Yesterday morning we had HCI class with Stephen. He talked about the scientific methods involved in designing a study. This was an interesting lecture because he went really in-depth into the things to consider when designing a study, such as the different methods for measuring data and what their pros and cons are, and how to effectively evaluate the data you collect. He gave us a lot to think about, like how you could manipulate a study in order to measure and collect data differently. Our homework is to come up with an experiment that will test some relationship between iphones and driving, so stay tuned. 

After class, Stephen stayed with us to talk during the lunch and lecture. The first thing we covered was his current research projects. It was interesting to hear about how he applies his HCI background into the various real-world applications. There was one project that modeled a school shooting – yeah I feel like that would have been tough to work on – but also the interventions during that study were really interesting. In particular, the experiment tested two different ways to instruct students out of the building safely during an active shooting based on the location of the shooter. One option was to instruct via visual directions, and the other was via auditory instructions. I would personally have guessed that the auditory would be more effective because I would guess the environment would be so visually stimulating that students would have a harder time focusing on reading a text. Their study showed that the auditory directions were more effective. I wonder if the results differ depending on the grade of the students though – I just think about the fact that so many school shootings are in elementary schools, so what if the students are not yet at a point where they can read quickly. I was also surprised by how many projects Stephen is working on currently. It seems fun to have the opportunity to apply your skills and what you love to so many different avenues. 

After lunch, the curiosity team went to the lab again. We met Michael, a fourth year student at ISU, who is also working with Aron in the EEG lab. He’s going to work with us a bit throughout the rest of the summer so that there’s another person to keep momentum going once Sophie, Harrison, and I leave. Today he was our test subject, but I think we’re also going to help him understand the Python script that we’re using for the trivia question experiment sometime soon. 

Last night, Rodney, Sophie, Harrison, and I drove down to Des Moines because the guys needed a haircut, and there was nowhere in Ames they trusted with their hair. 

Once they both got out, Sophie and I made sure to give them a hard time for their new looks. No, I’m joking, they both looked good. Rodney was supposed to take us to a Southern or Cajun restaurant for dinner because he can’t stop talking about seafood boils and how nothing here compares to his food back home, but we ended up going to a decent sandwich shop instead. We also stopped to get ice cream before the drive back. I got a brown butter cookie dough flavor – it was okay. I wanted to try some other flavors, but they had a 1 taste-test limit – criminal.