Human-Computer Interaction
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide students with theoretical, methodological, and practical instruments to achieve a knowledge and awareness of what it means to design (for) and evaluate interaction with interactive computational systems and to make the user experience rewarding and engaging, considering the main dimensions of usability (notably effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction). Students will have to document a project of realistic complexity for the realization of an application (mobile or desktop) or online service, of which they will know how to evaluate different dimensions, including the technical feasibility and potentiality, or alternatively perform a comparative evaluation of existing state-of-the-art systems and services.
Expected learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the impact of design sciences and the paradigms of human-computer interaction on the design and evaluation of interactive intelligent systems for heterogeneous domains and environments.
2. Identify and explain the fundamental principles of user-centered design, usability, and user experience evaluation, along with human-AI interaction protocols and paradigms, recognizing their significance in creating effective and engaging interactive systems from an ethical, responsible, and human-centered perspective.
3. Apply user-centered design methodologies and human-AI interaction protocols to design and evaluate interactive systems.
4. Assess the ethical and social implications of AI systems, ensuring fair, accountable, transparent, and explainable AI.
5. Design advanced human-system interfaces, including sensing technologies, biometric systems, and computer vision for human-machine interaction.
1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the impact of design sciences and the paradigms of human-computer interaction on the design and evaluation of interactive intelligent systems for heterogeneous domains and environments.
2. Identify and explain the fundamental principles of user-centered design, usability, and user experience evaluation, along with human-AI interaction protocols and paradigms, recognizing their significance in creating effective and engaging interactive systems from an ethical, responsible, and human-centered perspective.
3. Apply user-centered design methodologies and human-AI interaction protocols to design and evaluate interactive systems.
4. Assess the ethical and social implications of AI systems, ensuring fair, accountable, transparent, and explainable AI.
5. Design advanced human-system interfaces, including sensing technologies, biometric systems, and computer vision for human-machine interaction.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
Contents
The what, how, and why of interaction design, intended as the practice of designing interactive things.
Course Syllabus
Detailed program of the course:
· Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
o Definition and aims of HCI
o History and development of HCI
o The role of HCI in Human-Centered AI
· Cultural and Conceptual Framework
o Definitions of practice, design, interaction (5 dimensions), thing
o Main IxD methodologies, limitations, and support
· User Needs and Quality in Interaction Design
o Satisfaction of user needs: what does it mean?
o Quality in IxD: what does it mean?
o Relationship with User Experience (UX)
o Types of sustainability
· Prototyping and User Involvement Techniques
o Techniques and tools for rapid prototyping
o Techniques of user involvement (user research)
o Technology impact on interaction
· Advanced Topics in HCI
o Introduction to Human-AI Interaction (HAII)
o Interaction Quality: psychometric and non-psychometric dimensions and metrics
o Evaluation of robustness, reliability, transparency in AI
o Conversational agents and chatbots: LLM and interaction quality metrics
o Methodological and conceptual paradigms for Human-AI Interaction (HAII)
o HAII protocols: opportunities and risks
· Ethical and Social Implications
o AI Act and evaluation of quality dimensions/standards
o FATE (Fair, Accountable, Transparent, Explainable) AI and relationships with HCI
o Ethical impact evaluation of AI (on companies and marginalized communities)
· Advanced Human-System Interfaces
o Overview of sensing technologies and analysis of sensing data
o Biometric systems: signals and continuous user authentication
o Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs): from research to real-life applications
o Computer Vision for Human-machine interaction
· Future Perspectives
o Human-Centered AI: AI that reflects human values
o Guidelines for Human-AI interaction
o Opportunities and challenges of value-aligned AI
o AI-Decentered Humanity
The what, how, and why of interaction design, intended as the practice of designing interactive things.
Course Syllabus
Detailed program of the course:
· Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
o Definition and aims of HCI
o History and development of HCI
o The role of HCI in Human-Centered AI
· Cultural and Conceptual Framework
o Definitions of practice, design, interaction (5 dimensions), thing
o Main IxD methodologies, limitations, and support
· User Needs and Quality in Interaction Design
o Satisfaction of user needs: what does it mean?
o Quality in IxD: what does it mean?
o Relationship with User Experience (UX)
o Types of sustainability
· Prototyping and User Involvement Techniques
o Techniques and tools for rapid prototyping
o Techniques of user involvement (user research)
o Technology impact on interaction
· Advanced Topics in HCI
o Introduction to Human-AI Interaction (HAII)
o Interaction Quality: psychometric and non-psychometric dimensions and metrics
o Evaluation of robustness, reliability, transparency in AI
o Conversational agents and chatbots: LLM and interaction quality metrics
o Methodological and conceptual paradigms for Human-AI Interaction (HAII)
o HAII protocols: opportunities and risks
· Ethical and Social Implications
o AI Act and evaluation of quality dimensions/standards
o FATE (Fair, Accountable, Transparent, Explainable) AI and relationships with HCI
o Ethical impact evaluation of AI (on companies and marginalized communities)
· Advanced Human-System Interfaces
o Overview of sensing technologies and analysis of sensing data
o Biometric systems: signals and continuous user authentication
o Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs): from research to real-life applications
o Computer Vision for Human-machine interaction
· Future Perspectives
o Human-Centered AI: AI that reflects human values
o Guidelines for Human-AI interaction
o Opportunities and challenges of value-aligned AI
o AI-Decentered Humanity
Prerequisites for admission
There are no formal prerequisites for this course. Basic concepts of human-computer interaction will be outlined at the beginning of the course. However, students are encouraged to deepen their input knowledge, if any, by following the recommended readings in the coursework.
Teaching methods
The course will be delivered through a combination of lectures and practical classes. Teaching methods include:
· Erogative - Lectures: To cover foundational concepts and theoretical aspects.
· Interactive - Guided practical work: Group activities, including project work, where students apply explained theories, interaction guidelines, and collaboration protocols to real-world case studies.
The teaching activity will be delivered in person, unless otherwise indicated, due to national and/or University directives due to the prolonged COVID-19 emergency. In that case, face-to-face classes and lab lectures will be primarily synchronous (with strongly promoted participation) via WebEx or an equivalent platform as indicated on the course website.
· Erogative - Lectures: To cover foundational concepts and theoretical aspects.
· Interactive - Guided practical work: Group activities, including project work, where students apply explained theories, interaction guidelines, and collaboration protocols to real-world case studies.
The teaching activity will be delivered in person, unless otherwise indicated, due to national and/or University directives due to the prolonged COVID-19 emergency. In that case, face-to-face classes and lab lectures will be primarily synchronous (with strongly promoted participation) via WebEx or an equivalent platform as indicated on the course website.
Teaching Resources
Study readings will be indicated during the course. The students are encouraged to consult the suggested readings and to autonomously deepen their knowledge by exploring the related literature.
Core shared resources include:
· Slides and articles provided by the teacher
· Collaborative notes
· Class Recordings
Core shared resources include:
· Slides and articles provided by the teacher
· Collaborative notes
· Class Recordings
Assessment methods and Criteria
The final exam is oral and individual, although presented as members of a team; some questions may be closed-ended and to be answered with one's own smartphone or PC. The project concerns the preliminary feasibility study and rapid prototyping of an IT service or application or the usability assessment of a state-of-the-art service/system. Students are required to bring the whole project documentation, whose presentation to sponsor/customer can be a specific component if requested.
The final evaluation will consider the following criteria:
· Correctness: Appropriate use of design and evaluation methodologies.
· Completeness: Thoroughness of the project, including all required sections and analyses.
· Precision: Accuracy in documenting the design and interaction processes.
· Correspondence: Alignment of the project outcomes with the initial objectives and assigned tasks.
The final grade will be a weighted sum of the scores from each assessment component. The total score will be converted to a scale of 30 points, with each component contributing to the final mark.
The final evaluation will consider the following criteria:
· Correctness: Appropriate use of design and evaluation methodologies.
· Completeness: Thoroughness of the project, including all required sections and analyses.
· Precision: Accuracy in documenting the design and interaction processes.
· Correspondence: Alignment of the project outcomes with the initial objectives and assigned tasks.
The final grade will be a weighted sum of the scores from each assessment component. The total score will be converted to a scale of 30 points, with each component contributing to the final mark.
INF/01 - INFORMATICS - University credits: 6
Lessons: 48 hours
Professor:
Cabitza Federico