D.Sc. Antti Knutas is an assistant professor in software construction working with the software engineering research group at the LUT University in southeastern Finland. His research interests involve human factors in software engineering, computer-supported collaborative learning, and processes involved in the creation of civic technology. Currently, he is working on researching how grassroots groups create civic technology. He is also working with the Lero, the Irish Sofware Research Centre in case study research of civic technology groups. More about his research can be found at his webpage.
Antti will be giving a public talk on Monday, June 4, at 11:00 in BA5256. The abstract for the talk, “Beyond continuing education - can computer science education methods be used to empower residents co-creating civic technology?”, is below.
“The creation of civic technology, or software for social change, involves the residents of cities in a central role. However, many people who are affected by and should have a voice in the creation of digital services are not able to meaningfully participate because of digital skill gaps. The talk reviews current frameworks in civic technology and then discusses various non-lecture -based education methods that can be used for upskilling and empowering participants.”