Open Tech Calendar

With businesses facing the dramatic impact of COVID19 and keeping to public health guidelines, more than ever we are learning to work remotely over the internet. However, online working is more than simply using Zoom or Hangouts in place of traditional meetings. There is a human perspective of how to operate productively when home and office are combined, and there are technologies that offer far more than the desktop array of faces.

This workshop is for any company interested in ensuring the remote online working environment is appropriate, productive and effective for its staff and clients. It aims to cover insights and expert knowledge relating to working remotely and also introduce some examples and illustrations of remote working that offer richer immersive experiences.
* Please note - for the immersive activities we will be posting out Google Cardboard VR headsets to attendees. To allow time for delivery registrations will be closing May 4th 12pm *

Who will be presenting:
Luigina Ciolfi
Luigina Ciolfi is a Professor of Human Centred Computing at Sheffield Hallam University. Luigina researches how digital technologies for work and leisure shape and become part of people's everyday life. Luigina has studied the role of digital tools in mobile and flexible work for almost two decades. Professor Ciolfi has published her research in many renowned conferences and journals and delivered keynotes, seminars and workshops to academic and professional audiences in 13 countries. Luigina is a senior member of the Association for Computing Machinery and a member of the British Psychological Society.

Sue Beckingham
Sue Beckingham is a Principal Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University and a National Teaching Fellow. She is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Fellow of the Staff and Educational Development Association, a Certified Member of the Association for Learning Technology and a Certified Management and Business Educator. She has research interests in the use of social media and technology to enhance learning and online professionalism and has given over 50 invited presentations and keynotes internationally.

Louis Nisiotis
Louis Nisiotis is a Senior Lecturer at SHU, engaging in multidisciplinary research specialising in Immersive Technologies and their application in complex computing systems and settings. Currently leading research in innovation and application of Immersive Technologies (VR/AR/MR/XR) and cutting-edge Robotics to emerge disruptive Cyber-Physical-Social Systems that seamlessly blend the real with digital worlds to support the Digital Transformation of a plethora of domains. Also leading research focusing on the use of Immersive Technologies and Virtual Environments to support and enhance education. He is a member of the IEEE Digital Reality steering committee and a member of the Immersive Learning Research Network. He is also a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy and a member of IEEE.

Schedule:
12th May 12pm - Making it Work delivered by Luigina Ciolfi
13th May 12pm - Remote Working Works delivered by Sue Beckingham
13th May 4pm - Panel Session delivered by all
14th May 12pm - Immersive Technologies delivered by Louis Nisiotis
15th May 11am - Immersion Hands-On Demo delivered by Louis Nisiotis

Programme Information

Making it Work delivered by Luigina Ciolfi
Flexible and “mobile” work policies have been deployed by organisations for several decades, with workers developing strategies to overcome the challenges that come with limited in-person interaction and with a range of resources and tools (digital or otherwise) that are needed to make flexible work “work”. Insights from researching these practices are more useful than ever in the context of the current global health crisis.
This session will report on prior and current research on the role that digital technologies play in “homework”, based on extensive studies of knowledge workers in the UK and Ireland, to deliver recommendations and insights.
(Seminar style: 40 mins + 20 mins exercise + 20 minutes discussion; via Zoom, no preparation needed)

Remote working works delivered by Sue Beckingham
This session will look at good practice tips and resources relating to:
Personal productivity
Staying safe online
Effective online meetings
Online learning
Wellbeing
Format: Expert-led collective discussion
Duration: 60 minutes
Homework – before and after photos of what you’ve done to make a working environment

Panel session delivered by all
Attendees to present what they have done at home, a chance to ask more questions and also an introduction to the upcoming immersive technologies sessions.

Immersive Technologies to support SME during and after the lockdown delivered by Louis Nisiotis
Working with Virtual (VR), Augmented (AR), and Mixed (MR) Reality has never been more relevant to use than today. During the recent COVID outbreak, these technologies have been used to support hosting and remotely attending seminars, conferences and events, overseeing operations, education, simulations, training and for other purposes from a distance.
This session will present and discuss the current state of the art of VR, AR, MR and XR, and how these emerging immersive technologies can support and foster the ongoing digital transformation of the Industry during this crisis and after, with examples of application on different industrial domains. It will present the characteristics of these technologies, provide examples and discuss how these technologies can radically change the industry and the way we interact with real and artificial agents, our surroundings and with each other.
Seminar style: 40 minutes presentation + 20 minutes questions

Trying out - An Immersive Experience delivered by Louis Nisiotis
We support attendees in getting something immersive running on their phone(s) and then let them work together in some contrived context/play task.

* Please note - for the immersive activities we will be posting out Google Cardboard VR headsets to attendees. To allow time for delivery registrations will be closing May 4th 12 pm *