Overview
Background
Dr. Thilina Halloluwa is a Teaching-Focused Lecturer in Human-Centred Computing at the University of Queensland. A SEDA-accredited educator with academic and industry experience, his expertise is in Human-Centred Software Engineering, a field where he combines his passion for technology, learning, and well-being.
Grounded in Human-Centred Software Engineering, his research explores how AI-driven systems can be designed to support education, health, and self-care, with a focus on creating technologies that are empathetic, accessible, and grounded in real-world contexts.
Thilina holds a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction from the Queensland University of Technology and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology. Prior to joining UQ, he lectured at the University of Sydney and served as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Colombo, where he led large-scale teaching and digital transformation initiatives.
Availability
- Dr Thilina Halloluwa is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctoral (Research) of Computer-Human Interaction, Queensland University of Technology
- Member, Association for Computing Machinery, Association for Computing Machinery
- Member, International Federation for Information Processing, International Federation for Information Processing
Research interests
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Human-Centred Software Engineering
My research focuses on integrating human-centred design principles throughout the software development lifecycle. I investigate methods to better understand user needs and contexts to improve the usability and user experience of complex socio-technical systems. The aim is to create software that is not only functional but also intuitive and accessible for its intended users. My work bridges the gap between requirements engineering and user-centred design
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ICT for Development (ICT4D): Technology for Social and Economic Empowerment
I explore the application of information and communication technologies to address development challenges in low-resource settings. My work examines how to design sustainable and culturally appropriate solutions that foster digital inclusion and create positive social impact. I am particularly interested in co-designing systems with communities to support education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, ensuring technology is both relevant and empowering.
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Human-Centred AI
My research in Human-Centred AI focuses on deriving insights into how users perceive and interact with intelligent systems. By emphasizing explainability (XAI), I aim to make AI decision-making processes transparent and interpretable. This work seeks to build trust and foster more effective human-AI collaboration, ensuring AI is understandable and aligned with human values.
Works
Search Professor Thilina Halloluwa’s works on UQ eSpace
2019
Other Outputs
Human money interaction: designing for personal finances in the developing countries
Halloluwa, Halloluwa Kankanamalage Thilina C. (2019). Human money interaction: designing for personal finances in the developing countries. PhD Thesis, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology. doi: 10.5204/thesis.eprints.129131
2019
Conference Publication
Dhana Labha: A financial management application to underbanked communities in Rural Sri Lanka
Halloluwa, Thilina and Vyas, Dhaval (2019). Dhana Labha: A financial management application to underbanked communities in Rural Sri Lanka. INTERACT 2019: Human-Computer Interaction, Paphos, Cyprus, 2–6 September 2019. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-29384-0_45
2018
Journal Article
Sociocultural practices that make microfinance work: a case study from Sri Lanka
Halloluwa, Thilina, Usoof, Hakim and Vyas, Dhaval (2018). Sociocultural practices that make microfinance work: a case study from Sri Lanka. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 2 (CSCW) 65, 1-22. doi: 10.1145/3274334
2018
Journal Article
Gamification for development: a case of collaborative learning in Sri Lankan primary schools
Halloluwa, Thilina, Vyas, Dhaval, Usoof, Hakim and Hewagamage, K. P. (2018). Gamification for development: a case of collaborative learning in Sri Lankan primary schools. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 22 (2), 391-407. doi: 10.1007/s00779-017-1073-6
2018
Conference Publication
Value for money: co-designing with underbanked women from rural Sri Lanka
Halloluwa, Thilina, Bandara, Pradeepa, Usoof, Hakim and Vyas, Dhaval (2018). Value for money: co-designing with underbanked women from rural Sri Lanka. 30th Australian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction, OzCHI 2018, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 4-7 December 2018. New York, United States: Association for Computing Machinery. doi: 10.1145/3292147.3292157
2017
Conference Publication
Designing for financial literacy: co-design with children in rural Sri Lanka
Halloluwa, Thilina, Vyas, Dhaval, Usoof, Hakim, Bandara, Pradeepa, Brereton, Margot and Hewagamage, Priyantha (2017). Designing for financial literacy: co-design with children in rural Sri Lanka. 16th IFIP TC 13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (INTERACT), Mumbai, India, 25-29 September 2017. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-67744-6_21
2016
Conference Publication
Gamifying mathematics for primary students in rural Sri Lanka
Halloluwa, Thilina, Vyas, Dhaval, Usoof, Hakim, Hewagamage, K. P. and Sahama, Tony (2016). Gamifying mathematics for primary students in rural Sri Lanka. 9th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, NordiCHI 2016, Gothenburg, Sweden, 23-27 October 2016. New York, United States: Association for Computing Machinery. doi: 10.1145/2971485.2971522
2016
Conference Publication
Interaction design for tablet based edutainment systems for mathematical education of primary students
Halloluwa, Thilina, Vyas, Dhaval, Sahama, Tony, Hewagamage, K. P. and Usoof, Hakim (2016). Interaction design for tablet based edutainment systems for mathematical education of primary students. 15th International Conference on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions, ICTer 2015, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 24- 25 August 2015. Piscataway, NJ United States: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. doi: 10.1109/ICTER.2015.7377706
2015
Conference Publication
Interaction design for tablet based edutainment systems for mathematical education of primary students
Halloluwa, Thilina, Vyas, Dhaval, Sahama, Tony, Hewagamage, K. P. and Usoof, Hakim (2015). Interaction design for tablet based edutainment systems for mathematical education of primary students. Fifteenth International Conference on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions (ICTer), Colombo, Sri Lanka, 24-25 August 2015. New York, NY USA: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. doi: 10.1109/ICTER.2015.7377706
2014
Journal Article
Stimulating learners' motivation in primary education in Sri Lanka - a literature review
Halloluwa, H. K. T. C., Usoof, Hakim and Hewagamage, K. P. (2014). Stimulating learners' motivation in primary education in Sri Lanka - a literature review. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 9 (1), 47-52. doi: 10.3991/ijet.v9i1.2964
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Thilina Halloluwa is:
- Available for supervision
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Available projects
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Inclusive Requirements and Context-Driven Design
This research project focuses on creating novel methods and AI-powered tools to capture the rich, diverse realities of user communities. We aim to translate a deep understanding of users' needs, contexts, and values directly into software models and design processes, making inclusivity a core and measurable engineering practice.
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Human-Centric Engineering Practice and Education
This research project is dedicated to pioneering the future of tech education and professional practice. We will investigate, design, and evaluate novel curricula, training frameworks, and AI-powered tools to embed ethics, inclusion, and societal impact as core competencies for the next generation of software engineers.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Learning in the Digital Age: Investigating the Role of Large Language Models to Address Dropout Rates in Higher Education
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Dhaval Vyas
Media
Enquiries
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