Daniel Gonçalves
Short Personal Interview
Daniel Gonçalves was born in 1974, in Tavira, Portugal. He is an INESC-ID Researcher since 2001, integrating the Scientific Area Graphics and Interaction (GI).
How did you get to INESC-ID?
As a prospective PhD student
Research project(s) under development
VisBig – Real-Time Visualization of Streaming Big Data
GameCourse – Improving University Courses through Gamification
How would you explain in the most accessible and least technical language possible, what is the application / expected results of this (these) project (s)?
To be able to effectively and efficiently visualize and analyze large amounts real-time data; Study how gamification can be used to increase the engagement of college-level students of different profiles.
Tell us about your favorite project so far (or one of them)?
GameCourse, where lots of very interesting results have been achieved so far, with high impact from a scientific point of view, and also in pedagogical terms. We study how gamification can be used to increase student engagement, and even to provide students of different profiles with a different learning experience, moving away from the centuries-old and rather outdated “one-size-fits-all” approach. This will bolster their learning and outcomes. It has also shown to be a resilient approach, even in challenging contexts, such as the current COVID19 pandemic and all the changes to the teaching paradigm it brough about.
What are the biggest challenges of working in research in this area?
The need to involve students and other users (a must, but it makes testing harder). Indeed, there is an important qualitative aspect to the research that can and is assessed, but makes reaching conclusions harder than mere quantitative methods common in several other engineering fields.
What book are you currently reading?
Shards of Earth (by Adrian Tchaikovsky)
How would you explain to your child (or your parents or grandparents) what your job is?
I teach Computer Science at Técnico, continuously trying to find novel and more interesting ways of teaching, and I am a researcher, coming up with new ways to help people interact with computers.
How do you see the mission of INESC-ID “ to produce added value to people and society, supporting the response of public policies to scientific, health, environmental, cultural, social, economic and political challenges, in the fields of Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering”?
It covers, in a nutshell, the goals and values that INESC-ID actively pursues. In particular, I would point out the connection to the wider society, where we strive to have an impact, that will help bolster national and international knowledge and standards of living. This, I feel, is a very relevant part of what we, INESC-ID researchers, try to accomplish.
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Academic Degree
Habilitation in Computer Science
Training / Research Areas
HCI, InfoVis, Gamification, Computer Science Engineering
INESC-ID Scientific Area
Linkedin Profile Link
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielgoncalves/
Twitter Profile Link
Upcoming Events
OLISSIPO Workshop: “How to design a graphical abstract” with Dr. Rita Félix (CNC-UC)
On April 19, the OLISSIPO project will host an 8-hour workshop titled “How to design a graphical abstract” with Dr. Rita Félix, a science communicator, illustrator and designer from CNC Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (Coimbra, Portugal). Registration is free and seating is limited.
Registration Deadline: April 5 | Register here (free but mandatory)
Date & Time: April 19, 09h00-18h00 ( 8-hours)
Where: INESC-ID, R. Alves Redol 9, 1000-029 Lisboa | Room 9 (Auditorium), Ground Floor
Summary: “How to design a graphical abstract” Workshop aims to explain what a graphical abstract is, and give you design tools and tips on how to create a better, clear and engaging graphical abstract. This workshop is tailored to give you tools and improve your graphical abstract, without having to learn how to use a new software program (like Adobe Illustrator). Bring your graphical abstract, share it with the class, work on it and take home a new version.
Short Bio: Rita Félix is a science communicator, illustrator and designer, with life sciences research experience. Currently working as the Institutional Communication Manager and Designer at CNC-UC. She completed her PhD in Neuroscience in 2020, in the Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme. After that, she enrolled in a Digital Illustration Specialization Course to further develop her visualization and design skills. Worked as a Scientific Graphic Designer at Science Crunchers, a science communication company, where she developed multiple graphical abstracts, article figures, infographics, diagrams, illustrations, visual identity, logos and webdesign for companies, scientific institutions and Horizon 2020 consortia. More information at https://ritallfelix.wixsite.com/portfolio .
INESC-ID talk: “Rise of the AI-Empowered End User Software Engineer” by Ed Ayers and Andy Gordon (Cogna)
On April 19, INESC-ID will host a talk by Ed Ayers and Andy Gordon from the startup Cogna. The talk is titled “Rise of the AI-Empowered End User Software Engineer” and is organised by INESC-ID researcher Nuno Lopes.
Date & Time: April 19, 15h00 -16h00
Where: INESC-ID, Rua Alves Redol, 9, 1000-029 Lisboa | Room 9 (Auditorium), Ground Floor
Summary:
“What if natural language really is the new programming language? Inspired by the transformation of professional software engineering by generative AI, let’s take the next step: empowering end users. We can boost their productivity with hyper-customized software generated from natural language. This challenge needs research right across software engineering: requirements, architecture, coding, testing, verification, repair, and maintenance. We will survey current progress and open research questions in this exciting new area of programming language research.”
(Photo: Cogna website)