Emerging Telepresence Technologies in Hybrid Learning Environments

The last several years have seen a strong growth of telerobotic technologies with promising implications for many areas of learning. HCI has contributed to these discussions, mainly with studies on user experiences and user interfaces of telepresence robots. However, only a few telerobot studies have addressed everyday use in real-world learning environments. In the post-COVID 19 world, sociotechnical uncertainties and unforeseen challenges to learning in hybrid learning environments constitute a unique frontier where robotic and immersive technologies can mediate learning experiences. The aim of this workshop is to set the stage for a new wave of HCI research that accounts for and begins to develop new insights, concepts, and methods for use of immersive and telerobotic technologies in real-world learning environments. Participants are invited to collaboratively define an HCI research agenda focused on robot-mediated learning in the wild, which will require examining end-user engagements and questioning underlying concepts regarding telerobots for learning

Opaque algorithms, transparent biases: Automated content moderation during the Sheikh Jarrah Crisis

Social media platforms, while influential tools for human rights activism, free speech, and mobilization, also bear the influence of corporate ownership and commercial interests. This dual character can lead to clashing interests in the operations of these platforms. This study centers on the May 2021 Sheikh Jarrah events in East Jerusalem, a focal point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that garnered global attention. During this period, Palestinian activists and their allies observed and encountered a notable increase in automated content moderation actions, like shadow banning and content removal. We surveyed 201 users who faced content moderation and conducted 12 interviews with political influencers to assess the impact of these practices on activism. Our analysis centers on automated content moderation and transparency, investigating how users and activists perceive the content moderation systems employed by social media platforms, and their opacity. Findings reveal perceived censorship by pro-Palestinian activists due to opaque and obfuscated technological mechanisms of content demotion, complicating harm substantiation and lack of redress mechanisms. We view this difficulty as part of algorithmic harms, in the realm of automated content moderation. This dynamic has far-reaching implications for activism’s future and it raises questions about power centralization in digital spaces

Emerging telepresence technologies for hybrid meetings: An interactive workshop

We are rapidly moving to a hybrid world, where telepresence technologies play a crucial role. But, are current technologies ready for such a shift? Do they provide adequate support for interaction and collaboration? In this workshop, together with the participants, we will try out a variety of telepresence technologies for hybrid meetings. Based on small hybrid group activities we will explore how different systems compare in terms of immersion, interaction, and usability. Additionally, we will reflect on the social implications of telepresence. The aim of the workshop is to bring together the lived experiences of both remote and local participants, with activities that stimulate reflections on our experiences. These reflections will fuel group discussions, to identify future research areas in telepresence and hybrid meeting technologies. Results from the workshop will be published as a white paper with recommendations for the design of future telepresence and hybrid meeting technologies