Class description
This is the graduate student introductory course to the field of
Human-Computer Interaction. The class will equally split between two
main topics:
- Experimental design. HCI, by its very nature, is an experimental
branch of computer science. In this class, we will review key aspects of
experimental design, including: how to identify tractable problems,
how to identify key variables, how to gather data, and how to analyze
and report the experimental results.
- HCI Models, Theories and Frameworks. Models theories and frameworks
are key to the formulation of research hypothesis that might be put to
the test by experiments. This class will offer a survey of the key
models and theories currently in use, and explore how they can be used
in practice to better further our understanding of human computer
interactions and design better interfaces.
Class format
In the
classroom, the format will focus on open discussion based on reading
assign each week. Outside the classroom, the class will
focus on conducting a research project. After identifying an
important research question, each student (or small group of
students) will design conduct and analyze the result of an experiment. The
outcome of this work will be a report formatted as a submission for a
major conferences in the field such as CHI or UIST.
|