Designing from Within: HCI4D and PD4D in Sahrawi Refugee Camps

Cabezas, Daniel; Mor, Enric; Abdelnour-Nocera, Jose; Amorim, Clara

Designing from Within: HCI4D and PD4D in Sahrawi Refugee Camps

Lists

Cabezas, Daniel, Mor, Enric, Abdelnour-Nocera, Jose ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7935-7368 and Amorim, Clara (2025) Designing from Within: HCI4D and PD4D in Sahrawi Refugee Camps. In: INTERACT 2025, 8-12 Sept 2024, Gerias, Brazil.

PDF (PDF/A)
Designing from within- HCI4D and PD4D in Sahrawi Refugee Camps_AM_Abdelnour-NoceraJ_accessible.pdf - Accepted Version
Restricted to Repository staff only until 9 September 2026.
Download (509kB) | Request a copy

Official URL: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-03...

Abstract

This article presents preliminary findings from the second phase of a broader study exploring the potential of situated design and mobile learning (m-learning) in contexts of protracted displacement, through the case of the Sahrawi Refugee Camps (SRC) in Tindouf, Algeria. Drawing on a qualitative methodology based on contextual ethnography and co-design workshops, the study analyzes the structural, cultural, and gender-related conditions that shape the self-managed Sahrawi educational system, as well as the training needs of primary school teachers, particularly women. The article examines the methodological and socio-political implications of conducting fieldwork in an environment marked by technological precarity, traditional gender norms, and strong community ties. It discusses the challenges and lessons learned from implementing Human Computer Interaction for Development (HCI4D) and Participatory Design (PD) approaches, with special attention to the role of culture in politics in shaping collaborative processes. Ultimately, the article argues that ethnography and situated design provide a frameworks for co-creating culturally relevant and sustainable educational technologies in complex and marginalized contexts.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
ISBN:	9783032050021
Identifier:	10.1007/978-3-032-05002-1_21
Page Range:	pp. 399-409
Identifier:	10.1007/978-3-032-05002-1_21
Keywords:	HCI4D, PD, Ethnography, Western Sahara
Subjects:	Computing
Date Deposited:	18 Sep 2025
URI:	https://repository.uwl.ac.uk/id/eprint/14084
Sustainable Development Goals:	Goal 1: No Poverty	Sustainable Development Goals:	Goal 4: Quality Education	Sustainable Development Goals:	Goal 5: Gender Equality	Sustainable Development Goals:	Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Actions (admin access)

References

1. «How to tackle Learning Poverty? Delivering education’s promise to children across the world», World Bank Blogs. Access: 10 de abril de 2024. [Online]. Available in: https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/education/how-tackle-learning-poverty-delivering-educations-promise-children-across-world
2. «The State of Global Learning Poverty: 2022 Update», World Bank. Access: 10 de abril de 2024. [Online]. Available in: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/publication/state-of-global-learning-poverty
3. R. A. Varanasi, A. Vashistha, T. Parikh, y N. Dell, «Challenges and issues integrating smartphones into teacher support programs in India», Proc. 2020 …, 2020, doi: 10.1145/3392561.3394638.
4. A. M. Whale, B. M. Scholtz, y A. P. Calitz, «Components of e-learning for enterprise systems’ education in developing countries», Proceedings of the 9th IDIA conference. Citeseer, 2015. [Online]. Available in: https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/docu-ment?repid=rep1\&type=pdf\&doi=f90cf502bbec835313437cde33425da05bf78dd7
5. «Situated Design Methods», MIT Press. Access: 20 de junio de 2025. [Online]. Available in: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262544726/situated-design-methods/
6. S. Cronholm, M. Neubauer, y C. Stary, «Guiding situated method transfer in design and evalua-tion», Univers. Access Inf. Soc., vol. 14, n.o 2, pp. 151-168, jun. 2015, doi: 10.1007/s10209-013-0336-x.
7. J. V. Biljon y K. Renaud, «Reviewing a Decade of Human-Computer Interaction for Development (HCI4D) Research, as One of Best’s “Grand Challenges”», Afr. J. Inf. Commun. AJIC, n.o 27, Art. n.o 27, may 2021, doi: 10.23962/10539/31368.
8. J. Abdelnour-Nocera y M. Densmore, «A review of perspectives and challenges for international development in information and communication technologies», Ann. Int. Commun. Assoc., vol. 41, n.o 3-4, pp. 250-257, oct. 2017, doi: 10.1080/23808985.2017.1392252.
9. H. R. Abachi y G. Muhammad, «The impact of m-learning technology on students and educators», Comput. Hum. Behav., vol. 30, pp. 491-496, 2014, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.06.018.
10. A. R. Ahmadi, S. Paracha, H. Sokout, y ..., «Mobile Mediated Learning and Teachers Education in Less Resourced Region», International Journal of …. academia.edu, 2015. [Online]. Available in: https://www.academia.edu/download/92304094/10000487.pdf
11. M. A. Akurigo, The use of mobile phone technology as an instructional tool for lesson delivery at abura Asebu Kwamankese District. ir.ucc.edu.gh, 2019. [Online]. Available in: https://ir.ucc.edu.gh/xmlui/handle/123456789/4270
12. R. Erasmus, A framework for designing South African mobile learning experiences through a par-ticipatory design process. scholar.sun.ac.za, 2022. [Online]. Available in: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/124819
13. R. Nicholson, R. Strachan, O. Dele-Ajayi, y K. Fasae, «Emergency Remote Education in Nigeria: Challenges and Design Opportunities», en Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, en CHI ’24. New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, may 2024, pp. 1-14. doi: 10.1145/3613904.3641921.
14. G. Muhammad, «Challenges in development of eLearning systems in higher education of the de-veloping countries», London Journal of Research in Humanities …. journalspress.com, 2017. [Online]. Available in: https://journalspress.com/LJRHSS_Volume17/142_Challenges-in-Development-of-eLearning-Systems-in-Higher-Education-of-the-Developing-Countries.pdf
15. T. Joshi, H. Biggs, J. Bardzell, y S. Bardzell, «Who is “I”?: Subjectivity and Ethnography in HCI», en Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, en CHI ’24.
10
New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, may 2024, pp. 1-15. doi: 10.1145/3613904.3642727.
16. M. Bird et al., «A generative co-design framework for healthcare innovation: development and ap-plication of an end-user engagement framework», Res. Involv. Engagem., vol. 7, n.o 1, p. 12, mar. 2021, doi: 10.1186/s40900-021-00252-7.
17. «III Curso de Formación y Sensibilización para la cooperación al desarrollo: enseñanza de español en los campamentos de refugiados saharauis | Universidad de Sevilla». Access: 20 de junio de 2025. [Online]. Available in: https://www.us.es/eventos/agenda/iii-curso-de-formacion-y-sensibiliza-cion-para-la-cooperacion-al-desarrollo-ensenanza
18. C. Oyugi, J. Abdelnour-Nocera, y T. Clemmensen, «Harambee: a novel usability evaluation method for low-end users in Kenya», en Proceedings of the 8th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction: Fun, Fast, Foundational, en NordiCHI ’14. New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, oct. 2014, pp. 179-188. doi: 10.1145/2639189.2639227.
19. A. Roy, Gender, Sexuality, Decolonization: South Asia in the World Perspective. Oxford, UNITED KINGDOM: Taylor & Francis Group, 2020. Access: 19 de mayo de 2025. [Online]. Available in: http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/bibliouocsp-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6419124
20. N. Kabeer, «Gender, schooling and global social justice», Comp. Educ., vol. 47, n.o 2, pp. 283-284, may 2011, doi: 10.1080/03050068.2011.555142.
21. M. Dunne, «Beyond access: transforming policy and practice for gender equality in education», Comp. J. Comp. Int. Educ., vol. 38, n.o 5, pp. 643-645, oct. 2008, doi: 10.1080/03057920802351499.
22. L. Tikly, «Towards a framework for researching the quality of education in low‐income countries», Comp. Educ., vol. 47, n.o 1, pp. 1-23, feb. 2011, doi: 10.1080/03050068.2011.541671.
23. A. Cheng et al., «Individualism vs. Collectivism», pp. 287-297, nov. 2020, doi: 10.1002/9781119547181.ch313.
24. Ó. J. C. Moreno, «Consideraciones sobre educación, interculturalidad y la perspectiva de-colonial», Rev. Investig. UNAD, vol. 9, n.o 1, p. 217, 2010, doi: 10.22490/25391887.661.
25. Proceedings of the 14th Participatory Design Conference: Short Papers, Interactive Exhibitions, Workshops - Volume 2, vol. 2. New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, 2016.
26. L. Suchman, «Located accountabilities in technology production», Scand. J. Inf. Syst., vol. 14, n.o 2, 2002, Access: 19 de mayo de 2025. [Online]. Available in: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2632386451/abstract/213884F453E343A8PQ/1
27. E. Balka, «Participatory Design in Women’s Organizations: The Social World of Organizational Structure and the Gendered Nature of Expertise», Gend. Work Organ., vol. 4, n.o 2, pp. 99-115, 1997, doi: 10.1111/1468-0432.00027.
28. H. Taylor y S. Williamson, «Co-Design to Evaluate the Impact of Gender Equality Initiatives: Les-sons for Practitioners, Evaluators and Researchers», Qual. Rep., vol. 29, n.o 7, pp. 2067-2088, ago. 2024, doi: 10.46743/2160-3715/2024.6779.
29. «Creating Leaderful Organizations: How to Bring Out Leadership in Everyone | Request PDF», ResearchGate. Access: 19 de mayo de 2025. [Online]. Available in: https://www.re-searchgate.net/publication/278100196_Creating_Leaderful_Organiza-tions_How_to_Bring_Out_Leadership_in_Everyone
30. V. Acuña Ferreira, «Gendered talk at work. Constructing gender identity through workplace dis-course. Janet Holmes (2006)», Socioling. Stud., vol. 3, jul. 2009, doi: 10.1558/sols.v3i1.115.
31. P. Dourish, «What we talk about when we talk about context», Pers. Ubiquitous Comput., vol. 8, n.o 1, pp. 19-30, feb. 2004, doi: 10.1007/s00779-003-0253-8.
32. A. Urbaniak y A. Wanka, Eds., Routledge International Handbook of Participatory Approaches in Ageing Research. London: Routledge, 2023. doi: 10.4324/9781003254829.

Tools

CORE (COnnecting REpositories)

The University of West London

Designing from Within: HCI4D and PD4D in Sahrawi Refugee Camps

Abstract

Actions (admin access)

Menu