CMU HCII Process & Theory
This is a seminar for first semester Ph.D. students in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute. The primary goal is to give students experience and feedback in identifying interesting and tractable research problems in human-computer interaction from a variety of perspectives. Students will participate in a mini research project and be challenged to come up with a research idea and carry each through to an early prototype/testing stage. In addition to the research project, the course includes readings and exercises that should help new students with professional skills and career development.
These include
- skills at identifying and refining interesting HCI research topics and questions,
- skills at organizing and motivating research ideas,
- skills at writing critiques & reviewing proposals and articles,
- skills at articulating the values behind different genres of HCI research,
- skills at orally presenting research ideas,
- skills at writing a proposal,
- skills at writing a literature review,
- skills at working in interdisciplinary groups,
- help in selecting a research advisor,
- help in selecting a research career, and
- introduction to research ethics and the IRB process at CMU.
Schedule Overview
| Week | Topics | Homework (Due Sunday 11:59 PM) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction Developing research rubric Choosing an advisor panel |
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| 2 | Approaches to HCI | |
| 3 | Literature reviewing (see: Writing Literature Reviews) |
Submit summaries, challenges, and opportunities for 20 articles |
| 4 | Generating good research questions (see: Generating Research Questions) |
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| 5 | Writing a grant proposal (see: Writing Grant Proposals) |
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| 6 | Critiquing past fellowship applications | Submit critiques of each application |
| 7 | Elevator pitches (see: Giving Elevator Pitches) |
Submit your personal statement |
| 8 | Critiquing your fellowship applications | Submit your research proposal |
| 9 | Conferences and networking (see: Conferences & Networking) |
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| 10 | Midterm project updates | |
| 11 | Presenting well (see: Giving Presentations) |
Submit videotapes and critiques of everyone in your group |
| 12 | Writing a good paper (see: Writing Papers) |
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| 13 | Rebuttals and reviewing (see: Reviewing Papers) |
Submit your reviews |
| 14 | Mock PC | |
| 15 | IRB | Final project paper |
