TL;DR: There was a
Science Jam for the first time
at CHI this year. Fitting with the CHI 2018 motto
“engage with CHI” the event offered a rapid learning and research prototyping experience. Teams of participants that formed on the spot developed research from concept to early outcome presentations over the course of just two days. Due to a wide array of support materials, an accompanying crash course in
Research Methods in HCI, and most importantly thanks to the support of an all-star team of mentors, the participants were enabled to make the Science Jam a great success. The event attracted more than 60 participants, mostly HCI researchers who are new to the field. They reported great learning experiences and fun networking while working on more than 10 different research projects. As one participant put it:
“The ScienceJam was a fantastic introduction to my first CHI conference. I was able to learn from some of the best researchers in the field, improve my presentation skills and make new friends from all over the world.”