PhD position on measuring social interaction, physical activity, and sense of belonging in high schools

This project aims to model the social and physical activity of high school students, measured through sensors and a smartwatch application, in relation to the social, cultural and physical environment. This will allow you to better understand the school environment and to propose interventions to make the school more inclusive.

In recent work, we showed that a smartwatch application can be used to capture meaningful data about children's play in primary school playgrounds. This data can be analysed to understand how the social, cultural, and physical environment influences children's activities for better and for worse.

In this project you will bring this approach to high schools, to better understand the lived experience of high school students. You will especially focus on how vulnerable youth such as students with autism experience their school environment. By analysing the data through machine learning approaches, you will develop a system that can help schools see the weaknesses in their school environment, and predict the effect of possible interventions to improve the environment.

You will collaborate closely with another PhD student addressing the problem from psychology and education perspectives. Furthermore, you will collaborate in a large multidisciplinary team spanning several universities and other organisations. You will perform high-quality and internationally visible research that gets published at top-tier conferences and journals.

Your profile

You have, or will shortly acquire, a master's degree in human Computer Science; Interaction Technology; or a related degree with a focus on intelligent digital systems.

You have experience in collecting, processing, and analyzing sensor data and machine learning techniques.

You have experience with or interest in the psychological and pedagogical aspects of students attending high school and are enthusiastic about doing research together with users throughout the project

You have good scientific programming skills and are capable of developing and modifying applications

You are proficient in English for communication, both in writing and speaking.

Our offer

As a PhD candidate at UT, you will be appointed to a full-time position for four years, with a qualifier in the first year, within a stimulating and exciting scientific environment;

The University offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues;

Your salary and associated conditions are in accordance with the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU);

You will receive a gross monthly salary ranging from € 2.872,- (first year) to € 3.670,- (fourth year);

There are excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme;

A minimum of 232 leave hours in case of full-time employment based on a formal workweek of 38 hours. A full-time employment in practice means 40 hours a week, therefore resulting in 96 extra leave hours on an annual basis.

Free access to sports facilities on campus

A family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid);

A training programme as part of the Twente Graduate School where you and your supervisors will determine a suitable plan for education and supervision;

We encourage a high degree of responsibility and independence, while collaborating with close colleagues, researchers and other staff.

Information and application

Are you interested in this position? Please send your application via the 'Apply now' button below before October 15, 2024, and include:

A cover letter (maximum 2 pages A4), emphasizing your specific interest, qualifications, motivations to apply for this position.

A Curriculum Vitae, including a list of all courses attended and grades obtained, and, if applicable, a list of publications and references.

Your master's thesis, or in case it is not yet completed, one other document written in English of which you are the main author. This can be a publication, a term paper, or anything else that you wrote and consider relevant.

Contact information of two references who we may contact.

For more information regarding this position, you are welcome to contact dr.ir. Dennis Reidsma via the following emailaddress: [email protected].

First round of interviews will be held on October 30, 2024. The second round will start on November 6, 2024 if applicable.

About the department

You will work in the Human Media Interaction group at the faculty of Electrical Engineering Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) of the University of Twente in close collaboration with the department of Architecture and the Build Environment at TU Delft and the department of Developmental and Educational Psychology at Leiden University.

The Human Media Interaction group does research into multimodal interaction: from brain computer interfaces to social robots and from sensor technologies to interactive sports and play systems. Many projects at the HMI- group delve into how such interactive technologies may be used to support or better understand sports, play, and learning. The HMI group is a multidisciplinary group of enthusiastic, kind, and passionate researchers with an open mind to science and society.

About the organisation

The faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) uses mathematics, electronics and computer technology to contribute to the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). With ICT present in almost every device and product we use nowadays, we embrace our role as contributors to a broad range of societal activities and as pioneers of tomorrow's digital society. As part of a people-first tech university that aims to shape society, individuals and connections, our faculty works together intensively with industrial partners and researchers in the Netherlands and abroad, and conducts extensive research for external commissioning parties and funders. Our research has a high profile both in the Netherlands and internationally. It has been accommodated in three multidisciplinary UT research institutes: Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Centre and Digital Society Institute.

Want to know more? Reidsma, D. (Dennis)

Associate Professor

Reidsma, D. (Dennis)

Associate Professor

Do you have questions about this vacancy? Then you can contact Dennis for all substantive questions about this position and the application procedure. For general questions about working for the UT, please refer to the chatbot.

Contact

Phone:+31534893718

Email:[email protected]

How to apply Step 1

Apply. When you see a vacancy that appeals to you, you can apply online. We ask you to upload a CV and motivation letter and/or list of publications. You will receive a confirmation of receipt by e-mail.

Step 2

Selection. The selection committee will review your application and you will receive a response within 2 weeks after the vacancy has been closed.

Step 3

1st interview. The 1st (online or in person) meeting serves as an introduction where we introduce ourselves to you and you to us. You may be asked to give a short presentation. This will be further explained in the invitation.

Step 4

2nd interview. In the second interview, we will further discuss the job content, your skills and your talents.

Step 5

The offer. If the conversations are positive, you will be made a suitable offer. If applicable, we will sign you up for screening.

Your Colleagues

Rieffe, C.J. (Carolien)

Personal page

Englebienne, G. (Gwenn)

Personal page

Our mission Human Touch

At the UT it's all about people, in line with our university's High Tech Human Touch philosophy. In everything we do, the well-being and future of our students and staff are paramount. From research and teaching to personnel management, campus management and the use of new technologies.

Our mission We are a university of technology

Our university is a public institution that serves society. We are accountable to society for the ways in which we use our academic freedom. We are responsible for ensuring that the power of science and technology is harnessed to achieve the best possible impact in a changing world. We cherish our rich tradition of combining technical and social sciences in our five profiling themes: Improving healthcare by personalized technologies; Creating intelligent manufacturing systems; Shaping our world with smart materials; Engineering our digital society; and Engineering for a resilient world.

Our mission We help to strengthen society

We help society meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. But we are also transparent about what science and technology can and cannot do in finding sustainable solutions. And help translate these solutions into everyday life.

Our mission We are sustainable

We want our communities to flourish and show resilience, so we seize opportunities for innovation. We are knowledgeable and have an eye for what society needs. Our students and staff receive all the guidance they need in their quest for ecological, social and economic sustainability. “The University of Twente is all about people. Our sustainable technologies help to strengthen society.”

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