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Contents | | | Preface | | | Introduction | | | Definition | | | Courses | | | Programs | | | Issues | | | References | | | Resources |
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ACM SIGCHI Curricula for Human-Computer Interaction
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by
Hewett, Baecker, Card, Carey, Gasen, Mantei, Perlman, Strong
and
Verplank
Copyright © 1992,1996 ACM SIGCHI |
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Contents | | | Preface | | | Introduction | | | Definition | | | Courses | | | Programs | | | Issues | | | References | | | Resources |
Last updated: 2008-04-11 Accesses since 1997-04-17: 129,987
Over the last twenty years, computer science has developed rapidly as a discipline. As the content of computer science has continued to evolve and gain new substance, the curriculum of computer science has continually been revised to reflect the new content and deeper understandings of the nature of computers and information. This active reorganization is as would be expected for a new, vigorously developing discipline.
The Association for Computing Machinery and the IEEE Computer Society, as the primary scientific/professional computer societies, have taken a leading role in the development of model curricula for computer science (ACM 1968, 1977, 1979; Denning, et al., 1988; IEEE Computer Society, 1976, 1983; ACM/IEEE-CS Joint Curriculum Task Force, 1991). Carnegie-Mellon University has also published a curriculum and its rationale (Shaw, 1985). As computer science curricula have developed, human-computer interaction (HCI) has, with other topics, gradually become a part of many of the curricula. For example, the Carnegie-Mellon curriculum report cited has a course in interface design, a collateral psychology course in human factors, and integrates human-computer interaction topics as appropriate in several courses (e.g., Languages, Interfaces, and their Processors). The recent ACM report on the core of computer science (Denning, et al., 1988), includes human-computer communication as one of nine subareas comprising computer science. Human-computer interaction topics are a part of this area as are topics in computer graphics. Human-computer interaction itself has over the last 10-15 years emerged as a focus research area with specialist organizations:
New research results have been generated from this focus. There has, however, been a shortage of educational materials for preparing courses in human-computer interaction. An ACM workshop on curricula in human-computer interaction was held in 1985 (Mantei, 1985) and several instructors have published descriptions of their courses (e.g., Green, 1984; Hewett, 1987a; Hix, 1990; Perlman, 1989; Strong, 1989; Verplank & Kim, 1987). The current level of activities and the development of studies in human-computer interaction is far enough along that the next step in developing educational programs is now possible. The time is appropriate to attempt initial inventories of the field and to make recommendations for education in human-computer interaction. To attempt such an exercise, the ACM Special Interest Group in Computer-Human Interaction (SIGCHI) created a Curriculum Development Group in August, 1988. The task of the committee was to produce a set of recommendations for education in human-computer interaction.
This is the report from that committee. The committee included members primarily from universities, but also members with experience in industrial organizations. All members had taught courses in this area and most were faculty regularly teaching such courses. In addition, most of the members of the group have, at one time or another, been actively engaged in the process of interactive software development and evaluation.
The committee had six face-to-face meetings over the course of two years. To gather input from the community of people interested in the teaching of human-computer interaction, the CDG solicited input through the SIGCHI Bulletin, organized two open SIG meetings at the CHI '89 and CHI '90 conferences on Human Factors in Computing Systems, conducted a tutorial session for CHI '91, worked with a curriculum advisory panel of 17 leading researchers in the field from Europe and North America, and, during the later stages of report preparation, recruited a large number of volunteer reviewers from a wide variety of career and educational backgrounds. These people provided feedback on various drafts of the curriculum document.
The following sections of the report detail our recommendations and rationale for teaching human-computer interaction in a university setting. Chapter 2 gives a working definition of human-computer interaction and its relationship to other bodies of knowledge. Chapter 3 details example designs for individual courses and, along with Chapter 4, lays out a basic approach to HCI education, the student populations we address, the educational programs, and how HCI fits into the curriculum. In addition, Chapter 4 proposes example curricula. The final chapter of the report, Chapter 5, discusses some of the educational issues raised by our recommendations and tries to identify the report's limitations and unresolved issues.
The Appendices serve as resources for individuals wishing to develop HCI education at their institution. Appendix A is a section on "Getting Started," and recommends books, journals, videos and other relevant materials to support possible courses. Appendix B lays out the curriculum of an Information Systems Program. Appendix C lists a curriculum that has been put in place in a Computer Science department. Appendix D describes an existing interdisciplinary curriculum. Each of these existing curricula differs from the suggested "ideal" curricula being recommended because of the political and resource constraints of its sponsoring institution, but in each case there is a strong conceptual relationship to the proposals in Chapter 4. Appendix E contains resource material from a sample university course that has been taught in HCI. This course is an undergraduate computer science course and the materials include syllabi, assignments, and examinations. Appendix F contains sample case studies from industry projects in HCI which can be used in the classroom.
Overall, this document is intended to be a resource for anyone wishing to put together either a single course or a program in human-computer interaction. The goal has been to avoid being prescriptive and to offer a structure which is flexible enough that individuals in differing environments can adapt, modify, and supplement the basic report and its recommendations in ways which are suitable for the environment in which they must work. Feedback on the contents of the report should be directed to the ACM SIGCHI Education Chair, ACM, 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036.
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