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Anna Szlavi

NTNU, Department of Computer and Information Science, Post-Doc

University of Pennsylvania, Visual Studies, Fulbright Visiting Researcher

Pázmány Péter Catholic University, English and American Studies, Adjunct

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Papers by Anna Szlavi

Designing for Intersectional Inclusion in Computing

Lecture notes in computer science, 2024

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is essential because it creates a more inclusive environme... more Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is essential because it creates a more inclusive environment that benefits individuals, organisations and society as a whole. To gain a comprehensive understanding of DEI in computing, it is important to apply an intersectional lens to explore the complexities and nuances of the issues and possible solutions to these. This study aims to provide new knowledge about intersectionality in the computing field. According to the design and creation research strategy, we have developed a prototype for a website called “DiversIT”, which aims to help increase inclusion by facilitating a supportive peer community and raising awareness. Then, 17 students and professionals in the field were involved in five rounds of usability tests and design iterations. DiversIT, designed to address intersectional perspectives in the computing community, led to a promising high-fidelity prototype in terms of increasing DEI in computing. According to our investigation, the impact of intersectionality needs to be acknowledged in the computing field.

The Construction of Gender in Hungarian Discourses

Gender Inclusive Design in Technology: Case Studies and Guidelines

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2023

The importance of inclusivity as a value in our social contexts is increasing; thus, it is not un... more The importance of inclusivity as a value in our social contexts is increasing; thus, it is not unusual that the software industry has started to embrace it. The need for such a consideration stems from the fact that the composition of the IT sector, especially of positions responsible for decision-making and the design of tools, reflects a workforce that is not diverse enough. This can result in blind spots in the design process, leading to exclusionary user experiences. Therefore, the idea of inclusive design is gaining more prevalence; in fact, it is becoming a general expectation to create software that is useful for and used by more people. With a focus on intersectionality-the understanding that social and digital difficulties result from a complex web of overlapping factors-inclusive user experience seeks to actively and consciously integrate minority, vulnerable, and understudied user groups in the design. UX that is based on inclusive design aims to overcome social disadvantages in all of their intersectional complexities arising from gender, sexual orientation, age, education, dis/ability, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity, among others. At the same time, it must be acknowledged that gender-inclusive design has challenges and limitations: the idea of gender inclusion in design is not yet a reality. Our research investigates academic literature, as well as tech industry practices, like the websites of Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Meta. We aim to understand how inclusive design is theorized and implemented nowadays. Our analysis shows that intersectionality suffers even when inclusivity is intended to be taken into consideration. We also offer guidelines for factors that might be explored for a more inclusive design. Our paper&#39;s analysis leaves an opportunity for additional study; the complexity of identities and how disregarding them in software design can exacerbate inequality call for even more investigation and awareness.

LGBTQ people and the influence of gender in sports in Hungary

Routledge eBooks, May 30, 2022

Human Computer Interaction - Gender in User Experience

Communications in computer and information science, 2022

Bridging Values: The Inclusion of Young Generations in Computing

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2023

There is a constantly growing need for skilled professionals in the computing field, which poses ... more There is a constantly growing need for skilled professionals in the computing field, which poses challenges for finding the right people for the job. According to the 2022 Digital Economy and Society Index, 55% of companies have problems filling their tech positions. At the same time, the computing sector is going through a diversity crisis, as the majority of its players are Global Northern, heterosexual, white, able-bodied men. Technology permeates our lives, so a lack of diversity in the tech industry, especially when designing software, can lead to bias and exclusionary user experiences. As a consequence, we need to attract young people-for instance, Generation Z (GenZ), born between the mid-1990s and the 2010s-to computing majors. Moreover, there is a need for actions with a retention plan and a strategy to guide a more diverse group toward leadership roles both in academia and industry. Even though the awareness about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is continually being raised, interventions that focus on inclusiveness are still necessary. With the present paper, we aim to contribute to a better alignment of how to design interventions for including younger people in computing. According to research, GenZ cares about social values and a meaningful contribution to society, that is, DEI, as part of their work. In this paper we are presenting an intervention project, designed to increase DEI in computing, as part of which we collected testimonials by stakeholders working in computing. As a quality check, we performed content analysis after the completion of the project, to investigate to what extent the experiences listed by CS professionals and the interests of GenZ align with one another. Applying multiple methods of cross-checking, we confirmed the presence of social aspects in the lived experiences of CS professionals. Findings show that professionals in the field recognize computing&#39;s social embeddedness, which aligns with younger students&#39; values and expectations and confirms that computing is a valid choice to achieve their goals of making a positive change in society. This study is part of a larger effort proposed and realized by EUGAIN, a Horizon Europe-sponsored COST Action, whose purpose is to create a European network that enhances gender balance and diversity in the field of computing.

Intersectionality in Computer Science: A Systematic Literature Review

2023 IEEE/ACM 4th Workshop on Gender Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Software Engineering (GEICSE)

Gender equality, as well as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), in computer science (CS) is p... more Gender equality, as well as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), in computer science (CS) is primarily limited to binary gender diversity. It is known that women are heavily underrepresented in CS, but substantial parts of the DEI issues are still unexplored. Intersectionality provides a more nuanced perspective of equality as it acknowledges exclusion and discrimination coming from overlapping layers of people's identities, e.g. gender, ethnicity, dis/ability, nationality, socioeconomic status, age, religion, and sexuality, in combination. It is important to address systemic barriers, bias, and stereotypes in CS through the lenses of intersectionality. There is a growing literature on challenges of women and binary gender diversity in CS, but a limitation to many of these investigations is that they look at only one dimension of discrimination rather than the complexity of intersectional challenges. That is why the research objective of this study is to provide information on the relation of intersectionality and CS, using the Systematic Literature Review methodology. The results show that there is still scarce research explicitly connected to the concept of intersectionality in CS, but awareness is increasing. The SLR also reveals various challenges and success factors related to intersectionality, which call for further attention.

Bridging values: The inclusion of young generations in computing

by Anna Szlavi, Serena Versino, and Irene Zanardi

Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. HCII 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2023

There is a constantly growing need for skilled professionals in the computing field, which poses ... more There is a constantly growing need for skilled professionals in the computing field, which poses challenges for finding the right people for the job. According to the 2022 Digital Economy and Society Index, 55% of companies have problems filling their tech positions. At the same time, the computing sector is going through a diversity crisis, as the majority of its players are Global Northern, heterosexual, white, able-bodied men. Technology permeates our lives, so a lack of diversity in the tech industry, especially when designing software, can lead to bias and exclusionary user experiences. As a consequence, we need to attract young people-for instance, Generation Z (GenZ), born between the mid-1990s and the 2010s-to computing majors. Moreover, there is a need for actions with a retention plan and a strategy to guide a more diverse group toward leadership roles both in academia and industry. Even though the awareness about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is continually being raised, interventions that focus on inclusiveness are still necessary. With the present paper, we aim to contribute to a better alignment of how to design interventions for including younger people in computing. According to research, GenZ cares about social values and a meaningful contribution to society, that is, DEI, as part of their work. In this paper we are presenting an intervention project, designed to increase DEI in computing, as part of which we collected testimonials by stakeholders working in computing. As a quality check, we performed content analysis after the completion of the project, to investigate to what extent the experiences listed by CS professionals and the interests of GenZ align with one another. Applying multiple methods of cross-checking, we confirmed the presence of social aspects in the lived experiences of CS professionals. Findings show that professionals in the field recognize computing's social embeddedness, which aligns with younger students' values and expectations and confirms that computing is a valid choice to achieve their goals of making a positive change in society. This study is part of a larger effort proposed and realized by EUGAIN, a Horizon Europe-sponsored COST Action, whose purpose is to create a European network that enhances gender balance and diversity in the field of computing.

Where are the female professors in STEM?

When Letizia Jaccheri became department head, she realized that she was the only female in both t... more When Letizia Jaccheri became department head, she realized that she was the only female in both the leader group of her Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty and in the leader group of her department of computer science. While the percentage of female students in STEM at the university had reached almost 30% thanks to actions to which she had contributed for almost 20 years, the number of female professors in STEM was only 13%. It was then that the idea of the IDUN project was born. The central measure in the project was the employment of nine female adjunct professors, at least one at each of the seven institutes of the faculty. IDUN provided training for these professors to become role models and mentors for 3-5 mentees each. The present paper aims to give a summary of the project, as well as looking at the consequences and future implications.

Barriers, Role Models, and Diversity – Women in IT

Central-European Journal of New Technologies in Research, Education and Practice

Young women's barriers to choose IT and methods to overcome them - A case study from Hungary

Teaching Mathematics and Computer Science, 2021

Women's scarcity in the STEM, especially in the IT sector is pronouncedly evident. Young wome... more Women's scarcity in the STEM, especially in the IT sector is pronouncedly evident. Young women are obstructed from entering and remaining in IT by a broad range of social, educational, and labor market factors. In our paper, we would like to analyze the main barriers girls face in choosing IT, while also proposing potential methods to help them overcome these obstacles. In the second part of the paper, we will present a case study to illustrate in detail how the combination of the above methods can be put into practice to address and tackle the complex set of barriers girls face. We will first introduce a Hungarian annual program, Girls' Day ("Lányok napja"), specifically aimed to promote STEM to girls, then we will present two specific events organized for the 2020 edition of the program and designed with the above principles in mind. The interactive presentation, exposing girls to female role models of the field in a gamified way, and a game development exercise,...

Barriers, Role Models and Diversity. Women in IT

Central European Journal of New Technologies in Research, Education and Practice, 2021

Human Computer Interaction -Gender in User Experience 1

Human Computer Interaction International Conference, 2022

The absence of women in IT has tangible social and technical consequences. Whoever designs the in... more The absence of women in IT has tangible social and technical consequences. Whoever designs the interfaces, defines the functionalities, and writes the algorithms behind them also infuses them with their rational, way of thinking, and modus operandi. If women are typically only users, and not developers, of IT, the female perspective, or more broadly diversity, will be missing from the process of design, creation, and development. This consideration is even more crucial in Human Computer Interaction when looking at the design of usable, useful, and used systems. But how can we measure the impact of neglecting diversity, including diversity of gender, in User Experience (UX)? In this poster, we propose to elaborate on which UX dimensions and factors are contributing to usability to better convey the importance of diversity, as well as addressing whether there is a need to introduce new criteria and measures to account for gender related differences. We expect to deliver an enriched evaluation framework for assessing the performance of technology and the kind of experience it offers to different users while keeping the discussion open in the HCI community and beyond.

Young women's barriers to choose IT and methods to overcome them -A case study from Hungary

Journal of Teaching Mathematics and Computer Science, 2021

Women's scarcity in the STEM, especially in the IT, sector is pronouncedly evident. Young women a... more Women's scarcity in the STEM, especially in the IT, sector is pronouncedly evident. Young women are obstructed from entering and remaining in IT by a broad range of social, educational, and labor market factors. In our paper, we would like to analyze the main barriers girls face in choosing IT, while also proposing potential methods to help them overcome these obstacles. In the second part of the paper, we will present a case study to illustrate in detail how the combination of the above methods can be put into practice to address and tackle the complex set of barriers girls face. We will first introduce a Hungarian annual program, Girls' Day ("Lányok napja"), specifically aimed to promote STEM to girls, then we will present two specific events organized for the 2020 edition of the program and designed with the above principles in mind. The interactive presentation, exposing girls to female role models of the field in a gamified way, and a game development exercise, building Scratch programming skills, have attempted to provide young women both with positive perspectives and experiences in IT, which are instrumental in helping them to surmount entrenched obstacles and raise their interest in the field.

Metaphors Matter – The Analysis of Prezi in Search of Visual-Verbal Metaphors

Opus et Educatio, 2016

In April 2014, Prezi announced that its “zooming” presentation software reached40 million users w... more In April 2014, Prezi announced that its “zooming” presentation software reached40 million users worldwide. With 30 million last October, Prezi has a record of 55,000new signups every day in the last months. To explain its skyrocketing popularity, founderspoint to the increasing global need for effective communication, which Prezi fittinglyserves with its versatility, dynamism, and visual design. In short, thinking and communicationwere given space, or rather, a spatial dimension. Prezi offers a blank canvas, a“virtual whiteboard”, for its users to fill it with the ideas they want to share; however,many presenters choose the pre-designed templates as bases of their presentations. Thetemplates not only create a framework for the presentations, like a stage, a soccer pitch,or a road, their perculiarity is that they invoke basic metaphors, like LIFE IS A PLAY,STRATEGIES ARE TACTICS, or LIFE IS A JOURNEY. The fundamental idea behind Prezi,namely, that COMMUNICATION IS STORYTELLING, is al...

Contrastive analysis of emotions in Englsih and Hungarian based on a novel and its translation

Rassegna Italiana Di Linguistica Applicata, 2007

Introducing the Gender Aspect into Hungarian IT Education

Central-European Journal of New Technologies in Research, Education and Practice, 2020

The IT sector has been rapidly growing; in fact, a high number of jobs are expected to remain unf... more The IT sector has been rapidly growing; in fact, a high number of jobs are expected to remain unfilled, which makes it our common interest to attract more students to this field. The striking scarcity of women in the IT sector offers an obvious solution: if more women could be involved, the labor shortage in IT could be fixed. The low number of women in IT has strong ties with IT education; therefore, the role and responsibility of teachers is immense. If we want to have more workforce and more competent professionals in the IT sector, educators need to create a more hospitable environment for girls and women in (both secondary and tertiary) education. The present study aims to show why it is key to introduce the gender aspect into IT education, both globally and specifically in Hungary. The primary goal of the article, thus, is to call attention to the repercussions of entrenched gender stereotypes in education, while also offering specific methods that can make IT-related classes more inclusive.

Nemi sztereotípiák az informatika oktatásban

InfoDidact, 2019

A 21. században a digitális olvasás-és írástudás elengedhetetlen az egyre inkább automatizált és ... more A 21. században a digitális olvasás-és írástudás elengedhetetlen az egyre inkább automatizált és digitalizált munkavégzés miatt. Az informatika oktatásnak tehát hatalmas a jelentősége és a felelőssége is, hisz a jövő rendszereinek felhasználóit és fejlesztőit kell képeznie. Éppen ezért a differenciált oktatás különösen fontos az informatika órákon: a hatékony tanulási folyamat elősegítése végett szükség van a diákok egyéni képességeinek és sajátosságainak, mint például kulturális, etnikai vagy épp nemi identitásának figyelembe vételére. A jelen tanulmány azt kívánja körüljárni, miért szükséges az informatika oktatást nemi aspektusok-különösen a nemi sztereotípiák-felől is megközelíteni. Nemcsak elméleti probléma a nők és lányok-nemi sztereotípiákból adódó-alacsony részvétele az informatikában, hanem kézzelfogható technológiai és társadalmi komplikációkhoz is vezet. Az elméleti áttekintés után a cikk konkrét módszereket sorakoztat fel arra, hogy hogyan lehet inkluzívabbá tenni az informatika órákat.

Reklám Nem - Társadalmi nemek ábrázolása reklámplakátokon

Apertúra, 2016

Mindannyian ismerjük a reklámokat. Jól tudjuk, arra akarnak minket rávenni, hogy vásároljunk. Unj... more

Metafora és metonímia a reklámplakátokon

Első század, 2011

A kognitív nyelvészeti paradigma szerint a metafora és a metonímia alapvető és kulcsfontosságú je... more A kognitív nyelvészeti paradigma szerint a metafora és a metonímia alapvető és kulcsfontosságú jelenségek. A hagyományos felfogással ellentétben a kognitív irányzat nem nyelvi, hanem fogalmi eszközökként kezeli őket, amelyek áthatják a gondolkodást és a megértést. A metafora és a metonímia nélkülözhetetlen folyamatai a megismerésnek, azáltal, hogy egymástól különböző dolgokat kapcsolnak össze és tesznek megragadhatóbbá. A metafora az, ami lehetővé teszi például, hogy az élet nagyon is absztrakt fogalmát egy hétköznapibb, körülhatároltabb élményként, utazásként lássuk (Sok mindenen keresztül mentem már.). A metonímia segítségével pedig például egy megfogható, testi következményen keresztül tudjuk kifejezni a láthatatlanabb érzelem-okot (Kiráz a hideg tőle.)

Designing for Intersectional Inclusion in Computing

Lecture notes in computer science, 2024

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is essential because it creates a more inclusive environme... more Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is essential because it creates a more inclusive environment that benefits individuals, organisations and society as a whole. To gain a comprehensive understanding of DEI in computing, it is important to apply an intersectional lens to explore the complexities and nuances of the issues and possible solutions to these. This study aims to provide new knowledge about intersectionality in the computing field. According to the design and creation research strategy, we have developed a prototype for a website called “DiversIT”, which aims to help increase inclusion by facilitating a supportive peer community and raising awareness. Then, 17 students and professionals in the field were involved in five rounds of usability tests and design iterations. DiversIT, designed to address intersectional perspectives in the computing community, led to a promising high-fidelity prototype in terms of increasing DEI in computing. According to our investigation, the impact of intersectionality needs to be acknowledged in the computing field.

The Construction of Gender in Hungarian Discourses

Gender Inclusive Design in Technology: Case Studies and Guidelines

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2023

The importance of inclusivity as a value in our social contexts is increasing; thus, it is not un... more The importance of inclusivity as a value in our social contexts is increasing; thus, it is not unusual that the software industry has started to embrace it. The need for such a consideration stems from the fact that the composition of the IT sector, especially of positions responsible for decision-making and the design of tools, reflects a workforce that is not diverse enough. This can result in blind spots in the design process, leading to exclusionary user experiences. Therefore, the idea of inclusive design is gaining more prevalence; in fact, it is becoming a general expectation to create software that is useful for and used by more people. With a focus on intersectionality-the understanding that social and digital difficulties result from a complex web of overlapping factors-inclusive user experience seeks to actively and consciously integrate minority, vulnerable, and understudied user groups in the design. UX that is based on inclusive design aims to overcome social disadvantages in all of their intersectional complexities arising from gender, sexual orientation, age, education, dis/ability, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity, among others. At the same time, it must be acknowledged that gender-inclusive design has challenges and limitations: the idea of gender inclusion in design is not yet a reality. Our research investigates academic literature, as well as tech industry practices, like the websites of Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Meta. We aim to understand how inclusive design is theorized and implemented nowadays. Our analysis shows that intersectionality suffers even when inclusivity is intended to be taken into consideration. We also offer guidelines for factors that might be explored for a more inclusive design. Our paper&#39;s analysis leaves an opportunity for additional study; the complexity of identities and how disregarding them in software design can exacerbate inequality call for even more investigation and awareness.

LGBTQ people and the influence of gender in sports in Hungary

Routledge eBooks, May 30, 2022

Human Computer Interaction - Gender in User Experience

Communications in computer and information science, 2022

Bridging Values: The Inclusion of Young Generations in Computing

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2023

There is a constantly growing need for skilled professionals in the computing field, which poses ... more There is a constantly growing need for skilled professionals in the computing field, which poses challenges for finding the right people for the job. According to the 2022 Digital Economy and Society Index, 55% of companies have problems filling their tech positions. At the same time, the computing sector is going through a diversity crisis, as the majority of its players are Global Northern, heterosexual, white, able-bodied men. Technology permeates our lives, so a lack of diversity in the tech industry, especially when designing software, can lead to bias and exclusionary user experiences. As a consequence, we need to attract young people-for instance, Generation Z (GenZ), born between the mid-1990s and the 2010s-to computing majors. Moreover, there is a need for actions with a retention plan and a strategy to guide a more diverse group toward leadership roles both in academia and industry. Even though the awareness about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is continually being raised, interventions that focus on inclusiveness are still necessary. With the present paper, we aim to contribute to a better alignment of how to design interventions for including younger people in computing. According to research, GenZ cares about social values and a meaningful contribution to society, that is, DEI, as part of their work. In this paper we are presenting an intervention project, designed to increase DEI in computing, as part of which we collected testimonials by stakeholders working in computing. As a quality check, we performed content analysis after the completion of the project, to investigate to what extent the experiences listed by CS professionals and the interests of GenZ align with one another. Applying multiple methods of cross-checking, we confirmed the presence of social aspects in the lived experiences of CS professionals. Findings show that professionals in the field recognize computing&#39;s social embeddedness, which aligns with younger students&#39; values and expectations and confirms that computing is a valid choice to achieve their goals of making a positive change in society. This study is part of a larger effort proposed and realized by EUGAIN, a Horizon Europe-sponsored COST Action, whose purpose is to create a European network that enhances gender balance and diversity in the field of computing.

Intersectionality in Computer Science: A Systematic Literature Review

2023 IEEE/ACM 4th Workshop on Gender Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Software Engineering (GEICSE)

Gender equality, as well as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), in computer science (CS) is p... more Gender equality, as well as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), in computer science (CS) is primarily limited to binary gender diversity. It is known that women are heavily underrepresented in CS, but substantial parts of the DEI issues are still unexplored. Intersectionality provides a more nuanced perspective of equality as it acknowledges exclusion and discrimination coming from overlapping layers of people's identities, e.g. gender, ethnicity, dis/ability, nationality, socioeconomic status, age, religion, and sexuality, in combination. It is important to address systemic barriers, bias, and stereotypes in CS through the lenses of intersectionality. There is a growing literature on challenges of women and binary gender diversity in CS, but a limitation to many of these investigations is that they look at only one dimension of discrimination rather than the complexity of intersectional challenges. That is why the research objective of this study is to provide information on the relation of intersectionality and CS, using the Systematic Literature Review methodology. The results show that there is still scarce research explicitly connected to the concept of intersectionality in CS, but awareness is increasing. The SLR also reveals various challenges and success factors related to intersectionality, which call for further attention.

Bridging values: The inclusion of young generations in computing

by Anna Szlavi, Serena Versino, and Irene Zanardi

Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. HCII 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2023

There is a constantly growing need for skilled professionals in the computing field, which poses ... more There is a constantly growing need for skilled professionals in the computing field, which poses challenges for finding the right people for the job. According to the 2022 Digital Economy and Society Index, 55% of companies have problems filling their tech positions. At the same time, the computing sector is going through a diversity crisis, as the majority of its players are Global Northern, heterosexual, white, able-bodied men. Technology permeates our lives, so a lack of diversity in the tech industry, especially when designing software, can lead to bias and exclusionary user experiences. As a consequence, we need to attract young people-for instance, Generation Z (GenZ), born between the mid-1990s and the 2010s-to computing majors. Moreover, there is a need for actions with a retention plan and a strategy to guide a more diverse group toward leadership roles both in academia and industry. Even though the awareness about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is continually being raised, interventions that focus on inclusiveness are still necessary. With the present paper, we aim to contribute to a better alignment of how to design interventions for including younger people in computing. According to research, GenZ cares about social values and a meaningful contribution to society, that is, DEI, as part of their work. In this paper we are presenting an intervention project, designed to increase DEI in computing, as part of which we collected testimonials by stakeholders working in computing. As a quality check, we performed content analysis after the completion of the project, to investigate to what extent the experiences listed by CS professionals and the interests of GenZ align with one another. Applying multiple methods of cross-checking, we confirmed the presence of social aspects in the lived experiences of CS professionals. Findings show that professionals in the field recognize computing's social embeddedness, which aligns with younger students' values and expectations and confirms that computing is a valid choice to achieve their goals of making a positive change in society. This study is part of a larger effort proposed and realized by EUGAIN, a Horizon Europe-sponsored COST Action, whose purpose is to create a European network that enhances gender balance and diversity in the field of computing.

Where are the female professors in STEM?

When Letizia Jaccheri became department head, she realized that she was the only female in both t... more When Letizia Jaccheri became department head, she realized that she was the only female in both the leader group of her Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty and in the leader group of her department of computer science. While the percentage of female students in STEM at the university had reached almost 30% thanks to actions to which she had contributed for almost 20 years, the number of female professors in STEM was only 13%. It was then that the idea of the IDUN project was born. The central measure in the project was the employment of nine female adjunct professors, at least one at each of the seven institutes of the faculty. IDUN provided training for these professors to become role models and mentors for 3-5 mentees each. The present paper aims to give a summary of the project, as well as looking at the consequences and future implications.

Barriers, Role Models, and Diversity – Women in IT

Central-European Journal of New Technologies in Research, Education and Practice

Young women's barriers to choose IT and methods to overcome them - A case study from Hungary

Teaching Mathematics and Computer Science, 2021

Women's scarcity in the STEM, especially in the IT sector is pronouncedly evident. Young wome... more Women's scarcity in the STEM, especially in the IT sector is pronouncedly evident. Young women are obstructed from entering and remaining in IT by a broad range of social, educational, and labor market factors. In our paper, we would like to analyze the main barriers girls face in choosing IT, while also proposing potential methods to help them overcome these obstacles. In the second part of the paper, we will present a case study to illustrate in detail how the combination of the above methods can be put into practice to address and tackle the complex set of barriers girls face. We will first introduce a Hungarian annual program, Girls' Day ("Lányok napja"), specifically aimed to promote STEM to girls, then we will present two specific events organized for the 2020 edition of the program and designed with the above principles in mind. The interactive presentation, exposing girls to female role models of the field in a gamified way, and a game development exercise,...

Barriers, Role Models and Diversity. Women in IT

Central European Journal of New Technologies in Research, Education and Practice, 2021

Human Computer Interaction -Gender in User Experience 1

Human Computer Interaction International Conference, 2022

The absence of women in IT has tangible social and technical consequences. Whoever designs the in... more The absence of women in IT has tangible social and technical consequences. Whoever designs the interfaces, defines the functionalities, and writes the algorithms behind them also infuses them with their rational, way of thinking, and modus operandi. If women are typically only users, and not developers, of IT, the female perspective, or more broadly diversity, will be missing from the process of design, creation, and development. This consideration is even more crucial in Human Computer Interaction when looking at the design of usable, useful, and used systems. But how can we measure the impact of neglecting diversity, including diversity of gender, in User Experience (UX)? In this poster, we propose to elaborate on which UX dimensions and factors are contributing to usability to better convey the importance of diversity, as well as addressing whether there is a need to introduce new criteria and measures to account for gender related differences. We expect to deliver an enriched evaluation framework for assessing the performance of technology and the kind of experience it offers to different users while keeping the discussion open in the HCI community and beyond.

Young women's barriers to choose IT and methods to overcome them -A case study from Hungary

Journal of Teaching Mathematics and Computer Science, 2021

Women's scarcity in the STEM, especially in the IT, sector is pronouncedly evident. Young women a... more Women's scarcity in the STEM, especially in the IT, sector is pronouncedly evident. Young women are obstructed from entering and remaining in IT by a broad range of social, educational, and labor market factors. In our paper, we would like to analyze the main barriers girls face in choosing IT, while also proposing potential methods to help them overcome these obstacles. In the second part of the paper, we will present a case study to illustrate in detail how the combination of the above methods can be put into practice to address and tackle the complex set of barriers girls face. We will first introduce a Hungarian annual program, Girls' Day ("Lányok napja"), specifically aimed to promote STEM to girls, then we will present two specific events organized for the 2020 edition of the program and designed with the above principles in mind. The interactive presentation, exposing girls to female role models of the field in a gamified way, and a game development exercise, building Scratch programming skills, have attempted to provide young women both with positive perspectives and experiences in IT, which are instrumental in helping them to surmount entrenched obstacles and raise their interest in the field.

Metaphors Matter – The Analysis of Prezi in Search of Visual-Verbal Metaphors

Opus et Educatio, 2016

In April 2014, Prezi announced that its “zooming” presentation software reached40 million users w... more In April 2014, Prezi announced that its “zooming” presentation software reached40 million users worldwide. With 30 million last October, Prezi has a record of 55,000new signups every day in the last months. To explain its skyrocketing popularity, founderspoint to the increasing global need for effective communication, which Prezi fittinglyserves with its versatility, dynamism, and visual design. In short, thinking and communicationwere given space, or rather, a spatial dimension. Prezi offers a blank canvas, a“virtual whiteboard”, for its users to fill it with the ideas they want to share; however,many presenters choose the pre-designed templates as bases of their presentations. Thetemplates not only create a framework for the presentations, like a stage, a soccer pitch,or a road, their perculiarity is that they invoke basic metaphors, like LIFE IS A PLAY,STRATEGIES ARE TACTICS, or LIFE IS A JOURNEY. The fundamental idea behind Prezi,namely, that COMMUNICATION IS STORYTELLING, is al...

Contrastive analysis of emotions in Englsih and Hungarian based on a novel and its translation

Rassegna Italiana Di Linguistica Applicata, 2007

Introducing the Gender Aspect into Hungarian IT Education

Central-European Journal of New Technologies in Research, Education and Practice, 2020

The IT sector has been rapidly growing; in fact, a high number of jobs are expected to remain unf... more The IT sector has been rapidly growing; in fact, a high number of jobs are expected to remain unfilled, which makes it our common interest to attract more students to this field. The striking scarcity of women in the IT sector offers an obvious solution: if more women could be involved, the labor shortage in IT could be fixed. The low number of women in IT has strong ties with IT education; therefore, the role and responsibility of teachers is immense. If we want to have more workforce and more competent professionals in the IT sector, educators need to create a more hospitable environment for girls and women in (both secondary and tertiary) education. The present study aims to show why it is key to introduce the gender aspect into IT education, both globally and specifically in Hungary. The primary goal of the article, thus, is to call attention to the repercussions of entrenched gender stereotypes in education, while also offering specific methods that can make IT-related classes more inclusive.

Nemi sztereotípiák az informatika oktatásban

InfoDidact, 2019

A 21. században a digitális olvasás-és írástudás elengedhetetlen az egyre inkább automatizált és ... more A 21. században a digitális olvasás-és írástudás elengedhetetlen az egyre inkább automatizált és digitalizált munkavégzés miatt. Az informatika oktatásnak tehát hatalmas a jelentősége és a felelőssége is, hisz a jövő rendszereinek felhasználóit és fejlesztőit kell képeznie. Éppen ezért a differenciált oktatás különösen fontos az informatika órákon: a hatékony tanulási folyamat elősegítése végett szükség van a diákok egyéni képességeinek és sajátosságainak, mint például kulturális, etnikai vagy épp nemi identitásának figyelembe vételére. A jelen tanulmány azt kívánja körüljárni, miért szükséges az informatika oktatást nemi aspektusok-különösen a nemi sztereotípiák-felől is megközelíteni. Nemcsak elméleti probléma a nők és lányok-nemi sztereotípiákból adódó-alacsony részvétele az informatikában, hanem kézzelfogható technológiai és társadalmi komplikációkhoz is vezet. Az elméleti áttekintés után a cikk konkrét módszereket sorakoztat fel arra, hogy hogyan lehet inkluzívabbá tenni az informatika órákat.

Reklám Nem - Társadalmi nemek ábrázolása reklámplakátokon

Apertúra, 2016

Mindannyian ismerjük a reklámokat. Jól tudjuk, arra akarnak minket rávenni, hogy vásároljunk. Unj... more

Metafora és metonímia a reklámplakátokon

Első század, 2011

A kognitív nyelvészeti paradigma szerint a metafora és a metonímia alapvető és kulcsfontosságú je... more A kognitív nyelvészeti paradigma szerint a metafora és a metonímia alapvető és kulcsfontosságú jelenségek. A hagyományos felfogással ellentétben a kognitív irányzat nem nyelvi, hanem fogalmi eszközökként kezeli őket, amelyek áthatják a gondolkodást és a megértést. A metafora és a metonímia nélkülözhetetlen folyamatai a megismerésnek, azáltal, hogy egymástól különböző dolgokat kapcsolnak össze és tesznek megragadhatóbbá. A metafora az, ami lehetővé teszi például, hogy az élet nagyon is absztrakt fogalmát egy hétköznapibb, körülhatároltabb élményként, utazásként lássuk (Sok mindenen keresztül mentem már.). A metonímia segítségével pedig például egy megfogható, testi következményen keresztül tudjuk kifejezni a láthatatlanabb érzelem-okot (Kiráz a hideg tőle.)

Gender Inclusive Design in Technology: Case Studies and Guidelines

Design, User Experience, and Usability. HCII 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2023

The importance of inclusivity as a value in our social contexts is increasing; thus, it is not un... more The importance of inclusivity as a value in our social contexts is increasing; thus, it is not unusual that the software industry has started to embrace it. The need for such a consideration stems from the fact that the composition of the IT sector, especially of positions responsible for decision-making and the design of tools, reflects a workforce that is not diverse enough. This can result in blind spots in the design process, leading to exclusionary user experiences. Therefore, the idea of inclusive design is gaining more prevalence; in fact, it is becoming a general expectation to create software that is useful for and used by more people. With a focus on intersectionality-the understanding that social and digital difficulties result from a complex web of overlapping factors-inclusive user experience seeks to actively and consciously integrate minority, vulnerable, and understudied user groups in the design. UX that is based on inclusive design aims to overcome social disadvantages in all of their intersectional complexities arising from gender, sexual orientation, age, education, dis/ability, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity, among others. At the same time, it must be acknowledged that gender-inclusive design has challenges and limitations: the idea of gender inclusion in design is not yet a reality. Our research investigates academic literature, as well as tech industry practices, like the websites of Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Meta. We aim to understand how inclusive design is theorized and implemented nowadays. Our analysis shows that intersectionality suffers even when inclusivity is intended to be taken into consideration. We also offer guidelines for factors that might be explored for a more inclusive design. Our paper's analysis leaves an opportunity for additional study; the complexity of identities and how disregarding them in software design can exacerbate inequality call for even more investigation and awareness.