Course Description

In this seminar, students focus on current research topics in human-computer interaction (HCI). First, we give an overview of current research in HCI and their accompanying research methods. Then, we look into various state-of-the-art interaction techniques, styles, and paradigms and discuss the main challenges for conducting research in these different realms. Finally, we also cover the main theoretical approaches in HCI (e.g., activity theory, distributed cognition, entanglement HCI, and phenomenology) and relate them to current research and developments.

We start this seminar with a small number of lectures and discussions on the basic literature in this field. Then students can select from a given set of topics. We expect students to prepare and present the chosen topic and discuss the insights with the seminar group. Based on the results of the discussion, participants will elaborate on their topic in more detail in a research paper. 

A student who has completed this seminar should have the following learning outcomes - they

• know main issues and challenges in current HCI research, but also new research problems,
• understand the societal and ethical implications of interactive technologies,
• can apply HCI concepts and methods in the analysis, design, and evaluation of interactive technologies,
• can plan and implement exploratory projects directed at envisioning and prototyping novel interactive artifacts,
• can present and discuss central topics in the HCI field in a scientific manner, both orally and in writing.

Please note: participation in this seminar is highly encouraged for students who plan to conduct their master thesis at the Human-Centered Computing research group.

Here you can find our Code of Conduct.