News
The University of Aveiro (UA) was present at the Aveiro TechWeek event, with a permanent display and highlighted at the fair, showing the best of the research produced by the UA in the area of video games.
The exhibition organized by the direction of the Master’s in Digital Game Development, in partnership with the rectory of the UA, featured a display of dozens of academic works by master’s students, the demonstration of numerous research projects of several research units and departments at the UA, as well as functional Virtual Reality prototypes that could be explored by the public present at the fair.
The TechWeek, dedicated to the theme Videogames, was held in the two pavilions of the Aveiro exhibition park, from 4th to 6th October. The Gaming TechWeek had the participation of various stakeholders in gaming culture, from streamers, players and many curious people, with several lectures and sports tournaments held.
The Master’s Degree in Digital Game Development is an advanced training offer that results from a joint venture between the Department of Communication and Art and the Department of Electronics, Telecommunications and IT, with teachers and researchers from DigiMedia, IEETA and IT.
The Project Back2Basics has launched two new resources in the RIA collection: the SECURITY: a cybersecurity handbook and the Guide: Online Communication and Netiquette. These publications are practical guides, written in accessible language, which are now available in English, but will soon be published in other languages (Portuguese, Spanish and Greek).
Rita Santos and Mónica Aresta, DigiMedia researchers, are part of the Back2Basics coordination team for these resources.
The Project has also other resources available in their webpage, such as videos, infographics and teaching and training resources).
The ‘Play with Music’ game, which enables children with motor difficulties to learn and play Music using only their eyes, was showcased successfully at Aveiro TechWeek. This innovative game comprises two sections: one offering structured music lessons and another providing a more playful approach. Children interact with the game using an EyeTracker.
‘Play with Music’ was developed as part of Lucius Filho’s master’s thesis in game design, supervised by Oksana Tymoshchuk, Rita Oliveira, and Davys Moreno, in collaboration with the Aveiro Conservatory of Music.
“Women in Tech Communities: results of a doctoral research in Brazil and Portugal with a decolonial approach” is the title of the communication Renata Frade, a DigiMedia Researcher, gave at the Utrecht University at the AtGender conference. This work relates studies started during the doctorate (DigiMedia – Digital Media and Interaction Research Centre, DeCA – Departamento de Comunicação e Arte da Universidade de Aveiro, Universidade de Aveiro, Universidade do Porto, under the supervision of Professor Mário Vairinhos), with details of new approaches related to artificial intelligence and decoloniality. AtGender is one of the biggest scientific events in the world around gender studies, with technology taking a central place in the discussions.
A tender is hereby opened for the award of 2 Research Grants for collaboration in the research activities of the project Development of immersive content and resources for training modules on Virtual Reality, at the Department of Communication and Art / DigiMedia under the following conditions:
1. Scientific Area: Communication Sciences and Technologies
2. Financing Source: The research grant is funded by the University of Aveiro’s own revenues
3. Admission Requirements:
Students enrolled in a master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Technologies, computer science or related areas; or Bachelors or Masters in Communication Sciences and Technologies, computer science or related areas (enrolled in non-degree courses integrated in the educational project of the University of Aveiro).
Candidates must have a degree in the areas of Communication Sciences and Technologies, computer science or other related areas.
Candidates should also have adequate knowledge in the development of interactive applications in Unity and Blender, more specifically in 3D immersive environments, privileging practical knowledge and work experience in 3D modelling, 3D optimization for game engines, lighting and material production, interface and UX design, Game Development and Game Theory, as well as the evaluation of Virtual Reality applications in areas such as UX, Usability and Accessibility.
(View Courses at: Courses – University of Aveiro (ua.pt) and Training at UA – Universidade de Aveiro)
The proof of enrolment must be made available until the contract is awarded, and the candidate may attach a declaration of honor to confirm that they meet the requirements for enrolment in an integrated master’s degree, master’s or doctoral program or in a course that does not confer an academic degree.
If the qualification has been conferred by a foreign higher education institution it must be recognized by a Portuguese higher education institution, under the terms of the provisions of article 25 of Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of August 16th, which approves the legal regime of recognition of academic degrees and diplomas of Higher Education, attributed by foreign higher education institutions, and of paragraph e) of no. 2 of article 4 of Decree-Law no. 60/2018, of August 3rd, and any formalities established therein must be fulfilled by the date of the hiring act.
4. Eligibility: Applicants are eligible if they comply with paragraph a) of no.1 of article 2, of the Research Fellow Statute in the wording given by Decree-Law no. 123/2019, of August 28th, and also the provisions of article 9 of the Scientific Research Grant Regulations of the University of Aveiro.
5. Work plan: Within the scope of the project, a short course on the Design of Immersive Environments in Virtual Reality will be developed and will include a total of 15 lessons. Each of the lessons will include practical examples in Virtual Reality of the theoretical concepts presented. These examples will be aggregated into a single application in 3 languages (Portuguese, English and Spanish) which will then be distributed free of charge. The selected fellows will collaborate with the project’s research and development team and each one will be assigned a job and a workstation dedicated to the project.
The work plan comprises the following tasks:
T1: Design and development of content for an alpha version of the application.
T2: Evaluation of the alpha version of the application, as well as the practical examples of each of the 15 classes, regarding UX, Usability and Accessibility.
T3: Design and development of content for a Beta version of the application.
T4: Participation in the organization of dissemination event to be held in Aveiro in 2025.
T5: Process documentation.
6. Applicable legislation and regulations: Research Fellow Statute, as amended by Decree-Law No. 123/2019, of August 28th; Scientific Research Grant Regulation of the University of Aveiro, Regulation No. 292/2020, published in Diário da República No. 61, Series II, of March 26th; Decree-Law No. 66/2018, of August 16th (Legal regime of recognition of academic degrees and diplomas of higher education awarded by foreign higher education institutions).
7. Workplace: The work will be carried out at Department of Communication and Art / DigiMedia of the University of Aveiro, under the scientific supervision of Professor Rui Manuel de Assunção Raposo and Professor Mário Jorge Rodrigues Martins Vairinhos.
8. Duration of the grant(s): The grant duration will be 6 months, starting in December 2024, possibly renewable for a further 3 months, up to the maximum limit of approved funding. Under no circumstances shall it exceed the limits defined in nos. 5 and 6 of article 9, of Regulation no. 292/2020, of February 28th, published in Diário da República, no. 61, Series II, of March 26th (Scientific Research Grant Regulation of the University of Aveiro).
9. Amount of monthly maintenance allowance: The amount of the grant corresponds to 990,98€ according to the table of values of monthly maintenance allowances, set out in Appendix III of the Scientific Research Grant Regulation of the University of Aveiro, subject to any updates that may occur and are applicable. The fellow may also be reimbursed for the amount corresponding to the Voluntary Social Security, in case of adherence to this plan.
10. Selection methods: The selection methods to be used will be the following: a) curriculum vitae assessment, b) interview, with the respective value of a) curriculum vitae assessment (60%), b) interview (40%).
11. Composition of the Selection Jury: Prof. Doutor Rui Manuel de Assunção Raposo (Chair of the Selection Jury), Prof. Doutor Mário Jorge Rodrigues Martins Vairinhos (permanent member), Prof. Doutor Sérgio Rafael Tomé das Neves Eliseu (permanent member), Profª. Doutora Rita Alexandra Silva Oliveira (alternate member) Prof. Doutor Pedro Jorge Couto Cardoso (alternate member).
12. Deadline for applications and how to submit applications: The call is open from October 16, 2024, to October 31, 2024, and only applications submitted within the deadline will be admitted.
Applications must be formalized by sending a letter of application accompanied by the following documents: Curriculum Vitae, certificate of qualifications, declaration of honor and other supporting documents deemed relevant. They shall also indicate the e-mail address to which by such indication they accept to be notified for all purposes within this procedure.
Applications should be sent by e-mail to raposo@ua.pt
13. Form of publication/notification of results: The results of the evaluation shall be made public no later than 60 working days after the closing date for submission of applications and shall be notified to the applicants. The candidates are informed, in a prior hearing, under the terms established in the Code of Administrative Procedure, of the probable meaning of the final decision, and may, within 10 working days of this notification, express their opinion on this decision. The final results may be appealed to the Rector, to be submitted within 10 working days from the respective notification.
14. Tender duration: The final ranking list of candidates will be valid until February 28, 2025, for the purpose of constituting a reserve list for selection.
The models of the grant contract and of the final report to be prepared by the grant holder and the supervisor are available at Research fellows – sgrh – Universidade de Aveiro (ua.pt).
Carla Leite, a DigiMedia PhD student, was invited to give the talk “A vida académica são dois dias, e a vida profissional são três”, at the PCI – Creative Science Park, in Ílhavo. The event is organized by the Geek Girls Portugal, and takes place on 24th October.
Free registration here.
More information on social networks here:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/hFSkrXbSGW3NWB5u/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/p/DA3uno0BVA7/?igsh=aW0yanM1NzNtbncw
The Journal of Digital Media & Interaction (JDMI) is calling for articles on Media Literacy, to its next edition (JDMI no.17- December 2024), under a variery of topics (see below). The JDMI accepts review, meta-analysis, empirical, and conceptual papers, from 4,000 to 7,000 words, in English, Portuguese, French or Spanish.
The deadline for submission is November 15, 2024.
Further information here.
Topics accepted for this Special issue on Media Literacy:
– Media Literacy in the context of emerging technologies
– Misinformation and fake news in the digital age
– Combating misinformation and promoting critical thinking
– Media literacy and digital citizenship
– Digitally mediated tools in media literacy
– Innovative teaching approaches for media literacy
– Case studies of successful media literacy programs
– Emerging challenges in media literacy education
– Journalism in the digital age
– News desert and the future of the local journalism
In addition to these thematic dossiers JDMI is continuously open to articles in the broad range of its scope.
The Impact Plan, a tool to support the anticipation of impact of projects designed by Digimedia’s member Catarina Lelis, is one of the activities that is part of the Inner Development Goals Conference (IDG2024), made available on their Story & Collaboration Garden. This is a feature available on the conference’s website, which is taking place on 16-18 October, in Stockholm, Sweden. At the Story & Collaboration Garden, registered participants can search for projects, resources and ideas connected to the IDG framework.
The wrap meeting of Erasmus+ Project Agewell, Service Design for Wellness and Healthy Ageing, took place at Hanze University of Applied Sciences, in Groningen, The Nederlands on 19 and 20 September 2024.
The team took the chance to define future avenues of joint work once the project is completed. Digimedia members are Catarina Lelis and Rita Oliveira.
The 16th International Conference on Education Technology and Computers (ICETC 2024) and The 15th International Conference on Distance Learning and Education (ICDLE 2024) took place from 18th to 21th of September, 2024 and gathered a global audience of researchers, educators, and practitioners from various sectors of education technology and computer science. The conference provided a valuable platform for sharing ideas, research insights, and best practices in the field of education technology.
Raquel Magalhães Cabral, a DigiMedia PhD student, presented the “SUNRISE App: A Tool to Validate the Characteristics of an Infocommunicational Model Capable of Potentiating Social and Emotional Education for High School Students.” Co-authored by professors and master students, prof. Dr. Oscar Mealha (from Digimedia), prof. Dr. Vania Carlos (from DEP/UA), prof. Dr. Cristina Mercader (from Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona) and the master students: Bruna Riba, João Neves and Tiago Paralta (Porto University), this research paper explored the potential of technology to enhance social and emotional education.
During the conference, Raquel Magalhães Cabral’s presentation was recognized as the best oral presentation of the session about “The Diverse Applications of Digital Tools and Platforms in Education”. It was evaluated based on criteria such as applicability, originality, significance, visual aids, English delivery, and timeliness. This recognition highlights the quality and impact of her research and her ability to effectively communicate her findings to a diverse audience.
“Mapping Cultural Tourism: InfoVis through Community Narratives” is the new Booklet of the DigitalOBS collection, edited by Mónica Silva, Lídia Oliveira and Rui Raposo.
The DigitalOBS booklets aim to disseminate research and science to society in an accessible way.
The booklet can be downloaded here.
Submissions for papers on “Brand Purpose: Towards a deeper understanding of the construct, its antecedents, co-creation process, and outcomes”, for the 18thGlobal Brand Conference are open until November 1, 2024. The conference will be held at Católica Porto Business School in Porto, Portugal, from May 7th to 9th, 2025.
For two decades, the Global Brand Conference of the Academy of Marketing’s Brand Identity and Corporate Reputation Special Interest Group has become one of the leading academic conferences on branding worldwide.
Despite the growing interest in brand purpose, empirical studies are still very scarce, and there is a lack of construct clarity. To address these research gaps and help stimulate the development of empirical studies on brand purpose and related constructs, the theme of the 18th Global Brand Conference is “Brand Purpose: Towards a deeper understanding of the construct, its antecedents, co-creation process, and outcomes.” Your original research is crucial to the conference’s success and the advancement of our field.
Important dates:
. Submissions deadline: 1st November 2024
. Announcement of decision: 16th December 2024
. Early bird registration deadline: 7th March 2025
. Registration deadline: 11th April 2025 .
. Conference: 7th to 9th May 2025
For more information: gbc2025porto.org/en/2025/home/
