As an academic in training I am tasked with producing novel research that is published in peer-reviewed conferences and journals. Generally speaking, I publish in human-computer interaction (HCI) and science and technology studies (STS) venues, although I am not above being swayed outside of these domains. You can also view a half-automated and half curated list of publications on Google Scholar but I do not endorse the metric driven approach to knowledge it co-creates.
Frederick Reiber, Nathan Chan-Yeong Kim, Allison McDonald, Dana Calacci
2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
(2026)
April 2026
Abstract: Despite high approval ratings for unions and growing worker interest in organizing, employees in the United States still face significant barriers to securing collective bargaining agreements. A key factor is employer counter-organizing: efforts to suppress unionization through rule changes, retaliation, and disruption. Designing sociotechnical tools and strategies to resist these tactics requires a deeper understanding of the role computing technologies play in counter-organizing against unionization. In this paper, we examine three high-profile organizing efforts—at Amazon, Starbucks, and Boston University—using publicly available sources to identify four recurring technological tactics: surveillance, spacing, screaming and scabbing. We analyze how these tactics operate across contexts, highlighting their digital dimensions and strategic deployment. We conclude with implications for organizing in digitally-mediated workplaces, directions for future research, and emergent forms of worker resistance.
Frederick Reiber, Alishah Chator, Dana Calacci, Allison McDonald
To appear in CSCW 2026
(2026)
October 2026
Abstract: The contemporary American labor force is highly dispersed, necessitating the use of digital communication tools to bridge spatial and temporal gaps in union organizing. This study provides an in-depth analysis of how workers within various labor unions utilize digital, text-based communication platforms -- including Discord, WhatsApp, and Slack -- for labor organizing. Through 17 qualitative interviews, we examine the challenges and opportunities presented by digital organizing, identifying both technical and social obstacles. Our findings reveal that although digital tools are integral to contemporary labor successes, they also introduce new complexities, such as navigating technical security, managing information overload, and building trust and consensus. Based on these insights, we draw connections to broader understandings of digital organizing and the role of digital tools in unions.
Abstract: In this short position paper, I develop a dialectical framework for understanding the political ideology of technological projects. To do so, I draw on critical and emancipatory social science discussions, highlighting how both a project's values and constraints are necessary for understanding its ideology. A brief example is then presented to aid comprehension.
Matthew Ferland, Varun Nagaraj Rao, Arushi Arora, Drew van der Poel, Michael Luu, Randy Huynh, Frederick Reiber, Sandra Ossman, Seth Poulsen, Michael Shindler
56th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
(2025)
Febuary 2025
Abstract: Concept inventories are standardized assessments that evaluate student understanding of key concepts within academic disciplines. While prevalent across STEM fields, their development lags for advanced computer science topics like dynamic programming (DP)---an algorithmic technique that poses significant conceptual challenges for undergraduates. To fill this gap, we developed and validated a Dynamic Programming Concept Inventory (DPCI). We detail the iterative process used to formulate multiple-choice questions targeting known student misconceptions about DP concepts identified through prior research studies. We discuss key decisions, tradeoffs, and challenges faced in crafting probing questions to subtly reveal these conceptual misunderstandings. We conducted a preliminary psychometric validation by administering the DPCI to 172 undergraduate CS students finding our questions to be of appropriate difficulty and effectively discriminating between differing levels of student understanding. Taken together, our validated DPCI will enable instructors to accurately assess student mastery of DP. Moreover, our approach for devising a concept inventory for an advanced theoretical computer science concept can guide future efforts to create assessments for other under-evaluated areas currently lacking coverage.
Michael Luu, Matthew Ferland, Varun Nagaraj Rao, Arushi Arora, Randy Huynh, Frederick Reiber, Jennifer Wong-Ma, Michael Shindler
54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
(2023)
March 2023
Abstract: Algorithms courses are a core part of many CS programs, but have received little focus in computing education, lacking statistical data about how they are generally taught. To remedy this, we present the results of the first large-scale comprehensive survey of undergraduate introductory algorithms courses at four-year institutions in the United States. Questions in the survey targeted instructor information, course concepts, the ways students are evaluated, challenges instructors encountered, and instructor envisioned improvements. We received 87 responses from 34 different states, across a wide variety of 4-year institutions. The results indicate that algorithms courses vary dramatically in most surveyed areas.
Michael Shindler, Natalia Pinpin, Mia Markovic, Frederick Reiber, Jee Hoon Kim, Giles Pierre Nunez Carlos, Mine Dogucu, Mark Hong, Michael Luu, Brian Anderson, Aaron Cote, Matthew Ferland, Palak Jain, Tyler LaBonte, Leena Mathur, Ryan Moreno, Ryan Sakuma
Computer Science Education
(2022)
July 2022
Abstract: We replicated and expanded on previous work about how well students learn dynamic programming, a difficult topic for students in algorithms class. Their study interviewed a number of students at one university in a single term. We recruited a larger sample size of students, over several terms, in both large public and private universities as well as liberal arts colleges.
Abstract: Tabletop game design is very much an incremental art. Designers build upon the ideas of previous games, often improving and combining already defined game mechanics. In this work, we look at a collection of the most impactful tabletop game designs, or games that have caused a significant shift in the tabletop game design space. This work seeks to record those shifts, and does so with the aid of empirical analysis. For each game, a brief description of the game's history and mechanics is given, followed by a discussion on its impact within tabletop game design.