Course content

The summer school can span all aspects of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), i.e.:

• User interface technologies and interaction techniques.
• User-centred design methods.
• Theoretical and philosophical foundations of HCI.
• Research methods in HCI.
• Ethics and sustainability in relation to digital technology.
• Aesthetics of interaction.
• Participatory design.

The exact choice and composition of topics in a given year may vary. The school also address cross-cutting concerns like peer review, presentation of own research, and international collaboration.

Learning outcome

After having successfully completed the course, students are expected to have mastered the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

• Knowledge of advanced research in and understanding of academic theory of human-computer interaction.

Skills

• Ability to select appropriate research methods and techniques suitable for the candidate's research field.
• Ability to comprehend complex academic issues and the related ethical considerations pertaining to the design and conduct of research.

General competence

• Capability to apply current abstract research and methods to specific problems.

Learning methods and activities

The course involves preparation of a presentation for the summer school related to the PhD candidate's research, presenting and discussing it during the summer school, and working it into an essay that is submitted some time after the summer school.

The summer school will consist of presentations by experts in the field, presentations by PhD students that are followed by discussions, and open discussions on current topics in HCI.

Further on evaluation

The evaluation is pass/fail based on having taken active part in the summer school and a submitted essay in the following autumn semester. Retake requires having taken active part in the summer school.

Recommended previous knowledge

It is assumed that the PhD candidate has the required background for a PhD in HCI.

Required previous knowledge

Basic knowledge in HCI is required.

Admission to the course is limited, and based on a written application.

The summer school is done in cooperation with the Nordic HCI conference (NordiCHI) and University of Oslo, and is consequently open for students outside NTNU.