Dominic Kao

Assistant Professor

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Education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ph.D. in Computer Science, 2018
Princeton University, M.S.E. in Computer Science, 2012
University of Alberta, B.S. in Computer Engineering Co-op, 2009

Biography

I study how the design of games, virtual reality, and other interactive systems shapes the people who use them: their motivation, engagement, sense of belonging, and performance. A central thread of my work examines how avatar design features, including voice, self-similarity, and customization, change experience and behavior. My NSF CAREER award supports this line of research. I received my PhD from MIT in Computer Science, and before academia I worked as a game developer at Electronic Arts.

Selected Articles in Journals

D. Kao, R. Ratan, C. Mousas, and A. J. Magana. "The Effects of a Self-Similar Avatar Voice in Educational Games." Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (CHI Play), 2021. Honorable Mention.

Articles in Conference Proceedings

D. Kao, N. Ballou, K. Gerling, H. Breitsohl, and S. Deterding. "How Does Juicy Game Feedback Motivate? Testing Curiosity, Competence, and Effectance." Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), 2024.
D. Kao, R. Ratan, C. Mousas, A. Joshi, and E. Melcer. "Audio Matters Too: How Audial Avatar Customization Enhances Visual Avatar Customization." Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), 2022. Honorable Mention.
D. Kao and D. F. Harrell. "The Effects of Badges and Avatar Identification on Play and Making in Educational Games." Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), 2018.

Recent Courses Taught

CS 598 HGE - HCI Applied to Games and Educ