CS 546: Human-Computer Interaction
Course Syllabus
| Course: | CS 546, Human-Computer Interaction, Fall 2025 |
| Location: | Unity Hall 405 |
| Tuesdays 6-8:50pm |
|
| Professor: | Erin Solovey |
| Email: | esolovey @ wpi.edu |
| Office: | Fuller Laboratory 232 |
| Office Hours: | Posted on website |
| TA: | Tasnova Tabassum |
| Email: | ttabassum @ wpi.edu |
| Office Hours: | TBD |
Why the "Human" Comes First in Human-Computer Interaction
For computer scientists, the word design is too often used exclusively in the context of code and architecture. The result of this narrow perspective is that engineers have a habit of building complex, intricate products that are wonderfully functional, but never used. When they are used, neglecting people in your design can lead to unexpected consequences that range from clumsiness to discrimination for individuals, groups, or cultures.This course explores how people interact with technology, and how we can design those interactions to be intuitive, ethical, and impactful. We’ll study both human behavior and computational systems to understand how interfaces shape our actions, decisions, and relationships.
Why HCI Matters More Than Ever
Computers are no longer confined to desktops. They’re embedded in our homes, cars, classrooms, and even our bodies. We interact with them through voice, gesture, gaze, and AI-driven systems. As computing becomes more pervasive, the quality of our interactions with technology directly affects our quality of life.Whether you're building apps, wearables, or intelligent systems, understanding HCI is essential. Usability and user experience are not just “nice to have.” They’re competitive advantages and ethical imperatives.
In this class, you will learn to:
- Identify Human-Centered Problems: Discover design opportunities grounded in real human needs and behaviors.
- Apply Human-Centered Design Processes: Use iterative, research-based methods to design and evaluate interactive systems.
- Explore Emerging Interaction Paradigms: Engage with cutting-edge topics like AI-assisted interfaces, extended reality (XR), multimodal interaction, and inclusive design.
- Practice HCI Research Methods: Develop skills in prototyping, user research, critical reading, and communicating design insights, preparing you for both industry and academic research.
Responsibilities
Participation, Professionalism, and Critique
When the core content of a course involves people, engagement is essential. In this class, we will engage in collaborative design exercises, test interactive systems with one another, and provide thoughtful critiques of each other’s work. Because of this, participation plays a larger role in your grade than in many other courses. Coffee up!Your participation grade will reflect:
- Consistent attendance and punctuality
- Active involvement in class activities and discussions
- Constructive and respectful critique of classmates’ work
- Occasional short quizzes on assigned readings or videos
Learning Materials & In-Class Activities
Each week, the course schedule will include materials for you to read, watch, or listen to in advance. These will help you engage more deeply with our in-class work. Class sessions will combine short lectures to introduce or clarify concepts with hands-on activities, discussions, and collaborative exercises. You’ll have time in class to explore ideas, iterate on designs, present your work, and give and receive constructive critiques. This blend of lecture and active learning is designed to help you both understand the concepts and apply them in practice.You’ll be assessed through:
- Occasional reading/video quizzes
- Occasional written reflections on class activities
- Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction - Open Access textbook by Kasper Hornbæk, Per Ola Kristensson, Antti Oulasvirta
- Designing with the Mind in Mind by Jeff Johnson
- The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
- Human-Computer Interaction : An Empirical Research Perspective by Scott MacKenzie
- Sketching User Experiences: Getting the Design Right and the Right Design by Bill Buxton
Presentations
Each student will give an individual presentation and lead a class discussion on one of the special topic readings. This is an opportunity to deepen your understanding of a specific area of HCI and to help your peers engage critically with the material. You will be responsible for:- Preparing and posting slides that summarize the reading and present your analysis and critique of the work.
- Situating the reading within the broader context of the course (e.g., how it connects to themes, methods, or debates we've discussed).
- Leading a discussion, encouraging thoughtful dialogue and questions from your classmates.
Assignments
Assignments will solidify and expand on topics presented in lectures. Some of these will be done in class. Any work unfinished at the end of class will be completed on your own time before the next class meeting.Team Project
This course includes a multi-week team project that synthesizes the concepts, methods, and skills developed throughout the semester. Students will work in small teams to either:- Design and prototype an interactive system that addresses a real-world HCI challenge, or
- Conduct an HCI research study, such as an empirical investigation, usability evaluation, or exploratory study of emerging interaction modalities.
- Design documentation or research proposal
- Working prototype or study implementation
- Evaluation results or data analysis
- Final presentation and reflection
At the end of the project, students will evaluate the contributions of their fellow team members. These peer evaluations will be used alongside the overall group project grade to determine each student's final grade for the project.
Individual grades may be adjusted based on:
- The quality and consistency of contributions as reported by team members
- Evidence of collaboration, initiative, and responsibility
- Any documented concerns or exceptional contributions
Exams
There will be no exams.Grading
In this course, grading is designed not only to evaluate your work but to cultivate the professional skills expected in HCI research and practice. Rubrics will be provided for most assignments. These are detailed evaluation frameworks that:- Specify the standards for exemplary, satisfactory, and incomplete work
- Clarify expectations before you begin
- Serve as a tool for self-review before submission
- Group Project: 45%
- Assignments (pre-class, in-class, presentation): 45%
- Participation (reading/response/attendance/engagement/etc.): 10%
Regrade requests
In graduate-level work, evaluation is part of an iterative process—similar to how research papers are reviewed and authors respond with clarifications or additional evidence. If you believe a grading decision on an assignment or exam does not accurately reflect your work, you may submit a formal regrade request.Timeline: Requests must be submitted within one week of the grade being posted. After this period, you may still discuss your work for learning purposes, but no grade adjustments will be made.
Process:
- Prepare a written, professional explanation addressed to your grader.
- For each rubric item in question, clearly state:
- The score you believe is appropriate
- A concise rationale supported by evidence from your work, the rubric, and/or relevant course materials
- The entire assignment will be re-evaluated, not just the items contested.
- As with professional peer review, reassessment can result in a higher score, a lower score, or no change.
- Only one regrade request per assignment is permitted.
Late Work
Assignments are expected to be submitted by the posted deadline. Work submitted late without prior arrangement will be penalized at 10% of the total possible points per calendar day past the deadline.If you anticipate difficulty meeting a deadline due to illness, personal emergency, or other exceptional circumstances, contact the instructor before the due date whenever possible to discuss alternative arrangements. Extensions are granted at the instructor’s discretion and typically require a clear plan for completion.
Technical issues (e.g., file corruption, last-minute network problems) are not generally accepted as reasons for waiving late penalties—plan ahead and back up your work.
Inclusivity & Professional Conduct
This course values and relies on diversity of perspectives, experiences, and disciplines. Effective human–computer interaction design depends on engaging with varied viewpoints and respecting the lived experiences of others.All members of the class are expected to:
- Engage respectfully in discussions and critiques, even when viewpoints differ.
- Listen actively and ensure all voices have the opportunity to be heard.
- Contribute constructively to group work, honoring deadlines and shared responsibilities.
- Uphold professional standards in communication—both verbal and written—and in how you represent your work.
- Consider inclusivity in your designs, proactively addressing accessibility, cultural context, and ethical implications.
Communication
The instructor will disseminate important announcements through Canvas. Also, Canvas contains a timeline with links to all information (lecture slides, assignments, etc.) relevant to the course.Generative AI Usage Policy (adapted from Prof. Gillian Smith)
I want this to be a class where we can come to a greater understanding of what generative AI systems mean for our discipline. We can learn together about what works, what doesn't, and how it's going to impact your creative and/or research processes. We will also discuss inherent biases in generative AI systems in class, and what that means for usage both in class and in our larger professional context.To support these goals, I request the following:
- If you decide to use generative AI in a project or assignment, please disclose how you have used it in a supplemental document that you upload with your submission. At a minimum, I want to know: which tool(s) you used and for what, what you perceive as the pros and cons of having used it, how you incorporated generative AI into your process, and whether there remains text/code/art/music generated by the system in your final product.
- If you use a generative AI system and do not understand its output (e.g. it creates code or written language you do not understand), please make your best attempt at understanding it. You can always bring it to me or a TA with questions.
- Generative AI usage should be supplemental to your own work. Do: feel free to experiment with it for brainstorming, use it to embellish work you have done, or significantly modify its output (with disclosure!). Don't: give an assignment prompt as input and paste the output as your submission.
- Using generative AI is absolutely not mandatory or expected. If you prefer to avoid these tools, for whatever reason, that's okay!