Saša Brdnik

Mrs. Saša Brdnik

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

6Years (2021-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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21 December 2021 in Sensors
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Boštjan ŠumakBoštjan Šumak
Boštjan Šumak
SBSaša Brdnik
Saša Brdnik
Maja PušnikMaja Pušnik
Maja Pušnik
To equip computers with human communication skills and to enable natural interaction between the computer and a human, intelligent solutions are required based on artificial intelligence (AI) methods, algorithms, and sensor technology. This study aimed at identifying and analyzing the state-of-the-art AI methods and algorithms and sensors technology in existing human–computer intelligent interaction (HCII) research to explore trends in HCII research, categorize existing evidence, and identify potential directions for future research. We conduct a systematic mapping study of the HCII body of research. Four hundred fifty-four studies published in various journals and conferences between 2010 and 2021 were identified and analyzed. Studies in the HCII and IUI fields have primarily been focused on intelligent recognition of emotion, gestures, and facial expressions using sensors technology, such as the camera, EEG, Kinect, wearable sensors, eye tracker, gyroscope, and others. Researchers most often apply deep-learning and instance-based AI methods and algorithms. The support sector machine (SVM) is the most widely used algorithm for various kinds of recognition, primarily an emotion, facial expression, and gesture. The convolutional neural network (CNN) is the often-used deep-learning algorithm for emotion recognition, facial recognition, and gesture recognition solutions.

4 August 2022 in Sensors
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
SBSaša Brdnik
Saša Brdnik
THTjaša Heričko
Tjaša Heričko
Boštjan ŠumakBoštjan Šumak
Boštjan Šumak
Intelligent user interfaces (IUI) are driven by the goal of improvement in human–computer interaction (HCI), mainly improving user interfaces’ user experience (UX) or usability with the help of artificial intelligence. The main goal of this study is to find, assess, and synthesize existing state-of-the-art work in the field of IUI with an additional focus on the evaluation of IUI. This study analyzed 211 studies published in the field between 2012 and 2022. Studies are most frequently tied to HCI and SE domains. Definitions of IUI were observed, showing that adaptation, representation, and intelligence are key characteristics associated with IUIs, whereas adaptation, reasoning, and representation are the most commonly used verbs in their description. Evaluation of IUI is mainly conducted with experiments and questionnaires, though usability and UX are not considered together in evaluations. Most evaluations (81% of studies) reported partial or complete improvement in usability or UX. A shortage of evaluation tools, methods, and metrics, tailored for IUI, is noticed. Most often, empirical data collection methods and data sources in IUI evaluation studies are experiment, prototype development, and questionnaire.

8 June 2023 in Electronics
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
SBSaša Brdnik
Saša Brdnik
Vili PodgorelecVili Podgorelec
Vili Podgorelec
Boštjan ŠumakBoštjan Šumak
Boštjan Šumak
This study aimed to observe the impact of eight explainable AI (XAI) explanation techniques on user trust and satisfaction in the context of XAI-enhanced learning analytics while comparing two groups of STEM college students based on their Bologna study level, using various established feature relevance techniques, certainty, and comparison explanations. Overall, the students reported the highest trust in local feature explanation in the form of a bar graph. Additionally, master’s students presented with global feature explanations also reported high trust in this form of explanation. The highest measured explanation satisfaction was observed with the local feature explanation technique in the group of bachelor’s and master’s students, with master’s students additionally expressing high satisfaction with the global feature importance explanation. A detailed overview shows that the two observed groups of students displayed consensus in favored explanation techniques when evaluating trust and explanation satisfaction. Certainty explanation techniques were perceived with lower trust and satisfaction than were local feature relevance explanation techniques. The correlation between itemized results was documented and measured with the Trust in Automation questionnaire and Explanation Satisfaction Scale questionnaire. Master’s-level students self-reported an overall higher understanding of the explanations and higher overall satisfaction with explanations and perceived the explanations as less harmful.

27 March 2023
Verified
Conference Paper
Open access
SBSaša Brdnik
Saša Brdnik
The rising number of artificial intelligence systems has increased the demand for transparency and accountability. This thesis addresses the human-computer interaction (HCI) challenges of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI), focusing on reusable solutions for transparency and fairness challenges. The main objectives we aim to address are 1) Identification of the most common and most significant HCI usability challenges in XAI; 2) Identification of good and reusable solutions for recognised HCI challenges in literature and existing XAI solutions, and 3) Their definition in the form of the design patterns. A catalogue of graphical user interface design patterns (i.e. reusable solutions to commonly occurring problems with a given context) in XAI is proposed. Expected benefits of the thesis include facilitating communication and collaboration between researchers and practitioners by providing shared vocabulary and proven design patterns, enhancing trust and accountability of AI solutions, promoting user-centred design and facilitating the evaluation and accelerating the maturation of XAI.

12 March 2025 in International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
SBSaša Brdnik
Saša Brdnik
Sašo KarakatičSašo Karakatič
Sašo Karakatič
Boštjan ŠumakBoštjan Šumak
Boštjan Šumak

10 January 2025 in Applied Sciences
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Boštjan ŠumakBoštjan Šumak
Boštjan Šumak
Maja PušnikMaja Pušnik
Maja Pušnik
Ines KozuhInes Kozuh
Ines Kozuh
PŠPAYMENT (VS: 894419) PBE Conference Andrej Šorgo
PAYMENT (VS: 894419) PBE Conference Andrej Šorgo
SBSaša Brdnik
Saša Brdnik
Qualitative data analysis (QDA) tools are essential for extracting insights from complex datasets. This study investigates researchers’ perceptions of the usability, user experience (UX), mental workload, trust, task complexity, and emotional impact of three tools: Taguette 1.4.1 (a traditional QDA tool), ChatGPT (GPT-4, December 2023 version), and Gemini (formerly Google Bard, December 2023 version). Participants (N = 85), Master’s students from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science with prior experience in UX evaluations and familiarity with AI-based chatbots, performed sentiment analysis and data annotation tasks using these tools, enabling a comparative evaluation. The results show that AI tools were associated with lower cognitive effort and more positive emotional responses compared to Taguette, which caused higher frustration and workload, especially during cognitively demanding tasks. Among the tools, ChatGPT achieved the highest usability score (SUS = 79.03) and was rated positively for emotional engagement. Trust levels varied, with Taguette preferred for task accuracy and ChatGPT rated highest in user confidence. Despite these differences, all tools performed consistently in identifying qualitative patterns. These findings suggest that AI-driven tools can enhance researchers’ experiences in QDA while emphasizing the need to align tool selection with specific tasks and user preferences.