arXiv subjects

Xinran Adeline Li

Publications and source records attributed to Xinran Adeline Li.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Beyond Harassment: Exploring the Harm Experienced by People with Disabilities in Social Virtual Reality

People with disabilities (PWD) are increasingly engaging in social virtual reality (VR) platforms, where immersive and embodied interactions can intensify negative experiences. While prior work has examined harassment in VR, little is known about the harms experienced by PWD and the perceived severity associated with different harassment and disability types. Unlike harassment, which represents behaviors, harm is more critical to designing effective protections, as it reflects the consequences and impact; the realism of VR and the vulnerability resulting from disability identity can further amplify such impact. To characterize and model harms for PWD, we conducted a literature review, followed by an online survey with 67 PWD to understand participants' harassment experiences and resulting harms in social VR. We identified 19 types of harm in 5 categories, and reported the severity perception of each type of harm. Finally, we analyzed our results from the critical disability theory perspective, summarized the uniqueness of harm in social VR, and discussed design implications for specialized safety mechanisms that mitigate harm for PWD.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2026

Safety vs. Social Image: Co-Designing Protection Mechanisms Against Ableist Harassment with People with Disabilities in Social Virtual Reality

People with disabilities (PWD) increasingly use avatars to express disability identities in social virtual reality (VR), but greater visibility also invites targeted harassment. Existing safety features are often insufficient, overlooking PWD's experiences and needs. To address this gap, we co-designed protection mechanisms with 11 PWD to reveal their values and needs. Our research employed a social lens to interpret harassment behaviors and protection mechanisms. Inspired by Hall's Proxemics Theory that interpersonal distances indicate social intent and boundaries, we divided social VR spaces into four proxemic zones (Intimate, Personal, Social, and Public) and used them to structure our protection mechanism co-design. We also provided different protection mechanism probes (Inform, Educate, Consent, and Combat) to elicit participant preferences. Our study highlighted the role of social proximity in shaping PWD's harassment perception and protection preferences and revealing PWD's unique social values and needs (e.g., managing harassment with optimism and resilience, prioritizing social image over safety). We proposed design recommendations for protection mechanisms that protect PWD while maintaining their desired social images.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2026

The Help Ladder: Skill-Adaptive Peer Scaffolding for Real-Time Collaborative Programming

Collaborative programming is a widely adopted classroom activity to encourage peer scaffolding, yet real-time collaboration often breaks down into parallel individual work with minimal interaction. Our formative studies reveal that even when students want to collaborate, they are held back by the effort required to understand a teammate's entire problem at once. We present Canary, a system that supports peer scaffolding by breaking down programming obstacles into smaller steps tailored to a student's skill level. Canary alerts potential helpers to specific places where they can start, using AI to turn complex problems into a step-by-step ladder that starts with easy fixes before moving toward harder logic. By providing this gradual ramp-up, Canary enables students to make quick contributions and progressively work toward solving their peers' problems. Our evaluation shows that this staged approach makes helping feel less overwhelming, leading to more frequent and effective collaboration among students.

cs.HC↗