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Research

Beth Kolko

Winter 2025

AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) Comparative Usability Study Data Analysis

Instructors: This DRG is led by Ruican Zhong, advised by Gary Hsieh and Beth Kolko, and will be in collaboration with Philips.

Public-access automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are critical, life-saving medical devices that broadly guide users through the steps to provide an electrical shock to the heart (i.e., defibrillation) to restore normal rhythm following sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in an emergency situation. They also provide varying levels of instruction for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Despite the usefulness of such devices, there has not been systematic in-situ usability testing of them, especially with people who have not been trained to use these devices. To address this, we conducted a comparative usability study of 4 on-market AED devices with around 60 people. In this DRG, students will closely engage with the study data and conduct mixed-method data analysis.

Students will:

  • Review interview video transcripts, identify trends in participants’ behavior, and perform thematic analysis of their interviews
  • Conduct quantitative analysis (e.g., task success/failure, time on task, measurements of pad placement, etc.) to understand how feature designs impacted participants’ engagement with the devices

Enrollment information

  • Meeting time: TBD
  • Credits: 2 credits 
  • Who should apply: MS & PhD students with qualitative and/or quantitative data analysis experience.
    • This DRG counts toward the directed research requirement for PhD students.
  • To apply: Please apply by midnight on December 5, 2024, using this Screener Form.
  • Anticipated notification date: December 10, 2024
  • Questions? rzhong98@uw.edu

Autumn 2024

Human Centered Entrepreneurship

Led by Professor Beth Kolko

This is a research group that will work on the launch of a new lab in HCDE, the Human Centered Entrepreneurship lab. This lab will build on the work of the HCDE MS class “Building a Human Centered Venture” (HCDE 534) and is open to students whether or not they have taken that course. The lab is part of a larger effort to explore “Capitalism for Humans” – how we can use the structure of the US economic system to shape future technologies. Many of these ideas have been explored by social venture/social entrepreneurship experts, but Capitalism for Humans is about using traditional systems like venture capital and private equity as levers for intentional change. 

This will be an ongoing group, and in the fall quarter we will build out the lab’s website and identity, read AdVenture Finance by Aunnie Patton Power and discuss together, work on public-facing resources for the larger community interested in these topics, and focus specifically on how an HCDE mindset can be used to inspire new approaches to entrepreneurial efforts. 

This group will be a good fit for you if:

  • You have thought about starting a company someday (any kind of company; doesn’t need to be venture scale)
  • You have started a company in the past
  • You have worked at a startup and are interested to learn more about the mechanics of young companies
  • You are curious about how capitalism works (and doesn’t work) 
  • You are interested in both challenging and changing capitalism and the entrepreneurial ecosystems currently in place

Enrollment information

  • Meeting time: Thursdays, 4 p.m.
  • Credits: 2
  • Who should apply: The group is open to HCDE majors in any degree program. It is also open to graduate students (MS and PhD) from other programs. The group will meet on Thursdays at 4pm with the first meeting possibly remote. The rest of the quarter will be in person.
  • To apply: please complete this Google Form.
  • Application deadline: September 22, 2024 
  • Anticipated notification date: September 24, 2024
  • Questions? Contact Beth Kolko at bkolko@uw.edu.

Dr. Kolko's Research Group archive