Practical, person-centered research exploring how technology can positively impact people’s lives.
How can technology foster communication?
I am a researcher, instructional designer and speech-language pathologist. I incorporate my diverse background into designing holistic research studies exploring the role technologies play in human communication.
My research spans diverse topics and includes working with adults, children and families.
Creativity and Technology
My thesis research involves four studies exploring how engagement in creativity impacts individuals with acquired mobility and/or communication disabilities.
Acquired Disabilities and Employment
What happens when adults acquire disabilities mid-career? What are their options and how can public policies help?
Families and Conversational AI
This research has involved multiple analyses of how diverse families learn about, engage with, and use smart speakers in their homes over time.
Read about our research in this blog post with the Joan Ganz Cooney Center.
Communication in Healthcare
I draw on my background as a speech-language pathologist to study communication in healthcare from a variety of perspectives- including patient-provider communication with both adults and children.
Speaking and Teaching
Instructor of Record
2021- Designing for Personal Health and Wellness (University of Washington INFO 468)
Guest Lecturer
2020- Accessibility, Disability, and Designing for Personal Health Informatics (University of Washington INFO 468- Designing for Personal Health and Wellness)
2020- Gaze Input Methods (University of Washington INFO 463- Input and Interaction)
2020- Research Ethics When Working with Families (Master’s Level Research Methods Class at Monash University)
2018- Accessibility and Informatics (University of Washington INFO 200- Intellectual Foundations of Informatics)
Contact
Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in my research or working with me in the future.
Email
ebenet@uw.edu