New projects and people

The lab welcomed three new starters in 2012 - Simon Jones who joins to work on a project studying online community network structures, Sam Richardson who joins to begin a PhD on online leadership, and Irene McGinn, who joins to study a PhD on the topic of online groups and ideology. The lab also gained two new projects in early 2012 - both via DSTL (the UK Ministry of Defence research body). The first is examining deception detection in an online setting, the second is linking our existing work on network structure in large web 2.0 communities with natural language processing.

29th March 2012 

New equipment for research

Two new bits of equipment have arrived in the lab. The first is a Tobii eye tracker. This will allow us to conduct research into people's interaction with websites, and to be able to see what they are looking at as they navigate around. It also means that the lab can now conduct full usability and user experience research on a consultancy basis.

The second equipment is non-wired biometric sensors that collect motion, temperature and galvanic skin response changes. This will enable research into stress and anxiety.

EU project Siren

Improving conflict resolution skills among the population at large is of paramount importance for a healthier, more peaceful and productive European society. These skills are best taught in early years, using teaching tools that are appropriate and engaging for today's children, for whom computer games and social networks are natural parts of life. The SIREN project aims to create a new type of educational game, the conflict resolution game, which takes advantage of recent advances in serious games, social networks, computational intelligence and emotional modelling to create uniquely motivating and educating games that can help shape how children think about and handle conflict.

The Interactions Lab Opening

A new purpose-built research space has opened in the centre of Bath to help researchers understand more about human communication and how people interact with technology.

The Interactions Lab, run by the University of Bath’s School of Management, is located at the Innovation Centre in Carpenter House, Broad Quay, and will be working with local people and businesses.

Researchers will be inviting local people, including school children, to get involved in the research through focus groups, interviews and hands-on technology-based activities.

The lab has dedicated computing, video recording and editing equipment; space for focus groups, role-plays and behaviour assessment; and a brightly coloured relaxed seating area for studies with children.