Olea Cohen
Bridging the Digital Gap: Enabling Senior Researchers to Join Academic Seminars Online
Generative Research – Inclusive Design for Low Digital Literacy
How do we ensure that decades of academic knowledge don’t go unheard—simply because the format changed?
This generative research focused on understanding how senior researchers with low digital literacy adapt to hybrid and online academic seminars.
The goal was not to evaluate a specific platform or tool, but to uncover the emotional, cognitive, and institutional barriers that limit meaningful participation in digital academic spaces.
Senior researchers often hold vast experience and influence, but many face difficulties when academic events move online. Fear of making mistakes in public, unfamiliarity with interfaces, and limited institutional support can lead to disengagement—and a loss of valuable voices in academic discourse.
Research Challenge
Research
Objectives
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Identify digital pain points affecting participation in remote seminars.
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Explore support mechanisms and interface features that reduce anxiety.
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Design inclusive experiences that align with the users’ mental models and digital skills.
Approach
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Methods: Digital shadowing of 6 online seminars, 20 semi-structured interviews with senior researchers, and journey mapping of typical participation attempts.
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Tools: Empathy maps, user journeys, and co-creation sessions.
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Timeline: 1.5 months of discovery, 1 month of synthesis.
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Collaboration: Partnered with university IT staff and seminar organizers to co-design recommendations.
Insights
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Emotional discomfort and fear of technical failure were more decisive than actual technical limitations.
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Researchers who had positive experiences benefited from one-on-one onboarding, simplified access links, and peer encouragement.
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Institutional culture plays a key role: when participation support is seen as legitimate academic infrastructure, engagement increases.
Outcomes
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Proposed a Hybrid Participation Toolkit with:
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Streamlined login and interface flows
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Personalized onboarding and dry-run sessions
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Printed step-by-step guides for non-digital-native users
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Peer mentor system within departments
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Delivered actionable insights through a workshop with department heads, IT teams, and seminar organizers.
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University piloted new guidelines and onboarding materials. The next semester showed increased participation and significantly fewer tech support requests.
