Summer 2026
Designing to support healthcare price transparency
We are looking for current students who are interested in working on a research study on designing for healthcare price transparency. In this study, we aim to understand how adults in the United States (US) make decisions regarding the cost of healthcare procedures, and how design of technologies can mitigate the associated cognitive load and discrimination. The study aims to investigate two key questions:
- How do adults who had or are undergoing healthcare procedures in the US make decisions related to the cost of their healthcare?
- How do they envision support for the reduction of cognitive load when engaging in efforts related to healthcare price transparency?
We will focus on conducting literature review, recruitment, and data collection for the research study during Summer 2026. It is a small team and we expect you to show up for all meetings.
Enrollment Information
- Meeting time: Wednesdays, starting July 1 to August 19, 2026. 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. on Zoom
- Credits: 1-2 credits (each credit requires 3 hours of work)
- This DRG does meet the research requirement for PhD students.
- Who should apply: Students who are self-motivated and interested in academic research on this topic.
- To apply: Complete this Google Form
- Application deadline: June 15, 2026
- Anticipated notification date: June 20, 2026
- Questions? Contact arpitab@uw.edu.
Spring 2026
Unlearning in design education
Instructor: Arpita B.
What beliefs, behaviors, or concepts have we had to unlearn since we first started learning in HCDE? In the introductory classes I have taught, I have had enriching conversations with students who come from different disciplines, education systems, or backgrounds, on how learning in HCDE is new to them. I am looking for a team to dive deeper into the deliberate acts students partake in for changing older patterns of thinking or behaviors during their design education. Unlearning can occur at the individual level, community level, and even organizational level. In this DRG, we will work in a small group in which we will search for, read, discuss, and synthesize scholarly articles and work done on unlearning in the context of practices used in design education.
Enrollment Information
- Meeting time: Thursdays, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
- Credits: 1 credit (1 credit is for 3 hours of work (meeting + reading & writing every week))
- This DRG does meet the research requirement for PhD students.
- Who should apply: Students who enjoy reading, have the motivation to read and discuss scholarly articles, or want to develop their reading skills. This DRG focuses on literature review.
- To apply: Complete this Google Form
- Application deadline: March 15, 2026
- Anticipated notification date: March 20, 2026
- Questions? Contact arpitab@uw.edu.
Spring 2026
HCDE in Engineering Discovery Days
Instructor: Arpita B.
Engineering Discovery Days are scheduled to be on April 30 and May 1, 9 am to 1 pm. In this DRG, we will work on designing project exhibits with hands-on activities that 4-8th graders can engage with during their visit. If you are interested in working on an exhibit for discovery days, this DRG is a great opportunity to find teammates, dedicated work time, and mentorship. Please see information for exhibitors here.
Student-teams will develop the project and instructional materials for engineering discovery days exhibits, rehearse and test their prototypes, and lead the work.
Enrollment Information
- Meeting time: Tuesdays, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
- Credits: 2
- This DRG does not meet the research requirement for PhD students.
- Who should apply: We are looking for enthusiastic and self-motivated students at all levels (BS, MS, PhD) who are passionate about leading human centered STEM activities with K-12 students and are able to consistently show up for in-person teamwork and on-site events.
- Eligible students should have already taken HCDE 210, 302, 318, 439, 539, or 518.
- Experience working with, teaching, or mentoring K-12 students is helpful for this work.
- You have to commit to Engineering discovery days.
- To apply: Complete this Google Form
- Application deadline: March 15, 2026
- Anticipated notification date: March 15, 2026
- Questions? Contact arpitab@uw.edu.
Dr. Arpita's research group archive