Through their participation, both researchers will share their knowledge and research experience in the context of South Africa and Africa’s emerging information society to enhance and support similar work in the school of computing. The aim is to strengthen the HCI flagship programme and ensure that its outputs continue to increase. These include postgraduate research work and publications.

A strong CSIR contingent was present at a recent seminar of the HCI flagship research group, hosted by the College of Science, Engineering and Technology and held at UNISA on 10 August. 2011. As keynote speakers, Herselman and Botha presented on their current research projects. Two recent CSIR Master’s degree graduates, Kim Gush and Funmi Adebesin, were also invited to present their work.  The third presenter was UNISA’s Bester Chimbo of the school of computing.

Both Gush and Adebesin studied under the HCI flagship programme and both graduated cum laude earlier this year. The title of Gush’s dissertation is Software application usage at Digital Doorway ‘unassisted learning’ terminals, a mixed-methods approach; his supervisor was Professor de Villiers. Adebesin’s dissertation was titled Usability and Accessibility Evaluation of the Digital Doorway. Her presentation at the seminar,  titled Getting the right mix of usability/accessibility evaluation methods,  was based on her Master’s dissertation; her supervisors were Professor Paula Kotzé of UNISA, who is based at the CSIR,  and Professor Helene Gelderblom of the school of computing, UNISA.