http://repository.iiitd.edu.in/xmlui/handle/123456789/1292 2026-04-11T19:02:35Z http://repository.iiitd.edu.in/xmlui/handle/123456789/1816 Building learner-centered educational experiences in virtual reality Belani, Manshul; Sing, Pushpendra (Advisor); Parnami, Aman (Advisor) Virtual Reality (VR), with its immersive and interactive qualities, is increasingly recognized for its potential to transform education. Unlocking this transformative potential requires the principled design and sustainable adoption of Virtual Reality Learning Environments (VRLEs), ensuring they achieve their pedagogical goals and reach and empower diverse learners at scale. From a design perspective, there is a noticeable gap in the availability of principles, guidelines or frameworks tailored specifically for 3D immersive learning environments. Although the Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) literature offers a rich body of design principles for 2D multimedia learning environments, directly applying these to VR is impractical without thorough investigation, given the unique affordances. Beyond design-related gaps, current research on VRLEs also largely relies on ad hoc, one-off interventions, which underscores the need for systematic approaches that enable sustained adoption and integration into mainstream pedagogy. Therefore, situated at the intersection of HCI, VR, and pedagogy, this dissertation advances the field by addressing the critical challenge of designing effective VRLEs while charting pathways for sustained adoption within mainstream education. Through a combination of empirical evaluations, an integration-focused study, and a comprehensive literature synthesis, this work provides evidence-based insights and frameworks that guide both the design and long-term incorporation of VR in education. As part of this work, empirical studies investigate two core design elements of VRLEs, verbal and spatial representations of learning content, to derive implications for effective design in immersive educational contexts. In parallel, it undertakes an exploration of students’ perceptions, challenges, and barriers related to the sustained use of VRLEs aligned to their curriculum. The dissertation further incorporates a literature-based scoping exercise to identify key design parameters that influence learning effectiveness, in the form of a design space. The findings demonstrate that VR design parameters meaningfully influence cognitive load and user experiences, and that the effectiveness of specific design choices varies across instructional contexts. In addition, by drawing on theoretical frameworks such as Self- Determination Theory, the dissertation outlines key considerations and best practices for integrating and sustaining VR into regular curricula. Furthermore, the identified design space, together with the empirical studies, illustrates how this space can be systematically leveraged to structure investigations that, in turn, inform the development of evidence- based design guidelines for VR learning environments. Building on these insights, the dissertation therefore proposes a foundational frame- work to guide the development of design principles and practical recommendations for VRLEs. In doing so, the thesis aims to contribute to bridging the gap between theory and practice, enhancing learning experiences, and advancing the integration of immersive technologies in educational settings. 2025-12-01T00:00:00Z http://repository.iiitd.edu.in/xmlui/handle/123456789/1709 Simplifying prototyping of friction-based haptics and miniature input devices for VR Mishra, Abhijeet; Shukla, Jainendra (Advisor); Parnami, Aman (Advisor) The HCI community widely recognizes the significant benefits of integrating haptic feedback and input devices into digital environments. These integrations are crucial to creating authentic user experiences, enabling users to perceive digital environments naturally, manipulate virtual objects with ease, and engage deeply with digital content and activities. However, despite the potential of integrating these methods into the digital realm, such solutions are often explored or come with significant limitations that are frequently overlooked or not taken into account while designing. These limitations include issues with scalability, complexity (demanding substantial object/user/environment instrumentation or modification), and cost-effectiveness. Consequently, such issues create significant barriers to accessing current proposed solutions, particularly for users in resource-constrained settings, thereby preventing widespread adoption (useful from the perspective of prototyping) and their straightforward use of these methods. Motivated by these challenges, my thesis aims to pioneer the design and development of novel haptic feedback and input device methods that are scalable, simple, and cost-effective. The primary goal is to address the lag in the development of accessible type haptic feedback and input device design methods amidst rapid advancements in other technologies. By emphasizing this disparity, the objective is to catalyze future development and focus on the global democratization of access to these technologies. Because it will allow users all around the world to benefit from simplified prototyping procedures while leveraging the potential of haptic effects and physical interaction approaches. In the first project, I introduce HaptiDrag, a device that harnesses the electro adhesion phenomenon to produce variable drag effects on physical interfaces. This paper-thin and lightweight solution overcomes the limitations of traditional mechanical and ultrasonic based haptic feedback systems, offering scalability, low-complexities, and adaptability across various surfaces. Extensive user studies have shown that HaptiDrag effectively enhances VR interactions by enabling users to feel varying intensities of friction, thereby enriching the sensory experience in digital environments. In the second project, I enable in a simplified way the realistic simulation of precise manipulation experiences in VR akin to those experienced with precision hand-held tools in the real world. This work offers an accessible and cost-effective approach, overcoming the challenges of traditional and proposed physical methods, such as complex setups, no realistic experiences, active components, high costs, and sophisticated programming. In the third project, I explore another method for developing miniature input devices for VR while also enabling interaction with everyday physical objects that addresses past challenges with innovative solutions. I have demonstrated that non-smart objects also, e.g., like stylus-type ballpoint pens and fashionable rings, which users typically use for a single purpose, can now also serve as input devices without any additional instrumentation of the objects, the user, or the environment. My approach contrasts sharply with traditional methods that demand explicit instrumentation, showcasing a significant advancement in the usability of non-smart objects and the simplicity of the explored approach. Collectively, my thesis makes substantial contributions to the field of human-computer interaction. It not only showcases realistic user interactions in a straightforward and lightweight manner within digital environments but also strongly emphasizes and enhances the design accessibility and usability of the proposed haptic feedback and input device methods compared to previous approaches. This facilitates wider user adoption while maintaining enriched digital experiences. Ultimately, my thesis takes a step forward by emphasizing that the true potential of any invented methods can only be realized if they are made accessible to all users, to envision a future of accessible methods (rather than only methods) available to everyone anywhere and everywhere. 2024-07-01T00:00:00Z http://repository.iiitd.edu.in/xmlui/handle/123456789/1373 Towards menstrual mobilities and period-positive ecologies Tuli, Anupriya; Singh, Pushpendra (Advisor); Kumar, Neha (Advisor) Global organizations have long identified and declared women’s health, wellbeing, and empowerment as critical development goals with a push on leveraging information communication technology (ICT) to accomplish the same (e.g., Sustainable Development Goal-5). More recently, women’s health has been receiving growing attention in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), with efforts acknowledging the need and value of studying the social impact of women’s health issues. Menstrual health has drawn exponential interest in the last decade, with researchers extensively studying mobile application-based tracking practices and ethical concerns around collecting and managing intimate data through such apps. However, most of these studies represent experiences from the Global North. In this dissertation, I extend these ongoing conversations within the HCI community by investigating how technology can play a role in addressing cultural taboos and systemic barriers toward supporting a menstruator’s journey. In India, as in several other countries, menstruation has historically remained a taboo, making it challenging to facilitate conversations around menstrual health and wellbeing, eventually contributing to negative menarche experiences, low self-esteem, and fear of embarrassment among menstruators. I study the broader ecosystem of the urban Indian middle-class population to investigate how menstrual taboo is sustained, menstrual silence is learned, menstrual literacy is cultivated, and how the design of contemporary ICTs can and does support the emergence and operation of these forms of socio-cultural sensemaking and meaning making. Through a series of qualitative and design studies conducted in Delhi, India, this dissertation broadly attempts to unpack avenues for technology design to build intellectual and human infrastructure and support civic and material infrastructure toward nurturing period-positive ecologies. Here, I engaged with the cis-women and prominent stakeholders in their vicinity to study technology engagement for constructing and disseminating menstrual literacy and seeking support for safe menstrual mobilities and hygiene practices. The findings across my studies inform recommendations for designing menstrual intervention within and beyond the realm of technology, centering emancipation from menstrual taboo toward facilitating open and respectful communication around the subject. Drawing on feminist perspectives and the capabilities approach, I tease out lessons for taking a long, embodied, and ecological approach to designing menstrual technologies. In the process, I unpack critical tradeoffs around privacy, agency, and advocacy and raise a pressing question around technology adoption—how much must design abide by societal norms to gain adoption and approval, and how far might it push these boundaries? Drawing attention to the severity of the tradeoffs, I offer a set of socio-technical design recommendations for taking a responsible approach to designing menstrual technologies toward carving positive menstrual futures. The findings of this research could be utilized to bolster and provide insightful guidance for policy frameworks that promote inclusive, just, and equitable menstrual futures. 2023-12-01T00:00:00Z http://repository.iiitd.edu.in/xmlui/handle/123456789/1294 Menstrupal : a smart sensor to monitor menstrual rhythm Mukherjee, Manideepa; Parnami, Aman (Advisor) Ubiquitous health monitoring systems are gaining a lot of interest due to their potential to provide continuous, real-time information via non-invasive measurements of physiological parameters. Menstruation is a periodic biological process that is essential for women’s health. In this report, we described a textile-based blood volume sensor that can be integrated into the sanitary napkin to quantify menstrual blood loss during menstruation. Through benchtop characterization tests with 5 mL of saline fluid, we determined the effect of spacing, orientation, weight, and location of fluid drop on the sensor. The sensor has been evaluated by intravenous blood samples collected from 18 participants and menstrual blood samples collected from 10 participants for four months. The collected intravenous blood samples and menstrual blood samples were used to create two regression models that can predict the blood volume and menstrual blood volume from the voltage input with Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 11-15% and 15-30%, respectively. We also presented a modified design of the sensor and the result of a 10 participants user study to evaluate the effect of activities performed by the users. We showed that the sensor performs uniformly for all activities across the users. Through a user experience study, we found that the wearable sensing system is comfortable and safe to use. Further, we explored the design of a battery-less wearable sanitary napkin system to test the feasibility of data collection using an NFC-enabled smartphone. 2023-03-01T00:00:00Z