Human Centered Computing

KARA GUNDERSEN

MFA Digital Production Arts, Clemson University

Current Projects

Augmented Reality (Mobile & Hololens) Augmented reality is the practice of enhancing the world around you with computer generated components. I have been developing augmented reality (AR) applications for both Hololens and mobile devices. I have been creating interactive art that is revolutionizing print and technology to create engaging experiences. I have also been researching exhaustion interfaces with AR as well as location based interactive storytelling. We are on the forefront of a drastic change in the way stories are told and explored, and I am helping reinvent it.

VEnvI Women earn just 18% of undergraduate degrees awarded for computer science, even though it is one of the most lucrative and quickly expanding fields in the United States. In Virtual Environment Interactions (VEnvI), we introduce an embodied pedagogical approach for learning computational concepts, utilizing computational practices, and developing computational perspectives. VEnvI allows users to string together movements using fundamental programming structures to create performances. Through an evolving curriculum, VEnvI blends dance and programming as a novel and embodied way to engage 5th and 6th grade girls in computing.

VENVI - NSF Video from Kara G.

ART OF TOMORROW

(UNIVERSAL FOUNDATION)

This is a project that is meant to expose students to and support education in the arts fields and in partner school programs. At Universal we recognize lives are enhanced by discovering the arts and encourage positive self-expression. We applaud the creative spirit and talent of our youth.

DANCING ALICE

As the precursor to VEnvI, the Dancing Alice project started off utilizing the alice.org software and moves created by myself. It was then moved to the software LookingGlass because students had the possibility to customize their characters.

PUBLICATIONS

Journals Leonard, A. E., Dsouza, N., Babu, S. B., Daily, S. B., Jörg, S., Waddell, C., Parmar, D., Gundersen, K., Gestring, J., & Boggs, K. (2015). Embodying and programming a "constellation" of multimodal literacy practices: Computational thinking, creative movement, biology, & virtual environment interactions. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 11(2), 64-93. Daily, S. D., Leonard, A. E., Jörg, S., Babu, S., Gundersen, K., & Parmar, D. (2014). Embodying computational thinking: initial design of an emerging technological learning tool. Technology, Knowledge, & Learning. DOI 10.1007/s10758-014-9237-1 Daily, S.B., Leonard, A.E., Jörg, S., Babu, S., Gundersen, K., Parmar, D. (accepted) Embodying Computational Thinking: Initial Design of an Emerging Technological Learning Tool. Technology, Knowledge and Learning. Proceedings Parmar, D., Isaac, J., Babu, S., D'Souza, N., Leonard, A., Jörg, S., Gundersen, K., Daily, S. (2016) "Programming Moves: Design and Evaluation of Applying Embodied Interaction in Virtual Environments to Enhance Computational Thinking in Middle School Students". IEEE Virtual Reality (to appear). Daily, S., Leonard, A., Jörg, S., Babu, S., D'Souza, N., Parmar, D., Gundersen, K., Isaac, J. (2016) "Combating Perceptions of Computer Scientists: A Short-term Intervention". SIGCSE (to appear). Daily, S.B., Leonard, A., Jörg, S., Babu, S., Gundersen, K. (2014), “Dancing Alice: Exploring Embodied Pedagogical Strategies for Learning Computational Thinking,” Proceedings of ACM SIG on Computer Science Education, Atlanta, GA. [acceptance rate 39.4%] Leonard, A., Daily, S.B., Gundersen, K., “The Dancing Alice Project: Choreography and Computer Programming in Middle School,” National Dance Education Organization, Miami, Florida, (October, 2013) Conference Presentations Gundersen, Kara. (2015). Layered Ocean Shader for RenderMan. In AMC SIGGRAPH 2015 Dailies (SIGGRAPH '14). ACM, New York, NY, USA, vArticle 4. Leonard, A. E., Daily, S. B., & Gundersen, K. (2014). A digital map: Locating embodied cognition and computational thinking research fifth in the Field, presented at the National Dance Education Organization’s annual meeting in Chicago, IL. Posters Sophie Jörg, Alison E. Leonard, Sabarish Babu, Kara Gundersen, Dhaval Parmar, Kevin Boggs, Shaundra Bryant Daily (2014) Character Animation and Embodiment in Teaching Computational Thinking. In ACM SIGGRAPH 2014 Posters (SIGGRAPH '14). ACM, New York, NY, USA, Article 4. Dotson, J., Gundersen, K., Daily, S.B. (2014) DIVE: Developing a Virtual Environment to Teach Computational Thinking. Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing.