Profile
Alexandra (Ali) Mazalek is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in Digital Media and Innovation at Toronto Metropolitan University. Ali works at the forefront of trends in computing and interaction design that support a tighter integration of the physical and digital worlds. She designs and develops tangible and embodied interaction systems that enable people to be more creative across both science and art disciplines. Her research interests include the design and application of emerging physical sensing and digital media technologies to areas such as narrative expression, abstract thinking, and scientific modeling, as well as the study and use of embodied cognition as a framework for tangible and embodied interaction design. She has published her research in a range of academic journals, delivered guest lectures in both academia and industry, and exhibited her media art works and interfaces at numerous galleries and festivals.
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Sultana, A., Bakogeorge, A., Tibu, T., Zeng, L., Hadinezhad, S., Zaccagnini, L., Cang, S., Gnesdilow, D., Tarun, A.P., Puntambekar, S., Tissenbaum, M., & Mazalek, A. (2023). In-class collaborative learning environemnt for middle school children: A usabilit Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2023-06-19 Wang, X.M., Southwick, D., Robinson, I., Nitsche, M., Resch, G., Mazalek, A., & Welsh, T.N. (2023). Prolonged exposure to mixed reality alters task performance in the unmediated environment. PsyArXiv. Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2023-10-02 Bakogeorge, A., Imtiaz, S.A. Hantash, N.A. Manshaei, R., & Mazalek, A. (2024). Embodied machine learning. Proceedings of teh Eighteenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction, 1-12. Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2023-02-11 Zeng, L., Cang, X., Sultana, A., Cernova, S., Wang, M., Gnesdilow, D., Puntambekar, S., Mazalek, A., & Tissenbaum, M. (2024). Spatial Manipulative Note-Taking Tool for Small Group Face-to-Face Collaboration in Science Class. Proceedings of the 17th Interna Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2024-01-01 Migration Disrupted: How technological transformation is reshaping human mobility Migration Disrupted was an interdisciplinary, hybrid conference held at Toronto Metropolitan University from May 7-9, 2024, organized by CERC Migration and Bridging Divides. The conference focused on how advanced digital technologies (ADTs) are transforming human mobility, with an emphasis on their impact on migrant integration, citizenship, employment, health care, and urban experience in Canada and beyond. Through a series of panels, fireside chats, and breakout sessions, researchers, policymakers, and civil society leaders examined both opportunities and challenges created by technological transformation, including digital divides, the ethics of artificial intelligence, infrastructure for inclusive cities, and the future of migrant work. Video recordings of sessions are available.
Other Toronto Metropolitan University, University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, Concordia University Activity 2024-05-07 Triandafyllidou, A. ,
Bagheri, E. ,
Gruzd, A. ,
Mathurin, G. ,
Abu-Laban, Y. ,
Agrawal, S. ,
Farooq, B. , Joel Dissanayake,
Banerjee, R. ,
Huot, S. ,
Mazalek, A. ,
Zhuang, Z. ,
Rockwell, G. ,
Wong, J. ,
Paquet, M. Other Bridging Divides TMU Spring Retreat A one-day retreat held for all Bridging Divides (BD) researchers, affiliated researchers, and HQPs at Toronto Metropolitan University. Led by Ali Mazalek and Ebrahim Bagheri, the event focused on fostering collaboration, innovation, and knowledge sharing across BD projects, especially highlighting the integration of technology and digital media design in advancing research efforts. The retreat included opportunities for participants to present 10-minute talks on their projects, with particular encouragement for students and early-career researchers to share work that could benefit from collaborative science and engineering contributions. Sessions included Q&A, networking, and peer feedback, emphasizing interdisciplinary solutions to research challenges.
Other Toronto Metropolitan University Activity 2024-04-29 Other Designing a Co-located Collaborative Cross-device Game for Ad Hoc Social Settings Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2025-02-25 Afroza Sultana, Stacy Cernova, Megan Wang, May Yu, Wang Zheng, Yifan Yin, Tudor Tibu, Alexander Bakogeorge, Aneesh P Tarun,
Mazalek, A. Exploring Approaches for Handheld Geometric Shape-Changing Tangible Interfaces Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2025-02-25 Mohsen Ensafjoo, Chau Nguyen, Paul Dietz, Roozbeh Manshaei,
Mazalek, A. Mixed reality alters motor planning and control Compared to physical unmediated reality (UR), mixed reality technologies, such as Virtual (VR) and Augmented (AR) Reality, entail perturbations across multiple sensory modalities (visual, haptic, etc.) that could alter how actors move within the different environments. Because of the mediated nature, goal-directed movements in VR and AR may rely on planning and control processes that are different from movements in UR, resulting in less efficient motor control. The current study involved participants performing manual pointing movements on Müller-Lyer illusion stimuli to examine the relative contributions of movement planning and online control in UR, VR, and AR. Compared to UR, movements in VR were slower but were equally variable with a comparable level of online control, whereas movements in AR showed comparable speed but exhibited higher variability and less online control. Further, movements in VR and AR demonstrated a greater illusory effect in endpoint accuracy relative to UR. These findings suggested that participants in VR adopted an active compensation strategy to overcome the impact of less efficient online control, whereas participants in AR did not. The findings that movement planning and execution in VR and AR are fundamentally different from those in UR provide valuable insights into the potential neural systems engaged during movements in different realities. Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2024-12-03 Xiaoye Michael Wang, Michael A Nitsche, Gabby Resch,
Mazalek, A. , Timothy N Welsh
Author Correction: Prolonged exposure to mixed reality alters task performance in the unmediated environment Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2024-11-06 Xiaoye Michael Wang, Daniel Southwick, Ian Robinson, Michael Nitsche, Gabby Resch,
Mazalek, A. , Timothy N Welsh
Modelling DNA replication fork stability and collapse using chromatin fiber analysis and the R-ODD-BLOBS program ABSTRACT We describe the anatomy of replication forks by comparing the lengths of synthesized BrdU-labelled DNA in wild-type, mrc1Δ and cds1Δ Schizoasaccharomyces pombe . We correlated Rad51 and Cdc45 proteins relative to their positions on the fork, replicated tract, or unreplicated regions. We did this using chromatin spread pixel intensity data that was analyzed using our program: R-ODD-BLOBS. Graphs on the lengths of BrdU tract, and proteins, as well as the percentage of Rad51 and Cdc45 colocalization, were created by the program. These results were compared to the literature. The BrdU lengths detected matched current literature; cds1Δ was the longest at 8.6 px, wild-type was 7.5 px, and mrc1Δ was the shortest at 5.1 px. When colocalization of rad 51 around the fork was explored, we found that mrc1Δ uniquely had 22% more colocalization than wt at the unreplicated region of a fork. This suggests that HR was potentially detected at the forks of mrc1Δ. In this study, we summarize the usefulness of R-ODD-BLOBS in aiding in analyzing chromatin spread data which provides data on the lengths and protein colocalization and starts to paint a picture of the anatomy of a fork. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT - The dynamics of a replication fork are important to maintaining genome stability, however, current methods create an average bulk data that can conceal the heterogeneity of forks. - This pipeline involving chromatin spread fiber, and data analysis using R-ODD-BLOBS establishes a single-molecule approach to a dynamic problem that can determine patterns like differences in synthesized DNA between conditions, and determine colocalization of proteins at different regions on chromatin, while systematically determining parameters - This pipeline shows and quantifies patterns found in chromatin spread fibers, while maintaining the option to average out data or individually look at them Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2024-11-03 Keman Cheng, Kazeera Aliar, Roozbeh Manshaei,
Mazalek, A. , Sarah Sabatinos
“SimSnap” Framework: Designing Interaction Methods for Cross-device Applications Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2024-10-11 May Yu, Afroza Sultana, Stacy Cernova, Megan Wang, Alexander Bakogeorge, Tudor Tibu, Aneesh P Tarun,
Mazalek, A. Hydrone: Bringing Interactivity to Small Water Features Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2024-10-10 Mohsen Ensafjoo, Alexander Bakogeorge, Chau Nguyen, Alexander Verni, Finch Gabriel Assadoullaev, Vivian Fung, David McFarlane, Paul Dietz, Fanny Chevalier,
Mazalek, A. Addressing the Vergence-Accommodation Conflict in Virtual Reality: A Geometrical Approach Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2024-09-15 Xiaoye Michael Wang, Colin Dolynski, Michael Nitsche, Gabby Resch,
Mazalek, A. , Timothy N Welsh
Prolonged exposure to mixed reality alters task performance in the unmediated environment The popularity of mixed reality (MR) technologies, including virtual (VR) and augmented (AR) reality, have advanced many training and skill development applications. If successful, these technologies could be valuable for high-impact professional training, like medical operations or sports, where the physical resources could be limited or inaccessible. Despite MR's potential, it is still unclear whether repeatedly performing a task in MR would affect performance in the same or related tasks in the physical environment. To investigate this issue, participants executed a series of visually-guided manual pointing movements in the physical world before and after spending one hour in VR or AR performing similar movements. Results showed that, due to the MR headsets' intrinsic perceptual geometry, movements executed in VR were shorter and movements executed in AR were longer than the veridical Euclidean distance. Crucially, the sensorimotor bias in MR conditions also manifested in the subsequent post-test pointing task; participants transferring from VR initially undershoot whereas those from AR overshoot the target in the physical environment. These findings call for careful consideration of MR-based training because the exposure to MR may perturb the sensorimotor processes in the physical environment and negatively impact performance accuracy and transfer of training from MR to UR. Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2024-08-15 Xiaoye Michael Wang, Daniel Southwick, Ian Robinson, Michael Nitsche, Gabby Resch,
Mazalek, A. , Timothy N Welsh
Virtual Reality and Stress Management: A Systematic Review Amidst the growing prevalence of chronic stress and its potential negative impacts on mental health, this review explores the use of virtual reality (VR) as a stress management solution, aiming to assess its viability and effectiveness in this context. A comprehensive search was conducted on MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase from inception until February 2024. Eligible studies were primary research papers that focused on the use of VR as an intervention to mitigate psychological stress and/or distress. We included studies where the assessment of stress levels primarily relied on self-report measures. A total of 50 studies involving 2885 participants were included in our systematic review. VR-based interventions varied across studies, implementing tools such as cognitive behavioural therapy, exposure therapy, mindfulness and relaxation, repetition tasks, and psychoeducation. The reviewed studies yielded mixed results; however, a strong indication was present in highlighting the promising potential of VR-based interventions. Many studies observed a decrease in psychiatric symptoms in participants and reported increased quality of life. Various studies also found VR to be a valuable tool in promoting stress reduction and relaxation. VR was proven useful in exposing participants to stressors in a safe, controlled way. These potential benefits appear to come with no risk of harm to the participants. Although the findings are heterogenous, there is sufficient evidence supporting the use of VR for stress management across a range of contexts and populations. Overall, VR appears to be a generally low-risk, feasible intervention for those struggling with stress. Toronto Metropolitan University, University of Toronto Publication 2024-07-15 Shakila Meshkat, Mahsa Edalatkhah, Corinna Di Luciano, Josh Martin, Gursharanjit Kaur, Gyu Hee Lee, Haley Park, Andrei Torres,
Mazalek, A. , Bill Kapralos, Adam Dubrowski,
Bhat, V. Tangible and Embodied Interaction Tangible and embodied interaction (TEI) is a growing area of human–computer interaction (HCI) research that aims to expand opportunities for digital interaction through physical world objects, surfaces, and spaces by incorporating diverse sensing technologies and materials. As an approach to HCI design, TEI emphasizes the use of human motor skills and real-world social practices in the creation of digital technologies and experiences that unfold in physical spaces, away from the confines of the traditional desktop computer. From early examples of tangible user interfaces to an expanding focus on embodied interaction, the field has evolved and matured since its beginnings in the late 1990s. This chapter aims to provide an introduction to the field of TEI for students, researchers, and practitioners alike. It begins with an overview of the history, theoretical foundations, and emerging frameworks for the field and then dives into a review of TEI interactions and their underlying technical implementations. This is followed by a survey of application areas that have been addressed by the TEI community and a discussion of how these can provide value in people's lives. Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2024-07-09 Spatial Manipulative Note-Taking Tool for Small Group Face-to-Face Collaboration in Science Class Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2024-06-10 Litong Zeng, Xuesong Cang, Afroza Sultana, Stacy Cernova, Megan Wang, Dana Gnesdilow, Sadhana Puntambekar,
Mazalek, A. , Mike Tissenbaum
A Plant Simulation Tool for Collaborative Biology Experiments in Middle-school Classrooms: An In-the-wild Study Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2024-06-03 Afroza Sultana, Litong Zeng, Megan Wang, Stacy Cernova, Xuesong Cang, Dana Gnesdilow, Alexander Bakogeorge, Tudor Tibu, Aneesh P Tarun, Sadhana Puntambekar, Mike Tissenbaum,
Mazalek, A. Grand challenges in WaterHCI Recent combinations of interactive technology, humans, and water have resulted in "WaterHCI". WaterHCI design seeks to complement the many benefits of engagement with the aquatic domain, by offering, for example, augmented reality systems for snorkelers, virtual reality in floatation tanks, underwater musical instruments for artists, robotic systems for divers, and wearables for swimmers. We conducted a workshop in which WaterHCI experts articulated the field's grand challenges, aiming to contribute towards a systematic WaterHCI research agenda and ultimately advance the field. Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2024-05-11 Florian Mueller, Maria F Montoya, Sarah Jane Pell, Leif Oppermann, Mark Blyth, Paul Dietz, Joe Marshall, Scott Bateman, Ian Smith, Swamy Ananthanarayan,
Mazalek, A. , Alexander Verni, Alexander Bakogeorge, Mathieu Simonnet, Kirsten Ellis, Nathan Semertzidis, Winslow Burleson, John Quarles, Steve Mann, Chris Hill, Christal Clashing, Don Samitha Elvitigala
The geometry of the vergence-accommodation conflict in mixed reality systems Abstract Mixed reality technologies, such as virtual (VR) and augmented (AR) reality, present promising opportunities to advance education and professional training due to their adaptability to diverse contexts. Distortions in the perceived distance in such mediated conditions, however, are well documented and have imposed nontrivial challenges that complicate and limit transferring task performance in a virtual setting to the unmediated reality (UR). One potential source of the distance distortion is the vergence-accommodation conflict—the discrepancy between the depth specified by the eyes’ accommodative state and the angle at which the eyes converge to fixate on a target. The present study involved the use of a manual pointing task in UR, VR, and AR to quantify the magnitude of the potential depth distortion in each modality. Conceptualizing the effect of vergence-accommodation offset as a constant offset to the vergence angle, a model was developed based on the stereoscopic viewing geometry. Different versions of the model were used to fit and predict the behavioral data for all modalities. Results confirmed the validity of the conceptualization of vergence-accommodation as a device-specific vergence offset, which predicted up to 66% of the variance in the data. The fitted parameters indicate that, due to the vergence-accommodation conflict, participants’ vergence angle was driven outwards by approximately 0.2°, which disrupted the stereoscopic viewing geometry and produced distance distortion in VR and AR. The implications of this finding are discussed in the context of developing virtual environments that minimize the effect of depth distortion. Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2024-04-11 Xiaoye Michael Wang, Daniel Southwick, Ian Robinson, Michael A Nitsche, Gabby Resch,
Mazalek, A. , Timothy N Welsh
Embodied Machine Learning Machine learning becomes more prevalent in specialized domains such as medicine and biology every year, but domain expert trust in machine learning continues to lag behind. Researchers have explored increasing rational trust in AI but little research exists focusing on systems that foster affective and normative trust between domain experts and data scientists who create the models. Tools like Project Jupyter have attempted to bridge this gap between data scientists and domain experts, but failed to see uptake in applied fields or to promote collaboration through co-located synchronous work. To address this we present a proof-of-concept tabletop interactive machine learning system for synchronous, co-located model fine tuning. We tested our system with biology experts and data scientists on a cell biology dataset. Results show that our system promotes interactions between domain experts, data scientists, and the model-in-training and fosters domain expert affective and normative trust in the resulting AI model. Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2024-01-24 Alexander Bakogeorge, Syeda Aniqa Imtiaz, Nour Abu Hantash, Roozbeh Manshaei,
Mazalek, A. In-class Collaborative Learning Environment for Middle School Children: A Usability Study Creating effective middle school STEM curricula requires a combination of individual and collaborative learning. Prior studies showed that finding a proper balance and providing uninterrupted knowledge transmission between different learning modes can be challenging in such mixed pedagogical approaches. In this paper, we present a multi-device interactive educational platform named SimSnap to teach biology curriculum to middle school children. SimSnap facilitates interactions among touchscreen Chromebooks to perform in-class individual and group activities. We present a usability analysis study with eight middle school children where they learn about the influence of temperature on tomato plant growth. Our study demonstrated that SimSnap facilitates group discussions to complete collaborative tasks. It also creates seamless knowledge propagation between prior to current tasks to learn about more complex concepts from previous simpler activities. Middle school children gave overall high usability ratings and positive feedback on SimSnap. This study also helped to outline some design recommendations for future improvements of SimSnap. Toronto Metropolitan University Publication 2023-06-14 Afroza Sultana, Alexander Bakogeorge, Tudor Tibu, Litong Zeng, Shafagh Hadinezhad, Luigi Zaccagnini, Xuesong Cang, Dana Gnesdilow, Aneesh P Tarun, Sadhana Puntambekar, Mike Tissenbaum,
Mazalek, A.
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