8th Summer School on Computational Interaction,
ACM Europe School

3 to 7 June 2024, Belval, Luxembourg

Apply

We start accepting applications from
January 31st 2024

School begins in

10

Days

18

Hours

46

Minutes

32

Seconds

Welcome

The 8th  Summer School on Computational Interaction, ACM Europe School will be held at the University of Luxembourg, Belval campus, Luxembourg.  It will take place on June 03 - 07, 2024.

This summer school teaches HCI students, researchers, and industry professionals computational methods and their application in user interface design, interactive systems, user modeling, and more. Each day will feature one or two outstanding speakers who will share their expertise on a technical topic relevant to Computational Interaction. Individual lectures will give students an overview of different topics in Computational Interaction, and will include exercises that will give students hands-on experience with Computational Interaction research.

Important Dates


  • January 31st, 2024 - Applications for the summer school open
  • February 28th, 2024 - Application Deadline
  • March 22nd, 2024 - Application Deadline (first round)
  • March 29th, 2024 - Admissions notifications (first round)
  • April 30th, 2024 - Application Deadline (second round)
  • May 3rd, 2024 - Admissions notifications (second round)
  • June 3rd, 2024 - Start of Summer School
  • June 7th, 2024 - End of Summer School
All deadlines are in Anywhere on Earth (AoE) time zone.

Topics

We put together a remarkable program that features the leading experts in the area of computational interaction. These are the confirmed topics so far:

  • Optimization methods for interface design and adaptation by Anna Maria Feit and João Belo, Saarland University, Germany.

  • This session will introduce a range of optimization techniques, encompassing exact mathematical methods, approximation algorithms, and multi-objective approaches. With hands-on examples, participants will learn how to apply these methods to problems in user interface design. We will explore how optimization can improve the usability of classic desktop and learn about its crucial role for emerging technologies such as Augmented Reality.


  • Modeling and understanding user interfaces from pixels by Amanda Swearngin, Apple Inc., Seattle, WA, USA.

  • This session will introduce modern techniques for UI understanding from pixels including object detection, transformers, and multi-modal models for understanding user interfaces at multiple levels of abstraction. These techniques are becoming rapidly adopted for a range of applications such as accessibility, design and developer tooling, and UI automation.


  • Parameterization and Selection of Behavioural Models by Gilles Bailly, ISIR Lab, Sorbonne Université, France.

  • This session will introduce different methods inspired from compuational neurosciences to carefully evaluate computational models of human behaviour, including model simulation, parameter estimation and model comparison. We will especially focus on models of learning and decision making.


  • Forward and inverse modelling in input by John H. Williamson, University of Glasgow, Scotland.

  • This session will discuss approaches to extracting user intention from signals. It will contrast forward (traditional ML) modelling, which optimises a mapping from sensors to inferred states; and inverse (Bayesian) approaches, which infers a distribution over inferred states given a model of how sensed states would occur. The session will bring together probabilistic Bayesian filtering and direct forward modelling for input devices.


  • Charting the routes of thoughts in LLM-empowered conversational interactions by Xiaojuan Ma, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).

  • This session will introduce three computational frameworks for modeling the reasoning process of large language models (LLMs), naming chain-of-thought (CoT), tree-of-thoughts (ToT), and graph-of-thoughts (GoT). These frameworks aim to simulate how humans breakdown (and combine) ideas in complex reasoning and problem solving. One of their typical applications is to resemble human communication techniques and generate proper responses in highly dynamic conversations. We will discuss the conceptual models behind these frameworks, their benefits and limitations, and possible implementation in conversational interactions.


  • Augmenting Ideation and Sensemaking in the age of LLMs: Concepts, Examples, and Opportunities from an HCI Perspective. by Gonzalo Ramos, Microsoft Research Redmond, Washington, USA.

  • The capabilities of emerging large language models and generative AI bring within line of sight having interactions with systems that mediate how we consume, process, and produce information and knowledge. This lecture, will focus on the question of GenAI to support and augment sensemaking and ideation activities by first introducing useful theories and frameworks to think about them and identify moments where GenAI can act in supporting them and how. Susequentely, it describes how some of these support ideas can be translated into practice and what are the human factors to consider. Finally participants will be guided, to implement some of the ideas and concepts presented, and to experience them in interactive form.


  • Supporting rich interactions in mixed reality by John Dudley, University of Cambridge, UK.

  • This session will review the challenges inherent to supporting rich interactions in mixed reality and introduce effective methods for mitigating some of these challenges. We will explore strategies and techniques for accommodating ambiguous user input in the context of hand gesture input and text entry.








Our Schedule

Do not miss anything about the event


Tentative timeline

Click on each day to see the detailed schedule

Opening session

  • 15:00 - 16:00
  • MSA building Room 4.500
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Poster session

  • 16:00 - 18:00
  • MSA building 3rd Floor
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Welcome reception

  • 18:15- 20:00
  • MSA building Room 4.500
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Welcome

  • 08:30 - 09:00
  • MSA building 3rd floor
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Optimization methods for interface design and adaptation


  • Anna Maria Feit






  • João Belo
  • 09:00 am - 12:00 AM
  • MSA building Room 4.500
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Lunch break (On your own)

  • 12:00 - 14:00
  • Belval Campus
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Modeling and understanding user interfaces from pixels

  • Amanda Swearngin
  • 14:00 am - 17:00 AM
  • MSA building Room 4.500
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Lab tour

  • 17:00 am - 18:30 AM
  • Maison du Nombre 6, Avenue de la Fonte L-4364 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Welcome

  • 08:30 - 09:00
  • MSA building 3rd floor
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Charting the routes of thoughts in LLM-empowered conversational interactions

  • Xiaojuan Ma
  • 09:00 am - 12:00 AM
  • MSA building Room 4.500
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Lunch break (On your own)

  • 12:00 - 14:00
  • Belval Campus
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Supporting rich interactions in mixed reality

  • John Dudley
  • 14:00 am - 17:00 AM
  • MSA building Room 4.500
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Welcome

  • 08:30 - 09:00
  • MSA building 3rd floor
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Parameterization and Selection of Behavioural Models

  • Gilles Bailly
  • 09:00 am - 12:00 AM
  • MSA building Room 4.500
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Lunch break (On your own)

  • 12:00 - 14:00
  • Belval Campus
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Augmenting Ideation and Sensemaking in the age of LLMs: Concepts, Examples, and Opportunities from an HCI Perspective

  • Gonzalo Ramos
  • 14:00 am - 17:00 AM
  • MSA building Room 4.500
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Welcome

  • 08:30 - 09:00
  • MSA building 3rd floor
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Forward and inverse modelling in input

  • John H. Williamson
  • 09:00 am - 12:00 AM
  • MSA building Room 4.500
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Lunch break (On your own)

  • 12:00 - 14:00
  • Belval Campus
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Closing session

  • 14:00 am - 15:00 AM
  • MSA building Room 4.500
    2, place de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg


Practical Details

University of Luxembourg, Belval Campus

Get directions

2, place de l’Université, 4365

Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Founded in 2003, the University of Luxembourg is the only public university of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Multilingual, international and research-oriented, it is also a modern institution with a personal atmosphere. The multicultural country is home to the Financial Centre, to European Union Institutions and international enterprises.

The 8thSummer School on Computational Interaction will take place at the Belval campus (MSA building) located in the city of Esch-sur-Alzette , Luxembourg’s second largest city which was the European Capital of Culture in 2022.

Useful Links

Here are some useful links for your trip to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.







Hosts

Organizing Team


If you have any questions and/or comments about the 8th Summer School on Computational Interaction, please contact us

Luis LEIVA

University of Luxembourg

Maison du Nombre
6, Avenue de la Fonte
L-4364, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

luis.leiva@uni.lu

(+352) 466-644-5513

Bereket YILMA

University of Luxembourg

Maison du Nombre
6, Avenue de la Fonte
L-4364, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

bereket.yilma@uni.lu

(+352) 466-644-9732

Assistants to the organizing team:

Andrea Puech
University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Delphine Felly
University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg



Student Volunteers:

Kayhan LATIFZADEH
University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Inês OLIVEIRA
University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Fan XU
University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg



Advisors:
Prof. Anna Maria Feit
Saarland University, Germany
Prof. Antti Oulasvirta
Aalto University, Finland



Registration

Please submit your application using this form. The form will ask you to submit a CV, and a short research statement (no longer than 1 pages) describing your: research interests and a brief description of how attending this summer school will help you in your research. The deadline for applications is March 22nd, 2024 11:59PM.


The summer school hosts up to 30 students, researchers, faculty members, or practitioners. Participants will be selected based on their motivation, background, and diversity. Notifications of admission will be sent out by March 31st, 2024.


Note that submitting an application is a binding registration. Upon acceptance you will need to pay the registration fees as detailed below.

Fees

Choose your registration plan

Student

450

  • All Lectures
  • Coffee-break
  • Networking
  • Hotel for 4 nights

Register

PostDoc & Faculty

600

  • All Lectures
  • Coffee-breaks
  • Networking
  • Hotel for 4 nights

Register



Prerequisites

The summer school has no special prerequisites. However, examples and practical exercises will be given in Python using Jupyter notebooks. Thus, familiarity with Python is recommended.


In addition, familiarity with Machine Learning, and basic skills in Linear Algebra and Probability Theory are also beneficial.



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