I am a PhD student in the Information and Computing Science Department, Human-Centered Computing group. I hold a Master's Degree in Cognitive Neuroscience and Clinical Neuropsychology, and my research focuses on adapting emotional support for groups. 

Current research. My PhD project studies how to support groups of students working together by monitoring issues when they arise and designing supportive feedback adapted to the individual's characteristics and situation. Teamwork is a polarizing academic experience for students. On the one hand, it is a precious opportunity to learn with and from others, making the academic journey less lonely and more fun. On the other, many students still dislike it, conscious of past problems with teammates, communication issues, and unfair grades. It's a challenging task, even for teachers. They end up dealing with too many groups, making it difficult to keep a close eye on each student. They also have to help students understand the content while dealing with any group issues that may arise. Our research focuses on supporting both sides by studying peer assessment surveys to 1) identify group issues amongst students, 2) provide teachers with an overview of how students are doing, and 3) contribute to the general feeling of being supported while filling out the survey. What is the best thing to say when a student is unhappy with somebody else's work? Based on a survey, how can we determine if a group is having an issue? What are the best ways to communicate feedback to the teachers?

Research interests. My overall interest encompasses the relationship between humans and technology. This ranges from studying how technology can support education, how humans perceive and relate to technology, and how this relationship should be shaped to promote mental well-being. 
 

•    Saccardi, I., Veth, D., & Masthoff, J. (2023). Identifying Students’ Group Work Problems: Design and Field Studies of a Supportive Peer Assessment. Interacting with Computers

•    Saccardi, I., & Masthoff, J. (2023, June). Adapting emotional support in teams: emotional stability and productivity. In Adjunct Proceedings of the 31st ACM Conference on User Modeling, Adaptation and Personalization (pp. 253-265).