Jenny Preece facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jenny Preece
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| Alma mater | Open University |
| Awards | ACM SIGCHI |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Human–computer interaction, Computer-mediated communication, Citizen Science |
| Institutions | University of Maryland, College Park |
| Doctoral advisor | Timothy O'Shea |
Jenny Preece is an American expert who studies how people use computers and the internet. She is a professor at the University of Maryland. From 2005 to 2015, she was the head of the College of Information Studies there.
Professor Preece is famous for her research on online communities. These are groups of people who connect and share ideas on the internet. She explores what makes these communities work well. She also looks at how easy a website is to use (called usability) and how well people get along on it (called sociability).
Contents
Jenny Preece's Journey and Discoveries
Jenny Preece earned her highest degree, a Ph.D., from the Open University. After that, she became a teacher at the same university. She later became a research professor in London, where she led a center focused on how people interact with systems.
At the University of Maryland, she continued her important work. She studied how online communities can help people connect and get involved. Her recent work focuses on citizen science. This is when everyday people help scientists with their research. She also works on environmental education.
What is Human-Computer Interaction?
Professor Preece is a leader in a field called Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). HCI is all about how people and computers work together. It looks at how to design computers, apps, and websites so they are easy, fun, and helpful for people to use.
Understanding Online Communities
Jenny Preece has spent a lot of time studying online communities. She wants to know what makes them successful. She looks at how people join these groups, how they talk to each other, and what makes them stay involved. Her work helps people design better online spaces for everyone.
Helping Science with Citizen Science
A big part of Professor Preece's current work is citizen science. This is when people who are not professional scientists help collect data or do research. For example, people might use an app to report bird sightings. This helps scientists learn more about nature. Jenny Preece helps make these projects work well.
Important Books and Papers
Jenny Preece has written many important books and articles. These help others learn about her research.
- Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction (with Yvonne Rogers & Helen Sharp). This book teaches how to design things that people interact with, like apps and websites. It has been updated many times since it first came out.
- Online Communities: Designing Usability, Supporting Sociability. This book is all about how to create online groups that are easy to use and where people can connect well.
- Human-Computer Interaction (with Yvonne Rogers, Helen Sharp, David Benyon, Simon Holland, and Tom Carey). This was an early book that helped define the field of HCI.
- The top five reasons for lurking: improving community experiences for everyone (with Blair Nonnecke and Dorine Andrews). This paper looked at why some people just read online discussions without joining in.
Professor Preece has also written about trust in online groups and how people become leaders in these communities. In 2011, she was chosen to join the CHI Academy. This is a special group that honors top experts in Human-Computer Interaction.
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Jenny Preece is an expert in how people use computers.
