When Wanwisa Wannapipat saw her own parents struggle with mobile devices and digital applications, it made her think more deeply about how technology is designed.
In recent years, this has become an important part of her research.
“I noticed that it was quite hard for them to interact with digital technology. That made me interested in how we can help older people use digital devices more effectively,” says Wannapipat.
She is a visiting researcher from Khon Kaen University in Thailand and is currently working with researchers at the Department of Computer Science at OsloMet.
At the university in Thailand, she serves as a lecturer in the Creative Media Technology programme at the International College and as the director of KKU Academy. In these leadership roles, she bridges academic theory with practical implementation – international learning management systems.
From interface design to human support
Wannapipat's research focuses on educational technology, human-computer interaction and user experience. One of her areas of interest is how digital interfaces can be designed for older users.
Her research with older participants in Thailand has shown that good interface design matters, but that the interface itself is only part of the solution.
“We should not focus only on what we can see in front of us. We also need to think about where people can get help if they do not understand the technology,” she says.
Family members, support services and other forms of guidance can be just as important as font sizes, colours and menus. This means that designing inclusive technology is also about designing effective ways of providing assistance.
The needs of older and younger users can differ considerably, Wannapipat points out. Their experience with technology, digital literacy and familiarity with artificial intelligence may be very different.
At the same time, she believes that making technology easier to use for older people can contribute to better solutions for everyone.
Universal design across languages and cultures
Universal design is one of the main reasons Wannapipat came to OsloMet.
She first met Professor Frode Eika Sandnes at a conference on educational technology and computer science. When Khon Kaen University offered opportunities for researchers to visit universities abroad, she proposed a project on universal design and contacted Sandnes and the Department of Computer Science.
During her stay, she is exploring questions that are relevant both in Europe and Asia.
One example is language. Written Thai does not normally use spaces between words in the same way as English and Norwegian. This can create particular challenges when digital information needs to be made accessible and easy to understand.
“Understanding and accessibility are important principles of universal design,” she says.
For Wannapipat, the central question is not simply whether people are technically able to use a digital solution, but whether the solution works for the people it is intended for.
The learner must be at the centre
The same principle applies to digital learning.
A successful digital learning environment should not be judged only by whether students can operate the technology, Wannapipat argues. It must also help them achieve their learning objectives.
“The learner is at the centre of everything in learning. We need to focus on them.”
This means taking account of students' backgrounds, expectations and previous experience with technology when designing digital learning environments.
Wannapipat refers to cognitive theories of learning in which selection, organisation and integration are important. A digital interface should help learners focus their attention, organise information and integrate new knowledge with what they already know.
Design choices such as font size, colour and the organisation of information can therefore have consequences for learning.
AI makes ethics increasingly important
Artificial intelligence is also changing digital education. Wannapipat sees considerable potential in using AI to adapt digital tools to different groups of users and to provide new forms of assistance.
But as generative AI becomes an ordinary part of students' lives, she believes that universities need to focus on more than technical AI skills.
“Not only the ability to use AI, but the ethics of using AI are important.”
She highlights questions about responsibility, disclosure and what she describes as the grey areas of AI use, particularly in creative work.
Wannapipat believes that different academic and professional communities may need clear codes of conduct for how AI should be used.
Different opportunities to use technology
Her stay in Norway has also highlighted differences between Thailand and Norway.
In Thailand, access to digital technology and opportunities to develop digital skills can vary considerably. Students in multiple cities may have much greater access to technology than students in other parts of the country.
Wannapipat also points to differences in how extensively teachers and lecturers use digital technology in education. Some still rely largely on traditional teaching materials and relatively simple digital tools.
Online education, however, is creating new opportunities.
Students can increasingly access courses and degree programmes from institutions around the world, allowing them to develop skills even when opportunities are more limited where they live. To actively address this digital divide, Khon Kaen University has taken a proactive role in democratizing education. By spearheading comprehensive online courses and scalable digital learning platforms, the university is driving systemic change to reduce technological and educational inequality nationwide.
Hoping for long-term collaboration
Wannapipat hopes her stay will be the beginning of a broader collaboration between Khon Kaen University and OsloMet.
Possible areas include joint research and publications, academic collaboration, new courses and closer institutional links.
She is particularly interested in bringing knowledge about universal design back to Thailand.
“One important thing is that good design should be for everyone, not only for a specific group of people.”
She also sees value in comparing experiences from different parts of the world. Norway and Thailand have different cultures, educational systems and technological conditions, and those differences can themselves provide opportunities for research.
Problems and imperfect solutions can be particularly valuable, she argues, because they give researchers something to learn from and improve.
For Wannapipat, that is one of the main benefits of international collaboration: finding solutions that work not only in one university or one country, but for people with very different backgrounds and needs.
