May 27, 2026

PhD Student Presents Research at ICT4AWE 2026 in Benidorm

PhD student Francisca Rocha Lourenço attended the international conference ICT4AWE – International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies for Ageing Well and e-Health, held in Benidorm, Spain, on May 20 – 22.

As part of the scientific programme, she presented the paper “Designing Participatory Audiovisual Narratives for Disability Inclusion: A Practice-Based Qualitative Study on Adapted Sports.” The study adopts a qualitative, practice-based approach focused on adapted sports and explores how participatory audiovisual narratives can contribute to promoting the inclusion of People with Disabilities.

ICT4AWE is an international forum dedicated to information and communication technologies applied to ageing well and e-health, bringing together researchers and practitioners to discuss methods and digital solutions with social impact.

May 14, 2026

DigiMedia participates in CNIPES mission to Sweden on pedagogical innovation in higher education

The DigiMedia PhD student Filipe Silva and the DigiMedia coordinator Nelson Zagalo, were part of the Portuguese delegation that participated in the CNIPES (Conselho Nacional de Inovação Pedagógica no Ensino Superior / National Council for Pedagogical Innovation in Higher Education) mission to Sweden, dedicated to exploring research-informed approaches to pedagogical innovation in higher education. The mission took place from April 26th to May 1st, and included visits to KTH Royal Institute of Technology, in Stockholm, and Uppsala University, bringing together Portuguese higher education representatives in a programme focused on academic development, discipline-based education research, internationalization, inclusion, student support, and institutional governance.

The mission aimed to observe how leading Swedish universities connect research, policy, and practice in teaching and learning. Rather than focusing on isolated examples of innovation, the programme emphasized systemic approaches capable of aligning pedagogical development with institutional strategy, quality assurance, governance structures, and long-term educational transformation. In this context, the participation of DigiMedia members contributed to the centre’s ongoing engagement with national discussions on the future of higher education, pedagogical innovation, and the strategic development of institutional frameworks.

This mission connected directly with DigiMedia’s ongoing work on higher education transformation, research-informed innovation, and the relationship between institutional strategy and educational practice, strengthening the centre’s contribution to national reflection on how Portuguese higher education institutions can develop more coherent, inclusive, and evidence-based models of pedagogical innovation.

The CNIPES mission to Sweden reinforced a central principle: pedagogical innovation is most effective when it is embedded in institutional systems rather than developed through isolated initiatives. By participating in this mission, DigiMedia contributed to a broader national debate on how Portuguese higher education can strengthen its capacity for strategic, sustainable, and research-informed educational transformation.

April 22, 2026

DigiMedia researcher Jenifer Grieger receives Best PhD Thesis Award in Brazil

Jenifer Daiane Grieger has been awarded the Best PhD Thesis of 2025 by the Graduate Program in Information Management at the Federal University of Paraná, Brazil.

The distinction was granted for her thesis entitled “Body Image on Instagram: A Study on Filters and Vulnerabilities in Digital Platforms”, supervised by Professor Rodrigo Eduardo Botelho Francisco and co-supervised by Professor Lídia de Jesus Oliveira, a DigiMedia researcher.

Jenifer Grieger was a PhD student on a cotutelle doctoral program between the Doctorate in New Media at the University of Aveiro (UA) and in Information Management at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), and she defended her PhD thesis in December 2025.

During her doctoral studies, Jenifer Grieger conducted part of her research at DigiMedia, strengthening international collaboration and contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the field of digital media.

April 15, 2026

PhD defense of Carla Leite

Carla Leite will present her PhD thesis “Leveraging Acquisition and Informed Decision-Making for Birth Through Digital Media“, on April 22nd, 2026, at 2:30pm.

This research was developed within the Doctorate in Multimedia in Education, under the supervision of Professors Rita Oliveira and Catarina Lélis.

More information here.

April 2, 2026

“Fronteira Digital” highlights the role of imagination in an AI world

“O lugar da criatividade, do “faz de conta” e do “era uma vez…” quando a IA parece fazer tudo por nós” is the newest article of the DigiMedia opinion column “Fronteira Digital” in the newspaper Diário de Aveiro, written by Cláudia Vale Oliveira, a PhD student in New Media.

This text inspires reflection on the role of creativity in the age of artificial intelligence, highlighting the importance of integrating AI as a tool to enhance creative processes, without replacing reasoning, autonomy and agency, emphasizing the need to preserve imagination, authorship, and critical thinking in an increasingly automated world.

The article can be read here.

March 19, 2026

DigiMedia PhD student joins Let’s CHAOS Programme on Inclusive Systems Design

Joana Raminhos da Silveira, a PhD student in Multimedia in Education at the University of Aveiro, was selected to participate in the Let’s CHAOS (Let’s Create a High-tech Accessible Opportunities for a Sustainable Future). As part of this initiative, she completed an intensive on-site mobility period at the Łódź University of Technology (TUL), an ECIU (European Consortium of Innovative Universities) member in Poland.

During the programme, Joana applied Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) methodologies to the field of Inclusive Systems Design. Working with an interdisciplinary team, she focused on human-centric solutions aimed at supporting children with limb differences and their families.

The experience provided advanced training in emerging technologies and fostered international collaboration with researchers and experts from the ECIU network.

March 18, 2026

Pilot Test of Oh!Bug App Conducted at Parque da Vila, in Sever do Vouga

On Saturday, March 7, a pilot test of the Oh!Bug mobile application took place at Parque da Vila in Sever do Vouga, with the participation of members of the DigiMedia research unit.

The main goal of this test was to validate the methodology defined for the study “Engaging Young Students with Mobile Applications Focused on Sustainable Development and the Environment – The Case Study of the Oh!Bug Mobile Application.” This research is being developed by PhD candidate Sara Martins, under the supervision of Carlos Santos and David Oliveira, within the Doctoral Programme in Multimedia in Education.

This study aims to investigate the impact of interaction and geolocation systems included in mobile applications on children’s relationship with nature, through the implementation of field trips in which participants identify natural species using the Oh!Bug app.

March 12, 2026

Maria Júlia Vieira develops doctoral research on gender and video game streaming during Erasmus+ mobility in Norway

Maria Júlia Vieira, a PhD student in the Doctoral Program in New Media, carried out a research mobility under the Erasmus+ program at the University of Stavanger (Norway), during the month of February. The visit took place at the Centre for Gender Studies under the supervision of Professor Elisabeth Lund Engebretsen.

The main goal of the mobility was to further develop her doctoral research, which focuses on female inclusion and representation in video game live streaming culture. During her stay, the doctoral researcher had the opportunity to interact with scholars working in the field of gender studies, fostering an interdisciplinary dialogue between New Media, Gender Studies, and digital culture. This academic exchange helped enrich the theoretical framework of the research and broaden critical perspectives on gender issues in digital environments and online communities.

As part of the activities carried out during the visit, Maria Júlia Vieira presented her research seminar at the Centre for Gender Studies, where she shared the progress and current development stages of her doctoral thesis. The session included the participation of department members and provided constructive discussions and expert feedback, which contributed to refining the methodological and conceptual framework of her doctoral project. This experience represented a significant opportunity for the internationalization of her research, allowing her not only to share her work in an international academic context but also to integrate new theoretical and methodological approaches relevant to the study of gender dynamics in contemporary digital culture.

March 9, 2026

“Fronteira Digital” highlights ProSeniorTV project

The most recent opinion article in Diário de Aveiro “De Aveiro para os seniores: a televisão como ponte social“, written by Gabriel Faria, highlights the ProSeniorTV, a project developed at the Universidade de Aveiro that explores how television can help reduce social isolation among older adults.

The article can be read here.

The column “Fronteira Digital” can be read on the first Wednesday of every month in the printed version. This is an opportunity to show the local community the themes we work on and the research carried out at DigiMedia.

Our next text will be released on April 1, 2026.

March 4, 2026

Student presents research conducted as part of Students@DigiMedia #04 at ICICT 2026

Anda-Elena Covaci, currently a second-year student in the Multimedia and Communication Technologies degree programme at the University of Aveiro, remotely presented a scientific paper on 27 February at the 11th International Congress on Information and Communication Technology (ICICT 2026), an international conference held in London, United Kingdom.

The paper, entitled ‘Inclusive Communication through Universal Design: Designing accessible informational flyers to promote awareness, resources, and support for People with Disabilities’, was developed as part of the Students@Digimedia #04 initiative, resulting from research conducted by the student in collaboration with the research team at DigiMedia’s UAInclusive Laboratory.

The research focuses on applying the principles of Universal Design to the creation of accessible informational flyers, with the aim of promoting more inclusive communication and facilitating access to information, resources, and services for people with disabilities. The work highlights the importance of inclusive design as a tool for reducing informational barriers and reinforcing user-centred communication practices.

The Students@Digimedia initiative aims to promote the active involvement of students in scientific research activities, encouraging the development of academic skills and participation in international scientific events. The presentation at ICICT 2026 is yet another example of the collaboration between teaching and research at the University of Aveiro, highlighting the impact of the work carried out within the scope of DigiMedia.

News

PhD Student Presents Research at ICT4AWE 2026 in Benidorm

DigiMedia participates in CNIPES mission to Sweden on pedagogical innovation in higher education

DigiMedia researcher Jenifer Grieger receives Best PhD Thesis Award in Brazil

PhD defense of Carla Leite

“Fronteira Digital” highlights the role of imagination in an AI world

DigiMedia PhD student joins Let’s CHAOS Programme on Inclusive Systems Design

Pilot Test of Oh!Bug App Conducted at Parque da Vila, in Sever do Vouga

Maria Júlia Vieira develops doctoral research on gender and video game streaming during Erasmus+ mobility in Norway

“Fronteira Digital” highlights ProSeniorTV project

Student presents research conducted as part of Students@DigiMedia #04 at ICICT 2026

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