Ahmed Kharrufa

I am lecturer in Interaction Design at Open Lab, Newcastle University. I am leading the educational technology research at Open Lab and my research in this area focuses on the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of processes and technologies than can bridge the gap between schools and their communities as well as to enhance learning and the learning experience. My research and interest in the area of interaction design, on the other hand, ranges from improving our experience in interacting with digital surfaces, spaces and the IoT to rethinking the design of, and interaction patterns with, online platforms and services.

I am also the director of Reflective Thinking, an educational technology start-up. I founded Reflective Thinking to realize the impact of my PhD by commercializing ‘Digital Mysteries’ (a tool for collaborative learning and thinking skills development). Digital Mysteries is now a platform for releasing topic-specific apps on the Apple store. Currently there are about 30 apps covering different educational topics and different age groups with more than 500,000 downloads from over 60 countries.

https://sites.google.com/site/ahmedkharrufa/Home

2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2010 2009 2008

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2018

ParkLearn: Creating, sharing and engaging with place-based activities for seamless mobile learning

Richardson D, Jarusriboonchai P, Montague K, Kharrufa A, Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services Adjunct (MobileHCI '18)25

url10.1145/3229434.3229462

A Unified Model for User Identification on Multi-Touch Surfaces: A Survey and Meta-Analysis

Kharrufa A, Ploetz T, Olivier P, ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction

url10.1145/3144569

Group tagging: Using video tagging to facilitate reflection on small group activities

Qarabash H, Heslop P, Kharrufa A, Balaam M, Devlin M, British Journal of Educational Technologyepub ahead of print

url10.1111/bjet.12691

ThinkActive: Designing for pseudonymous activity tracking in the classroom

Garbett A, Chatting D, Wilkinson G, Lee C, Kharrufa A, CHI '18 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

url10.1145/3173574.3173581

2017

Remix Portal: Connecting Classrooms with Local Music Communities

Dodds C, Kharrufa A, Preston A, Preston C, Olivier P, 8th International Conference on Communities and Technologies (C&T '17)203-212

url10.1145/3083671.3083679

Exploring Public Places as Infrastructures for Civic M-Learning

Richardson D, Crivellaro C, Kharrufa A, Montague K, Olivier P, 8th International Conference on Communities and Technologies222-231

url10.1145/3083671.3083678

Students’ Perceptions of Learning Processes as Co-Authors of Digital Tabletop Activities

Heslop P, Preston A, Reid A, Kharrufa A, 31st International BCS Human Computer Interaction Conference (HCI 2017)

url

Group Spinner: Recognizing & Visualizing Learning in the Classroom for Reflection, Communication & Planning

Kharrufa A, Rix S, Osadchiy T, Preston A, Olivier P, Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems5556-5567

url10.1145/3025453.3025679

2016

Making L2 learners' reasoning skills visible: The potential of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning Environments

Lin M, Preston A, Kharrufa A, Kong ZR, Thinking Skills and Creativity303-322

url10.1016/j.tsc.2016.06.004

Virtual.Cultural.Collaboration - Mobile phones, video technology, and cross-cultural learning

Sarangapani V, Kharrufa A, Balaam M, Leat D, Wright P, Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services, MobileHCI 2016341-352

url10.1145/2935334.2935354

SOLE meets MOOC: Designing Infrastructure for Online Self-Organised Learning with a Social Mission

Celina H, Kharrufa A, Preston A, Comber R, Olivier P, 2016 ACM Conference on Designing Interactive Systems (DIS '16)484-496

url10.1145/2901790.2901848

Expressy: Using a Wrist-Worn Inertial Measurement Unit to Add Expressiveness to Touch-Based Interactions

Wilkinson G, Kharrufa A, Hook J, Pursglove B, Haeuser H, Hammerla N, Wood G, Hodges S, Olivier P, ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems 20162832-2844

url10.1145/2858036.2858223

2015

Comparing Fatigue When Using Large Horizontal and Vertical Multi-touch Interaction Displays.

Al-Megren S, Kharrufa A, Hook J, Holden A, Sutton S, Olivier P, Human-Computer Interaction–INTERACT 2015156-164

url10.1007/978-3-319-22723-8_13

Using IMUs to identify supervisors on touch devices.

Kharrufa A, Nicholson J, Dunphy P, Hodges S, Briggs P, Olivier P, Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2015565-583

url10.1007/978-3-319-22668-2_44

Evaluating Digital Tabletop Collaborative Writing in the Classroom

Heslop P, Preston A, Kharrufa A, Balaam M, Leat D, Olivier P, Human-Computer Interaction - INTERACT 2015: 15th IFIP TC 13 International Conference531-548

url10.1007/978-3-319-22668-2_41

2014

Collaborative enquiry through the tabletop for second/foreign language learners

Lin M, Preston A, Kharrufa A, Kong Z, EUROCALL 2014: CALL Design: Principles and Practice202-208

url10.14705/rpnet.2014.000218

Enhancing language learning around the digital tabletop: do actions speak louder than words?

Preston A, Kharrufa A, Lin M, Kong Z, Innovative Language Teaching at University: Enhancing student performance

url

2013

Learning extended writing: designing for children's collaboration

Heslop P, Kharrufa A, Balaam M, Leat D, Dolan P, Olivier P, 12th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children (IDC)36-45

url10.1145/2485760.2485765

Designing for Reflection: A Case Study with Digital Tabletops and Digital Mysteries

Kharrufa A, Leat D, Olivier P, Cases on E-Learning Management: Development and Implementation268-292

Tables in the Wild: Lessons Learned from a Large-Scale Multi-Tabletop Deployment

Kharrufa A, Balaam M, Heslop P, Leat D, Dolan P, Olivier P, CHI 2013: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems1021-1030

url10.1145/2470654.2466130

2012

Collaborative Strategic Reading on Multi-Touch and Multi-User Digital Tabletop Displays

Maslamani JA, Windeatt S, Olivier P, Heslop P, Kharrufa A, Shearer J, Balaam M, EUROCALL211-216

url

Magic Land: the design and evaluation of an interactive tabletop supporting therapeutic play with children

Pykhtina O, Balaam M, Wood G, Pattison S, Kharrufa A, Olivier P, DIS 2012: Proceedings of the Designing Interactive Systems Conference136-145

url10.1145/2317956.2317978

2010

Exploring the Requirements of Tabletop Interfaces for Education

Kharuffa AS, Olivier P, International Journal of Learning Technology42-62

Digital Mysteries: Designing for Learning at the Tabletop

Kharrufa A, Leat D, Olivier P, ACM International Conference on Interactive Tabletops and Surfaces

url

Learning Through Reflection at the Tabletop: A Case Study with Digital Mysteries

Kharuffa A, Olivier P, Leat D, World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications665-674

url

2009

Digital Mysteries: Designing for Learning at the Tabletop

Kharrufa AS, Olivier P, Leat D, School of Computing Science Technical Report Series13

url

TangiSoft: A Tangible Direct-Touch Tabletop Keyboard

Sulaiman A, Olivier P, Heslop PA, World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications (EDMEDIA 2009)918-926

url

2008

Attribute gates

Sulaiman AN, Olivier P, 21st Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST)57-66

url10.1145/1449715.1449726

Associated Projects

TangiSoft
TangiSoft was a hybrid of a physical and soft keyboard, intended to combine the advantages of both. It was designed for use with a digital tabletop, specifically for applications that require high mobility and frequent switching between text entry and ...
TangiSoft was a hybrid of a physical and soft keyboard, intended to combine the advantages of both. It was designed for use with a digital tabletop, specifically for applications that require high mobility and frequent switching between text entry and ...
August 30, 2011
Digital Mysteries (Digital Tabletops and Collaborative Learning)
The mysteries learning techniques was created to develop and assess students’ higher-level thinking, with their cognitive processes being shown through their manipulation of data slips. Groups of students are given a mystery with an open question...
The mysteries learning techniques was created to develop and assess students’ higher-level thinking, with their cognitive processes being shown through their manipulation of data slips. Groups of students are given a mystery with an open question...
August 30, 2011