Andrew's PhD

  Assignment submission due (Research Strategies Module) There is a submission on May 6 th for the module, Research Strategies, which I am currently working on. The assignment requirement is to provide my critical justification for my chosen methodology in framing and executing my research. What is the most suitable approach, and why is it appropriate for addressing the research question(s) that I have laid out for myself? This assignment question has forced me to dwell on my proposed methodology, but inevitably solidify and validate some of the methods that I have chosen. It also constantly reminded me to defend and critically analyse the methods, and not just to simply state that they align. I had to argue how it does and also discuss the limitations and the various trade-offs of prioritising one over the other.   Research Ethics Application Form Completing this form is an absolutely necessary requirement given that my methodology is going to be fully qualitative, ...

  Thinking about the philosophy of technology We have gotten so used to technology being part of our lives and our experience of this world that if we remove just a few of them, it will significantly alter not only our living operationally, but also the meaning that might come from its removal. The philosophy of technology, as a broad field of inquiry, grapples with the deep and often invisible integration, exploring questions about technological determinism , the mediation of human experience  (Ritter, 2024), the relationship between technology and society , and the fundamental ways in which our tools shape who we are and how we understand the world.  I am narrowing my research scope to the area of technology as mediating human experience  (“Mediation Theory,” 2016). It was only very recently revealed to me that technology might be seen as the manifestation of our relationship with the natural environment. This really exposes my ignorance, or rather my profoun...

This week, I started this blog to document my progress and findings as I delve into various papers, books, and other resources. I'm realizing just how vast the area of phenomenology and its philosophical framework truly is. It's amazing how you can study a person's lived experience in relation to any phenomenon. From something as simple as drinking tea or morning routines, to more complex things like work in a medical setting or traumatic experiences – it's literally quite infinite. Each person's experience is unique, and their perspective is just as valid as anyone else's. I am on week 32 since registering as a PhD student. I’ve completed the Graduate Research Skills module (10 credits) and am now in the middle of the second module, Research Strategies (10 credits).  I am doing this part-time which really means putting approximately 15-20 hours per week. I am situating my research in the study of the lived experience of the user’s interaction with mixed real...

Proposed Study Plan: A Phenomenological Exploration of Mixed Reality Digital Twins Research Questions and Objectives I need to ensure they are focused on the lived experience and the mediating role of the MRDT. Some sample questions: "How do users experience and make sense of the bi-directional interaction between a physical object and its dynamic holographic representation in a Mixed Reality Digital Twin (MRDT) environment?" "How does the MRDT mediate the user's perception of agency, presence, and understanding of the relationship between the physical and digital elements?" "What phenomenological approaches are being used to capture these lived experiences in immersive technologies but more specifically, MR environments?" Research Objectives Here are some of what I want to achieve: To describe the lived experiences of users interacting with a dynamic MRDT system. To analyze how the MRDT mediates the user's perception of the physical object and its...

______________________ PLACEHOLDER____________________________________ ABSTRACT Background: Understanding user experiences in immersive technologies (VR/AR/MR) requires examining perceptual, emotional, and sociocultural dimensions. Phenomenology offers a robust framework to analyze how users interpret and derive meaning from interactions with virtual environments. Objective: To systematically review phenomenological methodologies applied to immersive technology research, identifying theoretical frameworks, data collection techniques, and analytical strategies that capture users' lived experiences. Methods: A PRISMA-guided systematic review was conducted across IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, PubMed, and PsycINFO (2015–2025). Studies employing phenomenological approaches to immersive tech experiences were included. Thematic synthesis was performed using NVivo to map methodological patterns. Results: Conclusions: Keywords: Immersive technologies, phenomenological meth...