Sara has a background in Cognitive Psychology, with extensive experience in HCI (Human Computer Interaction). Her research involves the design, development and evaluation of emerging digital technologies (mobile, tangible, sensor), exploring ways in which they can enhance learning through mediating new forms of thinking and reasoning; and the development of methodological approaches in HCI. She has been PI or Co-I on 16 research grants from EPSRC, JISC, NCRM, ESRC, HEIF, IOE/UCL, the London Deanery and the Gatsby Foundation, and has gained substantial experience of leading multi-disciplinary research teams, requiring crossdisciplinary work involving Human Computer Interaction, Social Science, and Education.
She currently works on several interdisciplinary projects that focus on embodied forms of interaction with digital technology, and include exploring creative ways of using digital technologies for teaching and learning (Cross-curricular GIS), evaluating the role of digital technologies in fostering new forms of interaction and collaboration (e.g. DigitalMuseums), and extending methodological and analytical approaches to evaluating complex interactions in technology learning environments, with increasing focus on embodiment (MODE; MIDAS).
She has over 75 publications, is lead editor (with Carey Jewitt and Barry Brown) of the SAGE Handbook of Digital Technology Research (SAGE 2013); joint author with Carey Jewitt, Rosie Flewitt and Myrrh Domingo of Multimodal Methods for Researching Digital Environments (SAGE, 2016); Lead editor with Terhi Korkiakangas and Berit Henriksen of a Special Issue for Qualitative Research – Multimodality: Methodological Explorations (in prep); joint editor with Chris Quintana and Tom Moher of Proceedings for 10th International Conf on Interaction Design and Children (ACM, 2011); Guest editor Journal of Education, Technology & Society Special Issue (Jan 2007).