Chin research group to present at HFES annual meeting

Jessie Chin
Jessie Chin, Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor Jessie Chin and PhD student Smit Desai will present their research at the 64th International Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), a virtual event held from October 5-9. The mission of HFES is "to advance the science and practice of designing for people in systems through knowledge exchange, collaboration, and advocacy."

Desai will present the paper, "An Explorative Analysis of the Feasibility of Implementing Metacognitive Strategies in Self-Regulated Learning with the Conversational Agents," which he coauthored with Chin. For their study, Desai and Chin analyzed commercially available conversational agents, synthesized the metacognitive strategies implemented in computer-based learning environments, and examined the feasibility to implement these strategies on conversational agents. According to the researchers, the implications of this study include "designing scalable and accessible evidence-based theory-driven educational applications to support users to learn new knowledge on their own using the off-the-shelf devices."

Desai's research interests include the usability and prototyping of voice interfaces, in particular the user's mental model while interacting with these interfaces. He earned his bachelor's degree in computer engineering from Gujarat Technological University in India and his MS in information management from the University of Illinois.

Chin will present the paper, "A User Study on the Feasibility and Acceptance of Delivering Physical Activity Programs to Older Adults through Conversational Agents," which she coauthored with Kelly Quinn, Naoko Muramatsu, and David Marquez of the University of Illinois at Chicago. She will discuss their study examining how older adults interact with a physical activity virtual coach on a Google Home device. The researchers found that all older adults were able to recover from the conversation failure during the interaction with the virtual coach; complete the physical activity program with guidance from the coach and demonstrated intentions to use such conversational agents in the future.

Chin's research aims to advance knowledge in cognitive sciences regarding evolving human interaction with the contemporary information technologies and translating theories in social and behavioral sciences to the design of technologies and interaction experience to promote health communication and behavior across the lifespan. She holds a BS in psychology from National Taiwan University, an MS in human factors, and a PhD in educational psychology with a focus on cognitive science in teaching and learning from the University of Illinois. 

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

Get to know Cadence Cordell, MSLIS student

Cadence Cordell was inspired by her undergraduate work experience to pursue a degree in library and information science. She followed in her mother’s footsteps by selecting the iSchool for her MSLIS. After completing a recent research poster presentation, she combined her scholarly pursuit with her hobby by sewing her fabric poster into a squirrel plushie.

Cadence Cordell

Recent graduate committed to making libraries accessible and inclusive

Joshua Short knows firsthand the barriers to public library access that patrons living on modest wages experience. Having grown up in a self-professed "low-income environment," Short has made it his mission to reduce these barriers, such as library fines, inadequate transportation, and limited computer literacy.

Joshua Short

Tibebu joins the School

The iSchool is pleased to announce that Haileleol Tibebu joined the faculty as a teaching assistant professor on January 1, 2025. His research and teaching interests include responsible AI, AI policy and governance, algorithmic fairness, and the intersection of technology and society.

Haileleol Tibebu

Spectrum Scholar Spotlight: Leslie Lopez

Twelve iSchool master's students were named 2024–2025 Spectrum Scholars by the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services. This “Spectrum Scholar Spotlight” series highlights the School’s scholars. MSLIS student Leslie Lopez graduated from the University of North Texas with a BA in psychology.

Leslie Lopez headshot

Rhinesmith joins the faculty

The iSchool is pleased to announce that Colin Rhinesmith joined the faculty as a visiting associate professor on January 1, 2025. His position will become permanent following approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. He previously served as founder and director of the Digital Equity Research Center at the Metropolitan New York Library Council.

Colin Rhinesmith