About CSC8603

Central to the Digital Civics agenda is a human-centred approach to designing digital services and technologies. This approach is exemplified by the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). HCI has developed over the last 30 years into a large research community studying how digital systems are designed to be usable, acceptable and provide a positive sense of engagement (for all citizens) – something that will be central to the success of digital civics projects.

HCI is a fundamentally cross- and multi-disciplinary field, and over the course of its history various disciplinary influences have come and gone. As a result, the approaches to understanding and concepts surrounding human interaction with technology have developed and transitioned alongside the development of technology itself. This module is focused on providing you with an overview of the history of HCI as a field, focusing on the different models and concepts of people and technology that have influenced the field at different periods of time. We will be looking at some of these changes through a combination of close reading, seminar discussion (led by you!) and self-organised activities related to questions and themes underpinning the field of HCI.