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This paper studies the effectiveness of taxes, subsidies and cash incentives in reducing unhealthy food consumption. Using an inter-temporal rational choice model with habit, we calibrate and simulate the effect of those policies to US and UK data. Our findings suggest that cash incentives may be the most effective policy in reducing unhealthy food consumption. However, when comparing the reduction in costs for the social security system with the implementation costs, cash incentives can lead to significant monetary losses. Taxes are relatively ineffective in reducing unhealthy food consumption. Finally, subsidies have the best balance between effectiveness and monetary benefits to society.

We present 'True Colors': a social wearable prototype designed to augment co-located social interaction of players in a LARP (live action role play). We designed it to enable the emergence of rich social dynamics between wearers and non-wearers. True Colors is Y-shaped, worn around the upper body, and has front and back interfaces to distinguish between actions taken by the wearer (front), and actions taken by others (back). To design True Colors, we followed a Research-through-Design approach, used experiential qualities and social affordances to guide our process, and codesigned with LARP designers. 13 True Colors wearables were deployed in a 3-day LARP event, attended by 109 people. From all the functionalities and interactivity the device afforded, players gravitated towards ones that emphasized the social value of experiencing vulnerability as a prompt to get together. This project was recently presented in CHI '19 [1] and may offer useful insights to others in the Ubi-Comp/ISWC community who develop technology to support co-located social experience. CCS CONCEPTS • Human-centered computing → HCI theory, concepts and models.

ABSTRACT. Management of arid ecosystems (MEZA by its Spanish acronym) is a Master of Science program that started in 1990 when very few interdisciplinary programs in environmental management existed in the world. Graduates and current students recognize the importance of a group of pioneers in multidisciplinary practice who have translated the scientific findings and insights of a diverse scholarly community into practical applications within the city in which the University of Baja California, El Sauzal campus, is located and its surrounding arid and coastal rural areas. Students and teachers have produced 20 ecosystem management plans, which have trained the students in practical teamwork. Most of these plans addressed an inquiry by a local community or government decision maker, which is considered to be the key origin of a project. In this paper, the MEZA program that the teachers designed is briefly described, and a series of projects are given as examples of their work. Two projects are more thoroughly explained because all of the coauthors (2009 and 2010 students) participated in these projects and believe that it is a valuable experience to share with others.

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Universities are under increasing pressure to equip graduates with a broader set of competencies, such as communication, teamwork and leadership skills, that go beyond subject-specific knowledge. This, alongside growing student numbers in higher education, creates pedagogic challenges, especially with regards to assessment design. Conventional assessment modalities, such as individual essay writing, are costly to scale up and poorly suited for the development of further desired competencies. To address these challenges in the context of a first-year economics module, we replaced a 1,000-word individual written assignment with a group video assignment, where students were required to work in small teams to create a three-minute video on a contemporary economic issue. Focus groups and module evaluation questionnaires were used to elicit students' perceptions of how the group video assessment contributed to their learning experience and skill development, how it compares with other modes of assessment, as well as suggestions for improved implementation. Our analysis generates insights on all these aspects. Students reported a preference for diversity in assessment methods, and found the video assignment to be a positive, engaging but also challenging experience, which provided the opportunity for collaboration and development of diverse skills.

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