Posters Accepted to CSCW 2024

Congratulations to the Black Church and Hospital Education Team whose research posters were accepted to CSCW 2024.

Additional Information:

Title: Technology Use in the Black Church: Perspectives of Black Church Leaders Preliminary Findings

Authors: Gabriella Thompson, Nissi Otoo, Jaden Christopher Fisher, Irene Sibi, Angela D. R. Smith, Ihudiya Finda Ogbonnaya-Ogburu

Abstract: Historically, the Black Church has played a pivotal role in civic engagement and social justice, and continues to do so today. Yet, few researchers have explored how decisions around technology use are made in the church. To address this gap, we conducted semi-structured interviews with five Black Church leaders to understand how church leaders interact with digital technologies, both in general and specifically with the communities that they serve.  We found that while Black Church leaders are eager to engage with technology, most of the engagement with outside communities is through in-person contact; opportunities to give online have a financial penalty in comparison to traditional methods of tithing and donating; lastly, technology use within outreach and ministries is highly dependent by ministry leaders — many whom volunteer their time. We contribute to research that focuses on technology use in religious organizations and community engagement of community-based organizations.

Title: Designing Technology to Support the Hospital Classroom: Preliminary Findings

Authors: Nadra Rasberry, Joshua Essandoh, Ethan Do, Ihudiya Finda Ogbonnaya-Ogburu

Abstract: Hospital teachers are state-employed educators who provide K-12 instruction to children in the hospital. We conducted research to understand how technology is used in hospital classrooms, an area which has been relatively underexplored. We conducted semi-structured interviews with five hospital teachers to understand their experience of using technology in and outside the classroom. Our findings revealed that hospital teachers often rely on older curricula given the changing education atmosphere; learning is often assessed through in-classroom observations of mastery; and technology and internet use by students is often restricted, which may inhibit opportunities to use AI and other technical resources in the classroom. We contribute a deeper understanding of technology use in the hospital classroom.