publications

2023

1. IDC

   PaintBall – Coding Sports Into Art for Cross-Interest Computational Connections

   Vishesh Kumar, Safinah Ali, and Marcelo Worsley

   In Proceedings of the 22nd Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference, 2023

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   In this demo, we present PaintBall, a tool that facilitates creative art creation and manipulation from movement data. It is designed as a public computation project aimed to foster conversation and connection between youth with different interests (specifically art, sports, or computing) at a community center around the shared activity of creating these rich visualizations and art pieces. We expect the design features of PaintBall – public art and tinkering work, cross interest engagement, and discrete artifact generation – to be key ideas that can be used across a variety of contexts and enable rich community development among youth by providing novel touchstones for conversation as well as reflection on these preexisting activities themselves. The following URL will host a working demo of this project – https://tiilt.northwestern.edu/projects/sportsense/paintball

2. IDC

   Toward Co-Design with Refugee Youth: Facilitation Through a Social-Emotional Framework

   Sarah Priscilla Lee, Tyler James Nanoff, Sydney Simmons, and 3 more authors

   In Proceedings of the 22nd Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference, 2023

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   This paper examines facilitator and refugee youth co-design for a summer program and asks: “how do researchers and interns understand ‘facilitation’ and ‘co-design’ in a summer program with refugee youth?” We highlight interactions with Rbekka, a refugee youth who participated in programming since 2015. We share findings that help us understand how expansive social emotional learning (SEL) and co-design create an assemblage of relationships and mutual space of learning that resists adult/child binaries and puts relational care and justice into practice.

3. From Spoken Words to Prompt Triggers: Technical Iterations of a Semi-Intelligent Conversational Agent to Promote Early Literacy

   Brandon Hanks, Grace C. Lin, Ilana Schoenfeld, and 1 more author

   In HCI International 2023 – Late Breaking Papers, 2023

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   AI technology is rapidly evolving and has vast potential for educational applications. This paper focuses on the technical iterations that took place as our project team developed a semi-intelligent conversational agent (CA) that uses speech recognition to fire spoken prompts to promote caregiver-child interaction as they read books aloud together. Situating this work in a design-based research methodology, the technical iterations reported here are part of the iterative “build” phase. (Easterday et al., 2018; Hoadley & Campos, 2022). The CA app promotes conversations between caregivers and children by listening to the human dyads as they read, matching their spoken words to marker words that would pinpoint the page of the storybook the dyads are reading, and playing a prompt corresponding to the page. The dynamic system that supports the app involves multiple components: web accessible services, data processing services, and human outputs, and it has gone through a combined seven iterations in three prototypes. Though a very small part of the DBR cycle, the technical iterations presented here have the potential to inform others interested in incorporating text-to-speech and other AI technologies into educational applications. We close with considerations for future directions.

4. AAAI

   Scratch for Sports: Athletic Drills as a Platform for Experiencing, Understanding, and Developing AI-Driven Apps

   Vishesh Kumar, and Marcelo Worsley

   Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Sep 2023

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5. AAAI

   AI Audit: A Card Game to Reflect on Everyday AI Systems

   Safinah Ali, Vishesh Kumar, and Cynthia Breazeal

   Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Sep 2023

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6. Joint Choice Time: A Metric for Better Understanding Collaboration in Interactive Museum Exhibits

   Matthew Berland, and Vishesh Kumar

   In LAK23: 13th International Learning Analytics and Knowledge Conference, Sep 2023

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   In this paper, we propose a new metric – Joint Choice Time (JCT) – to measure how and when visitors are collaborating around an interactive museum exhibit. This extends dwell time, one of the most commonly used metrics for museum engagement – which tends to be individual, and sacrifices insight into activity and learning details for measurement simplicity. We provide an exemplar of measuring JCT using a common “diversity metric” for collaborative choices and potential outcomes. We provide an implementable description of the metric, results from using the metric with our own data, and potential implications for designing museum exhibits and easily measuring social engagement. Here, we apply JCT to an interactive exhibit game called “Rainbow Agents” where museum visitors can play independently or work together to tend to a virtual garden using computer science concepts. Our data showed that diversity of meaningful choices positively correlated with both dwell time and diversity of positive and creative outcomes. JCT - as a productive as well as easy to access measure of social work - provides an example for learning analytics practitioners and researchers (especially in museums) to consider centering social engagement and work as a rich space for easily assessing effective learning experiences for museum visitors.

7. ISLS

   Culturally Responsive Computing for Black Boys Through Sports Technology

   Adia Wallace, Ashley Quiterio, Vishesh Kumar, and 1 more author

   In Proceedings of the 17th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2023, pp. 1426-1429, Sep 2023

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8. ISLS

   Centering Safety at Community Centers: Making Space for Youth Interest

   Sydney Simmons, and Vishesh Kumar

   In Proceedings of the 17th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2023, pp. 2131-2132, Sep 2023

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9. ISLS

   Unsettling Socio-Emotional Learning: Perspectives From Working With Resettled Refugee Youth

   Sarah Priscilla Lee, Stephanie T Jones, Vishesh Kumar, and 1 more author

   In Proceedings of the 17th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2023, pp. 1927-1928, Sep 2023

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10. ISLS

    Expansive Lenses to Examine Interventions (of) Moving Across Contexts

    Vishesh Kumar, Deborah A Fields, Paulo Blikstein, and 8 more authors

    In Proceedings of the 17th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2023, pp. 1732-1740, Sep 2023

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11. How Youth Connect Sports with Technology

    Adia Wallace, Ashley Quiterio, Vishesh Kumar, and 1 more author

    In Proceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 2, Sep 2023

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    Here, we present findings from our research study conducted on a series of STEM workshops we developed and implemented in a local summer program for young Black boys. Data were collected and analyzed from surveys, student work, and field observations. Our preliminary findings suggest that youth began to acknowledge benefits in having both tech and sports within the same learning space. Specifically, they began to connect digital technologies with sports and consider them as mediating tools for acquiring and refining athletics skills.

2022

1. Game Learning Analytics

   Emily Reardon, Vishesh Kumar, and Glenda Revelle

   Handbook of Learning Analytics, Sep 2022

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2. SCAMP: an analytical framework for examining flexible social playfulness around interactive museum exhibits

   Leilah Lyons Vishesh Kumar, and Beth Pinzur

   Interactive Learning Environments, Sep 2022

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3. BJET

   Supporting collaborative classroom networks through technology: An actor network theory approach to understanding social behaviours and design

   Vishesh Kumar, and Mike Tissenbaum

   British Journal of Educational Technology, Sep 2022

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   Abstract This paper presents an implementation of Connected Spaces (CxS)—an ambient help seeking interface designed and developed for a project-based computing classroom. We use actor network theory (ANT) to provide an underutilized posthumanist lens to understand the creation of collaborative connections in this Computational Action-based implementation. Posthumanism offers an emerging and critical extension to sociocultural perspectives on understanding learning, by pushing us to decenter the human, and consider the active roles that human and non-human entities play in learning environments by actively shaping each other. We analyse how students in this class adjusted their help-seeking and collaborative habits following the introduction of CxS, a tool designed to foster (more inter-group) collaboration. ANT proposes generalized symmetry—a principle of considering human, non-human and more than human entities with equivalent and comparable agency, leading to describing phenomena as networks of actors in different evolving relationships with each other. Analysing collaborative interactions as fostered by CxS using an ANT approach supports design-based research—an iterative design revision process highlighting understandings about design as well as learning—by providing a temporal and informative lens into the relationship between actors and tools within the environment. Our key findings include a framing of technologies in classrooms as bridging agentic gaps between students and becoming actors engaging in different behaviours; learners enacting new agencies through technologies (for instance a more comfortable non-intrusive help seeker), and the need for voicing and teachers to connect help networks in CxS equipped classrooms. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Collaborative learning is a valuable skill and practice; opportunities to mentor others are critical in empowering minoritized learners, especially in STEM and computing disciplines. School norms solidify a power and expertise hierarchy between teachers and learners and fail to productively support learners in learning from each other. Additionally, lack of awareness about peers’ knowledge is a common hindrance in students knowing who to ask for help and how. What this paper adds An example of a designed interface called Connected Spaces with potential to foster more inter-student collaboration, especially outside of mandated within-group collaboration—in the form of cross-group help seeking and help giving. A design based research study using actor network theory highlighting the limitations of Connected Spaces in sparking notable behaviour change among students by itself but being retooled as a teacher support tool in enabling cross-group collaborations. Presenting conceptions of collaboration through technologies as bridging agentic gaps and acting with new agencies in performing help-seeking related actions. Provoking the idea of testing emerging technologies in classrooms along with sharing our analyses and reflections with the classroom as a key idea in computing education—surfacing the gap between designed intentions and the different kinds of extra social work needed in the on-ground success of different technologies. Implications for practice and/or policy Designers and researchers should create and test more interfaces alongside teachers across different classrooms and contexts aimed at supporting different kinds of voluntary collaborative interactions. Curricula, standards and school practices should further center providing students with opportunities to engage as mentors and build communities of learning across disciplines to empower minoritized students. Researchers engaging in design based research should consider using more posthumanist lenses to examine educational technologies and how they affect change in learning environments.

4. IDC

   Youth Experiences with Authentically Embedded Computer Science in Sport

   Herminio Bodon, Marcelo Worsley, and Vishesh Kumar

   In Proceedings of the 21st Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference, Sep 2022

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   Research on bridging sports and computer science education tends to center computing as primary, and sports as secondary. In contrast, this project aims to center sports as primary while introducing technology and computing as avenues to engage with sports more deeply. We collaborated with basketball coaches to design and implement campamento:bit, a summer program with a basketball team of Latinx students in Puerto Rico. This program integrated computing artifacts in a traditional basketball camp. We present insights from our experience testing this program with 11 participants over 5 days. We present select case studies of participant experiences and developing understandings using a qualitative-methods approach. These analyses present different shifts in athletes’ perceptions of computing and instantiated students’ interests in future possibilities involving computing. Furthermore, the analyses suggest strategies for organizing such technology-integrated experiences for youth in sports contexts.

5. ISLS

   The Role of the Physical Space in Distributed Intelligence

   Mike Tissenbaum, Robb Lindgren, Joshua Danish, and 8 more authors

   In 15th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, CSCL 2022, Sep 2022

2021

1. Comm. Studies

   Procedural Collaboration in Educational Games: Supporting Complex System Understandings in Immersive Whole Class Simulations

   Vishesh Kumar, Michael B Tissenbaum, and Taehyun Kim

   Communication Studies, Sep 2021
2. Designing Open-Ended Learning Environments to Foster Diverse Forms of Collaboration

   Vishesh Kumar

   The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Sep 2021
3. ISLS

   Productive anger? Changing systems understanding due to negative emotions

   Taehyun Kim, Vishesh Kumar, and Mike Tissenbaum

   In Proceedings of the 15th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2021., Sep 2021

2020

1. CHIPlay

   Designing for and Identifying Plural Goals in a Science Museum Game Exhibit

   Vishesh Kumar, Matthew Berland, Leilah Lyons, and 2 more authors

   In Extended Abstracts of the 2020 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play, Sep 2020
2. Uncovering Patterns in Collaborative Interactions via Cluster Analysis of Museum Exhibit Logfiles.

   Natalie Jorion, Jessica Roberts, Alex Bowers, and 4 more authors

   Frontline Learning Research, Sep 2020

   Publisher: ERIC
3. ISLS

   Assessment in Hands-On Library Learning Spaces

   Peter Wardrip, Stephanie Chang, Lauren Penney, and 7 more authors

   Sep 2020

   Publisher: International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS)
4. ISLS

   Reframing Playful Participation in Museums: Identity, Collaboration, Inclusion, and Joy

   Matthew Berland, Maxine McKinney Royston, Leilah Lyons, and 7 more authors

   Sep 2020

   Publisher: International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS)
5. ISLS

   Becoming Together: Creating and Looking at Collaborations as Learning Products

   Vishesh Kumar, Gayithri Jayathirtha, Erica Halverson, and 5 more authors

   Sep 2020

   Publisher: International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS)

2019

1. CHIPlay

   Rainbow Agents: A Collaborative Game For Computational Literacy

   Anthony Pellicone, Leilah Lyons, Vishesh Kumar, and 2 more authors

   In Extended Abstracts of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play Companion Extended Abstracts, Sep 2019
2. IDC

   City Settlers: Participatory Games to Build Sustainable Cities

   Vishesh Kumar, and Mike Tissenbaum

   In Proceedings of the 18th ACM International Conference on Interaction Design and Children, Sep 2019
3. Designing Tools for Observation and Assessment in Makerspaces

   Vishesh Kumar, Rebecca Millerjohn, and Peter Wardrip

   In Proceedings of FabLearn 2019, Sep 2019
4. CSCL

   See the Collaboration Through the Code: Using Data Mining and CORDTRA Graphs to Analyze Blocks-Based Programming

   Mike Tissenbaum, and Vishesh Kumar

   Sep 2019

   Publisher: International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS)

2018

1. Failing up: How failure in a game environment promotes learning through discourse

   Craig G. Anderson, Jen Dalsen, Vishesh Kumar, and 2 more authors

   Thinking Skills and Creativity, Sep 2018

   Publisher: Elsevier
2. IDC

   Exploring computational thinking through collaborative problem solving and audio puzzles

   Anna Jordan-Douglass, Vishesh Kumar, and Peter J. Woods

   In Proceedings of the 17th ACM Conference on Interaction Design and Children, Sep 2018

2017

1. IDC

   Connected spaces: Helping Makers know their neighbors

   Vishesh Kumar, Mike Tissenbaum, Lauren Wielgus, and 1 more author

   In Proceedings of the 2017 Conference on Interaction Design and Children, Sep 2017
2. LAK

   What are visitors up to? helping museum facilitators know what visitors are doing

   Vishesh Kumar, Mike Tissenbaum, and Matthew Berland

   In Proceedings of the Seventh International Learning Analytics & Knowledge Conference, Sep 2017

2016

1. DiGRA

   Comparing gameplay across formal and informal contexts

   V. J. Binzak, Craig G. Anderson, Jordan-Douglass A. Kumar, and 1 more author

   Proceedings of the 1st DiGRA and FDG, Sep 2016
2. ICLS

   Situating deep multimodal data on game-based stem learning

   Craig G. Anderson, John V. Binzak, Jennifer Dalsen, and 7 more authors

   In , Sep 2016
3. EDM

   Modeling Visitor Behavior in a Game-Based Engineering Museum Exhibit with Hidden Markov Models.

   Mike Tissenbaum, Vishesh Kumar, and Matthew Berland

   International Educational Data Mining Society, Sep 2016

   Publisher: ERIC

2015

1. IDC

   Note code: A tangible music programming puzzle tool

   Vishesh Kumar, Tuhina Dargan, Utkarsh Dwivedi, and 1 more author

   In Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction, Sep 2015

2014

1. IndiaHCI

   Restorama: Panoramas In Restaurants, Tangible Interfaces for Cameras

   Vishesh Kumar, Tuhina Dargan, Ankit Kumar, and 3 more authors

   In Proceedings of the India HCI 2014 Conference on Human Computer Interaction, Sep 2014
2. ICLS

   Leveling transparency via situated intermediary learning objectives (SILOs)

   Dor Abrahamson, Kiera Chase, Vishesh Kumar, and 1 more author

   In , Sep 2014

2013

1. OzCHI

   e-Tely: electronic stamps for augmenting emails

   Vishesh Kumar, Harshit Agrawal, Rishika Jain, and 2 more authors

   In Proceedings of the 25th Australian Computer-Human Interaction Conference: Augmentation, Application, Innovation, Collaboration, Sep 2013