The members of the DigiMedia Scientific Committee met for one day, to participate in different teambuilding activities. 23 members of the Scientific Committee met at PCI – Creative Science Park, in Ílhavo, on July 5, 2024. This was an opportunity to rethink the future of our Research Unit, bringing up new ideas of possible projects and networks.
Tânia Ribeiro, a PhD student from the Doctoral Program in Information and Communication in Digital Platforms at the University of Aveiro (UA), has received the SILVER Award at the 2024 “HCI Student Design Competition” with the project “Creating Empathic Characters: A Method”. This brainstorming tool, which is an outcome of her PhD research, is designed to help creating characters that effectively communicate empathy in digital games, a project under the supervision of Professor Ana Isabel Veloso (UA) and Peter Brinson, Professor of Practice from the University of Southern California.
The selection process was overseen by a distinguished seven-member international jury composed of experts from various academic institutions, ensuring a rigorous and impartial evaluation. The award was presented during the Opening Plenary Session of the HCI International 2024 conference, on Monday, 01 July 2024, from 18:30 to 20:00 EDT in Washington, DC, USA (HCI International).
This recognition highlights DigiMedia’s ongoing research and development in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) while emphasizing the importance of empathy in digital game character design, enhancing user experience in digital platforms, and contributing to the broader field of HCI.
Digimedia member Catarina Lelis was one of the University of Aveiro’s lecturers selected to represent the institution at the ECIU University Forum 2024, in Kaunas, Lithuania. Under the theme “Education for a sustainable and resilient society”, the meeting raised a few questions and proposed multiple ways to find answers. The event constituted a significant step towards shaping the future of education and innovation. It was an opportunity to create and consolidate relationships and reinforce the power of the community involved in the project.
In a global meeting where “impact” was the leading word, it made sense to share with the ECIU community The Impact Plan, introducing participants to a framework that helps individuals in better aligning their desired repertoire of skills and project ambitions (their WHYs) with the UN SDGs and the three main sustainability dimensions: environmental, economic and social. A small and promising network seems to have emerged from this meeting.
The DigiMedia PhD student Dalila Martins presented her latest case study, developed as part of her thesis, at the IEEE Games, Entertainment and Media conference (IEEE GEM 24′). The article “From Entertainment to Mental Health Awareness: The “Debris” Case”, is a case study which investigates the design of a serious game on commercial platforms about psychosis.
The conference took place in Turin, Italy between June 5 and 7, 2024.
Juliana Camargo, Pedro Almeida and Jorge Abreu presented their work at the IMX’24 (ACM Interactive International Conference on Interactive Media Experiences) in Stockholm:
. Always together: combining TV notifications and voice interactions to connect older adults to other generations: access here.
. Remixing and repurposing cultural heritage archives through a collaborative and AI-generated storytelling digital platform: access here
Juliana was also awarded a travel grant from SIGMM Student Travel Awards.
Francisco Regalado and Tânia Ribeiro, both DigiMedia PhD students in ICPD, won a FLAD (Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento) Papers@USA scholarship. This grant seeks to internationalize Portuguese scientific research and foster the academic growth of participants by supporting researchers in presenting their papers and communications in the United States.
In total, five papers will be presented and published in the proceedings of the HCI International 2024 conference, which will be held from 29 June to 4 July in Washington, D.C.
This upcoming event will showcase DigiMedia’s research and offer a unique opportunity to foster internationalization and network with numerous experts in the field.
Pâmela Pinto, a Post-Doctoral researcher at DigiMedia, will present her book Boas práticas de saúde pública no Instagram: Estudo comparado entre Portugal e Brasil, on 13th December 2023, at 3.30pm. The session will take place online, in a Circle format.
This new book is part of the DigiMedia Collection, which focus on the publication of works in the scientific area of Digital Media. Its goal is to contribute to the deepening of the different theoretical and methodological challenges of this area of knowledge.
Program of the session:
15h00 Video presentation by Lídia Oliveira, responsible for the DigiMedia Collection
15h05 Presentation of the author by Maria João Antunes
15h10 – Presentation of the book by the author, Pâmela Pinto
15h35 – Questions from the audicence to the author
Abstract of the book:
The main message of the book is to value the citizen as the center of the communication produced on health, anchored in the public interest and in the quest to broaden social participation. The guide has put together four axes of suggestions for producing content: on the approach – based on scientific knowledge and accessibility; on the use of images, with an emphasis on infographics; on the clarity of texts and on the importance of interaction with citizens and influencers. Strategies for planning and monitoring profiles are also presented. The research provided a critical reflection on health consumption on Instagram, a private platform based on commercial interests.
About the author:
Pâmela Pinto is currently conducting a Post-Doctoral research at the Department of Communication and Art (University of Aveiro), and her research interests are related to ‘communication and public health’, ‘institutional communication and social media’ , with emphasis on Instagram.
Catarina Lelis, a researcher of DigiMedia is the first author of the introduction chapter of the book “A Research Agenda for Brand Management in a New Era of Consumerism”. Catarina Lelis was invited by the editors of the book to participate in this edition, which provides a concise overview of key brand management topics and illustrating important areas for further research, this Research Agenda will be an invaluable resource for doctoral students and scholars in marketing, strategic management, and branding.
The book can be found here: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/a-research-agenda-for-brand-management-in-a-new-era-of-consumerism-9781803925509.html
Carla V. Leite, a doctoral candidate from Multimedia in Education Programme (UA) and a student member of DigiMedia, who has been also a Visiting Doctoral Researcher at the Department of Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Turku (UTU), for the past 10 months, has just completed an Intensive International Course on “Empowering Learning Environments in Nursing Education” (10ECTS). This course consisted of collaborative learning activities and an intensive week (23-27/10/2023) organised by Professor Leena Salminen (UTU) for a multidisciplinary audience originally from five different countries: Estonia, Germany, Turkey, Finland, and, of course, Carla from Portugal.
Carla Leite had the chance to visit the Turku Design Studio and attend workshops provided by University Professors from all over Europe regarding: 360º Learning Environments, Simulation Technique and Technology in Healthcare, Escape Rooms for Educational purposes, Artificial Intelligence for Education and Research, 3D modeling and printing, Virtual and Augmented Reality, Serious games, Ethics in Education and in Research, Learning Analytics, and, Online Safety and Data protection.
O Núcleo de Estudantes de Doutoramento do DigiMedia – NEDD já se encontra no website do centro de investigação – https://digimedia.web.ua.pt/nucleo-de-estudantes-de-doutoramento-do-digimedia
Podes encontrar por lá os principais objetivos e a equipa que o constitui.
Para estares a par dos próximos eventos e das informações que vamos partilhando segue a nossa página no Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/nedd.deca e, interage com os restantes membros do DigiMedia através do nosso grupo privado – https://www.facebook.com/groups/1236766580318648
DeCA, University of Aveiro
Campus Universitário de Santiago
3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
Project Ref: UID/05460/2025
Funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU
More about Programa Recuperar Portugal
