News
Journal of Digital Media & Interaction
ISSN 2184-3120
The Journal of Digital Media & Interaction is an open access, international peer-reviewed research journal, published by DigiMedia, University of Aveiro.
JDMI has been accepted for indexation in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
Journal of Digital Media & Interaction, Vol.5, No.12: Cultural Representations in Digital Games is now available.
Regular issue with dossier on Responsive Environments
Editorial
DOSSIER NO.13 – RESPONSIVE ENVIRONMENTS
Nelson Zagalo, DigiMedia Coordinator, leads the coordinating committee of UA Editora. According to Despacho n.º 63 – REIT /2022, this committee also includes: Augusto Costa Tomé, Isabel Cristina Saraiva de Assunção Rodrigues Salak and Cristina Maria Cerqueira Borges.
The University of Aveiro has been developing editorial activity since 1996, promoting the publication of its own publications, in accordance with the general lines of scientific, pedagogical and cultural policy, defined by the University’s governing bodies. The University’s editorial activity is duly individualized through the designation UA Editora.
In the coming years, it is necessary to intensify and modernize editorial activity, create a duly adapted communication model, develop a new website to present the catalog and attract new manuscripts or ideas, increase activity on social networks and involve master and doctoral students from areas related to Editorial Editing, Design and Communication Technologies, establishing a strategy for brand recognition at national and international level.
The Best Practices Conference – The Digital in the Promotion of Active and Healthy Ageing (lit. “Encontro de Boas Práticas – O Digital na Promoção do Envelhecimento Ativo e Saudável) took place on December 13, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., in the Department of Communication and Art (DeCA), CCCI auditorium. This aimed to obtain a holistic view of good practices carried out by various institutions and projects, and to contribute to the construction of new technological products that promote active and healthy ageing.
Organized by researchers from the miOne project, DigiMedia, from DeCA of the University of Aveiro, in partnership with the Municipality of Ílhavo – Laboratório do Envelhecimento, this edition had the participation of 8 projects, 10 speakers, and about 140 registered participants.
In detail, the event began with the opening session that had the intervention of the Rector of the University of Aveiro, Professor Paulo Jorge Ferreira; the Mayor of Ílhavo, Engineer João Campolargo; the Director of the Department of Communication and Art, Prof. Dr. Ana Isabel Veloso; and the Coordination of the Research Unit – DigiMedia, in his representation, Prof. Dr. Carlos Santos.
Four panels comprised the discussion and debate moments of the Conference. The first panel included Sara Guerra from MOAI Labs, and Dina Soeiro, Carla Patrão, and Sílvia Parreiral from Teclas Prá Vida. In the panel dedicated to the projects that are at the genesis of this Conference, Ana Isabel Veloso and Francisco Regalado from the miOne and SEDUCE 2.0 projects, and Mariana Ramos from the Laboratório do Envelhecimento. Panel 2 received the testimonies of Flávia Machado from Actif and Nuno Marçal from Bibliomóvel de Proença-a-Nova. The third and last panel gave place to the presentations Ana Isabel Martins from SHAPES and Mónica Sousa from VirtuALL.
The event closed with two hands-on sessions focused on active and healthy ageing, where a workshop on the empathetic guide to design digital technology was conducted, ending with the creative design of digital solutions.
In conclusion, it was a day full of discussions, debates, and sharing of the best practices in an increasingly digital world for the promotion of active and healthy ageing. The participants and guests highlighted the warm reception they received, in addition to the diversity, richness and relevance of the topics addressed.
For more information on the Best Practices Conference – The Digital in the Promotion of Active and Healthy Ageing please visit https://ebp-22.pt/.
Call for papers
InfoDesign – special issue
https://infodesign.org.br/infodesign/announcement
Information design and technology
Publication schedule
Deadline for submission: 28th February 2023
Expected date of publication: December 2023
For some time there has been a growing interest in investigating the use of
technology in various activities and areas of information design, both in
physical and digital environments. As technology becomes more
interconnected and indispensable in our everyday lives, this has become an
important and urgent area of research. With this special issue, we aim to
bring together contributions that focus primarily on the relationship
between information design and technology, and report on emerging issues
within this topic.
Related topics include, but are not limited to:
Information Design in the Digital Age
-Digital education and information design
-Emerging technologies in information design
-Information design in virtual and augmented reality and artificial
intelligence
-Histories of technology applied to information design
-New trends and themes in information design and technology
-Information and mobility design
-The use of technology for inclusive information design
-Digital data visualisation and data decisions
-Information in animation and digital game design
-Information design and user experience
-Digital information design for healthcare
Submission instructions
Authors are invited to submit full papers following InfoDesign guidelines, available HERE. For this special issue, we will accept manuscripts written in English only. Relevant reviews and interviews related to the topic of this special issue are also welcome.
All manuscripts must be submitted via InfoDesign submission system.
Guest editors
Letícia Pedruzzi Fonseca (UFES) and Virginia Tiradentes Souto (UnB)
The editors of this special issue will be happy to discuss manuscript
proposals prior to submission. They can be contacted via email <
leticia.fonseca@ufes.br> <v.tiradentes@gmail.com>
*Visible Language Special Issue*
Call for Papers
Submissions open: *1 June 2022*
Submissions due for desk-review: *1st January 2023*
Completed manuscript drafts due for peer-review: *15* *January 2023*
Final manuscript due for publication: *15* *February 2023*
Communication Futures
Technologies and more recently, digital technologies, shape the ways in which we communicate. However, with the onset of COVID-19, key sectors like education and healthcare were required to re-evaluate how traditional services and communication models were delivered and to find different ways to remain connected. In many ways this has opened a door to a range of possibilities for communication models, and what has become apparent is just how important reliable and robust communication systems are for the wellbeing of people and societies.
For this special edition, we explore how we might shape future communication in form and structure by considering the opportunities afforded to us by digital and technological networks. Evolving environments and technologies are reshaping sectors like medicine and healthcare,
transport, and education and revealing the importance of connection to the network, but more importantly to each other. It is digital networks that provide us with the means to connect widely and more deeply, and which can keep us safer and improve our wellbeing. However, heavy reliance on digital technologies comes with risk and may introduce new or expand the existing
barriers they seek to dismantle. In this light, critical discussion is necessary about how Communication Futures that are technologically enabled can, and should, be shaped. What seems relatively clear is that approaches to the design of Communication Futures that are people focused and participatory are an opportunity to provide more inclusive and equitable access to communication methods and materials. They are also a means to intentionally connect people and groups that may be marginalised or that experience marginalisation as a result of exclusionary communication systems, practices, and networks.
We invite manuscripts that explore Communication Futures by discussing where they could go, challenging the directions they are going, and/or unpacking the evidence we have, or do not have, to inform responses.
Submissions may evaluate existing methods and systems for communication, report new experimental data, or evaluate the application for use of emerging technologies and communication platforms. They might explore the translation of big data or how information is shared, how people use visual communication within physical and networked environments, the role of visual communication in machine learning and artificial intelligence, or the value of simulations and virtual / augmented realities in communication systems.
We encourage submissions of long papers of up to 6,000 words and short papers not of more than 3,000 words. Long papers will be Research Reports that document new experimental data or evidence, or they will be Informed Hypotheses that present novel, meaningful, useful, and applicable theories for communication by building on existing evidence and/or existing theoretical knowledge – including knowledge from fields outside design. Short papers in the form of Theoretical Hypothesis may be more speculative and present a critical argument for Communication Futures that specify particular gaps in knowledge and point to needed research. Topics may include, but are not limited to, explorations of verbal and/or nonverbal communication systems, changing reading activities and environments, or the wider application of communication systems and technologies in sectors such as education, healthcare, or transport.
It is impossible to escape discussions of the impact of COVID-19; however, we would like to note that this Special Edition does not aim to focus on communication outcomes resulting from adaptation to the COVID-19 world specifically. It does not exclude them, but we think this context has forced a way of seeing that presents an opportunity to rethink and implement new communication experiences. It is these futures we aim to explore here.
Both long and short submissions should present research rigour, detailed methods for data collection and analysis, and evidenced outcomes. *Visible Language* guidelines can be found at
https://journals.uc.edu/index.php/vl/types-of-articles
Please submit full papers via the *Visible Language* submission portal:
https://journals.uc.edu/index.php/vl/about/submissions
When submitting an article, please use the Section dropdown menu to indicate ‘Special Issue Article: Communication Futures (April 2023)’.
Please forward any questions regarding submissions to: Matthew Wizinsky, Associate Editor, *Visible Language* wizinsmt@ucmail.uc.edu & Myra Thiessen myra.thiessen@monash.edu
Within the scope of the Programa Cientifcamente Provável, DigiMedia formalized a partnership with several schools in order to implement various activities among secondary school students that aim to bring the scientific work of master’s and doctoral students closer to this public. The first activities will take place on 12th December 2022.
Escola Secundária Infanta D. Maria, Coimbra
Escola Secundária Avelar Brotero, Coimbra
Escola Secundária Eça de Queirós, Póvoa do Varzim
Escola Secundária de Rocha Peixoto, Póvoa do Varzim
Escola Secundária de Gafanha da Nazaré, Ílhavo
Escola Secundária Dr. João Carlos Celestino, Ílhavo
Agrupamento de Escolas de Aveiro, Aveiro
Escola Secundária Marques de Castilho, Águeda
Escola secundária Dr. Joaquim Gomes Ferreira Alves, Vila Nova de Gaia
Escola Secundária de Caldas das Taipas, Guimarães
Escola Secundária Afonso Lopes Vieira, Leiria
Escola Secundária Jorge Peixinho, Montijo
The project PLAYMUTATION – Virus Epidemiologic-themed Digital Games and
Youngsters’ Attitudes to Viral Infections was coordinated by Liliana Vale Costa and funded by DigiMedia within the scope of the internal call for Scientific Innovation Activities.
This project inspired two master’s projects, whose theses will be defended in December 2022:
Student: Frederico Gonçalves Proença
Master’s course: Mestrado em Comunicação Multimédia
Project’s title: Desenvolvimento de um Jogo Digital para sensibilizar os Jovens para as Infeções Virais
Defense: 07 dezembro 2022, 15h00, https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/9470440634
Student: Ana Rita Salgueiro Passos
Master’s course: Mestrado em Comunicação Multimédia
Project’s title: As Cinemáticas e Narrativas de Jogos Digitais: Implicações para o Design de Jogos
Defense: 15 dezembro 2022, 14h00,
https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/94099810155?pwd=dnY2aXZBU0ltakVYTGhJTDREVk5XZz09
Senha de acesso: 493330
SisMAR, with the app Routinav, coordinated by Jorge Ferraz de Abreu (DigiMedia member) and Navesafety – Emerging remote sensing technologies for real-time support of navigation safety in harbour areas, coordinated by Telmo Silva (DigiMedia member), were the DigiMedia projects that integrated the program of the Sea Technology Exhibition, which was hosted by the University of Aveiro, on November 29th.
This initiative is part of the activities of InovC+ Intelligent Innovation Ecosystem of the Central Region, a project that promotes technology transfer in the Center of Portugal and strengthens the development of R&D+I, and is co-financed by Centro 2020, Portugal 2020, and the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund.
The Sea Technology Exhibition aimed to present technologies, products and services developed in the research centers of the partner entities, to encourage the sharing of best practices between researchers and the regional business fabric and to encourage the establishment of new partnerships.
In the scope of this event, and in addition to the exhibition space for projects and technologies from partners and startups, there were also lectures and round tables dedicated to the theme of the sea and the challenges that Portugal faces in this area.
During the day, ideas were exchanged between companies and researchers, promoting technologies, innovative products and services in the area of the sea, and seeking to support the creation of new strategic partnerships that offer solutions to the region.
The event, held at the Rectorate building of UAveiro, started at 10am. After the opening session, the first round table was held under the theme “Opportunities and Challenges of the Economy of the Sea”, which was attended by representatives of Forum Oceano, Regional Directorate of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Center of Portugal and IAPMEI, followed by a visit to the exhibition and a networking moment.
In the afternoon, the round-table “Economy of the Sea in the Central Region” took place, with talks by Port of Aveiro, Riasearch, CSWind and Ecomare, after which the participants could visit the exhibition again and interact with researchers from the different partner entities. The closing session was held by the Rector of UAveiro and the Vice-Rector of the University of Coimbra, the consortium’s lead entity.
Carlos Santos (DigiMedia member), Luís Pedro (DigiMedia member) and Lorena Sousa (DigiMedia PhD Student) are part of the team of the Erasmus+ project DETEL – Doctoral Education for Technology-Enhanced Learning and will host the multiplier event that will take place at the University of Aveiro on 16th December 2022.
The participation is free, but registration is required (https://forms.ua.pt/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=223434&lang=pt).
The event is aimed at master’s and PhD Students, Higher Education professors and researchers, as well as basic and secondary education teachers.
During the event, participants will have the opportunity to interact with experts in the field of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) and contact with their peers, learn about the latest results of the DETEL European project, learn about Open Educational Resources produced, as well as good practices in terms of doctoral education in TEL.
More information on this multiplier event, including the program, can be found HERE.
About the project
DE-TEL brings together 9 internationally renowned universities and the European Association of Technology-Enhanced Learning to reflect their expertise in doctoral education into a new internationally validated program in TEL, extended with rich and professionally produced Open Educational Resources. The project grounds the design of the new program in the best practices in TEL doctoral education across Europe as well as institutional and national requirements.
DE-TEL will create a new offer in an area of research that finds practical application across Europe as digitalisation of education is in an increasing demand to solve multiple challenges.
Doctoral education in TEL aims to develop expertise in doctoral candidates, provide knowledge from multiple relevant perspectives and allows taking empirically-based decisions in implementing TEL solutions in practice. The goal of DE-TEL is to bring doctoral education in TEL to a new level with high-quality resources and a new internationally designed program to support better curricular integration and avoid fragmentation of the digitalisation agenda in Europe.
Ana Veloso, Cláudia Ortet, Francisco Regalado and Tânia Ribeiro applied for the Prémio de Boas Práticas de Envelhecimento Ativo e Saudável na Região Centro/Good Practices Award for Active and Healthy Ageing in the Central Region of Portugal (2022 edition). The candidates submitted their projects at the Knowledge+ category with good practices that value research and technologies in active and healthy ageing.
In detail, Tânia Ribeiro, Ana Veloso, Cláudia Ortet and Francisco Regalado were finalists with the good practice “Digital Travel for Senior Citizens: 360° Virtual Tourism”, that aims to enable different profiles of seniors to travel virtually to places they would like to know or revisit. The team was one of the three finalists of the Knowledge + category, presented their project at the 9th Active and Healthy Ageing Congress of the Center Region, on December 6, 2022, at Convento São Francisco, in Coimbra, and won an honourable mention.
This initiative, which is now in its fifth edition, counted with 130 good practices and is carried out in collaboration with the Ageing@Coimbra and AgeINfuture consortia, with the aim of boosting the dissemination and recognition of projects and practices that promote active and healthy ageing in the Center Region of Portugal.
It is also worth mention that Cláudia Ortet, Ana Veloso and Liliana Costa were semi-finalists with the good practice “Jizo: A Gamified App for Senior Cyclotourism”, and Francisco Regalado, Ana Veloso and Liliana Costa also applied with “Gamifying News for the miOne Online Community”.
Pedro Beça (DigiMedia member) and Sofia Ribeiro (DigiMedia PhD Student) are authors of the book “Aveiro, cidade sustentável: EduCITY”, a product of the funded research project “EduCITY” from the University of Aveiro. Pedro Beça, Óscar Mealha and Rui Raposo (DigiMedia members) are part of the research team of the project.
Lúcia Pombo, João Ferreira-Santos, Julia Draghi, Lísia Lopes, Margarida M. Marques, Myriam Lopes, Patrícia Sá, Pedro Beça, Rita Rodrigues, Rita Tavares, Rosa Pinho, Sofia Ribeiro, Sónia Rodrigues e Vânia Carlos are the authors of the book “Aveiro, cidade sustentável: EduCITY”.
The book is a tour of the city of Aveiro and its efforts towards sustainability. It comprises four chapters: A caminho da sustentabilidade; Aveiro: Património Cultural; Aveiro: Património Natural; e Aveiro: exemplos de boas práticas de sustentabilidade. It intends to be of interest to a wide audience, not just to academics and, above all, it intends to be useful to ordinary citizens who, by getting to know their city’s heritage better, will be able to adopt more sustainable attitudes, in a Citizen Science logic.
This is the first major product of the EduCITY project and constitutes the starting point for the development of the EduCITY app, for Android and iOS, as well as the respective web platform for creating games; the creation of appealing educational games that integrate the app, through participatory dynamics with citizens without programming knowledge; the dynamization of activities for exploring games from the EduCITY app along strategic routes in the city, with a view to developing key sustainability skills and environmental awareness in the community.
It is a heavily illustrated work, which aims to boost the co-construction of games and the exploration of the EduCITY app. The city becomes a living experimentation laboratory, where citizens become active scientists and agents of sustainable change, in this and other cities.
Diogo Carvalho, Sofia Ribeiro and Lorena Sousa (DigiMedia PhD Students) are preparing training sessions within Ser + – By Students for Students Program.
23 de novembro
Formação: Uma introdução ao Design-Based Research
Dinamizador: Lorena de Sousa (Programa Doutoral em Multimédia em Educação)
Início: 14h00
Duração: 2 horas
Vagas: 20
Formato: Presencial
29 de novembro
Formação: UI vs UX: Uma dúvida persistente
Dinamizador: Diogo Carvalho e Sofia Ribeiro (Programa Doutoral em Informação e Comunicação em Plataformas Digitais)
Início: 16h30
Duração: 3 horas
Vagas: 20
Formato: Presencial
By Students for Students Program
Objectives:
• The integral development of students;
• Combining formal aspects (courses/curricular units) with non-formal and informal aspects;
• Focusing not just on developing soft skills (social activities);
• Responding to needs reported by students (in diverse areas).
This program is based on a vision of training that:
• It can cover a wide variety of topics as long as it is in accordance with the needs reported by the students (not just focusing on soft skills);
• It is designed around it being by students for students (the training is operationalized between peers, according to the supply needs that the students themselves identify);
• It will aim for continuous assessment, monitoring the assessment of participation in the program/ getting feedback from both trainers and participants.
