SEC scholar 16 to 29 June and 24 July to 6 August 2026
Torben Wallbaum is an Associate Professor in Human-Computer Interaction and director of the Human eXperience Lab (thehxlab.com) at Flensburg University of Applied Sciences. He is co-head of the Centre for Interaction, Visualization and Usability (CIVU). His research explores the intersection of human needs and interactive technology, with a particular focus on child-computer interaction, social computing, and technology literacy. Current projects investigate how interactive systems can support feelings of connectedness and belonging across distances, the role of technology in family life, and how tangible and IoT-based tools can empower children as active participants in their own learning.
The goal of this visit is to advance research on explainable AI for non-expert users, with a particular focus on children and young adults. Together with his host at KTH, Andrii Matviienko, Torben will develop tangible prototypes and interaction design concepts that help children build AI literacy by connecting new computational concepts to their existing knowledge and everyday surroundings. The collaboration will also involve the design of mixed-method empirical studies to evaluate how such tools shape children’s understanding of and behavior toward AI systems, with the aim of co-authoring publications and exploring joint funding opportunities through the Swedish Research Council and Vinnova.
Contact: torben.wallbaum@hs-flensburg.de
