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HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION IN COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION

Article · January 2011

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 EDUCATION

HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION

IN COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION

Desislava Atanasova, Plamenka Hristova

Angel Kanchev University of Ruse

Abstract: Including Human computer interface as a subject in modern education for Computer
Science and related students is of very important. This could be clearly seen from the proposed subjects,
curricula and other specialized courses offered at universities in Europe and USA. How is this reflected in the
training of students in computer science in Bulgaria? A brief analysis of this issue and related problems, the
authors try to give in this article.
Keywords: Human-Computer Interaction, Human-Computer Interface, Education

INTRODUCTION
Human–computer interaction is the study, planning and design of the interaction
between people (users) and computers. It is often regarded as the intersection of computer
science, behavioural sciences, design and several other fields of study. There is currently
no agreed upon definition of the range of topics which form the area of human-computer
interaction. There are some working definitions, that at least permit to get down to the
practical work of deciding what is to be taught and one of them is:
Human-computer interaction is a discipline concerned with the design, evaluation
and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use and with the study of
major phenomena surrounding them [2].
Research in Human-Computer Interaction has been spectacularly successful, and
has fundamentally changed computing [1]. Through the past three decades, HCI has
progressively integrated its scientific concerns with the engineering goal of improving the
usability of computer systems and applications, thus establishing a body of technical
knowledge and methodology.
One of the most important fields of Human-Computer Interaction for us is Human-
Computer Interface (HCI) and its design.

EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES IN HCI

The objectives, pursued by HCI training, are to teach principles and techniques for
design and development both usable and secure systems, but also functional. Emphasis is
particularly the project construction and test methods for prototypes’ development and
evaluation and the psychological aspects of CHMI, too.
Long-term goal of HCI is to develop systems which minimize the barrier between the
human model understanding of what is need to get from the computer and the real
computer "perception" of the user task. This objective is the basis for building the subject’s
training.
People, dealing with HCI, are interested in developing new design methodologies,
experimenting with new hardware devices, prototyping new software systems, explaining
new paradigms of interaction and development of new models and theories of interaction.
To produce easy to use computer system, HCI professionals should:
 Understand the factors (physiological, ergonomic, organizational and social),
which determine how people handle and make efficient use of computer
technology;

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 EDUCATION
 Apply this understanding in tools and techniques development, that help the
designer to provide computer system, suitable for users, so that:
 Achieve efficient, effective and safe interaction with individual and group HCI

HCI IN COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION

Human-computer interaction (HCI) has long been a focal area for innovative,
multidisciplinary computing research and development. Ten years after the new
millennium began, it is time to ask where this increasingly important field is going. Are the
new forthcoming specialists in computer science ready for developing the HCI? Could they
improve and appreciate the new interesting and stimulating ideas on the future of our
interactions with computers?
How it is done worldwide?
In 1985, the ACM SIGCHI workshop on curricula in HCI (Mantei, 1985) proposed the
development of courses in HCI [2]. Since then, numerous individual courses have been
developed and instituted in many parts of the world [5]. The main proposed for the
curricula courses are shown on Table 1.
Table 1 Course Emphases on the Content of HCI [2]
CONTENT AREAS (course length CS1: UI CS2: PSY1: MIS1:
assumed to be 14 weeks with 42 Design & Phen & Psych of Human
contact hours total) Devel. Thy of HCI Aspects
HCI of IS
N The Nature of HCI
N1 (Meta-)Models of HCI 2 2 2 1
U Use and Context of Computers
U1 Human Social Organization and
2 4 4 4
Work
U2 Application Areas 1 1 1 4
U3 Human-Machine Fit and Adaptation 2 2 4 3
H Human Characteristics
H1 Human Information Processing 1 9 4 1
H2 Language, Communication and
1 5 2 2
Interaction
H3 Ergonomics 1 2 1 1
C Computer System and Interface
Architecture
C1 Input and Output Devices 2 0 3 2
C2 Dialogue Techniques 3 0 4 3
C3 Dialogue Genre 1 0 1 1
C4 Computer Graphics 1 0 1 1
C5 Dialogue Architecture 1 0 1 0
D Development Process
D1 Design Approaches 4 2 4 4
D2 Implementation Techniques 5 2 2 4
D3 Evaluation Techniques 5 6 4 3
D4 Example Systems and Case
3 2 2 4
Studies
P Project Presentations and
7 5 2 4
Examinations

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 EDUCATION
Table 1 relates the content of HCI and the emphases of each topic for each of four
proposed courses. All proposed in the curricula courses could be broadly characterized as
either technology oriented (CS1: User Interface Design and Development and CS2:
Phenomena and Theories of Human-Computer Interaction) or human oriented (PSY1:
Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction and MIS1: Human Aspects of Information
Systems). Also they are moving from a general professional/practical orientation (CS1 and
MIS1) to one that is more specialized and research oriented (CS2 and PSY1). Also the
courses should be specified, depending on the type of students – hardware or software
oriented; bachelor, master or PhD etc.
Main courses and their interaction are shown on figure 1.

Fig. 1 Human-Computer Interaction

How it is done in Bulgaria?
In our country, the education in Computer science is already well developed. But it is
not the same for including HCI in the computer science curricula in different universities.
As could be seen from Table 2, only a few universities have courses, which are
oriented only to HCI.
Table 2 HCI courses in some Bulgarian Universities
University Course Name Students degree
Sofia University Human Computer Interface Design Bachelor
Master specific course
Ruse University Human Computer Interface Bachelor (compulsory)
Plovdiv University Principles in user interface construction Bachelor (eligible)
for Web and Desktop applications
Technical University Human Computer Interface Master
– Varna
University of Human Computer Interface Design Bachelor (eligible)

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 EDUCATION
Librarian Knowledge
and Information
Technology - Sofia
There are lots of courses, which include parts (or themes) of technical oriented
aspects in HCI. But the time and themes are too small and definitely not enough for such
huge subject. Normally there are almost no courses, which deal with human aspects of
HCI.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN PROBLEMS

Studying HCI in computer science education in Bulgaria, we have found some
serious problems, namely:
 luck of appropriate learning systems ready for use – there are lots of systems,
which some lecturers made for their own use or purposes [2, 4], but that is not
a correct decision;
 luck of experience in biding education, in which the active side has to be the
student;
 there are almost no literature in university libraries and all available is in
English;
 a wide variety of software systems and interface types developed, which have
to be well known, so the systems could be effectively used.

WHAT SHALL WE DO?

The studying subject HCI in the Computer science courses review made, allow
making following conclusions:
 Offered subject is actual and useful.
 Studying HCI corresponds to update level in sufficient stage, but the time and
themes devoted to it in lectures are not enough.
 Preliminary students’ knowledge in the field of interface models development is
still very low.
 Students’ language training is not good enough.
and some recommendations:
 Force studying of interface models development, which are in the base of
design useful software systems.
 Familiarizing students in using on-line materials, so they will keep abreast of
the time and follow the novelty and tendencies in software development.
 At chance to increase the time, spend in learning business models designing
principles.

REFERENCES

[1] Brad A. Myers. "A Brief History of Human Computer Interaction

Technology." ACM interactions. Vol. 5, no. 2, March, 1998. pp. 44-54.
[2] Georgiewa E., M. Teodosieva, St. Smrikarova, Cv. Georgiev, Web based teching
in JAVA, Proceedings of the International Conference “E-Learning and
Knowledge Society”, (6 – 8 September), Ghent, Belgium, pp. 2.4.1 – 2.4.9
[3] Hewett, Baecker etc., ACM SIGCHI Curricula for Human-Computer Interaction,
http://old.sigchi.org/cdg/cdg2.html

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 EDUCATION
[4] Krastev G., M. Teodosieva, Information System for advertisement processing,
International Workshop “Computer Science and Education”, Borowetz – Sofia,
ISBN 954-535-401-1, 2005
[5] http://www.usabilitynet.org/usability/university.htm

CONTACT ADDRESSES
Desislava Stoyanova Atanasova, Assoc. Prof. PhD
Department of Informatics and Information Technologies
Angel Kanchev University of Ruse
tel.: +359 82 888 326
E-mail: [email protected]

Plamenka Todorova Hristova, Assistant Prof. PhD

Department of Informatics and Information Technologies
Angel Kanchev University of Ruse
tel.: +359 82 888 326
E-mail: [email protected]

ОБУЧЕНИЕТО ПО ЧОВЕКО-МАШИНЕН ИНТЕРФЕЙС В ОБЛАСТТА НА

КОМПЮТЪРНИТЕ НАУКИ В БЪЛГАРИЯ

Десислава Атанасова, Пламенка Христова

Русенски университет „Ангел Кънчев”

Резюме: Включването на човеко-машинния интерфейс като дисциплина в съвременното

образование на студентите от специалност Компютърни науки и свързаните с тях е доста
важно. Това може ясно да се види от предложените учебни дисциплини, учебни програми и
различни специализирани курсове, предлагани в университетите в Европа и САЩ. Как е отразено
това в обучението на студентите в областта на компютърните науки в България? Кратък
анализ на състоянието на този въпрос и свързаните с него проблеми, авторите се опитват да
дадат в настоящата статия.
Ключови думи: Човеко-машинно взаимодействие, Човеко-машинен интерфейс, Обучение

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