About Me
I am a UX Researcher, and a Ph.D. candidate at The Pennsylvania State University, studying Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) under Dr. Mary Beth Rosson. Meanwhile, a graduate researcher in the Collaborative and Innovation Lab run by Dr. Mary Beth Rosson and Dr. John M. Carroll.
My research explores the intersection of Technology and education, particularly the implications of data privacy in learning environments. My work integrates qualitative and quantitative methodologies to deliver actionable insights. Recently, I focused on AI-driven tools, such as large language models (LLMs), to create personalized, secure, and effective learning solutions.
Before transitioning into UX research, I led large-scale service projects as a project manager, where I enhanced the onboarding experience for over 10,000 students and families. Through strategic collaboration with stakeholders and partnerships, I successfully managed initiatives with a focus on equitable service design and significantly improved students' satisfaction. My experience in managing cross-functional teams and driving impactful results has shaped my approach to research, fostering inclusive, user-centered solutions in both service design and educational technologies.
My Approach
I use qualitative and quantitative methods to uncover user needs, understand behaviors, and assess product features for user-centered design solutions.
I distill insights from chaos; whether refining from interview findings or spreadsheets, I enjoy diving into the deep end to find some gold.
I write to tell stories about people and simplify complex ideas into comprehensible information.
I co-create with stakeholders in various ways to produce the best work.
I collaborate with engineers, designers, and product managers by bringing them into the research process to make research effective.
Li, X.V., Rosson., M.B., Robert., J. (2022). A Scenario-based Exploration of Expected Userfulnes, Privacy Concerns, and Adoption Likelihood of Learning Analytics. In Learning@Scale 22’, pages 48-59.
Li, X.V., Robert, J., Rosson, M.B. (2021). It’s Not the Data, It’s How They Use it! Scenario-Based Exploration of Learning Analytics Application. In International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies 21’, pages 11907–11917.
Publications
Li, X.V., Rosson, M.B., Hellar, B. (2023). A Synthetic Literature Review on Analytics to Support Curriculum Improvement in Higher Education. In Proceedings of International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies 23’, pages 2130-2143.
More About Me
Why I wanted to become a UX researcher? I have always had a passion for users.
When I worked with international students, they were a new population on many college campuses. The change in the student population brought challenges to support these students. I was hired into a new position to solve these challenges. I started by having extensive conversations with many international students from different cultural and ethic backgrounds. I then collaborated very closely with stakeholders across campus to help them finding ways to support the international students. I also implement program structures with limited budget and time constraints. In hindsight, I employed the user-centered approach from before I even knew about it. On some level, my career has not changed that much. I continue to advocate for users and work with stakeholders, in a different context, a broader and more impactful context.
I am good at it, and I love it.
Contact
Thank you for visiting my website. Email me at li.xiaotian@psu.edu and connect with me on LinkedIn.