From Jsarmi

Johann W. Sarmiento

2601 Pennsylvania Ave, #508 Philadelphia, PA 19130 Phone: 215 - 888 0603

jsarmi at gmail dot com - jsarmi at drexel dot edu

Summary of Qualifications

Results-oriented User-Experience (UE) researcher and practitioner with significant experience in the design, development, and evaluation of information systems such as enterprise decision-support systems, online collaboration environments, and internet resources. Keen interest in combining quantitative and ethnographic methods to guide different stages of the design cycle and making the experience of users useful, efficient, and enjoyable. PhD candidate in the College of Information Science and Technology at Drexel University with emphasis on Human-Computer Interaction and Collaborative Knowledge Building.

Education

Ph.D. in Information Science and Technology 2008 (expected)

Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA.

• Concentration: Human-Computer Interaction and Collaborative Knowledge Building
• Highlights: First Prize, Graduate Student Research, Drexel Research and Innovation Day 2007 & 2005.

Honorable Mention, Graduate Student Research, Drexel Research Day 2006

Finalist, Microsoft Research and Microsoft Live Labs Fellowship, 2006

Invited presenter at the 2nd Annual IBM TJ Watson HCI Symposium on Social Computing, 2005.

Topic: “Bridging Interaction Spaces to Support Distributed Problem-Solving Teams”

Master of Science in Computer Science 1999

Maharishi International University. Fairfield, IA.

Co-op Postion: Client-server Systems, Telegroup, Inc. Fairfield, IA

Bachelor of Engineering - Systems Engineering 1996

Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga - Colombia

Minor: Linguistics and Language Studies

Thesis Topic: Natural Language Processing Interfaces and Applications

Recent Experience

The Math Forum at Drexel University, 2004-present

Research Associate/Project Manager: Virtual Math Teams (VMT) Project

• Coordinated and executed design experiments and naturalistic observations of local and remote user interactions which led to the redesign of the Virtual Math Teams online collaboration environment
• Conducted qualitative and quantitative analyses of data from recorded user interactions for exploratory and evaluative purposes of a chat and shared whiteboard environment
• Coordinated interaction design teams and the actual implementation of design proposals with an external team at Fraunhofer IPSI-Germany

Mid-Atlantic Regional Technology in Education Consortium, 2000-2004

Research Associate/ Digital Portal Team Leader

• Led the design and implementation of a digital portal for educational technology used by more than 65 thousand unique users during a 4 year period.
• Performed formative and summative evaluation of the online portal via relevant stakeholders. Methods used included longitudinal focus groups, online surveys and log analysis.
• Led the design of ReflectionConnection, a web-based collaborative tool for innovative professional development and knowledge management
• Conducted two longitudinal field studies of ReflectionConnection using statistical analysis of usage patterns, discourse analysis, and usability interviews leading to successful redesigns.

Advanced Technologies for Learning Lab at Temple University, 1999-2004

Senior Research Associate/Principal Investigator.

• Created and implemented a program of applied research and field services on innovative technologies for learning as part of the Center for Research in Human Development and Education ($20M, 5yrs)
• Led the development and formative evaluation of new web applications serving K-12 education
• Conducted exploratory research on innovative learning technologies. Methods included new technology evaluations, in-depth case studies, and statistical analysis of survey data.
• Produced research reports and delivered presentations on topics such as collaborative knowledge-building tools in the classroom and the use of eLearning and data-driven decision support systems in K-12 contexts.

Other Relevant Experience

• Software developer and Quality Assurance team member at the Client-Server group, Telegroup Inc. (Fairfield, IA)
• Project lead in educational technology research and development at Nexus/Apple – Colombia
• Owner and lead researcher of Maieutics, a Learning Technologies Consultants – Colombia
• Research associate in technology and cognitive development, ASED Consultants – Colombia
• Research Assistant, Natural Language Processing Research Group at the UIS (Colombia )

Relevant Technical Skills

• Research Tools: SPSS, NVIVO, Camtasia Studio, Transana
• QA Tools : QuickTest/LoadRunner automated testing tools
• UX Skills : Rapid Prototyping, Cognitive walkthrough, Heuristic evaluation, SSM stakeholder analysis, Scenario-based Interaction Design, Ethnomethodology and Critical Ethnography
• Web Technologies: HTML /XML, Web Services/Ajax
• Programming: Java/JSP, Javascript, ASP

Professional Affiliations

• Association for Computer Machinery (ACM), Special Interest Group: HCI
• Philadelphia Human-Computer Interaction (Philly-CHI) group
• Association for the Advancement of Computer in Education, SIG Interactive Learning Research
• American Education Research Association (AERA), SIG of Advanced Technologies for Learning
• Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

Other Activities

• Community Service: Art of Living Foundation, Greater Philadelphia Cares, Habitat-for-Humanity-Philadelphia
• Languages: Fully fluent in Spanish and English; basic knowledge of French and German