Researcher in Interaction Design and Children

The Department of Digital Design and Information Studies within the School of Communication and Culture at Aarhus University invites applications for the position of researcher in interaction design and children. The position is affiliated with the research project

COMPILE – Collaboration in Special Education

funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark.

The filled position will be a full-time, 24-month fixed-term position and begins on 1 June 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The School of Communication and Culture is committed to diversity and encourages all qualified applicants to apply regardless of their personal background.

Research context

Special education schools lack effective means to train the collaboration skills of children with special needs. Educational digital games have the potential to motivate and scaffold collaboration, but there is a lack of frameworks for designers to effectively design such games for the needs of children in special schools. While most children acquire collaborative skills quite easily, others potentially need more training, such as children with autism, ADHD, or other disabilities. Consequently, there is a need to develop tools that facilitate children’s interactions with their peers and provide support for their collaboration processes and communication abilities. The project aims to investigate how to design educational technologies to train collaboration skills in children in special education using digital games as a motivational tool that effectively fosters collaboration, empowering children with special needs to acquire essential 21st-century competencies.

By combining design, game design, learning, and psychological perspectives from developmental psychology in participatory design with special education stakeholders and with design-based research, the COMPILE project aims to develop a generative taxonomy of design principles and game mechanics that can scaffold collaborative interactions in children in special education.
The project is part of a suite of several research projects exploring interaction design and children at the Center for Computational Thinking and Design (CCTD ) and in the Interaction Design research program .

Researcher position

The position will focus on conducting in-depth participatory design and evaluation studies using principles and methodologies from interaction design and developmental psychology. Moreover, the researcher is expected to partake in the development of theoretical concepts and frameworks to understand the interplay between game mechanics and collaborative interaction, as well as research-based project activities, seminars and workshops.

The successful applicant can expect to work in a strong and focused research group of 15-20 colleagues, including PhDs and postdocs, with an ambition to be at the forefront internationally in the field of interaction design. Moreover, the successful applicant will become part of the highly ranked HCI research group at Aarhus University and the Centre for Advanced Visualisation and Interaction .

The successful applicant will collaborate closely with the project manager, Associate Professor Eva Eriksson, and game developers from CAVI.

Teaching and supervision

The position is primarily research-based, but it will also involve research-based teaching and supervision. To that end, the successful applicant will be expected to take part in the department’s teaching and supervision activities and to teach and supervise students on the

Bachelor’s degree programme in information studies

, the

Master’s degree programme in information studies

and the

Master’s Degree Programme in Digital Design

.

Given the international focus of the degree programmes, the successful applicant will be expected to teach in English as well as Danish.

The person appointed to the post of researcher must complete Aarhus University’s teacher-training programme for assistant professors , which is designed for university teaching.

Qualifications

The applicants must document previous experience with ethnographic methods, participatory design, psychology, and interaction design with children. The successful applicant is expected to have shown excellence in research through publications at top international research venues.

The successful applicant is required to have strong theoretical and methodological proficiency, and be able to plan, carry out and analyse in-depth studies of technology use in situ.

The successful applicant must have a PhD degree or equivalent qualifications. Applicants must be able to document, relevant to the position:

• an internationally oriented research profile within fields such as ethnography, psychology, interaction design, human-computer interaction (HCI), game design, child-computer interaction, as documented by a PhD dissertation and/or research publications
• experience in the self-directed management of research projects

• relevant teaching experience at university level

• excellent communication and interpersonal skills in order to engage productively both within the research team and with external organisations and institutions.

Furthermore, it will be considered an advantage if applicants can document

• a track record of research publications of a high international standard, as commensurate with the length of the applicant’s academic career
• experience of participation in national and international research networks.

The application must be submitted in English. Applicants should provide a statement on how they expect that their prior research experience and competences can contribute to the project.

Please note that applications that do not include uploaded publications (maximum five) will not be considered.

Although the Aarhus University application system includes an option to upload letters of recommendation, please do not include letters of recommendation or references with the application. Applicants who are invited to an interview may be asked to provide references.

Work environment

Active participation in the daily life of the department is a high priority, and we emphasise the importance of good working relationships, both among colleagues and with our students. In order to maintain and develop the department’s excellent teaching and research environment, the successful applicant is expected to be present at the department on a daily basis.

We respect the balance between work and private life and strive to create a work environment in which that balance can be maintained. You can read more about family and work-life balance in Denmark.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for early career researchers at AU.

International applicants

International applicants are encouraged to read about the

attractive working conditions

and other benefits of working at Aarhus University and in Denmark, including healthcare, paid holidays and, if relevant, maternity/paternity leave, childcare and schooling. Aarhus University offers a wide variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including a

relocation service

and an

AU Expat Partner Programme

. You can also find information about the

taxation aspects of international researchers’ employment by AU

.

The department

The place of employment is the Department of Digital Design and Information Studies, Helsingforsgade 14, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.

Prospective applicants are invited to view the department’s website .

School of Communication and Culture

The school is a part of the Faculty of Arts. You will find information about the school and its

research programmes

,

departments

and diverse activities on its

website

.

Contact

For further information about the position, please contact the principal investigator (PI) of the project, Associate Professor Eva Eriksson

[email protected]

.

If you need help uploading your application or have questions about the recruitment process, please contact Arts HR support by email: [email protected] .

Qualification requirements
Formalities

If nothing else is noted, applications must be submitted in English. Application deadline is at 11.59 pm Danish time (same as Central European Time) on the deadline day.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Shortlists may be prepared with the candidates that have been selected for a detailed academic assessment. A committee set up by the head of school is responsible for selecting the most qualified candidates. See this link for further information about shortlisting at the Faculty of Arts: shortlisting

Faculty of Arts

The Faculty of Arts is one of five main academic areas at Aarhus University.

The faculty contributes to Aarhus University's research, talent development, knowledge exchange and degree programmes.
With its 550 academic staff members, 240 PhD students, 9,500 BA and MA students, and 1,500 students following continuing/further education programmes, the faculty constitutes a strong and diverse research and teaching environment.

The Faculty of Arts consists of the School of Communication and Culture, the School of Culture and Society, the Danish School of Education, and the Centre for Teaching Development and Digital Media. Each of these units has strong academic environments and forms the basis for interdisciplinary research and education.

The faculty's academic environments and degree programmes engage in international collaboration and share the common goal of contributing to the development of knowledge, welfare and culture in interaction with society.

Read more at arts.au.dk/en

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.