KV5003 - Human Computer Interaction

Students will learn through a combination of lectures about key principles, theories and topics in HCI, and practical classes (workshops) in which they will practice hands-on skills for user interface requirements elicitation, user-centred design, prototyping and evaluation. The module will be assessed in two ways through which students will gain both a critical understanding of the topic while developing demonstrable practical skills by submitting: (i) a reflective report on a contemporary HCI topic, using desk-based research including literature reviews; (ii) User-centred Design (UCD) Practical Work, including design artefacts, demonstrating a range of user-centred design skills. Students will also engage in peer communication and evaluation of each other’s work.

Support will be provided by a range of academic and professional support staff, including:

• The designated Module tutor. The module tutor may have other staff working with them on the module. With the module team, they will provide support for students including answering student queries and providing guidance in relation to the module, including its assessment and the student’s academic progress. You can seek support in-class and can also request it outside of class time via appointment (see ‘Communication with staff’)
• Professional support staff (including the Student Support Team) – the staff in the faculty office provide a first point of contact for a range of queries, including, for example, those concerning assessment submission, late submission / extensions, enrolment and visa related problems
• Communication with staff – this is supported in a number of ways, including:
• Email – you will be able to contact members of staff via email
• eLearning Portal (eLP) - this is used to provide you with specific information related to the module, such as copies of lecture and seminar handouts, assignment briefings, instructions, and announcements
• Appointments - members of staff operate an open-door policy. However, as academic staff may teach on many modules/programmes and be engaged in research activities, you are advised to make an appointment to see them.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:
• [MLO1] Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of user needs, capacities and limitations in multiple contexts of technology use and across technology platforms
• [MLO2] Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of interface design principles, theories, techniques and technologies
• [MLO3] Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the human factors of ethical and responsible technology design

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• [MLO4] Analyse, design, prototype and evaluate, ethical and responsible interactive computing technologies

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• [MLO5] Demonstrate critical engagement with contemporary HCI research (e.g. recent research papers)

Summative assessment for the course will comprise:

Coursework I (70%)
• Reflective Report (2000 words) in which students perform desk research on a contemporary HCI topic [MLO2, 3, 5]

Coursework II (30%)
• UCD Practical Work comprised of a collection of design artefacts that respond to a technology design brief. Students will be assessed based on the summative response they make to a series of UCD tasks. These will be released in stages and students will be encouraged to submit their work in a short period of time for formative feedback. However, the summative assessment will be a single submission of all the UCD practical work carried out. [MLO1, 2, 4]

Formal written feedback on both summative assessments will be provided for the coursework.

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Interactive technologies are all around us. We engage with them every day, including the computers we use for work and play, the mobile devices we use to communicate with one another, the wearables we attach to track and monitor our activities and the appliances we use to make our lives easier at home. To design these interactive products well, we need to study Human-Computer Interaction, learning how to make technologies easier and more enjoyable for people to use. The skills you will learn on this course will support you in designing, prototyping and evaluating technologies from a human-centred perspective. Through the course you will be exposed to world-leading research, conducted by Northumbria University academics, which will deepen your understanding of the ethical and responsible design of interactive technologies. Knowledge and skills developed in this module are vital for careers in User Experience (UX) design, development and consultancy.