Topic Assignment 1 – Topic Selection

 For this assignment, you will decide what HCI topic you want to study.

Reading List

There are no reading assignments for this assignment

Assignment Description

Topic Selection

Graduate students should select a topic in HCI for their paper and presentation to the class. Although the presentation and paper are based on the same topic, they are different. The presentation is an introduction of the topic to the class and me. The paper explains some unique ideas you have about the topic and is written for me to read.

You can choose any topic in HCI. At the bottom of this web page is a list of potential topics. It is not exhaustive and you do not have to choose from the list. I would prefer that you choose a topic not in the list. If you have started your graduate research then selecting a topic that is related to your research would be good.

Some of the topics in the list are very broad, so when you describe your topic in your submit on Canvas be as explicit as you can. It is fine if your topic selection is not specific, but then during your initial research into the topic you will want to find a specific subtopic that interests you.

There is not much time during the semester, so try to accelerate the process. As you read the literature, ask your self, “Exactly what interest me in this topic?” If your topic becomes more refined or changes, you can refine your topic description or even change your topic.

The presentation will be scheduled either to present to the entire class hour or to your undergraduate team after the Spring Break. The paper will be due before the presentation and is about 10 pages single spaced. The presentation and the paper are different. The presentation should be a survey of literature of the topic and introduces the topic to the class. The paper is to present original ideas, and should introduce only the relevant prior work.

Partial List of Example Topics

  • Information Visualization
  • Fitts/Steering Law
  • Task analysis
  • Affective HCI
  • Collaborative/Social Work (CSCW)
  • 3d User Interfaces and Interactions
  • Human Robot Interaction (HRI)
  • Search and Rescue: Human Robot Interaction (HRI)
  • Multi-robot HRI
  • HRI Theory and evaluation
  • HRI Programming
  • Tangible User Interface (TUI)
  • Usability
  • Evaluation
  • Users Models
  • Gesturing HCI
  • Natural Language HCI
  • Ubiquitous HCI
  • Universal usability
  • Older computer user
  • Mobile HCI
  • Stakeholder analysis
  • Requirement gathering and analysis
  • Haptic displays and interactions

Submit on Canvas

Please submit your topic on canvas. The submission should include:

  • Your name
  • Your topic title (no more than 5 words)
  • A few sentences description of your topic

Please submit promptly because I need time to have your directory setup. I will use the order that I that the assignments are submitted to decide on the order of presentations.

Grading Rubric

The topic selection will be evaluated for promptness. I will evaluate this assignment complete or incomplete and give feedback about your topic.

Prepare for the Next Assignment

The next topic assignment is the topic paper. To prepare, read