πŸ“‚ Academic Portfolio

Research, Design
& Impact

A curated record of research projects, publications, curriculum innovations, and advisory work β€” spanning HCI, Explainable AI, UX Design, and inclusive education across Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.

πŸ”¬ HCI Research πŸ€– XAI & Ethics πŸ“ Curriculum Design 🎬 eLearning Development πŸ›οΈ Policy Advisory 🌏 Cross-cultural UX
15+
Publications & Conference Papers
8
Research Projects
12+
Courses Designed
98%
Student Success Rate

Research Projects

Investigating human-centred design challenges through empirical research, design thinking, and technology innovation.

HCI 2023–Ongoing
MindCare β€” Mental Health UX for Refugee Women
Designing and evaluating a culturally sensitive mental health application for refugee women in New Zealand, applying participatory design and trauma-informed UX principles to address digital exclusion and language barriers.
Participatory DesignTrauma-Informed UXRefugee CommunitiesMental Health Tech
Active Research
XAI 2022–2024
Explainable AI Interface Design for Non-Technical Users
Researching how AI explanations should be presented to non-expert users β€” exploring visual, textual, and interactive explanation modalities to improve trust, comprehension, and decision-making with AI systems.
Explainable AITrust in AIInterface DesignUser Studies
Published
UX Research 2021–2023
Cross-Cultural UX: Arabic-English Interface Paradoxes
A comparative study examining how cultural framing, directionality (RTL vs LTR), iconography, and colour meaning affect usability and user satisfaction across Arabic-speaking and English-speaking populations.
Cross-Cultural DesignRTL InterfacesUsabilityCultural Cognition
Published
EdTech 2022–Ongoing
AI-Integrated Design Thinking Curriculum
Developing and evaluating a novel curriculum framework that embeds AI tools into Human-Centred Design courses, measuring impact on creative confidence, critical thinking, and industry readiness.
AI in EducationDesign ThinkingCurriculum ResearchHCD
Active Research
Policy 2023–2024
Digital Inclusion Policy Framework β€” NZ Vocational Sector
Advising on digital equity policy for the New Zealand Qualifications and Research Institute, identifying systemic barriers to digital participation for underserved learners and proposing evidence-based interventions.
Digital InclusionPolicy DesignVocational EducationNZQRI
Completed
HCI 2020–2022
Accessibility in Voice User Interfaces for Elderly Users
Evaluating the usability and accessibility of voice-based AI assistants for older adults in home care settings β€” identifying cognitive load issues, trust barriers, and design recommendations for age-inclusive VUI design.
Accessible DesignVoice UIAgeingCognitive Load
Published

Publications & Academic Works

Selected peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and policy reports.

01
Journal Article
Culturally Sensitive UX Design for Vulnerable Populations: Lessons from MindCare
Al-Sadi, A., et al.
International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 2024
02
Conference Paper
Explainable AI for Everyone: Designing XAI Interfaces for Non-Expert Users
Al-Sadi, A., Smith, J., Patel, R.
ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2024
03
Journal Article
RTL and LTR Interface Affordances: A Cross-Cultural Usability Study
Al-Sadi, A., Hassan, M.
Interacting with Computers, Oxford University Press, 2023
04
Conference Paper
AI-Integrated Design Thinking: A Framework for Human-Centred Computing Education
Al-Sadi, A.
ACM International Computing Education Research Conference (ICER), 2023
05
Policy Report
Digital Inclusion in New Zealand's Vocational Education Sector: Barriers and Pathways
Al-Sadi, A., NZQRI Research Division
New Zealand Qualifications and Research Institute, 2024
06
Journal Article
Voice User Interface Accessibility for Older Adults: A Systematic Evaluation
Al-Sadi, A., Kumar, V., Wilson, T.
Universal Access in the Information Society, Springer, 2022
07
Conference Paper
Trust, Transparency, and Explainability in Healthcare AI: A User Perspective
Al-Sadi, A., Nguyen, L.
IEEE International Conference on Healthcare Informatics (ICHI), 2022
08
Book Chapter
Human-Centred Design Principles for AI Systems in Educational Contexts
Al-Sadi, A.
In: Handbook of AI in Education, Springer, 2023, pp. 145–168

Curriculum Design

Courses and learning frameworks designed to bridge academic theory with real-world design practice.

🎨
UXD 501 / HCI 301
Human-Computer Interaction & UX Design
Foundational to advanced HCI theory, user research methods, prototyping and formative evaluation. Integrates real-world client briefs and inclusive design principles throughout.
πŸŽ“ Level 5–7 πŸ“… Full semester πŸ‘₯ 25–40 students
πŸ’‘
DT 401
AI-Integrated Design Thinking
A pioneering course embedding AI tools into the Design Thinking process β€” from empathy mapping with AI insights to AI-assisted prototyping and ethical evaluation. Achieved 98% student success rate.
πŸŽ“ Level 6–7 πŸ“… Full semester ⭐ 98% success rate
🌐
WEB 303 / WEB 401
User-Centred Web Design
Practical web development through a UX lens β€” students build accessible, cross-cultural, responsive interfaces validated through user testing, heuristic evaluation, and accessibility auditing.
πŸŽ“ Level 5–6 πŸ“… Full semester 🌐 Industry projects
πŸ”¬
RES 501
Research Methods in Computing & Design
Rigorous grounding in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research for computing and design students. Covers ethics, literature review, data collection, analysis, and academic writing.
πŸŽ“ Level 7 πŸ“… Full semester πŸ“ Postgraduate
πŸ“‹
PM 302 / PM 401
Agile Project Management for Technologists
Hands-on agile and scrum training using real project simulators β€” Kanban boards, Jira workflows, retrospectives, and stakeholder management in a collaborative studio environment.
πŸŽ“ Level 5–6 πŸ“… Full semester πŸ”§ Simulation-based
πŸ”€
IXD 205
Cross-Cultural & Accessible Interface Design
Explores inclusive design across languages, cultures, and abilities β€” covering RTL design, WCAG accessibility, culturally sensitive iconography, and internationalisation for diverse New Zealand communities.
πŸŽ“ Level 5 πŸ“… Half semester β™Ώ WCAG focus

Teaching Philosophy

My approach to education is rooted in empathy, curiosity, and the belief that technology should serve people β€” not the other way around.

"I design learning experiences the same way I design interfaces β€” starting with deep empathy for the learner, understanding their context, removing barriers, and iterating until the experience feels effortless and meaningful."

β€” Dr. Ahmed Al-Sadi

πŸ”„
Learning by Doing
Theory without practice is hollow. Every concept I teach is anchored to hands-on projects, real tools, and authentic challenges from industry and community contexts.
🌍
Inclusive by Design
I actively design for diverse learners β€” different cultures, languages, abilities, and backgrounds β€” because inclusion in the classroom mirrors the inclusive design principles I teach.
🀝
Research-Informed Teaching
My teaching draws directly from active research. Students engage with emerging findings in HCI, XAI, and UX β€” making the classroom a live research community, not just a lecture hall.
πŸ’­
Critical Thinking First
My goal is not to teach answers β€” it's to teach students how to ask better questions. I challenge assumptions, encourage debate, and reward intellectual courage.
⚑
Technology as a Lever
I introduce students to the most relevant tools β€” AI, prototyping platforms, analytics β€” but always in service of the human goal, never as an end in itself.
πŸ“Š
Evidence-Based Improvement
I treat my courses as design artefacts β€” constantly evaluated, iterated, and improved based on student feedback, learning outcomes data, and industry relevance.
πŸ“„ Read Full Teaching Statement β†’ πŸ”¬ Read Research Statement β†’

Course Development with Articulate 360

Professionally authored eLearning modules built using Articulate 360 β€” showcasing instructional design, interactive storytelling, and engaging multimedia learning experiences.

🎬

Articulate 360 β€” Authoring at Scale

Both modules below were fully authored in Articulate 360 (Storyline & Rise), published as SCORM-ready HTML5 packages. They demonstrate end-to-end instructional design: from learning objectives and storyboarding through to interactive assessments, responsive layouts, and accessibility compliance.

Foundations of Research in Technology course preview
πŸ“š Research Methods πŸ› οΈ Articulate 360
Foundations of Research in Technology
A comprehensive eLearning module introducing students to research methodologies in technology fields. Covers variable types (independent, dependent, confounding), hypothesis formulation, and the research design cycle β€” delivered through scenario-based learning, interactive knowledge checks, and branching activities.
Scenario-based learning Variable types & hypothesis Interactive knowledge checks Research design cycle SCORM-ready HTML5 Mobile responsive
πŸš€ Launch Course
ROMS course preview
πŸ—‚οΈ Research Management 🎬 Click to Preview GIF
β–Ά
Research Output Management System (ROMS)
An interactive training module guiding academic staff through the Research Output Management System β€” covering system access, managing research outputs and contributions, submission workflows, and quality tracking. Designed with rich GIF demonstrations, step-by-step walkthroughs, and embedded video to minimise institutional support load.
GIF-animated demonstrations Step-by-step workflows Embedded video System navigation training Tagged user management Performance support focus
πŸš€ Launch Course

πŸ“ My Articulate 360 Design Process

🎯
Define Objectives
Learning goals, audience analysis & SCORM/xAPI requirements
πŸ“
Storyboard
Script writing, branching logic design & visual layout planning
⚑
Author in A360
Storyline builds, animations, triggers & interactive layers
πŸ§ͺ
Review & Test
Peer review, accessibility auditing & learner testing
πŸš€
Publish & Deploy
HTML5/SCORM export, LMS integration & analytics tracking

Advisory & Policy Impact

Contributing expertise to organisations shaping the future of digital education, technology policy, and human-centred innovation in New Zealand and internationally.

NZQRI β€” New Zealand
Research & Digital Inclusion Advisor
Advising on research culture, digital equity policy, and academic quality frameworks within the New Zealand Qualifications and Research Institute's vocational education ecosystem.
πŸ“… 2023 – Ongoing
Te PΕ«kenga β€” New Zealand
Curriculum Innovation Consultant
Contributing to the design and quality assurance of Human-Computer Interaction and Technology programmes across the Te PΕ«kenga network β€” ensuring currency, accessibility, and industry alignment.
πŸ“… 2022 – Ongoing
International β€” ACM / IEEE
Peer Reviewer & Programme Committee Member
Serving as a peer reviewer for ACM CHI, CSCW, and IEEE ICHI conferences β€” evaluating research in HCI, XAI, accessible computing, and interactive systems design.
πŸ“… 2020 – Ongoing
AI Ethics Forum β€” NZ
Technical Advisor, Trustworthy AI Panel
Providing expertise on explainable AI, human oversight, and UX considerations for New Zealand's national discussions on responsible AI deployment in public services.
πŸ“… 2023 – 2024
Refugee Support Services β€” NZ
UX Research Advisor
Advising NGOs on digital accessibility, culturally safe interface design, and technology adoption strategies for refugee and migrant communities in Aotearoa New Zealand.
πŸ“… 2022 – Ongoing
Whitireia & WelTec β€” NZ
Senior Academic & Research Lead
Leading research initiatives, mentoring academic staff, and driving curriculum innovation for Computing and IT programmes across the Whitireia and WelTec campuses.
πŸ“… 2019 – Ongoing