Hasan, Helen M.

Overview

Prof Helen Hasan consults, investigates and publishes extensively in Information Systems and related areas of Knowledge Management and Human Computer Interaction while managing a Usability Laboratory (ATUL) at the university Using frameworks based on Complex and Activity Theories her research falls into two themes: the Grey and the Green. Her Grey projects investigate the use of IT by the elderly for their social wellbeing. Her ‘Green’ theme takes a holistic approach to IS support for sustainable development. Helen leads national and international special interest groups on Green IS. Helen has received the University Award for Research Student Supervisor of the Year (2012), for Interdisciplinary Research Excellence (2015) and for for Community Engagement (2017). Helen's latest venture is a start-up social business, Living Connected, resident at iAccelerate which assists older people to use computers and remain digitally included in modern society.

Top Publications

Year	Title
2017	An activity theoretic analysis of the mediating role of information systems in tackling climate change adaptation Published in Information Systems Journal: an international journal promoting the study and practice of information systems
2016	Enhancing the wellbeing of the elderly: social use of digital technologies in aged care Published in Educational Gerontology: an international journal
2015	Appreciating, measuring and incentivising discipline diversity: Meaningful indicators of collaboration in research Published in Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2013	Information systems for the social well-being of senior Australians
2012	An activity-theory analysis of corporate wikis Published in Information Technology and People
2011	Wiki-based knowledge management systems for more democratic organizations Published in Journal of Computer Information Systems
2010	Blending complexity and activity frameworks for a broader and deeper understanding of IS
2009	Editorial for the Special Issue on IT and Climate Change Published in Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2008	Back to the future for KM: the case for sensible organisation Published in Knowledge Management Research and Practice

Research Areas

0806 - INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Research Overview

Following an early distinguished career in Physics, I became attracted to the evolution of digital technologies and transferred to the discipline of Information Systems (IS) when I moved to Wollongong in 1986. I am now an internationally recognised senior scholar in IS and the related fields of Knowledge Management (KM) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Research topics in these 3 fields are interconnected, multidisciplinary, socio-technical and globally important. In my membership of the Association for Information Systems (AIS), the international body for IS academics, I provide service to the discipline with other leaders in the field, establishing the Special Interest Group in Green IS, chairing the AIS Outreach Task Force and editing special issues of journals in the AIS basket.

The discipline of IS encompasses future-focused and fast-moving topics related to the development, use and impact of digital technologies. I have demonstrated expertise in researching topics known as Grand Challenges by taking a holistic investigative approach with innovative theories and methods. As significant citations to many of my papers show, I am internationally recognised as an authority on Activity and Complexity Theories as well as interpretive qualitative methodologies that are appropriate for applying these theories in cross-disciplinary. I received the VC's Award for Interdisciplinary Research Excellence in 2015 and for Community Engagement in 2017.

Among the Grand Challenges on which my research projects focus, I am known internationally for leadership in the new field of Green IS and for expertise on Strategic Information Systems for Complex Decision Support (my PhD topic). Nationally, I am known for my action research on the use of computers by the elderly to improve their independence and wellbeing. I plan to commercialise this program as a Social Business service to isolated elderly in the community through iAccelerate.

I have demonstrated expertise in research management bringing in $578,509 in competitive research grants and $192,364 in research consulting. I was lead CI on two ARC Discovery funded projects which involved a partnership with DSTO with impact on the Department of Defence. I also have long standing cooperative engagement with Standards Australia and CSIRO. I have presented seminars and workshops at IS Schools in Australian and in the USA, UK, Germany, Lichtenstein, the Middle East and Asia. I have given Keynotes at 5 national and 1 international conferences.

I have been employed at UOW for 30 years developing my research impact and leadership capability. Over this time I have positively influenced the careers of 100s of staff whom I have mentored and HDR students whom I have supervised. I continue to work with many former IS staff and students. 10 of my journal articles and 17 conference papers are co-authored with my former HDR students. Some of my 30 completed HDR graduates are now professors themselves at universities in many countries including the Australian G8. At UOW I am regularly nominated for supervisor of the year and, in 2012, received the VC's award for HDR Supervision Excellence.

Geographic Focus

Illawarra Shoalhaven region Geographic Region

Available for Collaborative Projects

Head Of

Information Systems Head 2001 - 2003

Member Of

Has Collaborator

Selected Publications

Journal Article

Year	Title
2020	Letting the public in: Dialectic tensions when governments use ICT to engage citizens Published In Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2020	Making IS relevant in a connected world: Revisiting the intellectual structures framework Published In Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2020	Rethinking respite in Australia: a naturalistic effect study of a multicomponent community program to promote respite knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of carers of people with dementia Published In Health and Social Care in the Community
2019	Emerging role of the Australian private health insurance sector in providing chronic disease management programs: Current activities, challenges and constraints Published In Australian Health Review
2019	Involvement of people with dementia in raising awareness and changing attitudes in a dementia friendly community pilot project Published In Dementia: the international journal of social research and practice
2019	Knowledge, help-seeking and efficacy to find respite services: an exploratory study in help-seeking carers of people with dementia in the context of aged care reforms Published In BMC Geriatrics
2019	Utilisation patterns of privately funded mental health services in Australia Published In Journal of Health, Organization and Management
2018	Analysing health data sources to inform chronic disease management decisions of health insurers: A mixed methods study Published In Informatics for Health and Social Care
2018	Challenges of IS research translation: A study of tensions between ICT innovation and conservative bureaucracies Published In Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2017	An activity theoretic analysis of the mediating role of information systems in tackling climate change adaptation Published In Information Systems Journal: an international journal promoting the study and practice of information systems
2017	Co-development of a wiki for tracking the environmental footprint of small business activities Published In Informing Science: international journal of an emerging transdiscipline
2017	Examining the high users of hospital resources: implications of a profile developed from Australian health insurance claims data Published In Australian Health Review
2016	Editorial for the Special Issue on Social Information Systems. Published In Information Technology and People
2016	Enhancing the wellbeing of the elderly: social use of digital technologies in aged care Published In Educational Gerontology: an international journal
2016	Information Systems Solutions for Environmental Sustainability: How Can We Do More? Published In Journal of the Association of Information Systems
2016	Understanding the diversity of user requirements for interactive online health services Published In International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management
2015	Appreciating, measuring and incentivising discipline diversity: Meaningful indicators of collaboration in research Published In Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2015	Businesses sustainable strategies in practice: the case of emerging market-Kuwait Published In Journal of Economics, Business and Management
2015	My lawfully wedded workplace: identifying relational similarities of marriage and employment Published In Personnel Review
2014	Green IT attitude and behaviour in higher education institution: a gender perspective Published In Journal of Applied Sciences
2014	Mixed methods to the rescue: addressing the problem of employee turnover using marital research Published In International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches
2013	Innovative ICT-mediated activities for people, profit and planet Published In European Journal of Innovation Management
2012	An activity-theory analysis of corporate wikis Published In Information Technology and People
2012	Australian online public information systems: a user-centred study of an evolving public health website Published In Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2012	Corporate governance and corporate finance practices in a Kuwait Stock Exchange market listed firm: a survey to confront theory with practice Published In Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society
2012	Emergent solutions for global climate change: lessons from green IS research Published In International Journal of Social and Organizational Dynamics in IT
2011	Green IT: Ein Thema für die Wirtschaftsinformatik? Published In Business and Information Systems Engineering
2011	Green IT: a matter of business and information systems engineering? Published In Business and Information Systems Engineering
2011	Internet savvy users of online news using the Q-methodology approach Published In Journal of Human Subjectivity
2011	Wiki-based knowledge management systems for more democratic organizations Published In Journal of Computer Information Systems
2010	Organisational perspectives on anti-doping Work in sport Published In The International Journal of Sport and Society
2010	Xeena for schema: creating XML documents with a coordinated grammar tree Published In International Journal of Computational Science and Engineering
2009	Carbon-centric computing - IT solutions for climate change Published In Australian Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy
2009	Co-creating Corporate Knowledge with a Wiki Published In International Journal of Knowledge Management
2009	Editorial for the Special Issue on IT and Climate Change Published In Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2009	From Traditional Knowledge Management in Hierarchical Organizations to a Network Centric Paradigm for a Changing World Published In Emergence: Complexity and Organization
2009	Web 2.0 Solutions to Wicked Climate Change Problems Published In Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2008	Back to the future for KM: the case for sensible organisation Published In Knowledge Management Research and Practice
2007	Integrating Doing and Thinking in a Work Context An Australian Knowledge Management Perspective Published In Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems
2007	Knowledge mobilisation in communities through socio-technical systems Published In Knowledge Management Research and Practice

Chapter

Year	Title
2017	Connected living for positive ageing Published In Online Communities as Agents of Change and Social Movements Publisher Hershey, United States
2015	What practitioners (should) want and expect: a personal perspective Published In Advances in Knowledge Management: Celebrating Twenty Years of Research and Practice Publisher Switzerland
2014	A Green IS taxonomy Published In Being Practical with Theory: A Window into Business Research Publisher Wollongong, Australia
2014	Activity Theory: who is doing what, why and how Published In Being Practical with Theory: A Window into Business Research Publisher Wollongong, Australia
2014	Applying principles of Complexity Theory in practice Published In Being Practical with Theory: A Window into Business Research Publisher Wollongong, Australia
2014	Complexity theory Published In Being Practical with Theory: A Window into Business Research Publisher Wollongong, Australia
2014	Connecting isolated senior citizens: illustrating the complexity of social information systems development Published In Being Practical with Theory: A Window into Business Research Publisher Wollongong, Australia
2014	Modes of knowledge sharing between groups Published In Being Practical with Theory: A Window into Business Research Publisher Wollongong, Australia
2014	The Cynefin framework: putting complexity into perspective Published In Being Practical with Theory: A Window into Business Research Publisher Wollongong, Australia
2012	Unordered business processes, sustainability and green IS Published In Green Business Process Management: Towards the Sustainable Enterprise Publisher Heidleberg
2011	Formal and Emergent Standards in KM Published In Encyclopedia of Knowledge Management Publisher Hershey, PA
2008	Complex Organizations and Information Systems Published In Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology
2007	Emergent conversational technologies that are democratising information systems in organisations: the case of the corporate Published In Information Systems Foundations Theory, Representation and Reality

Conference Paper

Year	Title
2019	Axial and flexural response of GFRP bar reinforced circular NSC and HSC columns Published In APFIS 2019 Proceedings - 7th Asia-Pacific Conference on FRP in Structures
2019	Perspectives on Ageing Published In Age Friendly Illawarra Annual Forum
2018	Older women online: Engaged, active and independent Published In 29th Australasian Conference on Information Systems (ACIS2018)
2018	‘Rethink Respite’: an innovative community pilot project for carers of people with dementia to improve knowledge about, attitudes towards, and use of respite Published In 33rd International Conference of Alzheimer's Disease International
2014	Applying attribution theory to IS research as a practical method for assessing post-adoption behaviour Published In ECIS 2014 Proceedings - 22nd European Conference on Information Systems
2014	Appreciating, measuring and incentivising discipline diversity: meaningful indicators of collaboration in research Published In Proceedings of the 25th Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2014	Designing a hybrid academic workshop: lessons from the field Published In Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) 2014 Proceedings
2014	Predicting turnover based on relationship diagnosis – lessons from marital research Published In Proceedings of Informing Science & IT Education Conference (InSITE) 2014
2014	Research methodologies for complex ecosystems: enhancing the societal value of IS Published In ISF Workshop
2014	Towards a modified framework for informer emancipation in complex contexts Published In Proceedings of Informing Science & IT Education Conference (InSITE) 2014
2014	Tracking the environmental footprint of business activities Published In Proceedings of Informing Science & IT Education Conference (InSITE) 2014
2013	An enterprise architecture driven approach to virtualisation Published In PACIS 2013 Proceedings
2013	Energy informatics: designing a discipline (and possible lessons for the IS community) Published In International Conference on Information Systems
2013	Information systems for the social well-being of senior Australians Published In Building Sustainable Information Systems: Proceedings of the 2012 International Conference on Information Systems Development
2012	Increasing demands on information systems and infrastructures for complex decision-making Published In Proceedings of PACIS 2012
2012	Something fishy’s going on: exploring how the aquaponics garden at the Basin View Masonic Village is promoting resident participation through occupation and community and social involvement Published In New Zealand Association of Occupational Therapists Conference
2012	Towards a green IS taxonomy Published In Proceedings of SIGGreen Workshop
2011	IS for government climate change adaptation activities: an exploratory case study Published In Proceedings of the Australiasian Conference on Information Systems: ACIS 2011
2011	Predicting turnover based on relationship diagnosis – lessons from marital research Published In 25th Annual Australia New Zealand Academy of Management Conference (ANZAM 2011)
2011	Suggesting a practical agenda for Green IS – recent solutions within a framework of efficiency, information, and effectiveness Published In Proceedings of the 5th Israel Association for Information Systems (ILAIS) Conference
2011	The Impact of Corporate Financing Decision on Corporate Performance in the Absence of Taxes: Panel Data from Kuwait Stock Market Published In II World Finance Conference
2011	The effect of corporate governance, corporate financing decision and ownership structure on firm performance: a panel data approach from Kuwait stock exchange Published In Finance and Corporate Governance Conference
2010	A subjective evaluation of attitudes towards E-health Published In The 2010 International Conference on Innovation and Management (IAM 2010)
2010	Blending complexity and activity frameworks for a broader and deeper understanding of IS Published In International Conference on Information Systems
2010	The unit of analysis in IS theory: The case for activity Published In Biennial ANU Workshop on Information Systems Foundations
2010	Was the Copenhagen Summit doomed from the start? Some insights from Green IS research Published In Americas Conference on Information Systems
2009	A gaming system experience for work in heterogeneous, self-directed teams Published In Asia-Pacific Simulation and Taining Conference and Exhibition
2009	A taxonomy of modes of knowledge sharing between disparate groups Published In PACIS 2009 proceedings
2009	Digital Ecosystems: ICT¿s contribution to addressing climate change Published In International Conference on Digital Ecosystems and Technologies
2009	Emergence, change and precarious systems: A new lens on people and organisation Published In Social Innovation Network Conference
2009	IS solution for the global environmental challenge: an Australian initiative Published In Americas Conference on Information Systems
2009	Making Sense of IS with the Cynefin Framework Published In Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems
2009	Opportunities for Interactivity in Public Health Websites: A content Analysis Approach Published In European and Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems
2009	Serious games: The importance of play in network-centric organisations Published In Americas Conference on Information Systems
2009	The role of individual emotions and motives in production scheduling Published In Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management Conference
2009	Usability testing of public health web-based information systems Published In European and Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems
2009	What's new in online news? Published In Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems
2008	Findings on People and Network Centricity using GoTeam Simulations Published In* Proceedings of the International Military Testing Association (IMTA) Conference
2008	ICT devices as ubiquitous tools for information seeking activity Published In International ICST Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Systems
2008	Simulating information exchanges in order to investigate the utility of public health websites Published In European Conference on Information Systems
2007	A cultural-historical activity theory approach to users, usability and usefulness Published In Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems
2007	Australian Online Newspapers: A Website content analysis approach to measure interactivity Published In Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2007	Beyond Ubiquity: Co-creating Corporate Knowledge with a Wiki Published In International ICST Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Systems
2007	Can knowledge management be open source? Published In Open Source Development, Adoption and Innovation - IFIP Working Group 2.13 on Open Source Software
2007	Collaborative Knowledge at the Grass-roots Level: the Risks and Rewards of Corporate Wikis Published In Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems
2007	Democratising organisational knowledge: the potential of the corporate wiki Published In International Conference on Information Systems
2007	Emergent cooperative activity in distributed team performance in goteam Published In* Asia-Pacific Simulation and Taining Conference and Exhibition
2007	Lessons from goteam simulations on shared situation awareness Published In* Asia-Pacific Simulation and Taining Conference and Exhibition
2007	Network-centric characteristics in organisations: the application of gaming Published In UK Academy of Information Systems Conference
2007	Systems dynamics modelling of human and information aspects of network-centric configurations Published In MILCIS
2007	The sensible organisation: a new agenda for IS research Published In International Conference on Information Systems

Other Publications

Year	Title
2020	Evaluation of the Essence Care@Home Technology Pilot
2007	Second Annual Report on the NSW Clinical Services Redesign Program (CSRP)

Editor Of

Book
- Being practical with theory: a window into business research. Wollongong, Australia. 2013

Investigator On

Year	Title
2019 - 2021	A place based model for Aboriginal community-led solutions Awarded by: Australian Research Council (ARC) Funding Scheme: Discovery Indigenous
2015 - 2016	RAID: The development and trial of an innovative community-based Respite Action Intervention for carers of people with Dementia Awarded by: Alzheimer's Australia Research (AAR) Funding Scheme: Dementia Grants Program
2009	Succession Planning at Universities: Program for Preparing Early Leaders (PROPEL) Awarded by: Australian Learning & Teaching Council (ALTC) Funding Scheme: Leadership for Excellence in Learning & Teaching Program

Other Research Activities

Socio-technical determinants of agile, network-centric organisations Leading CI DP0557108 2005 - 2007
Systems to support Knowledge Creation in Learning Organisations Leading CI DP0211336 2002 - 2004

Impact Story

Living Connected: Digital inclusion overcoming isolation of Elders
Summary
<a href="http://livingconnected.org.au/" title="Living Connected Website" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Living Connected</a> has created a service to improve the digital literacy of older citizens who live in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven. This service applies the results of four year's research into why and how older people use digital devices and on the benefits to social well-being from this use.As developed countries struggle to find suitable living arrangements for their ageing populations, many elderly citizens are becoming increasingly marginalized and isolated. Isolation is known to lead to severe problems such as depression. There is a large body of evidence that remaining active and are major contributors to health and wellbeing of the elderly. With age, the physical capability to get out and about diminishes. Meanwhile, digital technology continues to improve, providing new ways to connect with others and engage in exciting new activities.The most recent Telstra report on digital inclusion in Australia reveals that older citizens are missing out on the benefits of the Internet; something that the rest of us take for granted. Government agencies, businesses and community services expect everyone to interact with them online and are making it difficult to access service in personal. This is a real challenge for the digitally excluded.The mission of Living Connected is to be a not-for profit community enterprise providing services for the social well-being of elders assisting them to set up and use a computer whereby they remain independent, connected and engaged. Research into the outcomes of social services has identified eight domains of wellbeing, three of which are on a higher level than the others: maintaining independence, staying connected and being able to engage in meaningful activities. Our research has demonstrated ways by which computers can be used to improve well-being in these domains; maintaining independence by doing banking and other transactions online; connecting with family and friends through email. Skype, and Facebook and spending spare time sdoing an online course or your familiar history and much more.Our research revealed the importance of (1) focussing on 1 or 2 things that each person wants to do. (2) getting the best technology for each person and what they want (3) getting a few 1-on-1 lessons on their own device, just enough to do the one thing they want to do most and (4) having someone they can call on for help when they get stuck.Our biggest challenge is to build up a viable and sustainable social business where those who can pay for services but no-one misses out. We have seed funding from NBNCo and Telstra; help from iAccelerate; and a great team, many of whom are volunteers.

Detail View

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Detail of Impact
Five years ago, the collaborators began research into the ways older people used computers and what benefits they would get from this. We used an action research approach where we ran interventions which took the form of weekly computer classes in aged care facilities. We observed and recorded what older people chose to do, how they progressed and what difference this made to their wellbeing. We received support from the Faculty of Commerce and access to residents of aged-care facilities belonging to IRT and the RFBI. At the conclusion of the research, many of the participants wanted to continue these weekly sessions and so, with the help of volunteers, these continued as drop-in help sessions in 2 facilities. A third formed their own computer club. The manager of their services also spoke to us of the need to help older people still resident in their homes. This was seen as an area of great need, as older people, living at home, were often not able to get out much and were becoming isolated from community and services.To meet these needs, Living Connected was created as a social enterprise aiming to improve the wellbeing through digital literacy of older people who live in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region of NSW. Based on the core findings of the research we support clients to improve their wellbeing by maintaining independence, staying connected and being able to engage in meaningful activities. Using other findings from the research, we designed the service to focus on the particular needs of clients and not on the technology. We assist seniors individually by helping them to identify what is becoming difficult to do with age and then to understand what sort of computer and ancillaries would best help them overcome those difficulties. They are then guided to setup and use a suitable device whereby they remain connected and engaged in doing whatever it is that they want to do. They are not left to fend for themselves but ongoing support is available through a group of local volunteers.Although our service was greatly appreciated, it was a challenge to transform from a small group of volunteers to a viable and sustainable not-for-profit business. In August 2016, Living Connected was accepted as a resident start-up at iAccelerate business incubator. We learnt there how to pitch our message so that in early 2017 we received $35K seed funding from NBN Co and the Vita Foundation.The Living Connected team now has a mix of contract helpers and volunteers who are all passionate about what we do. Our services include<ul><li>a Home Service tailored to individual needs and with ongoing support</li><li>Drop-In 1-on-1 help sessions on the Innovation Campus and at local community centres</li><li>training for volunteer helpers and carers delivering our services</li><li>setting up computer clubs in aged care facility and running classes on popular topics</li></ul>Living Connected provides its services to all who need it as a not-for-profit, community business operating across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven. Living Connected works as the hub of a growing network as we establish partnerships with aged-care providers, local government and libraries, local IT businesses, service organisations and others. What Living Connected does is not always easy. We meet many people who are frustrated trying to get older members of their family to use a computer. However it can be very rewarding to make just a bit of progress. There is great joy to be gained by helping someone, who has never used a computer, to skype to family, surf the internet, do their own online banking and shopping and much more. 
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RESEARCH AND ACTION TO PIONEER DEMENTIA FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES: The ‘Dementia Friendly Kiama’ Story
Summary
Alongside the demographic aging of the population, there is a corresponding increase in the number of people living with dementia. International estimates are 46 million, with this number expected to rise to 138 million by 2050 (ADI, 2016). The increasing prevalence of dementia will demand a shift in both the social and the physical environments within which we live. Low levels of public understanding can contribute to the fear, stigma and social exclusion associated with living with dementia. Public spaces and civic buildings are not often designed in ways which are supportive of people with dementia participating in civic life. ‘Dementia friendly’ communities aim to address this by empowering people with dementia and increasing their social inclusion. They also aim to create more supportive physical environment to enable participation.The ‘Dementia Friendly Kiama’ project (led by Dr Lyn Phillipson) and colleagues from UOW (Brennan-Horley, Fleming, Cridland, Hall and Hasan) is a partnership between the University of Wollongong (UOW) Global Challenges Program, the Kiama Municipal Council, the Kiama community and Dementia Australia. The project utilises a Community-based Participatory Action Research framework to inform the development, implementation and evaluation of a multicomponent dementia-friendly community intervention. Research in Kiama has included interviews and mapping exercises with people with dementia and their carers, community and business surveys, piloting a Dementia-friendly business toolkit and the development of an environmental assessment tool for use in the auditing of public buildings. Formative research activities guided the Action Plan of a local Dementia Alliance and Dementia Advisory Group. Evaluative research activities monitor inputs, outputs, impacts and outcomes of the project. Key achievements include:1.) The empowerment of people living with dementia – including opportunities for civic participation, social inclusion and peer support through the Southern Dementia Advisory Group and other project activities2.) Improved community understanding and increased positive attitudes with regard to the capabilities of people living with dementia. This has been achieved via education sessions (with over 1000 attendances) and the development of new information resources e.g. the ‘Dementia Illawarra’ website (<a href="www.dementiaIS.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.dementiaIS.com</a>).3.) Tools to improve the physical environment –including the Dementia Friendly Communities Environmental Assessment Tool (DFC-EAT) and the establishment of the ‘OurPlace’ Kiama mapping tool (http://ourplacemap.com/)4.) Public recognition and acclaim - the project received an Excellence in Community Partnerships Award at the National Disability Awards (2016) and was recognised at the 7th Global Conference for the Alliance of Healthy Cities (2016) by the World Health Organisation.5.) The model and tools have informed Dementia Australia’s $3.9 million ‘National Dementia Friendly Communities Strategy’ (funded by the Department of Health, 2017-2021.6.) The project has also had an impact at UOW. Programs such as the ‘Dementia Enabling University Strategy’ has increased opportunities for students from all five faculties to study the impact of dementia and consider their role in the creation of a dementia friendly society. The Global Challenges project has also continued to support new interdisciplinary projects that address the societal challenges of dementia. 

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Detail of Impact
Responding to an identified needKiama is an example of what is known in Australia as a ‘sea-change’ town. It is popular with retirees as a place to live out their senior years due to its attractive coastal location, village atmosphere and relative access to cities (Wollongong and Sydney) via a railway corridor. The larger Kiama State Electorate has a population of 69,000 people. Due to the ageing demographic profile of the region, the number of people living with dementia in the State Electorate is projected to increase from the current 1200 to almost 4000 by 2050. Kiama Council was already working towards becoming an aged-friendly city and had a strong history of community engagement. However, it had identified that it had experienced barriers to understanding the specific needs of residents with dementia and how it could better support their active aging. Participatory Processes and GovernanceThe ‘Dementia Friendly Kiama’ utilised a Community-based Participatory Action Research framework to inform the development, implementation and evaluation of a multicomponent dementia-friendly community intervention. Kiama Council was already working towards becoming an aged-friendly city and had a strong history of community engagement. This provided a strong foundation around which to engage community members and groups to support the aims of the project. In the early stages of the project, a Dementia Advisory Group (consisting of people living with dementia and their carer partners) and a Dementia Alliance (including members of the Advisory Group, representatives from partner and other relevant organisations, and interested individuals) were formed. These groups played a governance role and also supported the development, implementation and evaluation of all stages of the project. Action ResearchThe university had specific expertise with regards to social research with people with dementia (Phillipson), design and dementia (Fleming), human geography (Brennan-Horley), social marketing (Phillipson and Hall), psychology (Cridland) and information management (Hasan). The university undertook formative research with people living with dementia in the Kiama area and their carer partners, as well as members of the Kiama community.Research activities included interviews and mapping exercises with people with dementia and their carers, community and business surveys, piloting a Dementia-friendly business toolkit and the development of an environmental assessment tool for auditing of public buildings. Co-design and Collaborative ImplementationThe Dementia Advisory Group and the Dementia Alliance reviewed the formative research and developed an action plan. The University researchers were part of the broader Alliance who conducted this review and developed the aims for the action plan. Aims included increasing community awareness about dementia and local services, promoting understanding of the lived experience of dementia and reducing the stigma of dementia. It also included goals to improve the physical environment with regards to signage, way finding, pedestrian crossings and bus stop identification. Importantly the University participated as an ongoing member of the Dementia Alliance. Awareness raising and educational activities were co-designed and co-facilitated by members of the Dementia Advisory Group. This was based on their desire for local people to understand their lives and share their awareness - which has also been found in other research. The decision to support the active involvement of local people with dementia in media and educational events was also based on a previous study of dementia stigma in Australia which found that having contact with a person with dementia was associated with lower levels of personal avoidance of the condition. Education and awareness raising activities over an 18-month period included information and education sessions delivered to over 1000 community members. People living with dementia and their carers participated in all activities sharing their experiences in the media and via presentations and panel discussions at educational events. They were also involved in direct consultation with community organisations, businesses and services including the Chamber of Commerce, service clubs and general practitioners. The project attracted over 30 instances of media attention including radio, TV and print at local, Sydney and national level in which local people living with dementia frequently featured. Four websites featured information about the project, including the project website (www.dementiais.com), which promoted local information, resources and services for people with dementia, a local calendar of events and over 35 news blogs specific to the project. A Dementia Friendly Kiama brand was developed and printed material (including flyers, posters, brochures and newsletters) were widely distributed. Tools and processes for inclusive action Research and collaboration methods required adaptation to promote the inclusion of people with dementia. This had an impact on where and when activities occurred, the environment in which they occurred and the amount of information presented and the time people were given to prepare in advance.Activities in the physical environment included the initial development of the Dementia Friendly Communities Environmental Assessment Tool (DFC-EAT). The DFC-EAT was utilised by the Kiama Community College and the Kiama Library to inform environmental changes to improve accessibility in these public buildings for people with dementia. The ‘OurPlace’ Kiama web interface was also established (<a href="http://ourplacemap.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://ourplacemap.com/</a>). The online maps are used to crowd source and share information about dementia-friendly places and ideas for action. These were reviewed at Dementia Alliance meetings. The development of these tools appears a critical feature of the growing and broader impact of this project. Subsequent validation of DFC-EAT has received national and international recognition and is available for use via www.enablingenvironments.com.au and via mobile applications. ‘Our Place’ maps have also supported the development of another four dementia friendly communities across Australia since their introduction in 2015.
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Outreach Overview

Leadership and Management at UOW
I was Head of Department and Discipline during the 2002 Faculty restructure from Departments into Schools, I have been a member of Senate as well as an active member of University Research and EEO committees.
I was for 6 years a director of SInet (a university-supported cross-faculty network) and on the steering committee of the inaugural Global Climate Change Week in 2015 (supported by Global Challenges) leading the UOW Sustainability Network
I have directed the Faculty research centres of ATUL, PandO, and THEORI editing a book (1.1.1) of management theories used by THEORI members with sales over 250. It is used as a textbook in 2 post graduate research methods subjects.
As a senior woman in a non-traditional area I have been actively recruited for many selection panels.

Invited speaker at an influential international professional conferences

My Keynote at ISSD was one of my most influential outputs. I opened the conference to an audience of around 300 which included, as well as senior academics, members of the Bosnian government and consular officials from many of the neighbouring countries. My topic included a call to such influential people to take up their responsibly to mitigate climate change. I went on to describe how IS can contribute to this effort. After the talk I was approached by many of these officials and politicians who said it had raised their awareness of this issue. I was also interviewed for the Bosnian national television.

Advocate for the IS discipline on national or international committees

Internationally I serve on ISO KM standards committees and lead the AIS Outreach Taskforce

At the national level, I am on 2 Standards Australia committees (KM and SMES). I co-wrote Build Chapter of the Australian KM standard. This guides a KM initiative through the complex phases of prototyping and experimenting with new techniques before full implementation. I also co-wrote the accompanying SME Guide KM. The Australian KM Standard was a world first in 2005 and now ISO is calling for our input into the International Standard

Leadership in formal mentoring and related programs/activities

I have received gratitude from junior women over the years for the inspiration that my position as a woman in non-traditional areas (Physics, Computer Science and IT/IS) has given them. I am currently a director of the AAIS Committee for the Leoni Warne Prize on Gender Issues in IS.

Contact Or Provider For Service

Usability Testing Analysis Service

Education And Training

Ph.D. in Information Systems, University of Wollongong, Department of Information Systems 1997 - 2000
Graduate Diploma of Business Information Systems in Information Systems, Computer Science 1985 - 1986
M.Sc. in Biophysics, Macquarie University, Mathematics and Physics, Research degree 1972 - 1978
B.Sc. in Physics, UNSW, Science, Physics Cadet & Prize for top female student 1963 1963 - 1965
H.S.C. in Science, Hornsby Girls High School, 7th in State, 5th in Physics 1958 - 1962

Keywords

Activity Theory
Ageing
Complexity Theory
Green Information Systems
Human Computer Interaction
Knowledge Management
Management Information Systems

Mailing Address

AHSRI, Enterprise 1 Building

Innovation Campus, University of Wollongong

Wollongong

NSW

2522

Australia

Top Publications

Year	Title
2017	An activity theoretic analysis of the mediating role of information systems in tackling climate change adaptation Published in Information Systems Journal: an international journal promoting the study and practice of information systems
2016	Enhancing the wellbeing of the elderly: social use of digital technologies in aged care Published in Educational Gerontology: an international journal
2015	Appreciating, measuring and incentivising discipline diversity: Meaningful indicators of collaboration in research Published in Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2013	Information systems for the social well-being of senior Australians
2012	An activity-theory analysis of corporate wikis Published in Information Technology and People
2011	Wiki-based knowledge management systems for more democratic organizations Published in Journal of Computer Information Systems
2010	Blending complexity and activity frameworks for a broader and deeper understanding of IS
2009	Editorial for the Special Issue on IT and Climate Change Published in Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2008	Back to the future for KM: the case for sensible organisation Published in Knowledge Management Research and Practice

Research Areas

0806 - INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Research Overview

Following an early distinguished career in Physics, I became attracted to the evolution of digital technologies and transferred to the discipline of Information Systems (IS) when I moved to Wollongong in 1986. I am now an internationally recognised senior scholar in IS and the related fields of Knowledge Management (KM) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Research topics in these 3 fields are interconnected, multidisciplinary, socio-technical and globally important. In my membership of the Association for Information Systems (AIS), the international body for IS academics, I provide service to the discipline with other leaders in the field, establishing the Special Interest Group in Green IS, chairing the AIS Outreach Task Force and editing special issues of journals in the AIS basket.

The discipline of IS encompasses future-focused and fast-moving topics related to the development, use and impact of digital technologies. I have demonstrated expertise in researching topics known as Grand Challenges by taking a holistic investigative approach with innovative theories and methods. As significant citations to many of my papers show, I am internationally recognised as an authority on Activity and Complexity Theories as well as interpretive qualitative methodologies that are appropriate for applying these theories in cross-disciplinary. I received the VC's Award for Interdisciplinary Research Excellence in 2015 and for Community Engagement in 2017.

Among the Grand Challenges on which my research projects focus, I am known internationally for leadership in the new field of Green IS and for expertise on Strategic Information Systems for Complex Decision Support (my PhD topic). Nationally, I am known for my action research on the use of computers by the elderly to improve their independence and wellbeing. I plan to commercialise this program as a Social Business service to isolated elderly in the community through iAccelerate.

I have demonstrated expertise in research management bringing in $578,509 in competitive research grants and $192,364 in research consulting. I was lead CI on two ARC Discovery funded projects which involved a partnership with DSTO with impact on the Department of Defence. I also have long standing cooperative engagement with Standards Australia and CSIRO. I have presented seminars and workshops at IS Schools in Australian and in the USA, UK, Germany, Lichtenstein, the Middle East and Asia. I have given Keynotes at 5 national and 1 international conferences.

I have been employed at UOW for 30 years developing my research impact and leadership capability. Over this time I have positively influenced the careers of 100s of staff whom I have mentored and HDR students whom I have supervised. I continue to work with many former IS staff and students. 10 of my journal articles and 17 conference papers are co-authored with my former HDR students. Some of my 30 completed HDR graduates are now professors themselves at universities in many countries including the Australian G8. At UOW I am regularly nominated for supervisor of the year and, in 2012, received the VC's award for HDR Supervision Excellence.

Geographic Focus

Illawarra Shoalhaven region Geographic Region

Head Of

Information Systems Head 2001 - 2003

Member Of

Has Collaborator

Selected Publications

Journal Article

Year	Title
2020	Letting the public in: Dialectic tensions when governments use ICT to engage citizens Published In Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2020	Making IS relevant in a connected world: Revisiting the intellectual structures framework Published In Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2020	Rethinking respite in Australia: a naturalistic effect study of a multicomponent community program to promote respite knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of carers of people with dementia Published In Health and Social Care in the Community
2019	Emerging role of the Australian private health insurance sector in providing chronic disease management programs: Current activities, challenges and constraints Published In Australian Health Review
2019	Involvement of people with dementia in raising awareness and changing attitudes in a dementia friendly community pilot project Published In Dementia: the international journal of social research and practice
2019	Knowledge, help-seeking and efficacy to find respite services: an exploratory study in help-seeking carers of people with dementia in the context of aged care reforms Published In BMC Geriatrics
2019	Utilisation patterns of privately funded mental health services in Australia Published In Journal of Health, Organization and Management
2018	Analysing health data sources to inform chronic disease management decisions of health insurers: A mixed methods study Published In Informatics for Health and Social Care
2018	Challenges of IS research translation: A study of tensions between ICT innovation and conservative bureaucracies Published In Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2017	An activity theoretic analysis of the mediating role of information systems in tackling climate change adaptation Published In Information Systems Journal: an international journal promoting the study and practice of information systems
2017	Co-development of a wiki for tracking the environmental footprint of small business activities Published In Informing Science: international journal of an emerging transdiscipline
2017	Examining the high users of hospital resources: implications of a profile developed from Australian health insurance claims data Published In Australian Health Review
2016	Editorial for the Special Issue on Social Information Systems. Published In Information Technology and People
2016	Enhancing the wellbeing of the elderly: social use of digital technologies in aged care Published In Educational Gerontology: an international journal
2016	Information Systems Solutions for Environmental Sustainability: How Can We Do More? Published In Journal of the Association of Information Systems
2016	Understanding the diversity of user requirements for interactive online health services Published In International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management
2015	Appreciating, measuring and incentivising discipline diversity: Meaningful indicators of collaboration in research Published In Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2015	Businesses sustainable strategies in practice: the case of emerging market-Kuwait Published In Journal of Economics, Business and Management
2015	My lawfully wedded workplace: identifying relational similarities of marriage and employment Published In Personnel Review
2014	Green IT attitude and behaviour in higher education institution: a gender perspective Published In Journal of Applied Sciences
2014	Mixed methods to the rescue: addressing the problem of employee turnover using marital research Published In International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches
2013	Innovative ICT-mediated activities for people, profit and planet Published In European Journal of Innovation Management
2012	An activity-theory analysis of corporate wikis Published In Information Technology and People
2012	Australian online public information systems: a user-centred study of an evolving public health website Published In Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2012	Corporate governance and corporate finance practices in a Kuwait Stock Exchange market listed firm: a survey to confront theory with practice Published In Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society
2012	Emergent solutions for global climate change: lessons from green IS research Published In International Journal of Social and Organizational Dynamics in IT
2011	Green IT: Ein Thema für die Wirtschaftsinformatik? Published In Business and Information Systems Engineering
2011	Green IT: a matter of business and information systems engineering? Published In Business and Information Systems Engineering
2011	Internet savvy users of online news using the Q-methodology approach Published In Journal of Human Subjectivity
2011	Wiki-based knowledge management systems for more democratic organizations Published In Journal of Computer Information Systems
2010	Organisational perspectives on anti-doping Work in sport Published In The International Journal of Sport and Society
2010	Xeena for schema: creating XML documents with a coordinated grammar tree Published In International Journal of Computational Science and Engineering
2009	Carbon-centric computing - IT solutions for climate change Published In Australian Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy
2009	Co-creating Corporate Knowledge with a Wiki Published In International Journal of Knowledge Management
2009	Editorial for the Special Issue on IT and Climate Change Published In Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2009	From Traditional Knowledge Management in Hierarchical Organizations to a Network Centric Paradigm for a Changing World Published In Emergence: Complexity and Organization
2009	Web 2.0 Solutions to Wicked Climate Change Problems Published In Australasian Journal of Information Systems
2008	Back to the future for KM: the case for sensible organisation Published In Knowledge Management Research and Practice
2007	Integrating Doing and Thinking in a Work Context An Australian Knowledge Management Perspective Published In Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems
2007	Knowledge mobilisation in communities through socio-technical systems Published In Knowledge Management Research and Practice

Chapter

Year	Title
2017	Connected living for positive ageing Published In Online Communities as Agents of Change and Social Movements Publisher Hershey, United States
2015	What practitioners (should) want and expect: a personal perspective Published In Advances in Knowledge Management: Celebrating Twenty Years of Research and Practice Publisher Switzerland
2014	A Green IS taxonomy Published In Being Practical with Theory: A Window into Business Research Publisher Wollongong, Australia
2014	Activity Theory: who is doing what, why and how Published In Being Practical with Theory: A Window into Business Research Publisher Wollongong, Australia
2014	Applying principles of Complexity Theory in practice Published In Being Practical with Theory: A Window into Business Research Publisher Wollongong, Australia
2014	Complexity theory Published In Being Practical with Theory: A Window into Business Research Publisher Wollongong, Australia
2014	Connecting isolated senior citizens: illustrating the complexity of social information systems development Published In Being Practical with Theory: A Window into Business Research Publisher Wollongong, Australia
2014	Modes of knowledge sharing between groups Published In Being Practical with Theory: A Window into Business Research Publisher Wollongong, Australia
2014	The Cynefin framework: putting complexity into perspective Published In Being Practical with Theory: A Window into Business Research Publisher Wollongong, Australia
2012	Unordered business processes, sustainability and green IS Published In Green Business Process Management: Towards the Sustainable Enterprise Publisher Heidleberg
2011	Formal and Emergent Standards in KM Published In Encyclopedia of Knowledge Management Publisher Hershey, PA
2008	Complex Organizations and Information Systems Published In Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology
2007	Emergent conversational technologies that are democratising information systems in organisations: the case of the corporate Published In Information Systems Foundations Theory, Representation and Reality

Conference Paper

Year	Title
2019	Axial and flexural response of GFRP bar reinforced circular NSC and HSC columns Published In APFIS 2019 Proceedings - 7th Asia-Pacific Conference on FRP in Structures
2019	Perspectives on Ageing Published In Age Friendly Illawarra Annual Forum
2018	Older women online: Engaged, active and independent Published In 29th Australasian Conference on Information Systems (ACIS2018)
2018	‘Rethink Respite’: an innovative community pilot project for carers of people with dementia to improve knowledge about, attitudes towards, and use of respite Published In 33rd International Conference of Alzheimer's Disease International
2014	Applying attribution theory to IS research as a practical method for assessing post-adoption behaviour Published In ECIS 2014 Proceedings - 22nd European Conference on Information Systems
2014	Appreciating, measuring and incentivising discipline diversity: meaningful indicators of collaboration in research Published In Proceedings of the 25th Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2014	Designing a hybrid academic workshop: lessons from the field Published In Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) 2014 Proceedings
2014	Predicting turnover based on relationship diagnosis – lessons from marital research Published In Proceedings of Informing Science & IT Education Conference (InSITE) 2014
2014	Research methodologies for complex ecosystems: enhancing the societal value of IS Published In ISF Workshop
2014	Towards a modified framework for informer emancipation in complex contexts Published In Proceedings of Informing Science & IT Education Conference (InSITE) 2014
2014	Tracking the environmental footprint of business activities Published In Proceedings of Informing Science & IT Education Conference (InSITE) 2014
2013	An enterprise architecture driven approach to virtualisation Published In PACIS 2013 Proceedings
2013	Energy informatics: designing a discipline (and possible lessons for the IS community) Published In International Conference on Information Systems
2013	Information systems for the social well-being of senior Australians Published In Building Sustainable Information Systems: Proceedings of the 2012 International Conference on Information Systems Development
2012	Increasing demands on information systems and infrastructures for complex decision-making Published In Proceedings of PACIS 2012
2012	Something fishy’s going on: exploring how the aquaponics garden at the Basin View Masonic Village is promoting resident participation through occupation and community and social involvement Published In New Zealand Association of Occupational Therapists Conference
2012	Towards a green IS taxonomy Published In Proceedings of SIGGreen Workshop
2011	IS for government climate change adaptation activities: an exploratory case study Published In Proceedings of the Australiasian Conference on Information Systems: ACIS 2011
2011	Predicting turnover based on relationship diagnosis – lessons from marital research Published In 25th Annual Australia New Zealand Academy of Management Conference (ANZAM 2011)
2011	Suggesting a practical agenda for Green IS – recent solutions within a framework of efficiency, information, and effectiveness Published In Proceedings of the 5th Israel Association for Information Systems (ILAIS) Conference
2011	The Impact of Corporate Financing Decision on Corporate Performance in the Absence of Taxes: Panel Data from Kuwait Stock Market Published In II World Finance Conference
2011	The effect of corporate governance, corporate financing decision and ownership structure on firm performance: a panel data approach from Kuwait stock exchange Published In Finance and Corporate Governance Conference
2010	A subjective evaluation of attitudes towards E-health Published In The 2010 International Conference on Innovation and Management (IAM 2010)
2010	Blending complexity and activity frameworks for a broader and deeper understanding of IS Published In International Conference on Information Systems
2010	The unit of analysis in IS theory: The case for activity Published In Biennial ANU Workshop on Information Systems Foundations
2010	Was the Copenhagen Summit doomed from the start? Some insights from Green IS research Published In Americas Conference on Information Systems
2009	A gaming system experience for work in heterogeneous, self-directed teams Published In Asia-Pacific Simulation and Taining Conference and Exhibition
2009	A taxonomy of modes of knowledge sharing between disparate groups Published In PACIS 2009 proceedings
2009	Digital Ecosystems: ICT¿s contribution to addressing climate change Published In International Conference on Digital Ecosystems and Technologies
2009	Emergence, change and precarious systems: A new lens on people and organisation Published In Social Innovation Network Conference
2009	IS solution for the global environmental challenge: an Australian initiative Published In Americas Conference on Information Systems
2009	Making Sense of IS with the Cynefin Framework Published In Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems
2009	Opportunities for Interactivity in Public Health Websites: A content Analysis Approach Published In European and Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems
2009	Serious games: The importance of play in network-centric organisations Published In Americas Conference on Information Systems
2009	The role of individual emotions and motives in production scheduling Published In Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management Conference
2009	Usability testing of public health web-based information systems Published In European and Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems
2009	What's new in online news? Published In Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems
2008	Findings on People and Network Centricity using GoTeam Simulations Published In* Proceedings of the International Military Testing Association (IMTA) Conference
2008	ICT devices as ubiquitous tools for information seeking activity Published In International ICST Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Systems
2008	Simulating information exchanges in order to investigate the utility of public health websites Published In European Conference on Information Systems
2007	A cultural-historical activity theory approach to users, usability and usefulness Published In Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems
2007	Australian Online Newspapers: A Website content analysis approach to measure interactivity Published In Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2007	Beyond Ubiquity: Co-creating Corporate Knowledge with a Wiki Published In International ICST Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Systems
2007	Can knowledge management be open source? Published In Open Source Development, Adoption and Innovation - IFIP Working Group 2.13 on Open Source Software
2007	Collaborative Knowledge at the Grass-roots Level: the Risks and Rewards of Corporate Wikis Published In Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems
2007	Democratising organisational knowledge: the potential of the corporate wiki Published In International Conference on Information Systems
2007	Emergent cooperative activity in distributed team performance in goteam Published In* Asia-Pacific Simulation and Taining Conference and Exhibition
2007	Lessons from goteam simulations on shared situation awareness Published In* Asia-Pacific Simulation and Taining Conference and Exhibition
2007	Network-centric characteristics in organisations: the application of gaming Published In UK Academy of Information Systems Conference
2007	Systems dynamics modelling of human and information aspects of network-centric configurations Published In MILCIS
2007	The sensible organisation: a new agenda for IS research Published In International Conference on Information Systems

Other Publications

Year	Title
2020	Evaluation of the Essence Care@Home Technology Pilot
2007	Second Annual Report on the NSW Clinical Services Redesign Program (CSRP)

Editor Of

Book
- Being practical with theory: a window into business research. Wollongong, Australia. 2013

Investigator On

Year	Title
2019 - 2021	A place based model for Aboriginal community-led solutions Awarded by: Australian Research Council (ARC) Funding Scheme: Discovery Indigenous
2015 - 2016	RAID: The development and trial of an innovative community-based Respite Action Intervention for carers of people with Dementia Awarded by: Alzheimer's Australia Research (AAR) Funding Scheme: Dementia Grants Program
2009	Succession Planning at Universities: Program for Preparing Early Leaders (PROPEL) Awarded by: Australian Learning & Teaching Council (ALTC) Funding Scheme: Leadership for Excellence in Learning & Teaching Program

Other Research Activities

Socio-technical determinants of agile, network-centric organisations Leading CI DP0557108 2005 - 2007
Systems to support Knowledge Creation in Learning Organisations Leading CI DP0211336 2002 - 2004

Impact Story

Living Connected: Digital inclusion overcoming isolation of Elders
Summary
<a href="http://livingconnected.org.au/" title="Living Connected Website" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Living Connected</a> has created a service to improve the digital literacy of older citizens who live in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven. This service applies the results of four year's research into why and how older people use digital devices and on the benefits to social well-being from this use.As developed countries struggle to find suitable living arrangements for their ageing populations, many elderly citizens are becoming increasingly marginalized and isolated. Isolation is known to lead to severe problems such as depression. There is a large body of evidence that remaining active and are major contributors to health and wellbeing of the elderly. With age, the physical capability to get out and about diminishes. Meanwhile, digital technology continues to improve, providing new ways to connect with others and engage in exciting new activities.The most recent Telstra report on digital inclusion in Australia reveals that older citizens are missing out on the benefits of the Internet; something that the rest of us take for granted. Government agencies, businesses and community services expect everyone to interact with them online and are making it difficult to access service in personal. This is a real challenge for the digitally excluded.The mission of Living Connected is to be a not-for profit community enterprise providing services for the social well-being of elders assisting them to set up and use a computer whereby they remain independent, connected and engaged. Research into the outcomes of social services has identified eight domains of wellbeing, three of which are on a higher level than the others: maintaining independence, staying connected and being able to engage in meaningful activities. Our research has demonstrated ways by which computers can be used to improve well-being in these domains; maintaining independence by doing banking and other transactions online; connecting with family and friends through email. Skype, and Facebook and spending spare time sdoing an online course or your familiar history and much more.Our research revealed the importance of (1) focussing on 1 or 2 things that each person wants to do. (2) getting the best technology for each person and what they want (3) getting a few 1-on-1 lessons on their own device, just enough to do the one thing they want to do most and (4) having someone they can call on for help when they get stuck.Our biggest challenge is to build up a viable and sustainable social business where those who can pay for services but no-one misses out. We have seed funding from NBNCo and Telstra; help from iAccelerate; and a great team, many of whom are volunteers.

Detail View

Detail View Summary View
Detail of Impact
Five years ago, the collaborators began research into the ways older people used computers and what benefits they would get from this. We used an action research approach where we ran interventions which took the form of weekly computer classes in aged care facilities. We observed and recorded what older people chose to do, how they progressed and what difference this made to their wellbeing. We received support from the Faculty of Commerce and access to residents of aged-care facilities belonging to IRT and the RFBI. At the conclusion of the research, many of the participants wanted to continue these weekly sessions and so, with the help of volunteers, these continued as drop-in help sessions in 2 facilities. A third formed their own computer club. The manager of their services also spoke to us of the need to help older people still resident in their homes. This was seen as an area of great need, as older people, living at home, were often not able to get out much and were becoming isolated from community and services.To meet these needs, Living Connected was created as a social enterprise aiming to improve the wellbeing through digital literacy of older people who live in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region of NSW. Based on the core findings of the research we support clients to improve their wellbeing by maintaining independence, staying connected and being able to engage in meaningful activities. Using other findings from the research, we designed the service to focus on the particular needs of clients and not on the technology. We assist seniors individually by helping them to identify what is becoming difficult to do with age and then to understand what sort of computer and ancillaries would best help them overcome those difficulties. They are then guided to setup and use a suitable device whereby they remain connected and engaged in doing whatever it is that they want to do. They are not left to fend for themselves but ongoing support is available through a group of local volunteers.Although our service was greatly appreciated, it was a challenge to transform from a small group of volunteers to a viable and sustainable not-for-profit business. In August 2016, Living Connected was accepted as a resident start-up at iAccelerate business incubator. We learnt there how to pitch our message so that in early 2017 we received $35K seed funding from NBN Co and the Vita Foundation.The Living Connected team now has a mix of contract helpers and volunteers who are all passionate about what we do. Our services include<ul><li>a Home Service tailored to individual needs and with ongoing support</li><li>Drop-In 1-on-1 help sessions on the Innovation Campus and at local community centres</li><li>training for volunteer helpers and carers delivering our services</li><li>setting up computer clubs in aged care facility and running classes on popular topics</li></ul>Living Connected provides its services to all who need it as a not-for-profit, community business operating across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven. Living Connected works as the hub of a growing network as we establish partnerships with aged-care providers, local government and libraries, local IT businesses, service organisations and others. What Living Connected does is not always easy. We meet many people who are frustrated trying to get older members of their family to use a computer. However it can be very rewarding to make just a bit of progress. There is great joy to be gained by helping someone, who has never used a computer, to skype to family, surf the internet, do their own online banking and shopping and much more. 
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RESEARCH AND ACTION TO PIONEER DEMENTIA FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES: The ‘Dementia Friendly Kiama’ Story
Summary
Alongside the demographic aging of the population, there is a corresponding increase in the number of people living with dementia. International estimates are 46 million, with this number expected to rise to 138 million by 2050 (ADI, 2016). The increasing prevalence of dementia will demand a shift in both the social and the physical environments within which we live. Low levels of public understanding can contribute to the fear, stigma and social exclusion associated with living with dementia. Public spaces and civic buildings are not often designed in ways which are supportive of people with dementia participating in civic life. ‘Dementia friendly’ communities aim to address this by empowering people with dementia and increasing their social inclusion. They also aim to create more supportive physical environment to enable participation.The ‘Dementia Friendly Kiama’ project (led by Dr Lyn Phillipson) and colleagues from UOW (Brennan-Horley, Fleming, Cridland, Hall and Hasan) is a partnership between the University of Wollongong (UOW) Global Challenges Program, the Kiama Municipal Council, the Kiama community and Dementia Australia. The project utilises a Community-based Participatory Action Research framework to inform the development, implementation and evaluation of a multicomponent dementia-friendly community intervention. Research in Kiama has included interviews and mapping exercises with people with dementia and their carers, community and business surveys, piloting a Dementia-friendly business toolkit and the development of an environmental assessment tool for use in the auditing of public buildings. Formative research activities guided the Action Plan of a local Dementia Alliance and Dementia Advisory Group. Evaluative research activities monitor inputs, outputs, impacts and outcomes of the project. Key achievements include:1.) The empowerment of people living with dementia – including opportunities for civic participation, social inclusion and peer support through the Southern Dementia Advisory Group and other project activities2.) Improved community understanding and increased positive attitudes with regard to the capabilities of people living with dementia. This has been achieved via education sessions (with over 1000 attendances) and the development of new information resources e.g. the ‘Dementia Illawarra’ website (<a href="www.dementiaIS.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.dementiaIS.com</a>).3.) Tools to improve the physical environment –including the Dementia Friendly Communities Environmental Assessment Tool (DFC-EAT) and the establishment of the ‘OurPlace’ Kiama mapping tool (http://ourplacemap.com/)4.) Public recognition and acclaim - the project received an Excellence in Community Partnerships Award at the National Disability Awards (2016) and was recognised at the 7th Global Conference for the Alliance of Healthy Cities (2016) by the World Health Organisation.5.) The model and tools have informed Dementia Australia’s $3.9 million ‘National Dementia Friendly Communities Strategy’ (funded by the Department of Health, 2017-2021.6.) The project has also had an impact at UOW. Programs such as the ‘Dementia Enabling University Strategy’ has increased opportunities for students from all five faculties to study the impact of dementia and consider their role in the creation of a dementia friendly society. The Global Challenges project has also continued to support new interdisciplinary projects that address the societal challenges of dementia. 

Detail View

Detail View Summary View
Detail of Impact
Responding to an identified needKiama is an example of what is known in Australia as a ‘sea-change’ town. It is popular with retirees as a place to live out their senior years due to its attractive coastal location, village atmosphere and relative access to cities (Wollongong and Sydney) via a railway corridor. The larger Kiama State Electorate has a population of 69,000 people. Due to the ageing demographic profile of the region, the number of people living with dementia in the State Electorate is projected to increase from the current 1200 to almost 4000 by 2050. Kiama Council was already working towards becoming an aged-friendly city and had a strong history of community engagement. However, it had identified that it had experienced barriers to understanding the specific needs of residents with dementia and how it could better support their active aging. Participatory Processes and GovernanceThe ‘Dementia Friendly Kiama’ utilised a Community-based Participatory Action Research framework to inform the development, implementation and evaluation of a multicomponent dementia-friendly community intervention. Kiama Council was already working towards becoming an aged-friendly city and had a strong history of community engagement. This provided a strong foundation around which to engage community members and groups to support the aims of the project. In the early stages of the project, a Dementia Advisory Group (consisting of people living with dementia and their carer partners) and a Dementia Alliance (including members of the Advisory Group, representatives from partner and other relevant organisations, and interested individuals) were formed. These groups played a governance role and also supported the development, implementation and evaluation of all stages of the project. Action ResearchThe university had specific expertise with regards to social research with people with dementia (Phillipson), design and dementia (Fleming), human geography (Brennan-Horley), social marketing (Phillipson and Hall), psychology (Cridland) and information management (Hasan). The university undertook formative research with people living with dementia in the Kiama area and their carer partners, as well as members of the Kiama community.Research activities included interviews and mapping exercises with people with dementia and their carers, community and business surveys, piloting a Dementia-friendly business toolkit and the development of an environmental assessment tool for auditing of public buildings. Co-design and Collaborative ImplementationThe Dementia Advisory Group and the Dementia Alliance reviewed the formative research and developed an action plan. The University researchers were part of the broader Alliance who conducted this review and developed the aims for the action plan. Aims included increasing community awareness about dementia and local services, promoting understanding of the lived experience of dementia and reducing the stigma of dementia. It also included goals to improve the physical environment with regards to signage, way finding, pedestrian crossings and bus stop identification. Importantly the University participated as an ongoing member of the Dementia Alliance. Awareness raising and educational activities were co-designed and co-facilitated by members of the Dementia Advisory Group. This was based on their desire for local people to understand their lives and share their awareness - which has also been found in other research. The decision to support the active involvement of local people with dementia in media and educational events was also based on a previous study of dementia stigma in Australia which found that having contact with a person with dementia was associated with lower levels of personal avoidance of the condition. Education and awareness raising activities over an 18-month period included information and education sessions delivered to over 1000 community members. People living with dementia and their carers participated in all activities sharing their experiences in the media and via presentations and panel discussions at educational events. They were also involved in direct consultation with community organisations, businesses and services including the Chamber of Commerce, service clubs and general practitioners. The project attracted over 30 instances of media attention including radio, TV and print at local, Sydney and national level in which local people living with dementia frequently featured. Four websites featured information about the project, including the project website (www.dementiais.com), which promoted local information, resources and services for people with dementia, a local calendar of events and over 35 news blogs specific to the project. A Dementia Friendly Kiama brand was developed and printed material (including flyers, posters, brochures and newsletters) were widely distributed. Tools and processes for inclusive action Research and collaboration methods required adaptation to promote the inclusion of people with dementia. This had an impact on where and when activities occurred, the environment in which they occurred and the amount of information presented and the time people were given to prepare in advance.Activities in the physical environment included the initial development of the Dementia Friendly Communities Environmental Assessment Tool (DFC-EAT). The DFC-EAT was utilised by the Kiama Community College and the Kiama Library to inform environmental changes to improve accessibility in these public buildings for people with dementia. The ‘OurPlace’ Kiama web interface was also established (<a href="http://ourplacemap.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://ourplacemap.com/</a>). The online maps are used to crowd source and share information about dementia-friendly places and ideas for action. These were reviewed at Dementia Alliance meetings. The development of these tools appears a critical feature of the growing and broader impact of this project. Subsequent validation of DFC-EAT has received national and international recognition and is available for use via www.enablingenvironments.com.au and via mobile applications. ‘Our Place’ maps have also supported the development of another four dementia friendly communities across Australia since their introduction in 2015.
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Outreach Overview

Leadership and Management at UOW
I was Head of Department and Discipline during the 2002 Faculty restructure from Departments into Schools, I have been a member of Senate as well as an active member of University Research and EEO committees.
I was for 6 years a director of SInet (a university-supported cross-faculty network) and on the steering committee of the inaugural Global Climate Change Week in 2015 (supported by Global Challenges) leading the UOW Sustainability Network
I have directed the Faculty research centres of ATUL, PandO, and THEORI editing a book (1.1.1) of management theories used by THEORI members with sales over 250. It is used as a textbook in 2 post graduate research methods subjects.
As a senior woman in a non-traditional area I have been actively recruited for many selection panels.

Invited speaker at an influential international professional conferences

My Keynote at ISSD was one of my most influential outputs. I opened the conference to an audience of around 300 which included, as well as senior academics, members of the Bosnian government and consular officials from many of the neighbouring countries. My topic included a call to such influential people to take up their responsibly to mitigate climate change. I went on to describe how IS can contribute to this effort. After the talk I was approached by many of these officials and politicians who said it had raised their awareness of this issue. I was also interviewed for the Bosnian national television.

Advocate for the IS discipline on national or international committees

Internationally I serve on ISO KM standards committees and lead the AIS Outreach Taskforce

At the national level, I am on 2 Standards Australia committees (KM and SMES). I co-wrote Build Chapter of the Australian KM standard. This guides a KM initiative through the complex phases of prototyping and experimenting with new techniques before full implementation. I also co-wrote the accompanying SME Guide KM. The Australian KM Standard was a world first in 2005 and now ISO is calling for our input into the International Standard

Leadership in formal mentoring and related programs/activities

I have received gratitude from junior women over the years for the inspiration that my position as a woman in non-traditional areas (Physics, Computer Science and IT/IS) has given them. I am currently a director of the AAIS Committee for the Leoni Warne Prize on Gender Issues in IS.

Contact Or Provider For Service

Usability Testing Analysis Service

Education And Training

Ph.D. in Information Systems, University of Wollongong, Department of Information Systems 1997 - 2000
Graduate Diploma of Business Information Systems in Information Systems, Computer Science 1985 - 1986
M.Sc. in Biophysics, Macquarie University, Mathematics and Physics, Research degree 1972 - 1978
B.Sc. in Physics, UNSW, Science, Physics Cadet & Prize for top female student 1963 1963 - 1965
H.S.C. in Science, Hornsby Girls High School, 7th in State, 5th in Physics 1958 - 1962

Keywords

Activity Theory
Ageing
Complexity Theory
Green Information Systems
Human Computer Interaction
Knowledge Management
Management Information Systems

Mailing Address

AHSRI, Enterprise 1 Building

Innovation Campus, University of Wollongong

Wollongong

NSW

2522

Australia

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Innovation Campus

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Australian Health Services Research Institute

Orcid Id

http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1636-4055 (confirmed)

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Living Connected: Digital inclusion overcoming isolation of Elders

RESEARCH AND ACTION TO PIONEER DEMENTIA FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES: The ‘Dementia Friendly Kiama’ Story

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Selected Publications

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Conference Paper

Other Publications

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Investigator On

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Impact Story

Living Connected: Digital inclusion overcoming isolation of Elders

RESEARCH AND ACTION TO PIONEER DEMENTIA FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES: The ‘Dementia Friendly Kiama’ Story

Service

Outreach Overview

Contact Or Provider For Service

Background

Education And Training

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