CSE 510 - Advanced Topics in HCI - Winter 2025

Framing Reflection

Although the course focuses on papers organized within a day focused on a Research Topic, the motivations, language, theories, and understanding presented in assigned framing papers are often more general than the topics in which they were presented. A framing reflection asks you to connect concepts you learned across topics in which they were presented.

Paper Selection

Select two papers to discuss:

  • A framing paper from an assigned Research Topic.

    This framing paper must be from a day with a calendar entry beginning with “Research Topic”.

  • An instance paper from a different Research Topic.

    This instance paper must be from a different day that also has a calendar entry beginning with “Research Topic”. Although we expect you will primarily choose papers that were originally assigned as an instance paper, you may choose to discuss a paper originally assigned as the framing paper of a different Research Topic (e.g., this would allow a reflection that compares and contrasts two framing papers).

Papers must be from among those assigned in a course Research Topic. Although these ideas extend to papers outside the context of this course, framing reflections are limited to material in the course.

You may not use papers from other days that framed the entire course (e.g., Visions of Human-Computer Interaction, Contributions in Human-Computer Interaction, Usability Evaluation Considered Harmful).

You may not use a paper in more than one framing reflection (i.e., any two framing reflections you submit must engage a total of four different assigned papers). Two different framing reflections may use papers that were assigned within the same Research Topic, as long as papers meet all of the above constraints (e.g., one reflection might use the framing paper from a Research Topic, a different reflection might use an instance paper from that same Research Topic).

Framing reflections that do not adhere to the above constraints on paper selection will not receive credit.

Reflection

Use the language and concepts of the selected framing paper to analyze and discuss the instance paper. The goal is for you to use the language and concepts established in the framing paper to meaningfully consider another piece of research, thus demonstrating you can apply your understanding of that framing:

  • Briefly summarize elements of the framing paper that are most relevant to insights you will discuss. We encourage being explicit in language and concepts you will apply (e.g., using brief quotes from the framing paper, using bolded introductions of language and concepts taken from the framing paper).
  • Briefly summarize elements of the instance paper that are most relevant to insights you will discuss. This provides a reader with shared context for understanding insights you develop.
  • Discuss multiple distinct insights that you develop through considering the instance paper relative to language and concepts from the framing paper. You should convey at least three distinct insights. You may convey more within the allowable word count.

A framing reflection may be up to 750 words. No points will be awarded beyond the allowable word count.

Evaluation

Responses will be evaluated on the understanding you demonstrate and the critical relationships you discuss. It will be considered insufficient to only summarize papers, to indicate that you like or enjoy something about a paper, or to state that a paper gives you other ideas. The goal is for you to use the language and concepts established in the framing paper to meaningfully consider another piece of research, thus demonstrating your understanding of that framing.

For example, a poor analysis might simply restate key points from each paper, perhaps use a few keywords, but not engage with meaningful relationships in or between the papers. A better analysis might discuss:

  • How a paper is motivated or characterized by a framing.
  • How re-considering a paper through a new framing might offer new insights.
  • How a paper might challenge some key aspect of a framing.

These and other potential meaningful insights will require understanding both papers in their own contexts and then relating across them.

There is no inherent reward for choosing a framing paper or an instance paper that is more difficult to relate. If you find yourself unable to develop multiple meaningful insights, you may consider revisiting your choice.

Points will be allocated for correct and appropriate interpretation and summary of elements that are most relevant to insights you intend to discuss, then for how substantial we find each of the multiple distinct insights discussed in your reflection. Points will be allocated in an additive manner, allowing accrual across multiple insights offered in a reflection.

Formatting

Use a document format that will ensure readability of your reflection (e.g., the default 11-point Arial font and associated formatting of Google Docs, a similarly readable format).

Using appropriate whitespace to separate components, structure the content of your document to include:

  • Citations and links to the selected framing paper and instance paper.
  • An explicit statement of the word count of your reflection. Do not include the above citations in this word count, and ensure the word count does not exceed the limit for this reflection.
  • The text of your reflection.

Do not include your name in your submission. As emphasized in Reflections, our goal is to maximize anonymity in grading of reflections and submissions that include a name will be penalized.