of AUI in applications for chronic disease management? RQ6: How effective are the AUI guidelines in supporting software practitioners and improving the design of real-world mHealth applications? 🔬 RQ1: What is the current state of the art in applying AUIs within applications designed for chronic disease management? This research question presents a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) grounded in current empirical evidence and analysis. This research question introduces a taxonomy categorizing data sources for adaptation, data collection techniques, adaptive strategies, adaptation actors, and adaptive elements in AUIs for chronic disease management applications. Additionally, it identifies key research gaps and outlines researchable issues that can inform future advancements in AUI development and evaluation. By addressing RQ1, this research narrows the research scope to focus on mHealth applications incorporating AUIs, specifically targeting patients with chronic diseases. The findings of this research question serve as a foundation for the subsequent RQs. Publication: Adaptive user interfaces in systems targeting chronic disease: a systematic literature review 🔬 RQ2: How do users of chronic disease management applications perceive and interact with AUIs? This research question presents a qualitative and quantitative investigation into user experience with Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) in chronic disease management. A qualitative study—comprising interviews and focus groups—explores how individuals interact with AUIs. Complementing this, a quantitative survey captures user preferences across various dimensions of adaptation. This research question identifies four key user challenges encountered during interaction with AUIs, along with a set of user-driven design recommendations for improving usability, personalization, and user control in mHealth applications. These findings provide actionable insights to guide the development of more intuitive and patient-centered AUIs in chronic disease management systems. Publication: Adaptive user interfaces for software supporting chronic diseases Adaptive User Interfaces for Software Supporting Chronic Disease 🔬 RQ3: What key user characteristics influence decision-making in adaptive mHealth applications? This research question investigates how user-specific factors shape adaptation preferences in mHealth applications for chronic disease management. Building upon the persona-based approach of GenderMag, a multi-method study integrates both qualitative and quantitative data. A persona taxonomy—ChroniUXMag—is introduced, identifying six user dimensions that influence adaptation needs: health situation, health attitude, cultural differences, level of dependency, user involvement, and trust in mHealth applications. This study contributes a structured framework that translates user diversity into actionable design requirements, supporting the creation of user-centered AUIs in chronic disease management. Publication: ChroniUXMag: A Preliminary Framework for mHealth App Adaptation in Chronic Disease Management 🔬 RQ4: What trade-offs are users willing to make between different adaptive features? A Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) was conducted with 186 individuals managing chronic diseases who use mHealth applications. DCEs are a widely recognized method for quantifying preferences and setting priorities in healthcare, helping researchers understand which attributes users value most and what trade-offs they are willing to make. In this study, participants selected preferred adaptation designs from choices that varied across six attributes. By applying a data-driven approach, this study identifies critical design trade-offs and uncovers preference heterogeneity across diverse user segments—providing essential insights for designing effective, user-centered AUIs in mHealth. Publication: Leveraging Discrete Choice Experiments for User-Centric Requirements Prioritization in mHealth Applications 🔬 RQ5 and RQ6 These two research questions introduce a structured process for designing and validating Adaptive User Interface (AUI) guidelines, specifically tailored for mHealth applications used in chronic disease management. The guidelines were developed through a two-stage methodology: an initial user study informing early recommendations, followed by refinement through surveys with end users and validation by software practitioners. To assess real-world relevance, a case study involving four commercial mHealth apps was conducted. By addressing RQ5 and RQ6, this research contributes a validated set of design guidelines that support usability, accessibility, and long-term engagement. These findings inform the development of user-centered AUIs and serve as a key component in advancing adaptive mHealth systems for chronic disease self-management. Publication: Designing Adaptive User Interfaces for mHealth applications targeting chronic disease: A User-Centric Approach” 🧠 Summary of key research contributions My PhD research focused on designing Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) for mobile health (mHealth) applications to support chronic disease self-management. Through a combination of systematic review, empirical studies, and design validation, the following eight key contributions were made: RC1 – AUI Taxonomy for Chronic Disease Management Developed a comprehensive taxonomy outlining core components of AUIs in healthcare, including adaptation data sources, collection methods, interface elements, system actors, and adaptation strategies. RC2 – Research Gaps and Future Directions Identified a set of researchable issues critical to understanding user needs, personalization strategies, and evaluation challenges in AUIs. RC3 – User Perceptions of AUIs Conducted mixed-method investigations (surveys, interviews, focus groups) with people living with chronic diseases to explore how they perceive and engage with adaptive features. RC4 – Design Challenges and Practical Trade-Offs Identified design tensions such as usability vs. control, personalization vs. consistency, and flexibility vs. simplicity. Provided practical design recommendations and critical trade-offs that inform more responsible, user-centered AUI design in mHealth contexts. RC5 – ChroniUXMag: A User Requirements Framework Introduced a structured six-dimension user model tailored to people with chronic conditions. RC6 – Prioritizing Adaptation via Trade-Off Modeling Quantified what users value most in adaptive features and where they’re willing to compromise. This approach offers a data-driven method for prioritizing features that align with users’ lived realities. RC7 – Evidence-Based AUI Design Guidelines Synthesized insights into a set of actionable AUI guidelines that promote user trust, accessibility, and engagement. The guidelines address when and how to implement specific adaptations, with practical examples and decision-support tools for mHealth designers. RC8 – Real-World Validation with End Users & Practitioners Validated the proposed guidelines through user, and assessments of four real-world mHealth applications. Together, these contributions form a systematic and user-centered foundation for future AUI research and practice in health technology. They bridge theory and real-world needs, empowering the design of inclusive, adaptive, and accessible tools that align with the complex lives of people managing chronic conditions. 🔚 Final Remarks This research set out to tackle a central challenge in digital health: how can we design mobile health (mHealth) applications that adapt to the diverse and evolving needs of people managing chronic diseases? While mHealth holds great promise, many tools fail to engage users long-term due to one-size-fits-all designs. This thesis explored how Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) can enhance personalization, accessibility, and sustained engagement in self-management tools. Through a structured approach—spanning literature reviews, empirical user studies, choice experiments, and real-world validations—this work advanced the understanding of user-centered adaptation in mHealth. Ultimately, this research moves the field beyond technical optimization, offering a roadmap for creating more inclusive, personalized, and effective mHealth applications. It lays a strong foundation for future innovation at the intersection of digital health, accessibility, and software engineering. 👤 Supervisors Prof John Grundy (Main Supervisor)- Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Hourieh Khalajzadeh - Deakin University, Melbourne, AU Dr Anuradha Madugalla - Deakin University, Melbourne, AU Dr Humphrey O. Obie - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Monash University, Melbourne, AU [\"digital_health\", \"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\"]", "collection": "research", "date": "2025-01-01" } , { "title": "Exploring Statistical Methods in Software Engineering Research", "url": "/research/statistic", "content": "👤 Investigator Prof John Grundy- Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Kashumi Madampe - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Prof Sebastian Baltes- University of Bayreuth, Germany 📝 Publications Not applicable 🔍 Background", "excerpt": "👤 Investigator Prof John Grundy- Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Kashumi Madampe - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Prof Sebastian Baltes- University of Bayreuth, Germany", "searchable": "👤 Investigator Prof John Grundy- Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Kashumi Madampe - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Prof Sebastian Baltes- University of Bayreuth, Germany 📝 Publications Not applicable 🔍 Background 👤 Investigator Prof John Grundy- Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Kashumi Madampe - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Prof Sebastian Baltes- University of Bayreuth, Germany Monash University, Melbourne, AU [\"empirical_se_methods\"]", "collection": "research", "date": "2025-01-01" } , { "title": "Inclusivator: Empowering Neurodivergent Voices in Entrepreneurial Education", "url": "/research/Inclusivator", "content": "👤 Investigator Prof Charmine Härtel – Monash University, Melbourne, AU Prof Kristian Rotaru – Monash University, Melbourne, AU Wei Wang – Monash University, Melbourne, AU Mr. Tanner Person – Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Paul McIntosh - RMIT, Melbourne, AU Dr Irwyn Shepherd - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Lucy Albertella - Monash University, Melbourne, AU A/Prof Abu Zafar Shahriar - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Mr David Hauser - ELIoT Energy 📝 Publications Not applicable 🔍 Background Neurodivergent individuals—including those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other cognitive differences—bring unique perspectives, creativity, and problem-solving skills to the table. However, traditional educational and employment pathways often do not accommodate their diverse communication styles, sensory needs, or modes of learning. As a result, neurodivergent people in Australia experience disproportionately high rates of underemployment and unemployment, with limited access to inclusive entrepreneurial opportunities. One critical barrier is the confidence and support needed to communicate ideas effectively in socially demanding contexts such as pitching, interviews, and team-based collaborations. For many neurodivergent individuals, public speaking and persuasive communication can be overwhelming, particularly when the environments are not adapted to their needs. This project responds to that challenge by developing an immersive learning tool designed to build confidence and capability in social business communication. The tool aims to support neurodivergent students in refining their presentation and pitching skills, with the broader goal of enabling them to pursue entrepreneurial pathways, navigate job interviews, and advocate for themselves in professional contexts. By incorporating inclusive design principles and co-designing with neurodivergent individuals, the project not only seeks to equip students with practical skills but also to educate investors, educators, and the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem on the value of neurodiverse perspectives. In doing so, this project aims to reduce systemic barriers to employment and entrepreneurship, foster inclusive innovation, and reframe neurodivergence as an asset in Australia’s evolving workforce.", "excerpt": "👤 Investigator", "searchable": "👤 Investigator Prof Charmine Härtel – Monash University, Melbourne, AU Prof Kristian Rotaru – Monash University, Melbourne, AU Wei Wang – Monash University, Melbourne, AU Mr. Tanner Person – Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Paul McIntosh - RMIT, Melbourne, AU Dr Irwyn Shepherd - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Lucy Albertella - Monash University, Melbourne, AU A/Prof Abu Zafar Shahriar - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Mr David Hauser - ELIoT Energy 📝 Publications Not applicable 🔍 Background Neurodivergent individuals—including those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other cognitive differences—bring unique perspectives, creativity, and problem-solving skills to the table. However, traditional educational and employment pathways often do not accommodate their diverse communication styles, sensory needs, or modes of learning. As a result, neurodivergent people in Australia experience disproportionately high rates of underemployment and unemployment, with limited access to inclusive entrepreneurial opportunities. One critical barrier is the confidence and support needed to communicate ideas effectively in socially demanding contexts such as pitching, interviews, and team-based collaborations. For many neurodivergent individuals, public speaking and persuasive communication can be overwhelming, particularly when the environments are not adapted to their needs. This project responds to that challenge by developing an immersive learning tool designed to build confidence and capability in social business communication. The tool aims to support neurodivergent students in refining their presentation and pitching skills, with the broader goal of enabling them to pursue entrepreneurial pathways, navigate job interviews, and advocate for themselves in professional contexts. By incorporating inclusive design principles and co-designing with neurodivergent individuals, the project not only seeks to equip students with practical skills but also to educate investors, educators, and the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem on the value of neurodiverse perspectives. In doing so, this project aims to reduce systemic barriers to employment and entrepreneurship, foster inclusive innovation, and reframe neurodivergence as an asset in Australia’s evolving workforce. 👤 Investigator Monash University, Melbourne, AU [\"inclusive_technologies\", \"accessibility_research\"]", "collection": "research", "date": "2025-06-11" } , { "title": "Anxiety-free Public Dentistry for Adults with Disability: A Virtual Reality Feasibility Study", "url": "/research/Dental", "content": "👤 Investigators Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Libby Callaway, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Charmine Hartel, Associate Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Kadek Satriadi, Lecturer, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Alice Urban, BAppSci, Director of Integrated Care and Dental, Peninsula Health Fiona McAlinden, MBM, Project Manager, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Jonathan Bredin, Jonathan Bredin Inc., West Melbourne 🎓 Project summary This project brings together Monash faculties (Medicine, Business, IT), Peninsula Health Dental Services, a disability advocate, and partners at the Healthy Future Hub. It aligns with MATS priorities by exploring an under-researched area: the use of VR in dental care. The study will pilot SmileyScope™, a low-cost, TGA-approved VR headset, in adult dental settings. While SmileyScope™ has been used in hospitals to reduce anxiety and pain, it has not yet been tested in routine dentistry. 💲 Funding and support Monash Business School IDR SEED Fund Monash Partners STAR Fellowship for Primary Care Research 📝 Publications Study protocol: Anxiety-free Public Dentistry for Adults with Disability: Protocol for a Head-Mounted Virtual Reality Feasibility Study", "excerpt": "👤 Investigators Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Libby Callaway, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Faculty of Med...", "searchable": "👤 Investigators Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Libby Callaway, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Charmine Hartel, Associate Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Kadek Satriadi, Lecturer, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Alice Urban, BAppSci, Director of Integrated Care and Dental, Peninsula Health Fiona McAlinden, MBM, Project Manager, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Jonathan Bredin, Jonathan Bredin Inc., West Melbourne 🎓 Project summary This project brings together Monash faculties (Medicine, Business, IT), Peninsula Health Dental Services, a disability advocate, and partners at the Healthy Future Hub. It aligns with MATS priorities by exploring an under-researched area: the use of VR in dental care. The study will pilot SmileyScope™, a low-cost, TGA-approved VR headset, in adult dental settings. While SmileyScope™ has been used in hospitals to reduce anxiety and pain, it has not yet been tested in routine dentistry. 💲 Funding and support Monash Business School IDR SEED Fund Monash Partners STAR Fellowship for Primary Care Research 📝 Publications Study protocol: Anxiety-free Public Dentistry for Adults with Disability: Protocol for a Head-Mounted Virtual Reality Feasibility Study 👤 Investigators Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Libby Callaway, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Charmine Hartel, Associate Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Kadek Satriadi, Lecturer, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Alice Urban, BAppSci, Director of Integrated Care and Dental, Peninsula Health Fiona McAlinden, MBM, Project Manager, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Jonathan Bredin, Jonathan Bredin Inc., West Melbourne Monash University, Melbourne, AU [\"inclusive_technologies\", \"accessibility_research\", \"digital_health\"]", "collection": "research", "date": "2025-07-15" } , { "title": "Virtual Pathways to Numeracy: Supporting Neurodiverse Adult Learners", "url": "/research/numeracy", "content": "👤 Investigators Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Sarah Hopkins - Associate Professor of Maths Education, Faculty of Education, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University; Abu Zafar Shahriar, Associate Professor and Assistant Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University James Russo, Senior Lecturer in Maths Education, Faculty of Education, Monash University; 🎓 Project summary Numeracy includes both math knowledge and the positive mindset needed to apply it in meaningful, real-world situations. Adult numeracy education spans from senior-secondary through post-school learning, and is central to the UN’s goal of inclusive, quality education. Yet, it remains under-researched, especially for vulnerable groups like young adults with neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., ID, ADHD, ASD), who are overrepresented in youth detention, with few learning pathways available. This project seeks MATS Seed Scheme support to launch the ANA (Adult Numeracy for All) Pilot Project – a foundational step toward improving numeracy for young adults with neurodevelopmental conditions. The pilot will co-design three immersive VR environments with young adults with ID. These environments will provide authentic contexts to build numeracy and assess learners’ confidence and goal-setting ability. The full ANA Project will include: Developing VR-based environments to assess and teach numeracy. Designing an inclusive curriculum focused on number sense. Exploring context-specific numeracy (e.g., social, health, financial). Ultimately, the project will produce research-backed materials and training to better support educators and help more young adults pursue life-long learning and independence. The pilot will guide future development and help attract stakeholders and funding.", "excerpt": "👤 Investigators Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Sarah Hopkins - Associate Professor of Maths Education, Faculty of Education, Mo...", "searchable": "👤 Investigators Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Sarah Hopkins - Associate Professor of Maths Education, Faculty of Education, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University; Abu Zafar Shahriar, Associate Professor and Assistant Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University James Russo, Senior Lecturer in Maths Education, Faculty of Education, Monash University; 🎓 Project summary Numeracy includes both math knowledge and the positive mindset needed to apply it in meaningful, real-world situations. Adult numeracy education spans from senior-secondary through post-school learning, and is central to the UN’s goal of inclusive, quality education. Yet, it remains under-researched, especially for vulnerable groups like young adults with neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., ID, ADHD, ASD), who are overrepresented in youth detention, with few learning pathways available. This project seeks MATS Seed Scheme support to launch the ANA (Adult Numeracy for All) Pilot Project – a foundational step toward improving numeracy for young adults with neurodevelopmental conditions. The pilot will co-design three immersive VR environments with young adults with ID. These environments will provide authentic contexts to build numeracy and assess learners’ confidence and goal-setting ability. The full ANA Project will include: Developing VR-based environments to assess and teach numeracy. Designing an inclusive curriculum focused on number sense. Exploring context-specific numeracy (e.g., social, health, financial). Ultimately, the project will produce research-backed materials and training to better support educators and help more young adults pursue life-long learning and independence. The pilot will guide future development and help attract stakeholders and funding. 👤 Investigators Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Sarah Hopkins - Associate Professor of Maths Education, Faculty of Education, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University; Abu Zafar Shahriar, Associate Professor and Assistant Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University James Russo, Senior Lecturer in Maths Education, Faculty of Education, Monash University; Monash University, Melbourne, AU [\"inclusive_technologies\", \"accessibility_research\"]", "collection": "research", "date": "2025-07-15" } , { "title": "Inclusive Design for Neurodivergent Women in Software Engineering", "url": "/research/NeruroSEW", "content": "👤 Investigators Dr. Isma Farah Siddiqui, Lecturer, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Dr. Dulaji Hidellaarachchi, Lecturer, School of Computing Technologies, RMIT University Dr. Munazza, Researcher, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University 🎓 Project summary NeurodiversiWMag is a vision-driven, interdisciplinary research initiative focused on advancing inclusion for neurodivergent women in software engineering. Despite growing awareness of neurodiversity in the tech sector, the intersection of gender and cognitive difference remains critically underexplored in software engineering practice and research. This project blends the InclusiveMag meta-method with the GenderMag walkthrough framework to create an inclusive analytic approach tailored to neurodivergent women. In its initial Scope phase, the team is synthesizing challenges across cognitive, social, organizational, structural, and career progression domains, laying the foundation for actionable redesign of SE practices. Future phases will build validated personas, walkthrough prompts, and lightweight tools to support more inclusive hiring, collaboration, and evaluation in software development teams. 📝 Publications Vision paper: Invisible Load: Uncovering the Challenges of Neurodivergent Women in Software Engineering", "excerpt": "👤 Investigators Dr. Isma Farah Siddiqui, Lecturer, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Dr. Dulaji Hidellaarachchi, Lecturer, School of Computing Technologies, RMIT University Dr. Munazza, Researcher, ...", "searchable": "👤 Investigators Dr. Isma Farah Siddiqui, Lecturer, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Dr. Dulaji Hidellaarachchi, Lecturer, School of Computing Technologies, RMIT University Dr. Munazza, Researcher, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University 🎓 Project summary NeurodiversiWMag is a vision-driven, interdisciplinary research initiative focused on advancing inclusion for neurodivergent women in software engineering. Despite growing awareness of neurodiversity in the tech sector, the intersection of gender and cognitive difference remains critically underexplored in software engineering practice and research. This project blends the InclusiveMag meta-method with the GenderMag walkthrough framework to create an inclusive analytic approach tailored to neurodivergent women. In its initial Scope phase, the team is synthesizing challenges across cognitive, social, organizational, structural, and career progression domains, laying the foundation for actionable redesign of SE practices. Future phases will build validated personas, walkthrough prompts, and lightweight tools to support more inclusive hiring, collaboration, and evaluation in software development teams. 📝 Publications Vision paper: Invisible Load: Uncovering the Challenges of Neurodivergent Women in Software Engineering 👤 Investigators Dr. Isma Farah Siddiqui, Lecturer, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Dr. Dulaji Hidellaarachchi, Lecturer, School of Computing Technologies, RMIT University Dr. Munazza, Researcher, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Monash University, Melbourne, AU [\"accessibility_research\"]", "collection": "research", "date": "2025-09-15" } , { "title": "From Empathy to Engineering: A Pedagogical Framework and its Authentic mHealth Implementation", "url": "/research/EmpathyToEngineering", "content": "👤 Investigator Wei Wang - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Jialong Li - Assistant Professor, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan Devi Karolita - Palangka Raya University, Palangka Raya, Indonesia 📝 Publications From Empathy to Engineering: A Pedagogical Framework and its Authentic mHealth Implementation 🔍 Project overview This project studies how to teach inclusive and accessible software design in a practical way. It introduces a human-centered teaching framework that helps students move from empathy to implementation. The framework was applied in an undergraduate software engineering course through redesigning a real mHealth application. The goal is to help students build confidence in applying accessibility in real software work. 📌 Current focus Embedding inclusive thinking across software development phases Using persona-based and guideline-reflection tools in class activities Evaluating student confidence and learning outcomes in accessibility practice", "excerpt": "👤 Investigator", "searchable": "👤 Investigator Wei Wang - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Dr Jialong Li - Assistant Professor, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan Devi Karolita - Palangka Raya University, Palangka Raya, Indonesia 📝 Publications From Empathy to Engineering: A Pedagogical Framework and its Authentic mHealth Implementation 🔍 Project overview This project studies how to teach inclusive and accessible software design in a practical way. It introduces a human-centered teaching framework that helps students move from empathy to implementation. The framework was applied in an undergraduate software engineering course through redesigning a real mHealth application. The goal is to help students build confidence in applying accessibility in real software work. 📌 Current focus Embedding inclusive thinking across software development phases Using persona-based and guideline-reflection tools in class activities Evaluating student confidence and learning outcomes in accessibility practice 👤 Investigator Monash University, Melbourne, Australia [\"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\", \"empirical_se_methods\", \"se_education\"]", "collection": "research", "date": "2026-01-26" } , { "title": "AR/VR Demonstration Platform for Standards-Compliant Grab Rail Design", "url": "/research/ARVRGrabRails", "content": "👤 Investigators Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Libby Callaway, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Charmine Hartel, Associate Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University 🎓 Project summary This project develops an augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) solution to demonstrate Australian Standard AS 1428.1-2021 grab rail guidelines for home modifications and independent living support. The core goal is to improve safety, consistency, and confidence in grab rail assessment, design, and installation for older adults and people with disability across home and care environments. 🔍 Problem addressed Although grab rails are among the most common safety modifications funded through aged care and disability schemes, stakeholders currently depend on static diagrams and 2D documentation for guidance. This can lead to inconsistent interpretation, installation errors, and reduced functional outcomes. 📊 Proposed approach Build immersive AR/VR demonstration scenarios for standards-compliant placement and specification. Support role-specific use cases for occupational therapists, assessors, designers, installers, and trainees. Provide visual comparison of compliant and non-compliant configurations. Enable on-site AR overlays to improve placement accuracy during implementation. 🌍 Intended impact The project aims to standardise understanding of accessibility requirements, reduce rework and risk, and improve independent living outcomes for older adults and people with disability. It also establishes a scalable pathway for broader translational and industry-partnered deployment. 📝 Outputs No formal outputs yet. 📌 Current progress This project has just started and is currently in early scoping and planning.", "excerpt": "👤 Investigators Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Libby Callaway, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Faculty of Med...", "searchable": "👤 Investigators Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Libby Callaway, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Charmine Hartel, Associate Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University 🎓 Project summary This project develops an augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) solution to demonstrate Australian Standard AS 1428.1-2021 grab rail guidelines for home modifications and independent living support. The core goal is to improve safety, consistency, and confidence in grab rail assessment, design, and installation for older adults and people with disability across home and care environments. 🔍 Problem addressed Although grab rails are among the most common safety modifications funded through aged care and disability schemes, stakeholders currently depend on static diagrams and 2D documentation for guidance. This can lead to inconsistent interpretation, installation errors, and reduced functional outcomes. 📊 Proposed approach Build immersive AR/VR demonstration scenarios for standards-compliant placement and specification. Support role-specific use cases for occupational therapists, assessors, designers, installers, and trainees. Provide visual comparison of compliant and non-compliant configurations. Enable on-site AR overlays to improve placement accuracy during implementation. 🌍 Intended impact The project aims to standardise understanding of accessibility requirements, reduce rework and risk, and improve independent living outcomes for older adults and people with disability. It also establishes a scalable pathway for broader translational and industry-partnered deployment. 📝 Outputs No formal outputs yet. 📌 Current progress This project has just started and is currently in early scoping and planning. 👤 Investigators Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Libby Callaway, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Charmine Hartel, Associate Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University National Centre for Healthy Ageing and Monash University, Melbourne, AU [\"inclusive_technologies\", \"accessibility_research\", \"digital_health\"]", "collection": "research", "date": "2026-02-01" } , { "title": "Empowering Independent Mobility in Elderly Immigrants: VR-Based Navigation Support", "url": "/research/ElderlyImmigrantVR", "content": "👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Charmine Hartel, Associate Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University 🎓 Project summary This project investigates how virtual reality (VR)-based route rehearsal can improve independent mobility for elderly immigrants from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The project addresses a key gap in current social-inclusion programs: many initiatives assume older adults can already travel confidently to unfamiliar places. Using an immersive, culturally sensitive design, the project focuses on reducing travel anxiety, increasing familiarity with everyday routes, and strengthening confidence to travel independently. 🔍 Background and motivation Older immigrants often face mobility barriers caused by language, unfamiliar environments, and age-related sensory changes. These barriers can limit participation in community life, increase social isolation, and increase caregiver burden. This project positions independent movement as a foundational step toward broader social participation, wellbeing, and equitable service access. 📊 Year 1 approach (planning phase) Focused literature review on mobility barriers, ageing, and culturally responsive VR support. Project scoping and research planning with partner team. Initial study design and ethics planning. Co-design and pilot activities are planned for a later phase, not yet started. 🚀 Longer-term direction Phase 2 focuses on a scalable caregiver-driven platform for creating and reusing VR rehearsal journeys across diverse communities and care contexts. 📌 Current progress The project has just started. Work is currently at planning stage only. 📝 Outputs No formal outputs yet.", "excerpt": "👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Charmine Hartel, Ass...", "searchable": "👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Charmine Hartel, Associate Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University 🎓 Project summary This project investigates how virtual reality (VR)-based route rehearsal can improve independent mobility for elderly immigrants from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The project addresses a key gap in current social-inclusion programs: many initiatives assume older adults can already travel confidently to unfamiliar places. Using an immersive, culturally sensitive design, the project focuses on reducing travel anxiety, increasing familiarity with everyday routes, and strengthening confidence to travel independently. 🔍 Background and motivation Older immigrants often face mobility barriers caused by language, unfamiliar environments, and age-related sensory changes. These barriers can limit participation in community life, increase social isolation, and increase caregiver burden. This project positions independent movement as a foundational step toward broader social participation, wellbeing, and equitable service access. 📊 Year 1 approach (planning phase) Focused literature review on mobility barriers, ageing, and culturally responsive VR support. Project scoping and research planning with partner team. Initial study design and ethics planning. Co-design and pilot activities are planned for a later phase, not yet started. 🚀 Longer-term direction Phase 2 focuses on a scalable caregiver-driven platform for creating and reusing VR rehearsal journeys across diverse communities and care contexts. 📌 Current progress The project has just started. Work is currently at planning stage only. 📝 Outputs No formal outputs yet. 👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Charmine Hartel, Associate Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Monash University, Melbourne, AU [\"inclusive_technologies\", \"accessibility_research\", \"digital_health\", \"empirical_se_methods\"]", "collection": "research", "date": "2026-02-20" } , { "title": "Inclusive AI Consent: Adaptive, Accessible Consent for Diverse Research Participants", "url": "/research/InclusiveAIConsent", "content": "👤 Investigator Wei Wang - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Professor Charmine Hartel - Monash University, Melbourne, AU 💲 Funding Monash Business School 2026 ECA Research Grant AU$9,992 🔍 Project overview This project develops and pilots an adaptive AI-assisted consent approach to improve how diverse participants understand research information before agreeing to take part. The focus is on accessible, multimodal consent communication for people with varied literacy, language, cognitive, and sensory needs. The project combines plain-language support, Easy Read adaptation, multimedia pathways, and human-in-the-loop review safeguards to keep consent both understandable and ethically robust. 📌 Current focus Co-designing consent content and interface workflows with accessibility considerations Prototyping multimodal consent formats (text, audio, video, captions, and support pathways) Piloting participant comprehension and usability outcomes compared with standard consent materials Producing implementation guidance for broader adoption in Australian research settings", "excerpt": "👤 Investigator", "searchable": "👤 Investigator Wei Wang - Monash University, Melbourne, AU Professor Charmine Hartel - Monash University, Melbourne, AU 💲 Funding Monash Business School 2026 ECA Research Grant AU$9,992 🔍 Project overview This project develops and pilots an adaptive AI-assisted consent approach to improve how diverse participants understand research information before agreeing to take part. The focus is on accessible, multimodal consent communication for people with varied literacy, language, cognitive, and sensory needs. The project combines plain-language support, Easy Read adaptation, multimedia pathways, and human-in-the-loop review safeguards to keep consent both understandable and ethically robust. 📌 Current focus Co-designing consent content and interface workflows with accessibility considerations Prototyping multimodal consent formats (text, audio, video, captions, and support pathways) Piloting participant comprehension and usability outcomes compared with standard consent materials Producing implementation guidance for broader adoption in Australian research settings 👤 Investigator Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash University, Melbourne, AU [\"inclusive_technologies\", \"accessibility_research\", \"human_aspects_se\"]", "collection": "research", "date": "2026-04-28" } , { "title": "AI in Virtual Reality for Inclusive Employment Training", "url": "/research/AIVR", "content": "🎯 Project summary This project studies how responsible AI can support virtual-reality employment training for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other neurodivergent users. The work is connected to VRelovate, the Opportunity Tech Lab’s inclusive VR training platform. The project examines how AI might help create, adapt, explain, or validate VR training content while protecting privacy, fairness, safety, and human oversight. 🤝 Partners and funding This research is supported by the Monash Business School 2026 AI in Research Industry Collaboration Grant and includes collaboration with CSIRO. The collaboration brings together inclusive technology research, responsible AI, AI engineering, governance, human-in-the-loop validation, and partner-engaged translation. 📌 Current focus Define responsible AI use cases for inclusive VR employment training. Review privacy, fairness, bias, and human oversight needs. Develop governance and validation outputs for VRelovate. Prepare partner-facing outputs that support future external funding and implementation. 🔗 Related grant Partner-engaged AI for Inclusive Virtual-Reality Employment Training", "excerpt": "🎯 Project summary", "searchable": "🎯 Project summary This project studies how responsible AI can support virtual-reality employment training for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other neurodivergent users. The work is connected to VRelovate, the Opportunity Tech Lab’s inclusive VR training platform. The project examines how AI might help create, adapt, explain, or validate VR training content while protecting privacy, fairness, safety, and human oversight. 🤝 Partners and funding This research is supported by the Monash Business School 2026 AI in Research Industry Collaboration Grant and includes collaboration with CSIRO. The collaboration brings together inclusive technology research, responsible AI, AI engineering, governance, human-in-the-loop validation, and partner-engaged translation. 📌 Current focus Define responsible AI use cases for inclusive VR employment training. Review privacy, fairness, bias, and human oversight needs. Develop governance and validation outputs for VRelovate. Prepare partner-facing outputs that support future external funding and implementation. 🔗 Related grant Partner-engaged AI for Inclusive Virtual-Reality Employment Training 🎯 Project summary Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash University and CSIRO collaboration [\"ai_virtual_reality\", \"human_aspects_re_ai\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"accessibility_research\"]", "collection": "research", "date": "2026-06-15" } , { "title": "Co-Designing Virtual Reality Pathways to Open Employment for People with Intellectual Disabilities", "url": "/research/SAF", "content": "👤 Investigator Prof Charmine Härtel – Monash University, Melbourne, AU Wei Wang – Monash University, Melbourne, AU Prof Kristian Rotaru – Monash University, Melbourne, AU Mr. Tanner Person – Monash University, Melbourne, AU A/Prof Libby Callaway – Monash University, Melbourne, AU Mr. Phil Hayes-Brown – CEO, Wallara Australia Mr. Jonny Lee – CFO, Wallara Australia Dr. Lars Kooijman – Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash University, AU 📝 Publications Not applicable 🔍 Background Employment pathways for people with intellectual disabilities remain a major inclusion challenge in Australia. National data indicate that around 5.5 million Australians (21.4%) live with disability, while approximately 160 ADEs currently support about 16,000 workers with disability [1,2]. Although ADEs provide important supported employment, transition into open employment is still difficult for many people with ID due to communication barriers, limited workplace exposure, and anxiety in unfamiliar settings. This project addresses that gap by co-designing inclusive VR job modules with Wallara Australia and multidisciplinary partners at Monash University. VR provides a safe, repeatable, and engaging way to practice work tasks and social interactions before entering mainstream workplaces, and current evidence suggests XR approaches can support psychosocial rehabilitation and functional skills development for neurodivergent populations [3]. The SAF project is therefore important for two systemic reasons: It creates practical transition tools for people with ID and their support networks. It produces a scalable model for ADE-to-open-employment pathways that can be adopted across other disability employment contexts in Australia. 💰 Funding support Funding body: Department of Social Services (DSS), Structural Adjustment Fund Grant amount: AUD $1,000,000 Industry partner: Wallara Australia Ltd 🎯 Project targets Place 20 participants into sustainable open employment. Co-design and deliver 2 VR modules: Land management Hospitality 🧩 Subprojects and detailed milestones Subproject 1: Inclusive co-design and requirements This stage established the design requirements for inclusive VR employment modules. The work drew on input from supported employees, support staff, disability professionals, caregivers, health professionals, and Wallara stakeholders. Co-design and storyboard VR job scenarios with supported employees, support staff, disability professionals, and partner stakeholders. Capture realistic job tasks, work environments, communication situations, and interpersonal interactions required in open employment contexts. Produce design requirements and practical recommendations for inclusive VR training modules. Subproject 2: VRelovate module development and pilot evaluation The project has developed two VRelovate modules focused on hospitality and land management. VRelovate is OTL’s inclusive VR framework for people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities. Apply accessibility supports, including simplified navigation, multimodal prompts (visual/audio/symbolic), and adaptive pacing. Conduct pilot testing with supported employees, support staff, caregivers, and health professionals to refine usability, accessibility, and practical relevance. Subproject 3: Evaluation, evidence building, and scale-up The evaluation examines how VR affects participants’ confidence, job-role understanding, workplace readiness, and open-employment interest. Assess perceived preparedness for open-employment environments and identify barriers/facilitators to adoption. Use evaluation findings to guide future module refinement, implementation planning, and scale-up conversations with partners and stakeholders. 📌 Current research status The SAF project has moved from setup into active development, evaluation, and translation. The team has co-designed two VRelovate modules with Wallara Australia: hospitality and land management. These modules are being used to explore how virtual reality can help people with intellectual disabilities understand work environments, practise job-related situations, and make more informed decisions about open-employment pathways. Recent project activity has focused on: refining the two VR modules with input from supported employees, support staff, caregivers, health professionals, and industry partners; evaluating how the modules affect confidence, job-role understanding, workplace readiness, and career-pathway clarity; identifying where VR helps participants explore whether a job pathway feels suitable, including when the answer is “yes” and when the answer is “not for me”; preparing project evidence, media material, and demonstration workflows for partner engagement, the Impact Labs Showcase, and disability-sector audiences. Early project feedback suggests that the VR modules are useful not only as workplace demonstrations, but as accessible career-exploration environments. They give participants a safer and more repeatable way to experience unfamiliar work tasks before entering open-employment settings. 🌱 Translation and external engagement The SAF/VRelovate work is now being prepared for broader translation beyond the initial project setting. The team has briefed Department of Social Services stakeholders on the project’s co-design process, accessibility features, early evaluation findings, and potential scale-up pathways. The project is also being developed into partner-facing showcase material, including a Wallara use-case video and live demonstration setup. These materials will support conversations with disability employment providers, government stakeholders, funders, community partners, and future implementation sites. This translation work is important because the disability employment sector is changing. Providers need practical, evidence-informed tools that can support people with disability to explore work choices, understand job pathways, and make supported decisions about employment. 📰 Media coverage 7 News segment on virtual reality work with Wallara Australia 📝 Outputs and timeline Co-design and requirements: completed with input from supported employees, support staff, disability professionals, caregivers, health professionals, and Wallara stakeholders. VR module development: hospitality and land-management modules developed using VRelovate. Pilot and larger-scale evaluation: evaluation activities examine confidence, learning, job-role understanding, and workplace-readiness outcomes. Translation and showcase: project evidence, media material, and live demonstration workflows are being prepared for external engagement, including Impact Labs and disability-sector audiences. Scale-up planning: the team is exploring future funding, provider networks, and broader implementation pathways with government, industry, and community stakeholders. 📚 References [1] Australian Bureau of Statistics. Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings (2022). https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/disability/disability-ageing-and-carers-australia-summary-findings/latest-release [2] Department of Social Services (Australia). Future Supported Employment Discussion Paper (2023). https://engage.dss.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/future-supported-employment-discussion-paper-2023.pdf [3] Tan, B. L., Shi, J., Yang, S., Loh, H., Ng, D., Choo, C., & Medalia, A. (2022). The use of virtual reality and augmented reality in psychosocial rehabilitation for adults with neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 1055204. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1055204", "excerpt": "👤 Investigator", "searchable": "👤 Investigator Prof Charmine Härtel – Monash University, Melbourne, AU Wei Wang – Monash University, Melbourne, AU Prof Kristian Rotaru – Monash University, Melbourne, AU Mr. Tanner Person – Monash University, Melbourne, AU A/Prof Libby Callaway – Monash University, Melbourne, AU Mr. Phil Hayes-Brown – CEO, Wallara Australia Mr. Jonny Lee – CFO, Wallara Australia Dr. Lars Kooijman – Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash University, AU 📝 Publications Not applicable 🔍 Background Employment pathways for people with intellectual disabilities remain a major inclusion challenge in Australia. National data indicate that around 5.5 million Australians (21.4%) live with disability, while approximately 160 ADEs currently support about 16,000 workers with disability [1,2]. Although ADEs provide important supported employment, transition into open employment is still difficult for many people with ID due to communication barriers, limited workplace exposure, and anxiety in unfamiliar settings. This project addresses that gap by co-designing inclusive VR job modules with Wallara Australia and multidisciplinary partners at Monash University. VR provides a safe, repeatable, and engaging way to practice work tasks and social interactions before entering mainstream workplaces, and current evidence suggests XR approaches can support psychosocial rehabilitation and functional skills development for neurodivergent populations [3]. The SAF project is therefore important for two systemic reasons: It creates practical transition tools for people with ID and their support networks. It produces a scalable model for ADE-to-open-employment pathways that can be adopted across other disability employment contexts in Australia. 💰 Funding support Funding body: Department of Social Services (DSS), Structural Adjustment Fund Grant amount: AUD $1,000,000 Industry partner: Wallara Australia Ltd 🎯 Project targets Place 20 participants into sustainable open employment. Co-design and deliver 2 VR modules: Land management Hospitality 🧩 Subprojects and detailed milestones Subproject 1: Inclusive co-design and requirements This stage established the design requirements for inclusive VR employment modules. The work drew on input from supported employees, support staff, disability professionals, caregivers, health professionals, and Wallara stakeholders. Co-design and storyboard VR job scenarios with supported employees, support staff, disability professionals, and partner stakeholders. Capture realistic job tasks, work environments, communication situations, and interpersonal interactions required in open employment contexts. Produce design requirements and practical recommendations for inclusive VR training modules. Subproject 2: VRelovate module development and pilot evaluation The project has developed two VRelovate modules focused on hospitality and land management. VRelovate is OTL’s inclusive VR framework for people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities. Apply accessibility supports, including simplified navigation, multimodal prompts (visual/audio/symbolic), and adaptive pacing. Conduct pilot testing with supported employees, support staff, caregivers, and health professionals to refine usability, accessibility, and practical relevance. Subproject 3: Evaluation, evidence building, and scale-up The evaluation examines how VR affects participants’ confidence, job-role understanding, workplace readiness, and open-employment interest. Assess perceived preparedness for open-employment environments and identify barriers/facilitators to adoption. Use evaluation findings to guide future module refinement, implementation planning, and scale-up conversations with partners and stakeholders. 📌 Current research status The SAF project has moved from setup into active development, evaluation, and translation. The team has co-designed two VRelovate modules with Wallara Australia: hospitality and land management. These modules are being used to explore how virtual reality can help people with intellectual disabilities understand work environments, practise job-related situations, and make more informed decisions about open-employment pathways. Recent project activity has focused on: refining the two VR modules with input from supported employees, support staff, caregivers, health professionals, and industry partners; evaluating how the modules affect confidence, job-role understanding, workplace readiness, and career-pathway clarity; identifying where VR helps participants explore whether a job pathway feels suitable, including when the answer is “yes” and when the answer is “not for me”; preparing project evidence, media material, and demonstration workflows for partner engagement, the Impact Labs Showcase, and disability-sector audiences. Early project feedback suggests that the VR modules are useful not only as workplace demonstrations, but as accessible career-exploration environments. They give participants a safer and more repeatable way to experience unfamiliar work tasks before entering open-employment settings. 🌱 Translation and external engagement The SAF/VRelovate work is now being prepared for broader translation beyond the initial project setting. The team has briefed Department of Social Services stakeholders on the project’s co-design process, accessibility features, early evaluation findings, and potential scale-up pathways. The project is also being developed into partner-facing showcase material, including a Wallara use-case video and live demonstration setup. These materials will support conversations with disability employment providers, government stakeholders, funders, community partners, and future implementation sites. This translation work is important because the disability employment sector is changing. Providers need practical, evidence-informed tools that can support people with disability to explore work choices, understand job pathways, and make supported decisions about employment. 📰 Media coverage 7 News segment on virtual reality work with Wallara Australia 📝 Outputs and timeline Co-design and requirements: completed with input from supported employees, support staff, disability professionals, caregivers, health professionals, and Wallara stakeholders. VR module development: hospitality and land-management modules developed using VRelovate. Pilot and larger-scale evaluation: evaluation activities examine confidence, learning, job-role understanding, and workplace-readiness outcomes. Translation and showcase: project evidence, media material, and live demonstration workflows are being prepared for external engagement, including Impact Labs and disability-sector audiences. Scale-up planning: the team is exploring future funding, provider networks, and broader implementation pathways with government, industry, and community stakeholders. 📚 References [1] Australian Bureau of Statistics. Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings (2022). https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/disability/disability-ageing-and-carers-australia-summary-findings/latest-release [2] Department of Social Services (Australia). Future Supported Employment Discussion Paper (2023). https://engage.dss.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/future-supported-employment-discussion-paper-2023.pdf [3] Tan, B. L., Shi, J., Yang, S., Loh, H., Ng, D., Choo, C., & Medalia, A. (2022). The use of virtual reality and augmented reality in psychosocial rehabilitation for adults with neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 1055204. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1055204 👤 Investigator Monash University and Wallara Australia Ltd, Melbourne, AU [\"inclusive_technologies\", \"accessibility_research\", \"digital_health\"]", "collection": "research", "date": "2026-01-10" } , { "title": "Workplace readiness program for young people with disabilities using VR", "url": "/research/WaverleyWorkplaceVR", "content": "🎓 Project summary Waverley Social Enterprises proposes creating Welcome to Your New Workplace, an engaging Virtual Reality (VR) onboarding module designed to facilitate the transition from school to supported employment for young people with disabilities. In collaboration with Monash University, this project will utilise VR headsets and interactive storytelling to simulate Waverley’s inclusive workplace. It tackles barriers such as sensory overload, anxiety, and unfamiliarity, offering a supportive pre-placement experience. This study aims to co-design, with people with disabilities employed at Waverley Social Enterprises, a virtual reality (VR) module that depicts what it is like to work at Waverley Social Enterprises, and to evaluate the impact of this VR experience on potential clients’ perceptions of Waverley Social Enterprises as a place of employment. The VR module will be co-designed through structured workshops with people with disabilities currently in supported employment at Waverley Social Enterprises. Co-design activities are intended solely to inform the development of the VR module and will not involve performance assessment or employment-related decision-making.", "excerpt": "🎓 Project summary", "searchable": "🎓 Project summary Waverley Social Enterprises proposes creating Welcome to Your New Workplace, an engaging Virtual Reality (VR) onboarding module designed to facilitate the transition from school to supported employment for young people with disabilities. In collaboration with Monash University, this project will utilise VR headsets and interactive storytelling to simulate Waverley’s inclusive workplace. It tackles barriers such as sensory overload, anxiety, and unfamiliarity, offering a supportive pre-placement experience. This study aims to co-design, with people with disabilities employed at Waverley Social Enterprises, a virtual reality (VR) module that depicts what it is like to work at Waverley Social Enterprises, and to evaluate the impact of this VR experience on potential clients’ perceptions of Waverley Social Enterprises as a place of employment. The VR module will be co-designed through structured workshops with people with disabilities currently in supported employment at Waverley Social Enterprises. Co-design activities are intended solely to inform the development of the VR module and will not involve performance assessment or employment-related decision-making. 🎓 Project summary Monash University and Waverley Social Enterprises [\"inclusive_technologies\", \"accessibility_research\"]", "collection": "research", "date": "2026-02-22" } , { "title": "Anxiety-free Public Dentistry for Adults with Disability: A Virtual Reality Feasibility Study", "url": "/grants/dental", "content": "👤 Investigators Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Libby Callaway, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Charmine Hartel, Associate Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Kadek Satriadi, Lecturer, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Alice Urban, BAppSci, Director of Integrated Care and Dental, Peninsula Health Fiona McAlinden, MBM, Project Manager, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Jonathan Bredin, Jonathan Bredin Inc., West Melbourne 💲 Funding details Monash Business School Interdisciplinary Research (IDR) SEED Fund AU$25000 🎓 Project Summary This project brings together Monash faculties (Medicine, Business, IT), Peninsula Health Dental Services, a disability advocate, and partners at the Healthy Future Hub. It aligns with MATS priorities by exploring an under-researched area: the use of VR in dental care. The study will pilot SmileyScope™, a low-cost, TGA-approved VR headset, in adult dental settings. While SmileyScope™ has been used in hospitals to reduce anxiety and pain, it has not yet been tested in routine dentistry. 🎯 Key Aims Evaluate usability and acceptability of VR-assisted dental care for diverse adult populations, including people with disabilities. Assess dental staff readiness and experiences. Identify barriers and enablers for implementation (e.g., cost, efficiency, user experience). Analyse cost-effectiveness and treatment impacts. Propose sustainable models for integrating VR in public dental services. This will be the first study of its kind in inclusive dental care, informing service design and improving patient experience. It will also strengthen the case for future MRFF and other Category 1 funding. 📌 Status Current research status", "excerpt": "👤 Investigators Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Libby Callaway, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Faculty of Med...", "searchable": "👤 Investigators Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Libby Callaway, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Charmine Hartel, Associate Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Kadek Satriadi, Lecturer, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Alice Urban, BAppSci, Director of Integrated Care and Dental, Peninsula Health Fiona McAlinden, MBM, Project Manager, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Jonathan Bredin, Jonathan Bredin Inc., West Melbourne 💲 Funding details Monash Business School Interdisciplinary Research (IDR) SEED Fund AU$25000 🎓 Project Summary This project brings together Monash faculties (Medicine, Business, IT), Peninsula Health Dental Services, a disability advocate, and partners at the Healthy Future Hub. It aligns with MATS priorities by exploring an under-researched area: the use of VR in dental care. The study will pilot SmileyScope™, a low-cost, TGA-approved VR headset, in adult dental settings. While SmileyScope™ has been used in hospitals to reduce anxiety and pain, it has not yet been tested in routine dentistry. 🎯 Key Aims Evaluate usability and acceptability of VR-assisted dental care for diverse adult populations, including people with disabilities. Assess dental staff readiness and experiences. Identify barriers and enablers for implementation (e.g., cost, efficiency, user experience). Analyse cost-effectiveness and treatment impacts. Propose sustainable models for integrating VR in public dental services. This will be the first study of its kind in inclusive dental care, informing service design and improving patient experience. It will also strengthen the case for future MRFF and other Category 1 funding. 📌 Status Current research status 👤 Investigators Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Libby Callaway, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Charmine Hartel, Associate Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Kadek Satriadi, Lecturer, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Alice Urban, BAppSci, Director of Integrated Care and Dental, Peninsula Health Fiona McAlinden, MBM, Project Manager, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Jonathan Bredin, Jonathan Bredin Inc., West Melbourne Monash Business School Interdisciplinary Research (IDR) SEED Fund Ongoing Internal [\"digital_health\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\"]", "collection": "grants", "date": "2025-07-15" } , { "title": "Virtual Pathways to Numeracy: Supporting Neurodiverse Adult Learners", "url": "/grants/numeracy", "content": "👤 Investigators Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Sarah Hopkins - Associate Professor of Maths Education, Faculty of Education, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University; Abu Zafar Shahriar, Associate Professor and Assistant Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University James Russo, Senior Lecturer in Maths Education, Faculty of Education, Monash University; 💲 Funding details Monash Business School Interdisciplinary Research (IDR) SEED Fund AU$25000 🎓 Project summary Numeracy includes both math knowledge and the positive mindset needed to apply it in meaningful, real-world situations. Adult numeracy education spans from senior-secondary through post-school learning, and is central to the UN’s goal of inclusive, quality education. Yet, it remains under-researched, especially for vulnerable groups like young adults with neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., ID, ADHD, ASD), who are overrepresented in youth detention, with few learning pathways available. This project seeks MATS Seed Scheme support to launch the ANA (Adult Numeracy for All) Pilot Project – a foundational step toward improving numeracy for young adults with neurodevelopmental conditions. The pilot will co-design three immersive VR environments with young adults with ID. These environments will provide authentic contexts to build numeracy and assess learners’ confidence and goal-setting ability. The full ANA Project will include: Developing VR-based environments to assess and teach numeracy. Designing an inclusive curriculum focused on number sense. Exploring context-specific numeracy (e.g., social, health, financial). Ultimately, the project will produce research-backed materials and training to better support educators and help more young adults pursue life-long learning and independence. The pilot will guide future development and help attract stakeholders and funding. 📌 Status Current research status", "excerpt": "👤 Investigators Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Sarah Hopkins - Associate Professor of Maths Education, Faculty of Education, Mo...", "searchable": "👤 Investigators Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Sarah Hopkins - Associate Professor of Maths Education, Faculty of Education, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University; Abu Zafar Shahriar, Associate Professor and Assistant Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University James Russo, Senior Lecturer in Maths Education, Faculty of Education, Monash University; 💲 Funding details Monash Business School Interdisciplinary Research (IDR) SEED Fund AU$25000 🎓 Project summary Numeracy includes both math knowledge and the positive mindset needed to apply it in meaningful, real-world situations. Adult numeracy education spans from senior-secondary through post-school learning, and is central to the UN’s goal of inclusive, quality education. Yet, it remains under-researched, especially for vulnerable groups like young adults with neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., ID, ADHD, ASD), who are overrepresented in youth detention, with few learning pathways available. This project seeks MATS Seed Scheme support to launch the ANA (Adult Numeracy for All) Pilot Project – a foundational step toward improving numeracy for young adults with neurodevelopmental conditions. The pilot will co-design three immersive VR environments with young adults with ID. These environments will provide authentic contexts to build numeracy and assess learners’ confidence and goal-setting ability. The full ANA Project will include: Developing VR-based environments to assess and teach numeracy. Designing an inclusive curriculum focused on number sense. Exploring context-specific numeracy (e.g., social, health, financial). Ultimately, the project will produce research-backed materials and training to better support educators and help more young adults pursue life-long learning and independence. The pilot will guide future development and help attract stakeholders and funding. 📌 Status Current research status 👤 Investigators Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Sarah Hopkins - Associate Professor of Maths Education, Faculty of Education, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University; Abu Zafar Shahriar, Associate Professor and Assistant Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University James Russo, Senior Lecturer in Maths Education, Faculty of Education, Monash University; Monash Business School Interdisciplinary Research (IDR) SEED Fund Ongoing Internal [\"inclusive_technologies\", \"accessibility_research\"]", "collection": "grants", "date": "2025-07-15" } , { "title": "Empathic Communication: Autism Inclusive Interaction Training with Avatars", "url": "/grants/avatar", "content": "👤 Investigators Kalin Stefanov, Research Fellow,Department of Human Centred Computing, Monash University Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Kristian Rotaru, Professor & Associate Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Faculty of Business and Economics Robbie Fordyce, Senior Lecturer, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Faculty of Arts John Grundy, Professor (Research), Department of Software Systems & Cybersecurity, Faculty of Information Technology Erin Leif, Associate Professor, School of Educational Psychology & Counselling, Faculty of Education Lucy Albertella, Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Mike Tozer, CEO, Xceptional Phil Hayes-Brown, CEO, Wallara 💲 Funding details Monash Business School Interdisciplinary Research (IDR) SEED Fund AU$24060 🎓 Project summary Workplace communication breakdowns between neurotypical and autistic individuals are often misunderstood as stemming solely from autistic deficits, placing responsibility on the autistic individuals to change. This project develops a 3D avatar-based training platform grounded in Double Empathy Theory to help neurotypical individuals better understand and engage with autistic communication. By simulating authentic autistic interaction styles—such as directness, topic persistence, and reduced nonverbal cues—the platform fosters emotional inclusion and cognitive justice in diverse teams. The platform will incorporate feedback from autistic individuals on the avatars and scenario creation to ensure authenticity and reduce bias. The aim is to promote emotional inclusion and psychological safety, not procedural diversity.", "excerpt": "👤 Investigators Kalin Stefanov, Research Fellow,Department of Human Centred Computing, Monash University Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash Un...", "searchable": "👤 Investigators Kalin Stefanov, Research Fellow,Department of Human Centred Computing, Monash University Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Kristian Rotaru, Professor & Associate Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Faculty of Business and Economics Robbie Fordyce, Senior Lecturer, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Faculty of Arts John Grundy, Professor (Research), Department of Software Systems & Cybersecurity, Faculty of Information Technology Erin Leif, Associate Professor, School of Educational Psychology & Counselling, Faculty of Education Lucy Albertella, Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Mike Tozer, CEO, Xceptional Phil Hayes-Brown, CEO, Wallara 💲 Funding details Monash Business School Interdisciplinary Research (IDR) SEED Fund AU$24060 🎓 Project summary Workplace communication breakdowns between neurotypical and autistic individuals are often misunderstood as stemming solely from autistic deficits, placing responsibility on the autistic individuals to change. This project develops a 3D avatar-based training platform grounded in Double Empathy Theory to help neurotypical individuals better understand and engage with autistic communication. By simulating authentic autistic interaction styles—such as directness, topic persistence, and reduced nonverbal cues—the platform fosters emotional inclusion and cognitive justice in diverse teams. The platform will incorporate feedback from autistic individuals on the avatars and scenario creation to ensure authenticity and reduce bias. The aim is to promote emotional inclusion and psychological safety, not procedural diversity. 👤 Investigators Kalin Stefanov, Research Fellow,Department of Human Centred Computing, Monash University Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Kristian Rotaru, Professor & Associate Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Faculty of Business and Economics Robbie Fordyce, Senior Lecturer, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Faculty of Arts John Grundy, Professor (Research), Department of Software Systems & Cybersecurity, Faculty of Information Technology Erin Leif, Associate Professor, School of Educational Psychology & Counselling, Faculty of Education Lucy Albertella, Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Mike Tozer, CEO, Xceptional Phil Hayes-Brown, CEO, Wallara Monash Business School Interdisciplinary Research (IDR) SEED Fund Ongoing Internal [\"inclusive_technologies\", \"human_aspects_se\", \"accessibility_research\"]", "collection": "grants", "date": "2025-09-01" } , { "title": "VRelovate & VARS VR Lab equipment upgrade to enable state‐of‐the‐art, accessible, and portable demonstrations", "url": "/grants/engagement", "content": "👤 Investigators Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University; 💲 Funding details Impact Labs Engagement Grants AU$11,038 🎓 Project summary VRelovate (Virtual Reality Editor Leveraging Opportunity Tech Lab’s Virtual Assets for Training and Education) is a VR editor developed by Opportunity Tech Lab (OTL) that has reached the proof‐of‐concept stage. To date, it has supported a nearly $1,000,000 Department of Social Services grant and produced two education‐focused VR experiences: inclusive entrepreneurship and community sport safety training. This grant requests the fund to upgrade equipment needed to deliver state‐of‐the‐art, accessible demonstrations in the lab and portable showcases off‐site for prospective research partners and funders. The project will strengthen OTL’s capacity to initiate, convert, and retain external engagements. Recent executive‐level demonstrations underscored the importance of a polished, hands-on co‐design environment that enables stakeholders to envision collaborative research opportunities. The upgrade will support systematic partnership development, including co‐design workshops, collaborative research planning sessions, and joint proposal development that convert initial interest into sustained collaborations and major funding applications.", "excerpt": "👤 Investigators Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University ...", "searchable": "👤 Investigators Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University; 💲 Funding details Impact Labs Engagement Grants AU$11,038 🎓 Project summary VRelovate (Virtual Reality Editor Leveraging Opportunity Tech Lab’s Virtual Assets for Training and Education) is a VR editor developed by Opportunity Tech Lab (OTL) that has reached the proof‐of‐concept stage. To date, it has supported a nearly $1,000,000 Department of Social Services grant and produced two education‐focused VR experiences: inclusive entrepreneurship and community sport safety training. This grant requests the fund to upgrade equipment needed to deliver state‐of‐the‐art, accessible demonstrations in the lab and portable showcases off‐site for prospective research partners and funders. The project will strengthen OTL’s capacity to initiate, convert, and retain external engagements. Recent executive‐level demonstrations underscored the importance of a polished, hands-on co‐design environment that enables stakeholders to envision collaborative research opportunities. The upgrade will support systematic partnership development, including co‐design workshops, collaborative research planning sessions, and joint proposal development that convert initial interest into sustained collaborations and major funding applications. 👤 Investigators Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University; Impact Labs Engagement Grants Ongoing Internal [\"ai_virtual_reality\", \"inclusive_technologies\"]", "collection": "grants", "date": "2025-09-28" } , { "title": "Workplace readiness program for young people with disabilities using VR", "url": "/grants/StateTrustees", "content": "👤 Investigators Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University; 💲 Funding details State Trustees Australia Foundation AU$20000 🎓 Project summary Waverley Social Enterprises proposes creating Welcome to Your New Workplace, an engaging Virtual Reality (VR) onboarding module designed to facilitate the transition from school to supported employment for young people with disabilities. In collaboration with Monash University, this project will utilise VR headsets and interactive storytelling to simulate Waverley’s inclusive workplace. It tackles barriers such as sensory overload, anxiety, and unfamiliarity, offering a supportive pre-placement experience. This study aims to co-design, with people with disabilities employed at Waverley Social Enterprises, a virtual reality (VR) module that depicts what it is like to work at Waverley Social Enterprises, and to evaluate the impact of this VR experience on potential clients’ perceptions of Waverley Social Enterprises as a place of employment. The VR module will be co-designed through structured workshops with people with disabilities currently in supported employment at Waverley Social Enterprises. Co-design activities are intended solely to inform the development of the VR module and will not involve performance assessment or employment-related decision-making. 📌 Status Current research status", "excerpt": "👤 Investigators Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University ...", "searchable": "👤 Investigators Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University; 💲 Funding details State Trustees Australia Foundation AU$20000 🎓 Project summary Waverley Social Enterprises proposes creating Welcome to Your New Workplace, an engaging Virtual Reality (VR) onboarding module designed to facilitate the transition from school to supported employment for young people with disabilities. In collaboration with Monash University, this project will utilise VR headsets and interactive storytelling to simulate Waverley’s inclusive workplace. It tackles barriers such as sensory overload, anxiety, and unfamiliarity, offering a supportive pre-placement experience. This study aims to co-design, with people with disabilities employed at Waverley Social Enterprises, a virtual reality (VR) module that depicts what it is like to work at Waverley Social Enterprises, and to evaluate the impact of this VR experience on potential clients’ perceptions of Waverley Social Enterprises as a place of employment. The VR module will be co-designed through structured workshops with people with disabilities currently in supported employment at Waverley Social Enterprises. Co-design activities are intended solely to inform the development of the VR module and will not involve performance assessment or employment-related decision-making. 📌 Status Current research status 👤 Investigators Charmine Hartel - Distinguished Professor & Director Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Tanner Person, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University; State Trustees Australia Foundation Ongoing Industry [\"inclusive_technologies\", \"accessibility_research\"]", "collection": "grants", "date": "2025-12-15" } , { "title": "Inclusive AI Consent: Adaptive, Accessible Consent for Diverse Research Participants", "url": "/grants/inclusive-ai-consent", "content": "👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Professor Charmine Hartel, Distinguished Professor & Director, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash University 💲 Funding details Monash Business School 2026 ECA Research Grant AU$9,992 (awarded) Administering department/centre: Opportunity Tech Lab 🎓 Project summary This project addresses a core research ethics challenge: consent processes are often compliant in form but difficult to understand in practice for many participants, especially those with low literacy, cognitive disability, limited English proficiency, sensory impairment, or high stress at recruitment. The project will design and pilot an adaptive AI-assisted consent prototype that transforms standard consent materials into more accessible and understandable formats while preserving critical risk and rights information. The prototype combines: Plain-language and Easy Read content support Multimodal delivery (readable text, guided structure, audio-ready content) Participant-controlled navigation and clarification pathways Human-in-the-loop governance and auditable review checkpoints The pilot will generate proof-of-concept evidence on whether adaptive accessible consent improves participant comprehension, confidence, and trust compared with standard text-based consent. It will also produce practical implementation guidance to support broader adoption in Australian research settings. 📌 Status Current research status", "excerpt": "👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Professor Charmine Hartel, Distinguished Professor & Director, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash University", "searchable": "👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Professor Charmine Hartel, Distinguished Professor & Director, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash University 💲 Funding details Monash Business School 2026 ECA Research Grant AU$9,992 (awarded) Administering department/centre: Opportunity Tech Lab 🎓 Project summary This project addresses a core research ethics challenge: consent processes are often compliant in form but difficult to understand in practice for many participants, especially those with low literacy, cognitive disability, limited English proficiency, sensory impairment, or high stress at recruitment. The project will design and pilot an adaptive AI-assisted consent prototype that transforms standard consent materials into more accessible and understandable formats while preserving critical risk and rights information. The prototype combines: Plain-language and Easy Read content support Multimodal delivery (readable text, guided structure, audio-ready content) Participant-controlled navigation and clarification pathways Human-in-the-loop governance and auditable review checkpoints The pilot will generate proof-of-concept evidence on whether adaptive accessible consent improves participant comprehension, confidence, and trust compared with standard text-based consent. It will also produce practical implementation guidance to support broader adoption in Australian research settings. 📌 Status Current research status 👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Professor Charmine Hartel, Distinguished Professor & Director, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash University Monash Business School 2026 ECA Research Grant Ongoing Internal [\"inclusive_technologies\", \"accessibility_research\", \"human_aspects_se\"]", "collection": "grants", "date": "2026-04-28" } , { "title": "Virtual Pathways to Employment for People with Disabilities in Monash", "url": "/grants/virtual-pathways-employment-monash", "content": "🤝 Project collaboration Waverley Social Enterprises - funded organisation Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Professor Charmine Hartel, Director, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University 💲 Funding details City of Monash 2026/27 Monash Community Grants & Partnerships Program AU$10,000 cash funding, excluding GST Awarded to Waverley Social Enterprises Award approved: 26 May 2026; award letter issued: 2 June 2026 Planned delivery and reporting period: June to December 2026 🎓 Project summary This City of Monash-supported project will create a workplace-ready virtual-reality experience for secondary-school students with disabilities. It focuses on helping students explore pathways towards open employment before they enter an unfamiliar workplace. The project may include soft-skill development, workplace preparation, and accessible VR learning activities that build confidence and understanding of employment settings. Relevant material from the State Trustees-funded VR-ELOVATE work may be reused where appropriate, but this is a separate project with its own scope, module, budget, contract, and reporting requirements. 🎯 Key activities Shape the project scope with Waverley Social Enterprises and the Opportunity Tech Lab. Design an accessible VR learning experience for students in pre-employment pathways. Develop and deliver a new module under the City of Monash grant conditions. Complete project reporting within the December 2026 acquittal period. 📊 Wei Wang’s contribution Wei contributes to project scoping, co-design planning, and the design of an accessible workplace-ready VR learning experience. Her role also supports coordination between Waverley Social Enterprises and the Opportunity Tech Lab for the Monash delivery pathway.", "excerpt": "🤝 Project collaboration Waverley Social Enterprises - funded organisation Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Professor Charmine Hartel, Director, Opportunity Tec...", "searchable": "🤝 Project collaboration Waverley Social Enterprises - funded organisation Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Professor Charmine Hartel, Director, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University 💲 Funding details City of Monash 2026/27 Monash Community Grants & Partnerships Program AU$10,000 cash funding, excluding GST Awarded to Waverley Social Enterprises Award approved: 26 May 2026; award letter issued: 2 June 2026 Planned delivery and reporting period: June to December 2026 🎓 Project summary This City of Monash-supported project will create a workplace-ready virtual-reality experience for secondary-school students with disabilities. It focuses on helping students explore pathways towards open employment before they enter an unfamiliar workplace. The project may include soft-skill development, workplace preparation, and accessible VR learning activities that build confidence and understanding of employment settings. Relevant material from the State Trustees-funded VR-ELOVATE work may be reused where appropriate, but this is a separate project with its own scope, module, budget, contract, and reporting requirements. 🎯 Key activities Shape the project scope with Waverley Social Enterprises and the Opportunity Tech Lab. Design an accessible VR learning experience for students in pre-employment pathways. Develop and deliver a new module under the City of Monash grant conditions. Complete project reporting within the December 2026 acquittal period. 📊 Wei Wang’s contribution Wei contributes to project scoping, co-design planning, and the design of an accessible workplace-ready VR learning experience. Her role also supports coordination between Waverley Social Enterprises and the Opportunity Tech Lab for the Monash delivery pathway. 🤝 Project collaboration Waverley Social Enterprises - funded organisation Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University Professor Charmine Hartel, Director, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School, Monash University City of Monash 2026/27 Monash Community Grants & Partnerships Program Ongoing External [\"inclusive_technologies\", \"accessibility_research\"]", "collection": "grants", "date": "2026-06-02" } , { "title": "STAR Fellowship (Primary Care): Stepped Technology Support for Anxiety-free Public Dentistry", "url": "/grants/star-primary-care", "content": "👤 Investigators Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow in Primary Care Research, Monash University Libby Callaway, Associate Professor, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living Research Centre, Monash University Jonathan Bredin, disability advocate and lived-experience co-investigator Alice Urban, Director of Integrated Care and Dental, Peninsula Health Charmine E. J. Hartel, Professor, Monash Business School Impact Labs Kristian Rotaru, Professor, Monash Business School Impact Labs Kadek Satriadi, Lecturer, Department of Human Centred Computing, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Monash Business School Impact Labs / Opportunity Tech Lab ecosystem Jane Blandy, Senior Occupational Therapist and disability practice advisor 💲 Funding details Monash Partners STAR Fellowship for Primary Care Research Up to AU$60,000 over one year Fellowship support includes protected research time, implementation science training, dissemination, and publication costs. Planned fellowship period: July 2026 to July 2027. 🎓 Project summary This STAR Fellowship supports a pragmatic two-site pilot of a stepped technology support package for adults with cognitive disabilities attending public dental clinics. The package includes headphones with calming audio, low-motion tablet-based audiovisual content, and passive VR relaxation content for clients who prefer it and are clinically suitable. The project responds to a practical primary care problem: adults with cognitive disabilities can experience dental anxiety, sensory overload, communication barriers, and difficulty completing routine care. These barriers may lead to missed appointments, incomplete treatment, rebooking, or escalation to higher-cost care pathways. The study will be implemented at Seaford Community Dental and Hastings Community Dental. It will examine feasibility, acceptability, workflow fit, and value-based service outcomes, including treatment completion, rebooking/no-show patterns, appointment duration, staff time, and patient-centred outcomes where feasible. 🎯 Key aims Co-design accessible delivery procedures, including supported decision-making materials. Implement the stepped package in two community dental clinics using routine staff delivery and embedded booking pathways. Evaluate feasibility, acceptability, workflow integration, treatment completion, rebooking/no-show patterns, appointment duration, staff time, anxiety, and perceived helpfulness. Produce a clinic-ready implementation package, service-focused business case, and grant-ready protocol for future scale-up. 📊 Wei Wang’s role Wei contributes implementation data, usability, and human-computer interaction expertise. Her role supports user-centred implementation logging, acceptability and usability capture, digital workflow tooling, and mixed-methods synthesis to produce the implementation package and business case evidence.", "excerpt": "👤 Investigators Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow in Primary Care Research, Monash University Libby Callaway, Associate Professor, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living Research Centre, Monash University Jonatha...", "searchable": "👤 Investigators Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow in Primary Care Research, Monash University Libby Callaway, Associate Professor, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living Research Centre, Monash University Jonathan Bredin, disability advocate and lived-experience co-investigator Alice Urban, Director of Integrated Care and Dental, Peninsula Health Charmine E. J. Hartel, Professor, Monash Business School Impact Labs Kristian Rotaru, Professor, Monash Business School Impact Labs Kadek Satriadi, Lecturer, Department of Human Centred Computing, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Monash Business School Impact Labs / Opportunity Tech Lab ecosystem Jane Blandy, Senior Occupational Therapist and disability practice advisor 💲 Funding details Monash Partners STAR Fellowship for Primary Care Research Up to AU$60,000 over one year Fellowship support includes protected research time, implementation science training, dissemination, and publication costs. Planned fellowship period: July 2026 to July 2027. 🎓 Project summary This STAR Fellowship supports a pragmatic two-site pilot of a stepped technology support package for adults with cognitive disabilities attending public dental clinics. The package includes headphones with calming audio, low-motion tablet-based audiovisual content, and passive VR relaxation content for clients who prefer it and are clinically suitable. The project responds to a practical primary care problem: adults with cognitive disabilities can experience dental anxiety, sensory overload, communication barriers, and difficulty completing routine care. These barriers may lead to missed appointments, incomplete treatment, rebooking, or escalation to higher-cost care pathways. The study will be implemented at Seaford Community Dental and Hastings Community Dental. It will examine feasibility, acceptability, workflow fit, and value-based service outcomes, including treatment completion, rebooking/no-show patterns, appointment duration, staff time, and patient-centred outcomes where feasible. 🎯 Key aims Co-design accessible delivery procedures, including supported decision-making materials. Implement the stepped package in two community dental clinics using routine staff delivery and embedded booking pathways. Evaluate feasibility, acceptability, workflow integration, treatment completion, rebooking/no-show patterns, appointment duration, staff time, anxiety, and perceived helpfulness. Produce a clinic-ready implementation package, service-focused business case, and grant-ready protocol for future scale-up. 📊 Wei Wang’s role Wei contributes implementation data, usability, and human-computer interaction expertise. Her role supports user-centred implementation logging, acceptability and usability capture, digital workflow tooling, and mixed-methods synthesis to produce the implementation package and business case evidence. 👤 Investigators Trung Dung Bui, Research Fellow in Primary Care Research, Monash University Libby Callaway, Associate Professor, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living Research Centre, Monash University Jonathan Bredin, disability advocate and lived-experience co-investigator Alice Urban, Director of Integrated Care and Dental, Peninsula Health Charmine E. J. Hartel, Professor, Monash Business School Impact Labs Kristian Rotaru, Professor, Monash Business School Impact Labs Kadek Satriadi, Lecturer, Department of Human Centred Computing, Monash University Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Monash Business School Impact Labs / Opportunity Tech Lab ecosystem Jane Blandy, Senior Occupational Therapist and disability practice advisor Monash Partners STAR Fellowship for Primary Care Research Ongoing External [\"digital_health\", \"accessibility_research\", \"inclusive_technologies\"]", "collection": "grants", "date": "2026-06-05" } , { "title": "Partner-engaged AI for Inclusive Virtual-Reality Employment Training", "url": "/grants/partner-engaged-ai-vr-employment", "content": "👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Monash Business School, Monash University Professor Charmine Hartel, Monash Business School Impact Labs / Opportunity Tech Lab Associate Professor Dmitry Malov, Monash University 💲 Funding details Monash Business School 2026 AI in Research Industry Collaboration Grant AU$10,000 awarded Funding period: 15 June 2026 to 15 December 2026 🤝 Industry collaboration This project works with CSIRO as an industry collaboration partner. The collaboration brings expertise in responsible AI, AI engineering, privacy, governance, human-in-the-loop validation, and bias and fairness considerations. 🎓 Project summary This grant supports a proof-of-concept project on partner-engaged AI for inclusive virtual-reality employment training. The project focuses on the responsible development of AI-enabled VR training for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other neurodivergent users. The project will strengthen VRelovate, the Opportunity Tech Lab’s inclusive VR training platform, by defining responsible AI use cases, governance requirements, validation processes, and partner-facing outputs. The work will examine how AI can support VR employment training while protecting privacy, fairness, safety, and human oversight. The project also supports a future pathway to larger partner-engaged external funding, such as ARC Linkage or equivalent schemes. 🎯 Key aims Define responsible AI use cases for inclusive VR employment training. Develop governance and validation outputs for VRelovate. Review privacy, bias, fairness, and human-in-the-loop considerations. Produce partner-facing outputs that support future implementation and external funding. 📊 Wei Wang’s role Wei leads the project direction across inclusive technology, responsible AI, and human-centred validation. Her role supports project design, partner-engaged outputs, and the translation pathway for future funding and implementation. 📌 Status Current research status", "excerpt": "👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Monash Business School, Monash University Professor Charmine Hartel, Monash Business School Impact Labs / Opportunity Tech Lab Associate Professor Dmitry Malov, Monash Univer...", "searchable": "👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Monash Business School, Monash University Professor Charmine Hartel, Monash Business School Impact Labs / Opportunity Tech Lab Associate Professor Dmitry Malov, Monash University 💲 Funding details Monash Business School 2026 AI in Research Industry Collaboration Grant AU$10,000 awarded Funding period: 15 June 2026 to 15 December 2026 🤝 Industry collaboration This project works with CSIRO as an industry collaboration partner. The collaboration brings expertise in responsible AI, AI engineering, privacy, governance, human-in-the-loop validation, and bias and fairness considerations. 🎓 Project summary This grant supports a proof-of-concept project on partner-engaged AI for inclusive virtual-reality employment training. The project focuses on the responsible development of AI-enabled VR training for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other neurodivergent users. The project will strengthen VRelovate, the Opportunity Tech Lab’s inclusive VR training platform, by defining responsible AI use cases, governance requirements, validation processes, and partner-facing outputs. The work will examine how AI can support VR employment training while protecting privacy, fairness, safety, and human oversight. The project also supports a future pathway to larger partner-engaged external funding, such as ARC Linkage or equivalent schemes. 🎯 Key aims Define responsible AI use cases for inclusive VR employment training. Develop governance and validation outputs for VRelovate. Review privacy, bias, fairness, and human-in-the-loop considerations. Produce partner-facing outputs that support future implementation and external funding. 📊 Wei Wang’s role Wei leads the project direction across inclusive technology, responsible AI, and human-centred validation. Her role supports project design, partner-engaged outputs, and the translation pathway for future funding and implementation. 📌 Status Current research status 👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Monash Business School, Monash University Professor Charmine Hartel, Monash Business School Impact Labs / Opportunity Tech Lab Associate Professor Dmitry Malov, Monash University Monash Business School 2026 AI in Research Industry Collaboration Grant Ongoing Internal [\"ai_virtual_reality\", \"human_aspects_re_ai\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"accessibility_research\"]", "collection": "grants", "date": "2026-06-15" } , { "title": "VRelovate Demo-Readiness Technical Support for High-Value External Engagement", "url": "/grants/vrelovate-demo-readiness-2026", "content": "👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School Professor Charmine Hartel, Director, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School 💲 Funding details Impact Labs Engagement Grants, Round 2 2026 AU$6,000 for time-limited technical support and demonstration-readiness costs Planned activity period: June to October 2026 🎓 Project summary This grant supports technical work to make VRelovate reliable for high-value external demonstrations, including the Impact Labs Showcase, National Disability Summit engagement, partner visits, and future funder conversations. The project focuses on practical demo-readiness for existing VRelovate modules and available OTL devices rather than new hardware. The work will clarify what can be demonstrated reliably, reduce live-demonstration risk, and give OTL staff a repeatable workflow for disability-sector, government, philanthropic, and industry stakeholders. It will turn existing modules into a clearer external engagement workflow with technical checks, facilitator guidance, troubleshooting notes, and handover documentation.", "excerpt": "👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School Professor Charmine Hartel, Director, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School", "searchable": "👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School Professor Charmine Hartel, Director, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School 💲 Funding details Impact Labs Engagement Grants, Round 2 2026 AU$6,000 for time-limited technical support and demonstration-readiness costs Planned activity period: June to October 2026 🎓 Project summary This grant supports technical work to make VRelovate reliable for high-value external demonstrations, including the Impact Labs Showcase, National Disability Summit engagement, partner visits, and future funder conversations. The project focuses on practical demo-readiness for existing VRelovate modules and available OTL devices rather than new hardware. The work will clarify what can be demonstrated reliably, reduce live-demonstration risk, and give OTL staff a repeatable workflow for disability-sector, government, philanthropic, and industry stakeholders. It will turn existing modules into a clearer external engagement workflow with technical checks, facilitator guidance, troubleshooting notes, and handover documentation. 👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School Professor Charmine Hartel, Director, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School Impact Labs Engagement Grants, Round 2 2026 Ongoing Internal [\"ai_virtual_reality\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"accessibility_research\", \"human_aspects_se\"]", "collection": "grants", "date": "2026-06-18" } , { "title": "Portable VRelovate Showcase Platform for National Disability Summit Engagement", "url": "/grants/vrelovate-summit-showcase-2026", "content": "👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School Professor Charmine Hartel, Director, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School 💲 Funding details Impact Labs Engagement Grants, Round 2 2026 AU$18,872.70 for the summit showcase platform Wallara confirmed a separate AU$1,000 co-sponsorship contribution Planned activity period: June to October 2026 🎓 Project summary This grant supports a portable VRelovate showcase platform for Opportunity Tech Lab engagement at the National Disability Summit at Crown Promenade Melbourne in September 2026. The showcase will use existing VRelovate modules, current OTL headsets, and portable demonstration materials to present OTL’s disability, workplace participation, and inclusive technology work to external stakeholders. The summit provides a concentrated external engagement setting where OTL can demonstrate its applied research capability, identify prospective partners and funders, and build pathways toward future applied research, philanthropic support, and external funding bids. The portable showcase framing makes the investment reusable beyond a single event through prepared demonstration workflows, materials, and follow-up processes. 🤝 Partner engagement Wallara is a key partner connected to the VRelovate work and confirmed co-sponsorship support for the showcase. The partner-facing component strengthens conversations about open employment pathways, supported employee transition, and the practical value of VRelovate in disability employment settings.", "excerpt": "👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School Professor Charmine Hartel, Director, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School", "searchable": "👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School Professor Charmine Hartel, Director, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School 💲 Funding details Impact Labs Engagement Grants, Round 2 2026 AU$18,872.70 for the summit showcase platform Wallara confirmed a separate AU$1,000 co-sponsorship contribution Planned activity period: June to October 2026 🎓 Project summary This grant supports a portable VRelovate showcase platform for Opportunity Tech Lab engagement at the National Disability Summit at Crown Promenade Melbourne in September 2026. The showcase will use existing VRelovate modules, current OTL headsets, and portable demonstration materials to present OTL’s disability, workplace participation, and inclusive technology work to external stakeholders. The summit provides a concentrated external engagement setting where OTL can demonstrate its applied research capability, identify prospective partners and funders, and build pathways toward future applied research, philanthropic support, and external funding bids. The portable showcase framing makes the investment reusable beyond a single event through prepared demonstration workflows, materials, and follow-up processes. 🤝 Partner engagement Wallara is a key partner connected to the VRelovate work and confirmed co-sponsorship support for the showcase. The partner-facing component strengthens conversations about open employment pathways, supported employee transition, and the practical value of VRelovate in disability employment settings. 👤 Investigators Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School Professor Charmine Hartel, Director, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash Business School Impact Labs Engagement Grants, Round 2 2026 Ongoing Internal [\"ai_virtual_reality\", \"inclusive_technologies\", \"accessibility_research\", \"human_aspects_se\"]", "collection": "grants", "date": "2026-06-18" } , { "title": "Improving Inclusion and Retention of Neurodivergent Women in the IT Industry through Evidence-Based Socio-Technical Practices", "url": "/grants/fit-edi-research-fund-2026", "content": "👤 Investigators Isma Farah Siddiqui, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Dulaji Hidellaarachchi, School of Computing Technologies, RMIT University Munazza Zaib, Western Sydney University Wei Wang, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash University Christina Burke Broderick, University of Melbourne 💲 Funding details 2026 FIT EDI Research Fund, Monash University AU$3,000 🎓 Project summary This project builds on the Invisible Coders research to deepen understanding of the experiences of neurodivergent women in software engineering and IT workplaces. Using a socio-technical grounded theory approach, the team will examine how communication practices, workplace culture, team interactions, software-development tools, and engineering workflows interact to shape inclusion, participation, retention, and career progression. The research will translate these findings into practical recommendations for more inclusive workplace policies, team practices, and engineering cultures. 🔍 Funding-supported activities Research Assistant support for interview-data analysis Socio-technical grounded-theory coding and analytical documentation Preparation of evidence for reporting and publication Publication and dissemination activities 📌 Status Funding will be used during 2026. Project outcomes may continue into 2027, including a planned submission to ICSE 2027. Current research status", "excerpt": "👤 Investigators Isma Farah Siddiqui, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Dulaji Hidellaarachchi, School of Computing Technologies, RMIT University Munazza Zaib, Western Sydney University Wei Wang, Opp...", "searchable": "👤 Investigators Isma Farah Siddiqui, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Dulaji Hidellaarachchi, School of Computing Technologies, RMIT University Munazza Zaib, Western Sydney University Wei Wang, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash University Christina Burke Broderick, University of Melbourne 💲 Funding details 2026 FIT EDI Research Fund, Monash University AU$3,000 🎓 Project summary This project builds on the Invisible Coders research to deepen understanding of the experiences of neurodivergent women in software engineering and IT workplaces. Using a socio-technical grounded theory approach, the team will examine how communication practices, workplace culture, team interactions, software-development tools, and engineering workflows interact to shape inclusion, participation, retention, and career progression. The research will translate these findings into practical recommendations for more inclusive workplace policies, team practices, and engineering cultures. 🔍 Funding-supported activities Research Assistant support for interview-data analysis Socio-technical grounded-theory coding and analytical documentation Preparation of evidence for reporting and publication Publication and dissemination activities 📌 Status Funding will be used during 2026. Project outcomes may continue into 2027, including a planned submission to ICSE 2027. Current research status 👤 Investigators Isma Farah Siddiqui, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Dulaji Hidellaarachchi, School of Computing Technologies, RMIT University Munazza Zaib, Western Sydney University Wei Wang, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash University Christina Burke Broderick, University of Melbourne 2026 FIT EDI Research Fund, Monash University Ongoing Internal [\"accessibility_research\", \"human_aspects_se\", \"inclusive_technologies\"]", "collection": "grants", "date": "2026-08-05" } , { "title": "ECA Research Training Grant 2026", "url": "/grants/eca-research-training-grant-2026", "content": "👤 Award recipient Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash University 💲 Funding details Monash Business School ECA Research Training Grant Scheme AU$1,918 Awarded 31 August 2026 for online training undertaken from September to December 2026 🎓 Advanced research training programme This individual award supports a staged programme of advanced AI research training across four complementary areas: multimodal-agent development through the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute; production AI-agent engineering through the Udacity AI Engineering with Claude Nanodegree; advanced Google Cloud, Gemini and Vertex AI laboratories; and production deployment and evaluation of retrieval-augmented generation systems through NVIDIA DLI. The programme focuses on practical engineering, rigorous evaluation, secure deployment, responsible scaling, and human oversight rather than introductory AI use. 🔬 Research capability and impact The training will strengthen my ability to assess whether an AI-enabled research concept can be built, grounded in appropriate data, evaluated rigorously, deployed securely, and scaled responsibly. This capability supports the Opportunity Tech Lab’s research on inclusive digital and immersive technologies for participation, learning, and employment, while strengthening the technical feasibility arguments used in future grant applications. 📋 Planned outputs A small, human-centred and privacy-conscious multimodal demonstrator for an Opportunity Tech Lab accessibility or participation challenge. A reusable feasibility checklist covering architecture, data, privacy, accessibility, evaluation, deployment, maintenance, and scaling. A short team briefing that shares the technical learning across the Opportunity Tech Lab.", "excerpt": "👤 Award recipient", "searchable": "👤 Award recipient Wei Wang, Research Fellow, Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash University 💲 Funding details Monash Business School ECA Research Training Grant Scheme AU$1,918 Awarded 31 August 2026 for online training undertaken from September to December 2026 🎓 Advanced research training programme This individual award supports a staged programme of advanced AI research training across four complementary areas: multimodal-agent development through the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute; production AI-agent engineering through the Udacity AI Engineering with Claude Nanodegree; advanced Google Cloud, Gemini and Vertex AI laboratories; and production deployment and evaluation of retrieval-augmented generation systems through NVIDIA DLI. The programme focuses on practical engineering, rigorous evaluation, secure deployment, responsible scaling, and human oversight rather than introductory AI use. 🔬 Research capability and impact The training will strengthen my ability to assess whether an AI-enabled research concept can be built, grounded in appropriate data, evaluated rigorously, deployed securely, and scaled responsibly. This capability supports the Opportunity Tech Lab’s research on inclusive digital and immersive technologies for participation, learning, and employment, while strengthening the technical feasibility arguments used in future grant applications. 📋 Planned outputs A small, human-centred and privacy-conscious multimodal demonstrator for an Opportunity Tech Lab accessibility or participation challenge. A reusable feasibility checklist covering architecture, data, privacy, accessibility, evaluation, deployment, maintenance, and scaling. A short team briefing that shares the technical learning across the Opportunity Tech Lab. 👤 Award recipient Monash Business School ECA Research Training Grant Scheme Ongoing Internal [\"human_aspects_re_ai\", \"empirical_se_methods\", \"inclusive_technologies\"]", "collection": "grants", "date": "2026-08-31" } , { "title": "SAF Impact Report and Knowledge Translation Package", "url": "/grants/saf-impact-report-knowledge-translation-2026", "content": "👤 Grant recipients Wei Wang, Research Fellow, OPPORTUNITY TECH LAB, Monash Business School Professor Charmine Hartel, Director, OPPORTUNITY TECH LAB, Monash Business School 💲 Funding details Impact Labs Engagement Grants, Round 3 2026, Monash Business School AU$4,911.50 including GST Approved on 25 September 2026 📖 Accessible research communication This grant supports a designed accessible SAF impact report and Easy Read companion. The package aims to make research information easier to understand and use through accessible formats and plain language.", "excerpt": "👤 Grant recipients", "searchable": "👤 Grant recipients Wei Wang, Research Fellow, OPPORTUNITY TECH LAB, Monash Business School Professor Charmine Hartel, Director, OPPORTUNITY TECH LAB, Monash Business School 💲 Funding details Impact Labs Engagement Grants, Round 3 2026, Monash Business School AU$4,911.50 including GST Approved on 25 September 2026 📖 Accessible research communication This grant supports a designed accessible SAF impact report and Easy Read companion. The package aims to make research information easier to understand and use through accessible formats and plain language. 👤 Grant recipients Impact Labs Engagement Grants, Round 3 2026, Monash Business School Ongoing Internal [\"inclusive_technologies\", \"accessibility_research\", \"ai_virtual_reality\"]", "collection": "grants", "date": "2026-09-25" } , { "title": "Value-Based Dental Care for Adults with Cognitive Disability", "url": "/grants/iris-value-based-dental-care-2026", "content": "👤 Grant recipients Professor Charmine E. J. Härtel Professor Kristian Rotaru Dr Trung Dung Bui Professor Libby Callaway Dr Wei Wang Dr Kadek Satriadi 💲 Funding details Industry Research Incentive Scheme (IRIS), Monash Business School AU$40,000 awarded 🎓 Project overview This project will co-design and pilot a disability-inclusive model of dental care at the Seaford and Hastings community dental clinics. It focuses on practical support for adults with cognitive disability who experience anxiety, sensory overload or communication barriers during dental visits. The study will examine both patient experience and the resources needed to deliver support within routine public dental services. 🎧 Support matched to the person The pilot will use a stepped approach, beginning with the least burdensome option: calming audio through headphones, followed by tablet-based, low-motion visual distraction, and virtual reality relaxation content where clinically appropriate and preferred by the patient. Patient choice and communication with the dental team are central to the model. People with lived experience, researchers and clinic staff will help refine supported decision-making resources, safety screening, infection-control procedures, staff guidance and workflow prompts before the package is tested in routine clinic sessions. 🔎 What the study will evaluate Patient and carer experience: acceptability of the support and experiences of dental care. Access and treatment: treatment completion, rebooking, non-attendance and indicators of escalation to more intensive care. Implementation: uptake, consistency of delivery, staff experience and compatibility with clinic workflows. Service value: appointment duration, resource use and the costs and consequences of delivering the support. 🤝 Project partners Bayside Health Peninsula Care Group Community Dental is the clinical implementation partner, bringing the two clinic settings and expertise in service delivery. Wallara contributes disability inclusion and community engagement expertise to help make project resources and evaluation accessible. 📖 Planned outputs The project aims to produce a two-site pilot dataset, a practical clinic toolkit and a cost-consequence business case that sets out the resources required alongside patient and service outcomes. The toolkit will include communication supports, staff guidance, safety procedures and implementation monitoring tools. These outputs are intended to inform service adoption and the design of a future larger study; benefits will be evaluated through the pilot.", "excerpt": "👤 Grant recipients", "searchable": "👤 Grant recipients Professor Charmine E. J. Härtel Professor Kristian Rotaru Dr Trung Dung Bui Professor Libby Callaway Dr Wei Wang Dr Kadek Satriadi 💲 Funding details Industry Research Incentive Scheme (IRIS), Monash Business School AU$40,000 awarded 🎓 Project overview This project will co-design and pilot a disability-inclusive model of dental care at the Seaford and Hastings community dental clinics. It focuses on practical support for adults with cognitive disability who experience anxiety, sensory overload or communication barriers during dental visits. The study will examine both patient experience and the resources needed to deliver support within routine public dental services. 🎧 Support matched to the person The pilot will use a stepped approach, beginning with the least burdensome option: calming audio through headphones, followed by tablet-based, low-motion visual distraction, and virtual reality relaxation content where clinically appropriate and preferred by the patient. Patient choice and communication with the dental team are central to the model. People with lived experience, researchers and clinic staff will help refine supported decision-making resources, safety screening, infection-control procedures, staff guidance and workflow prompts before the package is tested in routine clinic sessions. 🔎 What the study will evaluate Patient and carer experience: acceptability of the support and experiences of dental care. Access and treatment: treatment completion, rebooking, non-attendance and indicators of escalation to more intensive care. Implementation: uptake, consistency of delivery, staff experience and compatibility with clinic workflows. Service value: appointment duration, resource use and the costs and consequences of delivering the support. 🤝 Project partners Bayside Health Peninsula Care Group Community Dental is the clinical implementation partner, bringing the two clinic settings and expertise in service delivery. Wallara contributes disability inclusion and community engagement expertise to help make project resources and evaluation accessible. 📖 Planned outputs The project aims to produce a two-site pilot dataset, a practical clinic toolkit and a cost-consequence business case that sets out the resources required alongside patient and service outcomes. The toolkit will include communication supports, staff guidance, safety procedures and implementation monitoring tools. These outputs are intended to inform service adoption and the design of a future larger study; benefits will be evaluated through the pilot. 👤 Grant recipients Industry Research Incentive Scheme (IRIS), Monash Business School Ongoing Internal [\"digital_health\", \"accessibility_research\"]", "collection": "grants", "date": "2026-09-30" } , { "title": "Poster session on Adaptive user interface and mHealth in mHealth domain", "url": "/talks/2023-10-06", "content": "More information for the Poster", "excerpt": "More information for the Poster", "searchable": "More information for the Poster More information for the Poster 2023 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC) Conference []", "collection": "talks", "date": "2023-10-06" } , { "title": "Talk on Adaptive user interface and mHealth", "url": "/talks/2024-03-18", "content": "🎤 Session Overview e-Health interventions hold promise for supporting the self-management of chronic diseases, yet their limited use remains a problem. Given the significant variability among individuals with chronic diseases, tailored approaches are important. Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) may help to address the diverse and evolving needs of this demographic. The speaker will discuss some of their recently published research in this important space. More information for the ADAM", "excerpt": "🎤 Session Overview e-Health interventions hold promise for supporting the self-management of chronic diseases, yet their limited use remains a problem. Given the significant variability among individuals with chronic ...", "searchable": "🎤 Session Overview e-Health interventions hold promise for supporting the self-management of chronic diseases, yet their limited use remains a problem. Given the significant variability among individuals with chronic diseases, tailored approaches are important. Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) may help to address the diverse and evolving needs of this demographic. The speaker will discuss some of their recently published research in this important space. More information for the ADAM 🎤 Session Overview e-Health interventions hold promise for supporting the self-management of chronic diseases, yet their limited use remains a problem. Given the significant variability among individuals with chronic diseases, tailored approaches are important. Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) may help to address the diverse and evolving needs of this demographic. The speaker will discuss some of their recently published research in this important space. Alliance for Digital health at Monash (ADAM) Invited Talk []", "collection": "talks", "date": "2024-03-18" } , { "title": "Adaptive User Interfaces for Software Supporting Chronic Disease", "url": "/talks/2024-04-19", "content": "🎤 Session Overview mHealth interventions hold promise for supporting the self management of chronic diseases, yet their limited use remains a problem. Given the significant variability among individuals with chronic diseases, tailored approaches are imperative. Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) may help to address the diverse and evolving needs of this demographic. Read more", "excerpt": "🎤 Session Overview mHealth interventions hold promise for supporting the self management of chronic diseases, yet their limited use remains a problem. Given the significant variability among individuals with chronic d...", "searchable": "🎤 Session Overview mHealth interventions hold promise for supporting the self management of chronic diseases, yet their limited use remains a problem. Given the significant variability among individuals with chronic diseases, tailored approaches are imperative. Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) may help to address the diverse and evolving needs of this demographic. Read more 🎤 Session Overview mHealth interventions hold promise for supporting the self management of chronic diseases, yet their limited use remains a problem. Given the significant variability among individuals with chronic diseases, tailored approaches are imperative. Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) may help to address the diverse and evolving needs of this demographic. 46th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE2024) Conference []", "collection": "talks", "date": "2024-04-19" } , { "title": "Adaptive User Interfaces", "url": "/talks/2024-04-23", "content": "", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "Universitat Politecnica de Valencia and Tecnologico de Informática (ITI) Invited Talk []", "collection": "talks", "date": "2024-04-23" } , { "title": "Research visit at UPV", "url": "/talks/2024-05-07", "content": "🎤 Session Overview The research visit at the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV) focused on exploring advancements in adaptive user interfaces and seeking collaboration opportunities between the Humanise Lab and ResQuE Lab. The session aimed to exchange insights and ideas with leading researchers in the field. 📅 Date and Location The visit took place between April 22-25, 2024, at the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain. Additionally, we visited Tecnologico de Informática (ITI), a mixed (public and private) Technological Center dedicated to Research, Development, and Innovation in Information and Communications Technologies. 👥 Hosts The session was hosted by Dr. Emilio Insfran and Dr. Silvia Abrahão, renowned researchers in the areas of software engineering and human-computer interaction. 🎯 Purpose The visit was part of my academic research to enhance my understanding of adaptive user interfaces. It provided an opportunity to collaborate with experts and gain valuable insights into the latest developments in the field. 💡 Key Takeaways The visit was incredibly insightful, offering a deep dive into the practical applications of adaptive user interfaces in different domains. I gained valuable knowledge about innovative research methodologies and potential areas for collaboration.", "excerpt": "🎤 Session Overview The research visit at the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV) focused on exploring advancements in adaptive user interfaces and seeking collaboration opportunities between the Humanise Lab and...", "searchable": "🎤 Session Overview The research visit at the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV) focused on exploring advancements in adaptive user interfaces and seeking collaboration opportunities between the Humanise Lab and ResQuE Lab. The session aimed to exchange insights and ideas with leading researchers in the field. 📅 Date and Location The visit took place between April 22-25, 2024, at the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain. Additionally, we visited Tecnologico de Informática (ITI), a mixed (public and private) Technological Center dedicated to Research, Development, and Innovation in Information and Communications Technologies. 👥 Hosts The session was hosted by Dr. Emilio Insfran and Dr. Silvia Abrahão, renowned researchers in the areas of software engineering and human-computer interaction. 🎯 Purpose The visit was part of my academic research to enhance my understanding of adaptive user interfaces. It provided an opportunity to collaborate with experts and gain valuable insights into the latest developments in the field. 💡 Key Takeaways The visit was incredibly insightful, offering a deep dive into the practical applications of adaptive user interfaces in different domains. I gained valuable knowledge about innovative research methodologies and potential areas for collaboration. 🎤 Session Overview The research visit at the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV) focused on exploring advancements in adaptive user interfaces and seeking collaboration opportunities between the Humanise Lab and ResQuE Lab. The session aimed to exchange insights and ideas with leading researchers in the field. Humanise Lab, Monash University Invited Talk []", "collection": "talks", "date": "2024-05-07" } , { "title": "Monash 3MT", "url": "/talks/2024-06-20", "content": "", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "Monash 3MT Other []", "collection": "talks", "date": "2024-08-04" } , { "title": "Monash Open Day", "url": "/talks/2024-08-04", "content": "", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "Monash Open day 2024 Other []", "collection": "talks", "date": "2024-08-04" } , { "title": "Poster", "url": "/talks/2024-09-01", "content": "🎤 Session Overview As software systems become more complex, some users find it challenging to use these tools efficiently, leading to frustration and decreased productivity. We tackle the shortcomings of conventional user support mechanisms in software and aim to create and assess a user support system that integrates Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs) for producing support messages. 📅 Date and Location The visit took place between Mon 2 - Fri 6 September 2024, Liverpool, United Kingdom 👥 Hosts IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing. 🎯 Purpose Conference poster", "excerpt": "🎤 Session Overview As software systems become more complex, some users find it challenging to use these tools efficiently, leading to frustration and decreased productivity. We tackle the shortcomings of conventional ...", "searchable": "🎤 Session Overview As software systems become more complex, some users find it challenging to use these tools efficiently, leading to frustration and decreased productivity. We tackle the shortcomings of conventional user support mechanisms in software and aim to create and assess a user support system that integrates Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs) for producing support messages. 📅 Date and Location The visit took place between Mon 2 - Fri 6 September 2024, Liverpool, United Kingdom 👥 Hosts IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing. 🎯 Purpose Conference poster 🎤 Session Overview As software systems become more complex, some users find it challenging to use these tools efficiently, leading to frustration and decreased productivity. We tackle the shortcomings of conventional user support mechanisms in software and aim to create and assess a user support system that integrates Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs) for producing support messages. VLHCC 2024 Conference []", "collection": "talks", "date": "2024-09-02" } , { "title": "Workshop Presentation", "url": "/talks/2024-09-02", "content": "🎤 Session Overview This paper shares insights from our first-hand experience with key recruitment challenges encountered in software engineering research, focusing on two distinct participant groups: end-users and software practitioners. By conducting a reflective analysis, we emphasise the particular challenges we faced when engaging these groups during empirical study recruitment phases. 📅 Date and Location The visit took place between Mon 2 - Fri 6 September 2024, Liverpool, United Kingdom 👥 Hosts IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing. 🎯 Purpose Conference workshop", "excerpt": "🎤 Session Overview This paper shares insights from our first-hand experience with key recruitment challenges encountered in software engineering research, focusing on two distinct participant groups: end-users and sof...", "searchable": "🎤 Session Overview This paper shares insights from our first-hand experience with key recruitment challenges encountered in software engineering research, focusing on two distinct participant groups: end-users and software practitioners. By conducting a reflective analysis, we emphasise the particular challenges we faced when engaging these groups during empirical study recruitment phases. 📅 Date and Location The visit took place between Mon 2 - Fri 6 September 2024, Liverpool, United Kingdom 👥 Hosts IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing. 🎯 Purpose Conference workshop 🎤 Session Overview This paper shares insights from our first-hand experience with key recruitment challenges encountered in software engineering research, focusing on two distinct participant groups: end-users and software practitioners. By conducting a reflective analysis, we emphasise the particular challenges we faced when engaging these groups during empirical study recruitment phases. VLHCC 2024 Workshop []", "collection": "talks", "date": "2024-09-02" } , { "title": "National Disability Summit", "url": "/talks/2025-09-19", "content": "🎤 Session Overview This session explores a co-designed Virtual Reality (VR) tool that helps neurodivergent and cognitively impaired individuals transition from Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs) to open employment. By allowing Supported Employees to safely explore job roles in immersive environments tailored to their needs, the tool reduces stress, builds confidence, and enhances career readiness. Learn how this pilot program aims to place 20 individuals into sustainable employment and create a scalable model for inclusive workforce development", "excerpt": "🎤 Session Overview This session explores a co-designed Virtual Reality (VR) tool that helps neurodivergent and cognitively impaired individuals transition from Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs) to open employme...", "searchable": "🎤 Session Overview This session explores a co-designed Virtual Reality (VR) tool that helps neurodivergent and cognitively impaired individuals transition from Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs) to open employment. By allowing Supported Employees to safely explore job roles in immersive environments tailored to their needs, the tool reduces stress, builds confidence, and enhances career readiness. Learn how this pilot program aims to place 20 individuals into sustainable employment and create a scalable model for inclusive workforce development 🎤 Session Overview This session explores a co-designed Virtual Reality (VR) tool that helps neurodivergent and cognitively impaired individuals transition from Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs) to open employment. By allowing Supported Employees to safely explore job roles in immersive environments tailored to their needs, the tool reduces stress, builds confidence, and enhances career readiness. Learn how this pilot program aims to place 20 individuals into sustainable employment and create a scalable model for inclusive workforce development National Disability Summit 2025 Conference []", "collection": "talks", "date": "2025-09-19" } , { "title": "ICSE 2026 Poster Presentation", "url": "/talks/2026-04-13", "content": "🎤 Session overview This ICSE 2026 poster presentation shared our work on accessibility education and inclusive software engineering. The poster presented a pedagogical framework that helps students move from empathy to practical engineering decisions through persona-based activities, guideline-reflection tools, and structured evaluation tasks. 📅 Date and location The presentation took place at the 48th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE 2026), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 🔗 Related publication From Empathy to Engineering: A Pedagogical Framework and its Authentic mHealth Implementation 🔗 Related project From Empathy to Engineering project", "excerpt": "🎤 Session overview This ICSE 2026 poster presentation shared our work on accessibility education and inclusive software engineering. The poster presented a pedagogical framework that helps students move from empathy t...", "searchable": "🎤 Session overview This ICSE 2026 poster presentation shared our work on accessibility education and inclusive software engineering. The poster presented a pedagogical framework that helps students move from empathy to practical engineering decisions through persona-based activities, guideline-reflection tools, and structured evaluation tasks. 📅 Date and location The presentation took place at the 48th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE 2026), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 🔗 Related publication From Empathy to Engineering: A Pedagogical Framework and its Authentic mHealth Implementation 🔗 Related project From Empathy to Engineering project 🎤 Session overview This ICSE 2026 poster presentation shared our work on accessibility education and inclusive software engineering. The poster presented a pedagogical framework that helps students move from empathy to practical engineering decisions through persona-based activities, guideline-reflection tools, and structured evaluation tasks. 48th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE 2026) Conference []", "collection": "talks", "date": "2026-04-13" } , { "title": "ICSE-SEIS 2026 Presentation", "url": "/talks/2026-04-16", "content": "🎤 Session overview This ICSE-SEIS 2026 presentation shared our work on neurodivergent women in software engineering. The paper highlights challenges at the intersection of gender bias and neurodiversity, including underdiagnosis, masking, workplace culture, stress, burnout, and exclusion. 📅 Date and location The presentation took place at the 48th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Software Engineering - Software Engineering in Society (ICSE-SEIS 2026), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 🔗 Related publication Invisible Load: Uncovering the Challenges of Neurodivergent Women in Software Engineering 🔗 Related project NeurodiversiWMag project 🖼️ Presentation visuals", "excerpt": "🎤 Session overview This ICSE-SEIS 2026 presentation shared our work on neurodivergent women in software engineering. The paper highlights challenges at the intersection of gender bias and neurodiversity, including und...", "searchable": "🎤 Session overview This ICSE-SEIS 2026 presentation shared our work on neurodivergent women in software engineering. The paper highlights challenges at the intersection of gender bias and neurodiversity, including underdiagnosis, masking, workplace culture, stress, burnout, and exclusion. 📅 Date and location The presentation took place at the 48th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Software Engineering - Software Engineering in Society (ICSE-SEIS 2026), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 🔗 Related publication Invisible Load: Uncovering the Challenges of Neurodivergent Women in Software Engineering 🔗 Related project NeurodiversiWMag project 🖼️ Presentation visuals 🎤 Session overview This ICSE-SEIS 2026 presentation shared our work on neurodivergent women in software engineering. The paper highlights challenges at the intersection of gender bias and neurodiversity, including underdiagnosis, masking, workplace culture, stress, burnout, and exclusion. 48th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Software Engineering - Software Engineering in Society (ICSE-SEIS 2026) Conference []", "collection": "talks", "date": "2026-04-16" } , { "title": "ISYS90043: Enterprise Applications & Architectures - Tutor", "url": "/teaching/2021E", "content": "👤 Subject coordinator Dr Rod Dilnutt Email: rpd@unimelb.edu.au 📌 Main responsibilities Perform weekly academic teaching for core compulsory subjects of master of information systems. Consultation with students in relation to readings, weekly topics and assessment. Undertake marking and assessment feedback relating to assessment activities, and assessment administration", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "👤 Subject coordinator Dr Rod Dilnutt Email: rpd@unimelb.edu.au 📌 Main responsibilities Perform weekly academic teaching for core compulsory subjects of master of information systems. Consultation with students in relation to readings, weekly topics and assessment. Undertake marking and assessment feedback relating to assessment activities, and assessment administration Computing and Information Systems []", "collection": "teaching", "date": "2021-03-01" } , { "title": "SWEN90014: Masters Software Engineering Project - Project Supervisor", "url": "/teaching/2022", "content": "👤 Subject coordinator Dr Philip Dart Email: philip.dart@unimelb.edu.au 📌 Main responsibilities Supervising software engineering project with a focus on analysis, design, quality assurance activities and management activities within a software engineering process Deliver workshops include selected topics drawn from: requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing and software project management relevant to the phase of the project that students are currently working on", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "👤 Subject coordinator Dr Philip Dart Email: philip.dart@unimelb.edu.au 📌 Main responsibilities Supervising software engineering project with a focus on analysis, design, quality assurance activities and management activities within a software engineering process Deliver workshops include selected topics drawn from: requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing and software project management relevant to the phase of the project that students are currently working on Computing and Information Systems []", "collection": "teaching", "date": "2022-06-01" } , { "title": "COMP90082: Software Project - Project Supervisor", "url": "/teaching/2021", "content": "👤 Subject coordinator Dr Eduardo Araujo Oliveira Email: eduardo.oliveira@unimelb.edu.au Dr Lucy Sparrow Email: lucy.sparrow@unimelb.edu.au 📌 Main responsibilities Perform weekly academic teaching for core compulsory subjects of master of IT (software engineering). Provide advice and guidance for the software projects from the prototype phase to the implementation phase.", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "👤 Subject coordinator Dr Eduardo Araujo Oliveira Email: eduardo.oliveira@unimelb.edu.au Dr Lucy Sparrow Email: lucy.sparrow@unimelb.edu.au 📌 Main responsibilities Perform weekly academic teaching for core compulsory subjects of master of IT (software engineering). Provide advice and guidance for the software projects from the prototype phase to the implementation phase. Computing and Information Systems []", "collection": "teaching", "date": "2023-01-01" } , { "title": "SIT217-Introduction to Software Engineering - Tutor", "url": "/teaching/2023D", "content": "👤 Subject coordinator Dr Hourieh Khalajzadeh Email: hkhalajzadeh@deakin.edu.au 📌 Main responsibilities Assist students in understanding and applying software engineering concepts, including capturing and documenting requirements, software modelling, agile project management, and reflective practice. Stay abreast of advancements in software engineering practices, methodologies, and technologies to enhance teaching effectiveness and relevance. Deliver engaging and interactive tutorials, and practical sessions to undergraduate students in Software Engineering.", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "👤 Subject coordinator Dr Hourieh Khalajzadeh Email: hkhalajzadeh@deakin.edu.au 📌 Main responsibilities Assist students in understanding and applying software engineering concepts, including capturing and documenting requirements, software modelling, agile project management, and reflective practice. Stay abreast of advancements in software engineering practices, methodologies, and technologies to enhance teaching effectiveness and relevance. Deliver engaging and interactive tutorials, and practical sessions to undergraduate students in Software Engineering. Faculty of Sci Eng & Built Env []", "collection": "teaching", "date": "2023-01-01" } , { "title": "SWEN90009: Software Requirements Analysis - Project Supervisor", "url": "/teaching/2023", "content": "👤 Subject coordinator Dr Eduardo Araujo Oliveira Email: eduardo.oliveira@unimelb.edu.au Dr Mansooreh Zahedi Email: mansooreh.zahedi@unimelb.edu.au 📌 Main responsibilities Assist students in applying methods for eliciting, analysing, and specifying system requirements in practical scenarios. Foster a collaborative learning environment by encouraging teamwork among students, particularly in their interactions with clients and stakeholders to elicit requirements. Assist students in prototyping and refining requirements based on client specifications and project objectives and guided students in conducting usability tests to evaluate the effectiveness and user-friendliness of software systems", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "👤 Subject coordinator Dr Eduardo Araujo Oliveira Email: eduardo.oliveira@unimelb.edu.au Dr Mansooreh Zahedi Email: mansooreh.zahedi@unimelb.edu.au 📌 Main responsibilities Assist students in applying methods for eliciting, analysing, and specifying system requirements in practical scenarios. Foster a collaborative learning environment by encouraging teamwork among students, particularly in their interactions with clients and stakeholders to elicit requirements. Assist students in prototyping and refining requirements based on client specifications and project objectives and guided students in conducting usability tests to evaluate the effectiveness and user-friendliness of software systems Computing and Information Systems []", "collection": "teaching", "date": "2023-01-10" } , { "title": "1DCP353030: Human-Computer Interaction - Course Design and Research Collaborator", "url": "/teaching/2025-upr-human-computer-interaction", "content": "🎓 Course 1DCP353030: Interaksi Manusia dan Komputer (Human-Computer Interaction) Three-credit undergraduate course, Semester Ganjil 2025/2026 Department of Informatics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Palangka Raya Course lead: Dr Devi Karolita View the official UPR course listing and curriculum 🧩 Course design and group-project contribution I worked with Dr Devi Karolita and Dr Jialong Li, Assistant Professor at Waseda University, to design an authentic, staged group project that embedded accessibility and human-centred design throughout the students’ design process. Co-designed assignments and teaching materials spanning requirements, design, prototyping, and evaluation. Developed the group-project case around redesigning Mobile JKN, Indonesia’s national mobile health application. Created a cross-phase persona activity to help students connect user evidence with requirements and design choices. Developed a guideline-reflection activity that helped students apply accessibility guidance and explain their decisions. Supported the evaluation of students’ confidence and learning about inclusive software design. 🔗 Related research and publication This course provided the authentic teaching setting for the From Empathy to Engineering research project. From Empathy to Engineering: A Pedagogical Framework and its Authentic mHealth Implementation, ICSE 2026 From Empathy to Engineering research project", "excerpt": "🎓 Course", "searchable": "🎓 Course 1DCP353030: Interaksi Manusia dan Komputer (Human-Computer Interaction) Three-credit undergraduate course, Semester Ganjil 2025/2026 Department of Informatics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Palangka Raya Course lead: Dr Devi Karolita View the official UPR course listing and curriculum 🧩 Course design and group-project contribution I worked with Dr Devi Karolita and Dr Jialong Li, Assistant Professor at Waseda University, to design an authentic, staged group project that embedded accessibility and human-centred design throughout the students’ design process. Co-designed assignments and teaching materials spanning requirements, design, prototyping, and evaluation. Developed the group-project case around redesigning Mobile JKN, Indonesia’s national mobile health application. Created a cross-phase persona activity to help students connect user evidence with requirements and design choices. Developed a guideline-reflection activity that helped students apply accessibility guidance and explain their decisions. Supported the evaluation of students’ confidence and learning about inclusive software design. 🔗 Related research and publication This course provided the authentic teaching setting for the From Empathy to Engineering research project. From Empathy to Engineering: A Pedagogical Framework and its Authentic mHealth Implementation, ICSE 2026 From Empathy to Engineering research project 🎓 Course Department of Informatics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering []", "collection": "teaching", "date": "2025-08-01" } , { "title": "1DCP362030: Software Engineering - AI-Integrated Course Design and Research Collaborator", "url": "/teaching/2026-upr-software-engineering", "content": "🎓 Course 1DCP362030: Rekayasa Perangkat Lunak (Software Engineering) Three-credit undergraduate course, Semester Genap 2025/2026 Department of Informatics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Palangka Raya Course lead: Dr Devi Karolita View the official UPR course listing and curriculum 🧩 Group project and research contribution I work with Dr Devi Karolita and Dr Jialong Li, Assistant Professor at Waseda University, to integrate structured human–AI collaboration across an evidence-grounded software engineering group project. The course is an authentic setting for our CRAFTER research, which examines how AI can support software-engineering work without separating generated artefacts from their underlying evidence. Helped design the group-project tasks and supporting teaching materials. Developed activities in which students use interview evidence with CRAFTER and general-purpose generative AI to create, review, and refine software-engineering artefacts. Used persona and requirements artefact creation as a practical case within a broader AI-supported process. Helped prepare pre- and post-course surveys, controlled comparison tasks, reflective questions, and the evaluation approach. Contributed to analysing student feedback and AI interaction histories, including prompting, refinement, evidence use, and cognitive load. 🔬 Related project: CRAFTER CRAFTER investigates structured human–AI interaction for evidence-grounded software-engineering and requirements artefacts. Persona creation is an important course activity and motivating case, but the project has a broader focus on how people work with AI throughout artefact creation, refinement, and evaluation. The course project enables us to compare structured and general-purpose AI, study students’ interaction processes, and use the findings to improve both the teaching design and the research framework.", "excerpt": "🎓 Course", "searchable": "🎓 Course 1DCP362030: Rekayasa Perangkat Lunak (Software Engineering) Three-credit undergraduate course, Semester Genap 2025/2026 Department of Informatics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Palangka Raya Course lead: Dr Devi Karolita View the official UPR course listing and curriculum 🧩 Group project and research contribution I work with Dr Devi Karolita and Dr Jialong Li, Assistant Professor at Waseda University, to integrate structured human–AI collaboration across an evidence-grounded software engineering group project. The course is an authentic setting for our CRAFTER research, which examines how AI can support software-engineering work without separating generated artefacts from their underlying evidence. Helped design the group-project tasks and supporting teaching materials. Developed activities in which students use interview evidence with CRAFTER and general-purpose generative AI to create, review, and refine software-engineering artefacts. Used persona and requirements artefact creation as a practical case within a broader AI-supported process. Helped prepare pre- and post-course surveys, controlled comparison tasks, reflective questions, and the evaluation approach. Contributed to analysing student feedback and AI interaction histories, including prompting, refinement, evidence use, and cognitive load. 🔬 Related project: CRAFTER CRAFTER investigates structured human–AI interaction for evidence-grounded software-engineering and requirements artefacts. Persona creation is an important course activity and motivating case, but the project has a broader focus on how people work with AI throughout artefact creation, refinement, and evaluation. The course project enables us to compare structured and general-purpose AI, study students’ interaction processes, and use the findings to improve both the teaching design and the research framework. 🎓 Course Department of Informatics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering []", "collection": "teaching", "date": "2026-02-01" } , { "title": "AHC5002: Technology in Human Biomechanical Analysis - Invited Guest Contributor", "url": "/teaching/2026-ahc5002", "content": "🎓 Course AHC5002: Technology in Human Biomechanical Analysis Postgraduate course in the School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University 🎙️ Invited guest contribution Invited by Dr Trung Dung Bui, I recorded a Week 7 guest interview on VR co-design for disability employment readiness. The contribution connected the course’s teaching on extended reality, responsible technology selection, safety, accessibility, and evaluation with an applied research project. Shared lessons from co-design with people with disability, Wallara Australia, and Waverley Social Enterprises. Discussed why VR was selected, along with accessibility, comfort, and implementation considerations. Explained how participant responses and project outcomes could be evaluated responsibly. Contributed the recorded interview and suitable de-identified project footage for use in Moodle and lecture materials for enrolled students.", "excerpt": "🎓 Course", "searchable": "🎓 Course AHC5002: Technology in Human Biomechanical Analysis Postgraduate course in the School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University 🎙️ Invited guest contribution Invited by Dr Trung Dung Bui, I recorded a Week 7 guest interview on VR co-design for disability employment readiness. The contribution connected the course’s teaching on extended reality, responsible technology selection, safety, accessibility, and evaluation with an applied research project. Shared lessons from co-design with people with disability, Wallara Australia, and Waverley Social Enterprises. Discussed why VR was selected, along with accessibility, comfort, and implementation considerations. Explained how participant responses and project outcomes could be evaluated responsibly. Contributed the recorded interview and suitable de-identified project footage for use in Moodle and lecture materials for enrolled students. 🎓 Course School of Primary and Allied Health Care []", "collection": "teaching", "date": "2026-06-19" } , { "title": "ARC Training Centre in Optimal Ageing", "url": "/service/Afflicate1", "content": "", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "Jointly funded by the Australian Research Council, Monash University, Federation University and industry partners []", "collection": "service", "date": "2023-01-01" } , { "title": "Monash Assistive Technology and Society", "url": "/service/Afflicate2", "content": "", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "Monash University []", "collection": "service", "date": "2023-01-01" } , { "title": "HumaniSE Lab", "url": "/service/Afflicate3", "content": "", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "Monash University []", "collection": "service", "date": "2023-01-01" } , { "title": "User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction", "url": "/service/review1", "content": "", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "UMUAI []", "collection": "service", "date": "2023-01-01" } , { "title": "Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences", "url": "/service/review2", "content": "", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "HICSS []", "collection": "service", "date": "2023-01-01" } , { "title": "Australasian Conference on Information Systems", "url": "/service/review3", "content": "", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "ACIS []", "collection": "service", "date": "2023-01-01" } , { "title": "International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health", "url": "/service/review3", "content": "", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "IJERPH []", "collection": "service", "date": "2023-01-01" } , { "title": "International Journal of Information Security", "url": "/service/review3", "content": "", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "Int. J. Inf. Secur. []", "collection": "service", "date": "2023-01-01" } , { "title": "Executive Dean’s Honour Roll", "url": "/awards/honourroll", "content": "The Roll highlights the top individual graduates with a GPA of 6.25 or higher out of a possible 7.", "excerpt": "The Roll highlights the top individual graduates with a GPA of 6.25 or higher out of a possible 7.", "searchable": "The Roll highlights the top individual graduates with a GPA of 6.25 or higher out of a possible 7. The Roll highlights the top individual graduates with a GPA of 6.25 or higher out of a possible 7. The University of Tasmania []", "collection": "awards", "date": "2019-06-17" } , { "title": "Faculty of Information Technology Research Scholarship", "url": "/awards/scholar1", "content": "", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "Monash University []", "collection": "awards", "date": "2021-08-12" } , { "title": "Faculty of Information Technology International Postgraduate Research Scholarship", "url": "/awards/scholar2", "content": "", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "Monash University []", "collection": "awards", "date": "2021-08-12" } , { "title": "Nomination for the Best Paper Award", "url": "/awards/2021best", "content": "The paper title as Investigating the impact of social support embedded in online consultation on physicians’ online reputation: The moderating role of media capabilities was nominated as the best paper for the track IT Adoption, Diffusion, and Evaluation in Healthcare in 2021 Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS).", "excerpt": "The paper title as Investigating the impact of social support embedded in online consultation on physicians’ online reputation: The moderating role of media capabilities was nominated as the best paper for the track I...", "searchable": "The paper title as Investigating the impact of social support embedded in online consultation on physicians’ online reputation: The moderating role of media capabilities was nominated as the best paper for the track IT Adoption, Diffusion, and Evaluation in Healthcare in 2021 Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). The paper title as Investigating the impact of social support embedded in online consultation on physicians’ online reputation: The moderating role of media capabilities was nominated as the best paper for the track IT Adoption, Diffusion, and Evaluation in Healthcare in 2021 Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). 2021 Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS) []", "collection": "awards", "date": "2021-10-01" } , { "title": "Monash University Postgraduate Research International Scholarship", "url": "/awards/scholarship", "content": "", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "Monash University []", "collection": "awards", "date": "2021-10-12" } , { "title": "2023 Humanise Lab One-Slide Showcase 1st Place", "url": "/awards/2023humanise", "content": "", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "Humanise Lab, Monash University []", "collection": "awards", "date": "2023-10-01" } , { "title": "2024 Humanise Lab One-Slide Showcase 3rd Place", "url": "/awards/2024humanise", "content": "", "excerpt": "", "searchable": "Humanise Lab, Monash University []", "collection": "awards", "date": "2024-04-01" } , { "title": "2026 FIT Dean’s Award for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion", "url": "/awards/2026-fit-deans-edi", "content": "The Invisible Coders Team received this award for advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion through research into the experiences of neurodivergent women in software engineering. The global, human-centred study identifies systemic barriers and supports more inclusive practices across computing education and the software industry. Team: Isma Farah Siddiqui, Dulaji Hidellaarachchi, Munazza Zaib, and Wei Wang. Related work: Inclusive Design for Neurodivergent Women in Software Engineering and Invisible Load: Uncovering the Challenges of Neurodivergent Women in Software Engineering.", "excerpt": "The Invisible Coders Team received this award for advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion through research into the experiences of neurodivergent women in software engineering. The global, human-centred study ident...", "searchable": "The Invisible Coders Team received this award for advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion through research into the experiences of neurodivergent women in software engineering. The global, human-centred study identifies systemic barriers and supports more inclusive practices across computing education and the software industry. Team: Isma Farah Siddiqui, Dulaji Hidellaarachchi, Munazza Zaib, and Wei Wang. Related work: Inclusive Design for Neurodivergent Women in Software Engineering and Invisible Load: Uncovering the Challenges of Neurodivergent Women in Software Engineering. The Invisible Coders Team received this award for advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion through research into the experiences of neurodivergent women in software engineering. The global, human-centred study identifies systemic barriers and supports more inclusive practices across computing education and the software industry. Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University []", "collection": "awards", "date": "2026-08-04" } , { "title": "Zhiyao Wang", "url": "/students/2026-zhiyao-wang", "content": "Profile Zhiyao Wang is a second-year PhD student in Information Systems at The University of Osaka, Japan. He previously completed a Master’s degree in Software Engineering at the University of Melbourne. 🔍 Research Abstract His work sits at the intersection of software engineering, LLM agents, and inclusion. He develops methods to improve user experience and accessibility by: mining post-deployment app reviews to identify bugs and implicit user needs; analyzing Android app structures and data flows to generate clearer, more neutral permission explanations using LLMs, especially for users with lower technical literacy. During this visit, the project direction focuses on extending these methods toward tech for social good, exploring how Generative AI, VR, and AR can be designed to reduce inequality and improve accessibility for underrepresented communities. 📌 Current Progress Transitioning prior work on software reliability and requirements engineering toward inclusive human-centered applications. Preparing a collaborative visit plan with the Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash University. Developing research ideas on inclusive interaction design using GenAI-enabled systems. 👥 Supervision Primary supervisor: Dr Wei Wang Lab host: Professor Hartel (Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash University) External supervision: University of Osaka team 💬 Contact / Collaboration Notes Research interests include inclusion, accessibility, AI agents, and responsible interaction design for vulnerable and underserved communities.", "excerpt": "Profile Zhiyao Wang is a second-year PhD student in Information Systems at The University of Osaka, Japan. He previously completed a Master’s degree in Software Engineering at the University of Melbourne.", "searchable": "Profile Zhiyao Wang is a second-year PhD student in Information Systems at The University of Osaka, Japan. He previously completed a Master’s degree in Software Engineering at the University of Melbourne. 🔍 Research Abstract His work sits at the intersection of software engineering, LLM agents, and inclusion. He develops methods to improve user experience and accessibility by: mining post-deployment app reviews to identify bugs and implicit user needs; analyzing Android app structures and data flows to generate clearer, more neutral permission explanations using LLMs, especially for users with lower technical literacy. During this visit, the project direction focuses on extending these methods toward tech for social good, exploring how Generative AI, VR, and AR can be designed to reduce inequality and improve accessibility for underrepresented communities. 📌 Current Progress Transitioning prior work on software reliability and requirements engineering toward inclusive human-centered applications. Preparing a collaborative visit plan with the Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash University. Developing research ideas on inclusive interaction design using GenAI-enabled systems. 👥 Supervision Primary supervisor: Dr Wei Wang Lab host: Professor Hartel (Opportunity Tech Lab, Monash University) External supervision: University of Osaka team 💬 Contact / Collaboration Notes Research interests include inclusion, accessibility, AI agents, and responsible interaction design for vulnerable and underserved communities. Profile Zhiyao Wang is a second-year PhD student in Information Systems at The University of Osaka, Japan. He previously completed a Master’s degree in Software Engineering at the University of Melbourne. PhD (Visiting Student) Ongoing Tech for social good: inclusive AI, accessibility, and interaction design []", "collection": "students", "date": "2026-01-15" } , { "title": "Khang Tieu and Yi Lai", "url": "/students/2026-wayfinding-internship-team", "content": "Profile Khang Chi Tieu and Yi Fei Lai completed a Monash Faculty of Engineering Industry Experience placement with Dr Wei Wang. Their placement ran from 24 November 2025 to 13 February 2026, with 115 required hours each. 🎯 Project Focus Their placement contributed to the Wayfinding Internship prototype, connected to the broader project Design Way Finding Systems for Cognitive Impairments. The work focused on how an app prototype could support clearer, more accessible navigation for people with cognitive impairments and the people who support them. 🧩 Contributions Khang and Yi prepared and demonstrated the integrated wayfinding prototype during the Wayfinding Internship progress meeting on 16 February 2026. The session included a project introduction, a live demonstration of the current app, and discussion of limitations and future directions. The team also prepared project documentation and handover materials, including a README, project files, and a demo testing video. These materials helped preserve the prototype work for later review and continuation. 👥 Supervision Host supervisor: Dr Wei Wang Project collaborators: Dr Anuradha Madugalla and Professor Charmine Härtel Placement context: Monash Faculty of Engineering Industry Experience program 💬 Contact / Collaboration Notes This student placement supported the broader accessible wayfinding research program. Khang later expressed interest in contributing to follow-on accessibility and consent technology work.", "excerpt": "Profile Khang Chi Tieu and Yi Fei Lai completed a Monash Faculty of Engineering Industry Experience placement with Dr Wei Wang. Their placement ran from 24 November 2025 to 13 February 2026, with 115 required hours each.", "searchable": "Profile Khang Chi Tieu and Yi Fei Lai completed a Monash Faculty of Engineering Industry Experience placement with Dr Wei Wang. Their placement ran from 24 November 2025 to 13 February 2026, with 115 required hours each. 🎯 Project Focus Their placement contributed to the Wayfinding Internship prototype, connected to the broader project Design Way Finding Systems for Cognitive Impairments. The work focused on how an app prototype could support clearer, more accessible navigation for people with cognitive impairments and the people who support them. 🧩 Contributions Khang and Yi prepared and demonstrated the integrated wayfinding prototype during the Wayfinding Internship progress meeting on 16 February 2026. The session included a project introduction, a live demonstration of the current app, and discussion of limitations and future directions. The team also prepared project documentation and handover materials, including a README, project files, and a demo testing video. These materials helped preserve the prototype work for later review and continuation. 👥 Supervision Host supervisor: Dr Wei Wang Project collaborators: Dr Anuradha Madugalla and Professor Charmine Härtel Placement context: Monash Faculty of Engineering Industry Experience program 💬 Contact / Collaboration Notes This student placement supported the broader accessible wayfinding research program. Khang later expressed interest in contributing to follow-on accessibility and consent technology work. Profile Khang Chi Tieu and Yi Fei Lai completed a Monash Faculty of Engineering Industry Experience placement with Dr Wei Wang. Their placement ran from 24 November 2025 to 13 February 2026, with 115 required hours each. Bachelor students Completed Wayfinding prototype for cognitively accessible navigation []", "collection": "students", "date": "2026-02-16" } , { "title": "FIT4701/4702 VR Route Learning Student Team", "url": "/students/2026-vr-route-learning-student-team", "content": "Profile This is a Monash FIT4701/FIT4702 final-year software engineering student team working on a human-centred virtual reality project. The team includes James Chea, Tony Ly, Eric Blyth, Kade Lucy, and Mai Hoang. 🎯 Project Focus The student project is titled Design of a Human Centric VR-based route learning module for elderly immigrants with travel anxiety. It connects with the broader research project Empowering Independent Mobility in Elderly Immigrants: VR-Based Navigation Support. The project explores whether virtual reality can help older immigrants practise routes before travelling in real life. The aim is to reduce navigation-related anxiety, improve spatial confidence, and understand what older immigrants and caregivers need from a VR route-learning tool. 📌 Current Progress The project received ethics approval under MUHREC Project ID 51690 in May 2026. The student team is now moving from study preparation into participant recruitment and interview logistics. Current activities include: preparing participant-facing materials and expression-of-interest processes; sharing consent and explanatory information before interviews; recruiting eligible older immigrant and caregiver participants; running semi-structured interviews to gather design requirements for a VR route-learning module. 👥 Supervision Project investigators: Dr Wei Wang and Dr Trung Dung Bui Student team: James Chea, Tony Ly, Eric Blyth, Kade Lucy, and Mai Hoang Project context: FIT4701/FIT4702 final-year software engineering project Dr Wei Wang has supported the team by reviewing participant communication, ethics-aligned wording, expression-of-interest processes, and consent materials. 💬 Contact / Collaboration Notes This student project contributes to research on accessible, culturally responsive mobility support for older immigrants in Australia. It also connects with broader work on inclusive technology, accessibility, and human-centred design for people who may face barriers when navigating unfamiliar places.", "excerpt": "Profile This is a Monash FIT4701/FIT4702 final-year software engineering student team working on a human-centred virtual reality project. The team includes James Chea, Tony Ly, Eric Blyth, Kade Lucy, and Mai Hoang.", "searchable": "Profile This is a Monash FIT4701/FIT4702 final-year software engineering student team working on a human-centred virtual reality project. The team includes James Chea, Tony Ly, Eric Blyth, Kade Lucy, and Mai Hoang. 🎯 Project Focus The student project is titled Design of a Human Centric VR-based route learning module for elderly immigrants with travel anxiety. It connects with the broader research project Empowering Independent Mobility in Elderly Immigrants: VR-Based Navigation Support. The project explores whether virtual reality can help older immigrants practise routes before travelling in real life. The aim is to reduce navigation-related anxiety, improve spatial confidence, and understand what older immigrants and caregivers need from a VR route-learning tool. 📌 Current Progress The project received ethics approval under MUHREC Project ID 51690 in May 2026. The student team is now moving from study preparation into participant recruitment and interview logistics. Current activities include: preparing participant-facing materials and expression-of-interest processes; sharing consent and explanatory information before interviews; recruiting eligible older immigrant and caregiver participants; running semi-structured interviews to gather design requirements for a VR route-learning module. 👥 Supervision Project investigators: Dr Wei Wang and Dr Trung Dung Bui Student team: James Chea, Tony Ly, Eric Blyth, Kade Lucy, and Mai Hoang Project context: FIT4701/FIT4702 final-year software engineering project Dr Wei Wang has supported the team by reviewing participant communication, ethics-aligned wording, expression-of-interest processes, and consent materials. 💬 Contact / Collaboration Notes This student project contributes to research on accessible, culturally responsive mobility support for older immigrants in Australia. It also connects with broader work on inclusive technology, accessibility, and human-centred design for people who may face barriers when navigating unfamiliar places. Profile This is a Monash FIT4701/FIT4702 final-year software engineering student team working on a human-centred virtual reality project. The team includes James Chea, Tony Ly, Eric Blyth, Kade Lucy, and Mai Hoang. Bachelor student team Ongoing Human-centred VR route learning for older immigrants with travel anxiety []", "collection": "students", "date": "2026-05-13" } , { "title": "Coeun Ham", "url": "/students/2026-coeun-ham", "content": "Profile Coeun Ham is a third-year Monash University Electrical Engineering student with an AI minor. She is completing a Monash Industry Experience Engineering placement with the Opportunity Tech Lab from 27 July to 23 October 2026. The placement includes 115 hours of supervised project work. Project focus Coeun contributes to the AI in Virtual Reality for Inclusive Employment Training and VRelovate research direction. Her first work package develops a human-validated AI workflow that can turn approved co-design evidence into filming-ready VR scripts and related filming materials. This work explores how AI can support content preparation while preserving evidence, accessibility requirements, responsible human oversight, and the practical structure needed for VR filming. Current contribution Coeun’s current work package includes: mapping the existing VRelovate filming-script template and reference scripts; designing a controlled input structure for approved evidence; creating an AI-assisted draft-generation workflow; producing and validating one de-identified micro-scenario against its source evidence; and preparing reusable documentation and handover materials. The initial work focuses on a bounded AI workflow rather than direct development of the VRelovate platform. Supervision Placement supervisor: Dr Wei Wang Technical and project support: Zhiyao Wang Placement context: Monash Industry Experience Engineering program The placement uses scoped project access. Substantive work involving source material begins only with approved, de-identified evidence and agreed validation criteria. Related project AI in Virtual Reality for Inclusive Employment Training", "excerpt": "Profile", "searchable": "Profile Coeun Ham is a third-year Monash University Electrical Engineering student with an AI minor. She is completing a Monash Industry Experience Engineering placement with the Opportunity Tech Lab from 27 July to 23 October 2026. The placement includes 115 hours of supervised project work. Project focus Coeun contributes to the AI in Virtual Reality for Inclusive Employment Training and VRelovate research direction. Her first work package develops a human-validated AI workflow that can turn approved co-design evidence into filming-ready VR scripts and related filming materials. This work explores how AI can support content preparation while preserving evidence, accessibility requirements, responsible human oversight, and the practical structure needed for VR filming. Current contribution Coeun’s current work package includes: mapping the existing VRelovate filming-script template and reference scripts; designing a controlled input structure for approved evidence; creating an AI-assisted draft-generation workflow; producing and validating one de-identified micro-scenario against its source evidence; and preparing reusable documentation and handover materials. The initial work focuses on a bounded AI workflow rather than direct development of the VRelovate platform. Supervision Placement supervisor: Dr Wei Wang Technical and project support: Zhiyao Wang Placement context: Monash Industry Experience Engineering program The placement uses scoped project access. Substantive work involving source material begins only with approved, de-identified evidence and agreed validation criteria. Related project AI in Virtual Reality for Inclusive Employment Training Profile Engineering intern Ongoing Human-validated AI workflows for inclusive virtual-reality training []", "collection": "students", "date": "2026-07-27" } , { "title": "Tony Tian-Yi Liang", "url": "/students/2026-tony-tian-yi-liang", "content": "Profile Tony Tian-Yi Liang is completing a Monash Industry Experience Engineering placement with the Opportunity Tech Lab. The placement runs from 27 July to 23 October 2026 and includes 115 hours of supervised project work. Project focus Tony contributes to the Inclusive AI Consent project, which studies how AI-assisted tools can help make research consent information clearer and more accessible while maintaining accuracy, ethics, and human oversight. His placement focuses on evidence-linked analysis and requirements. The work examines how manual and AI-assisted analysis can support the identification of candidate requirements and technology features without separating those ideas from the evidence on which they are based. Current contribution Tony is working alongside Khang Tieu on the first two de-identified interview transcripts. Current activities include: comparing manual coding with AI-assisted outputs; identifying candidate requirements and features; preserving links between each interpretation and its supporting evidence; and maintaining a reflection and method note about where AI assistance helps, where it creates limitations, and where human checking remains necessary. Supervision Placement supervisor: Dr Wei Wang Project support: Khang Tieu Placement context: Monash Industry Experience Engineering program The work follows the project’s ethics and data-access boundaries. Tony is not responsible for participant contact, recruitment, consent decisions, or independent participant-facing activities. Related project Inclusive AI Consent: Adaptive, Accessible Consent for Diverse Research Participants", "excerpt": "Profile", "searchable": "Profile Tony Tian-Yi Liang is completing a Monash Industry Experience Engineering placement with the Opportunity Tech Lab. The placement runs from 27 July to 23 October 2026 and includes 115 hours of supervised project work. Project focus Tony contributes to the Inclusive AI Consent project, which studies how AI-assisted tools can help make research consent information clearer and more accessible while maintaining accuracy, ethics, and human oversight. His placement focuses on evidence-linked analysis and requirements. The work examines how manual and AI-assisted analysis can support the identification of candidate requirements and technology features without separating those ideas from the evidence on which they are based. Current contribution Tony is working alongside Khang Tieu on the first two de-identified interview transcripts. Current activities include: comparing manual coding with AI-assisted outputs; identifying candidate requirements and features; preserving links between each interpretation and its supporting evidence; and maintaining a reflection and method note about where AI assistance helps, where it creates limitations, and where human checking remains necessary. Supervision Placement supervisor: Dr Wei Wang Project support: Khang Tieu Placement context: Monash Industry Experience Engineering program The work follows the project’s ethics and data-access boundaries. Tony is not responsible for participant contact, recruitment, consent decisions, or independent participant-facing activities. Related project Inclusive AI Consent: Adaptive, Accessible Consent for Diverse Research Participants Profile Engineering intern Ongoing Accessible AI consent technology and evidence-linked requirements []", "collection": "students", "date": "2026-07-27" } ]