PhD 1: "Public and personal displays for information awareness and training".

 The project is focusing on the research and development of ambient displays for medical training, information and awareness. It is closely aligned to a new interregional and European grant for the improvement of first-aid training standards of laymen and improved response times of (semi-) professional in the Euregio Rhine-Meuse. Traditional methods in first-aid support and training have not increased the response times of laymen and it has been recognized that innovative methods beyond medical training are required to improve the awareness, knowledge and competences of large parts of the population. The PhD candidate will build on existing work about ambient learning displays at CELSTEC and will extend this work with a special focus on interactions between personal devices and ambient displays. The candidate will conceptualize and develop two prototypes of ambient learning displays for resuscitation awareness and training. Evaluation studies should be conducted in laboratory and real world situations. The candidate will work in the CELSTEC Learning Laboratories in an interdisciplinary group and environment which is highly oriented towards innovation and new practices in education and learning.

Requirements
To be appointed, the candidate must possess a Master's degree (or the equivalent thereof) in a relevant academic subject area such as computer science, media design, educational sciences, psychology or linguistics. Solid interface design skills and web-service development experiences is a plus. Basic methodological knowledge in experimental planning, applied statistics, and evaluation methods is required. Educational Science background and experiences with mobile application development for knowledge management or learning support is appreciated. The candidate should be a teamplayer with good communication skills. English language skills are required, proficiency in Dutch and/or French are a plus.


PhD 2: "Mobile Sensor-based Interaction for training".

The project is focusing on the research and development of mobile applications using sensors to provide performance feedback for training. The project is closely aligned to a new interregional and European grant for the improvement of first-aid training standards of laymen and improved response times of (semi-) professional in the Euregio Rhine-Meuse. The PhD candidate will review requirements for mobile first-aid applications for laymen and review them together with medical experts. The candidate will conceptualize and develop two prototypes of such a mobile application and evaluate the learning effects empirically. Evaluation studies should be conducted in laboratory and real world situations. The candidate will work in the CELSTEC Learning Laboratories in an interdisciplinary group and environment which is highly oriented towards innovation and new practices in education and learning.

Requirements
To be appointed, the candidate must possess a Master's degree (or the equivalent thereof) in a relevant academic subject area such as computer science, media design, educational sciences, psychology or linguistics. Solid mobile software development skills, Android and/or iPhone SDK (or cross platform development), and solid software engineering background is a plus. Basic methodological knowledge in experimental planning, applied statistics, and evaluation methods is required. Educational Science background and experiences with mobile application development for knowledge management or learning support is appreciated. The candidate should be a teamplayer with good communication skills. English language skills are required, proficiency in Dutch and/or French are a plus.

Additional Information
Conditions of employment
The PHD candidate will be appointed for a period of one year. The appointment will be extended to four years when progress and performance are good. The salary is € 2.042,- gross per month in the first year and is expected to increase to € 2.612,- in the fourth year, for a full time appointment, contingent on satisfactory performance. The Open University provides good secondary benefits such as training, mobility, part-time employment and paid parental leave. The mobile media group at CELSTEC offers very flexible working models and an innovative environment that supports cooperation at a distance.
Contract type: Temporary, Position for 4 years

For more information about this vacancy you can contact: prof. dr. Marcus Specht, hoogleraar, tel.: +31 455762806, e-mail: marcus.specht@ou.nl or dr. Marco Kalz, Universitaire docent,  tel.:+31-455762718, e-mail: marco.kalz@ou.nl.