Curriculum (Old study regulations)

9

The students will master core methods and theories for understanding and analysing human interaction with technology, including usability methods and central HCI research methods. They will know how to apply core HCI principles and methods to novel (and real-world)  problems and tasks, and will have developed an understanding of how system design decisions and technology aspects impact people’s lives, regarding functionality, usability and user experience and the wider use context. Students will be able to assess interactive systems for usability using appropriate evaluation techniques and methods, to adapt and adjust these techniques and methods in light of the given problem and use context, and to justify research method, design and implementation choices. They will understand and be able to discuss complex HCI issues from the research literature for emerging areas of human-computer interaction, such as Ubiquitous Computing, and will be able to engage with the literature and to acquire other methods independently.

In addition, social and general transferable skills are trained via group work in the classes based on concrete problems and tasks.

• HCI research methods (qualitative and quantitative, i.e. lab studies, ethnography, field studies) 
• System evaluation techniques and methods
• History of HCI and interface technologies (paradigms and theory trends) 
• Usability concepts and factors
• Usability engineering and testing
• Experimental Study Design and Statistical Analysis
• Ethical issues in HCI research and Usability (informed consent, privacy rights, effects of technology on society)
• Role of the use context 
• Role of user-centered design for development of novel technologies, e.g. UbiComp
• societal, ethical, and user-research issues for novel technologies

Lectures and practical sessions combined with individual and group-based study related to theoretical and practical aspects of the contents. Practical sessions include project-oriented and lab work based on concrete problems (problem-based learning approach) and student presentations. Assignments require students to apply methods and approaches as well as theoretical concepts to practical problems and tasks, and to work with and critically reflect on the literature. Academic staff and doctoral students provide supervision and feedback.

Classes in this module consist of 2 SWS of lecture and 1 SWS practical session per week during the semester.

As a large part of this module focuses on conveying method skills and competencies, the class is largely assessed via practical coursework that addresses complex problems and oral presentations. In total, coursework consists of a maximum of 10 assignments distributed over the module, with a larger, final assignment requiring the integration and application of course contents and skills in addressing a complex problem.  

Introductory Literature: 

• Jonathan Lazar,  Jinjuan Heidi Feng, and  Harry Hochheiser. Research Methods in Human-computer Interaction. Wiley Publishers
• Judith S. Olson, Wendy A. Kellogg (eds.) Ways of Knowing in HCI. Springer 2014
• Harper, Rodden, Rogers, Sellen (eds.). Being Human: Human-Computer Interaction in the Year 2020. Microsoft Research Ltd 2008

Please check the course websites for updates.

The module allows choosing two out of the following courses:

• Advanced HCI: HCI theory and research methods (Prof. Hornecker) 2+1
• Usability Engineering and Testing (Prof. Bertel) 2+1
• Advanced HCI: UbiComp (Prof. Hornecker) 2+1

Students should prioritize the first two courses listed. Alternative courses – if any – that can be used to substitute these concrete courses will be announced in the course catalogue of each semester.

4.5 ECTS
4.5 ECTS

Information Processing and Presentation (IPP)

HCI-IPP

Depends on the individual curriculum

9

Jun.-Prof. Sven Bertel

Basic knowledge of HCI and computer graphics at bachelor level from a suitable previous degree

Coursework (written or via presentations) in combination with a final module exam (written or oral). Successful coursework is a requirement for the exam.
Language: English
Exam duration: 30-45 minutes (oral) or 90-150 minutes (written).
The resulting grade of the module is calculated as the weighted mean of the grades obtained in the component courses, weighted by the courses’ ECTS points.

The students will have an overview of predominant theories, models, techniques, methods, and concepts about information processing in and presentation for humans as well as selected artificial systems. Students will understand the technical approaches for user simulation and modelling and for the adequate presentation of diverse simulation and experimental data. Students will be able to assess the appropriateness and effectiveness of selected approaches for complex problems, and are able to justify their choices of methods. They will know a state-of-art selection of applications to human-computer interaction, intelligent user interfaces, multi-media information design and presentation, visualization of data from different sources and of different types and other areas. Furthermore, students will be able to competently classify datasets into various categories and are able to design, implement, customize and evaluate appropriate information presentation applications and their interfaces based on the acquired knowledge. Based on the conceptual overview and initial training provided by this module, they will be able to independently engage with the literature in this area and to learn further techniques

The core topics are:

 
• Visualization of multi-dimensional and hierarchical data, graphs, time lines, cartographic and categorical data
• Concepts and techniques for visualizing volumetric and vector-based data
• Introduction to cognitive systems and architectures; production, connectionist, and hybrid systems
• External cognition, general models, and individual abilities and their application to HCI, intelligent user interfaces, and information design
 

Lectures and practical sessions combined with individual and group-based study related to theoretical and practical aspects of the contents. Practical sessions can include project-oriented and lab work based on concrete problems (problem-based learning approach).

Classes in this module consist of a 90min lecture and 45min practical session per week during the semester. Coursework consists of overall 10 to maximally 12 assignments distributed over the module.

Various approaches presented in lectures will be studied, in part practically through labs and assignments, and with case studies. Lab classes focus on implementing, testing and evaluating the visualization approaches presented during the lectures. Postdoctoral researchers, doctoral students and teaching assistants are supervising the students. They are available for intensive discussions and immediate feedback.

This module conveys method skills and theoretical and practical backgrounds, which are assessed via an oral or written exam, and through group presentations throughout the course. Practical skills and implementation competencies are assessed via coursework.

Literature:

The Cambridge Handbook of Computational Psychology by Ron Sun.

Information Visualization (2nd Edition) by Robert Spence.

The module consists of the following courses:

 
• Visualization (Prof. Fröhlich) 90+45min/week (lecture + lab)
 
• Cognitive Systems (Jun.-Prof. Bertel) 90+45min/week (lecture + lab)
 

Alternative courses – if any – that can be used to substitute these concrete courses will be announced in the course catalogue of each semester.

4.5 ECTS
4.5 ECTS

Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR)

HCI-VRAR

Depends on the individual curriculum

9

Prof. Bernd Fröhlich

Basic knowledge of HCI and computer graphics at bachelor level from a suitable previous degree

The core topics are:

• 3D user interfaces
• Stereoscopic display technology
• Image enhancement, feature extraction and segmentation
• Object categorization and recognition

The lab classes focus on implementing, testing and evaluating the various algorithms and approaches presented during the lectures using state-of-the-art software frameworks.

Lectures and practical sessions combined with individual and group-based study related to theoretical and practical aspects of the contents. Practical sessions can include project-oriented and lab work based on concrete problems (problem-based learning approach).

Classes in this module consist of a 90min lecture and 45min practical session per week during the semester. The practical sessions are at least 50% hands-on sessions in the labs of the involved professorships. Coursework consists of maximally 12 assignments distributed over the module. Postdoctoral researchers, doctoral students and teaching assistants are supervising the students. They are available for intensive discussions and immediate feedback.

This module conveys method skills and theoretical and practical backgrounds, which are assessed via an oral or written exam. Practical skills and implementation competencies are assessed via coursework.

Literature:

R.C. Gonzalez and R.E. Woods: Digital image processing, Prentice Hall, 2008

Bowman et al. 3D User Interface Design: Fundamental Techniques, Theory, and Practice. Addison-Wesley, 2005

The module consists of the following courses:

 
• Virtual Reality (Prof. Fröhlich) 90+45min/week (lecture + lab)
• Image Analysis (Prof. Rodehorst) 90+45min/week (lecture + lab)
 

Alternative courses – if any – that can be used to substitute these concrete courses will be announced in the course catalogue of each semester.

4.5 ECTS
4.5 ECTS

Mobile Human-Computer Interfaces (Mobile HCI)

HCI-MHCI

9

270h, thereof 66h In-class study, 54h coursework, 70 Self-study, 80h exam preparation

Prof. Volker Rodehorst

Basic knowledge of HCI and programming skills at bachelor level from a suitable previous degree

Coursework in combination with an intermediate and final module exam (written or oral). Successful coursework is a requirement for the exam.
Language: English
Exam duration: 30-45 minutes (oral) or 90-150 minutes (written).
The resulting grade of the module is calculated as the weighted mean of the grades obtained in the component courses, weighted by the courses’ ECTS points.

The students have an overview of history and current state of software and hardware of mobile devices as well as of the basics of spatial information systems. They can evaluate bandwidth limitations of mobile networks and their implications for mobile applications, in particular in the context of distributed information systems. They are able to analyze, design, implement and test mobile applications including peer-to-peer communication based on the acquired knowledge. The students can control the processes, data structures and interfaces for the acquisition, organization, analysis and presentation of spatial data.  Furthermore, they can assess the core components of geographical information systems and apply this information in mobile and other location-based services. They can use their skills to solve complex problems in the context of spatial/mobile information systems and create new society relevant applications.

The core topics are:

• Architecture of mobile networks
  
• Location discovery & queries
  
• Service discovery & ad-hoc networking
  
• Bandwidth & connectivity
  
• Acquisition of spatial data and public resources
  
• Reference systems and map projections
  
• (Geo-)databases and efficient data structures
  
• Geometrical and topological data analysis
  
• Cartographic generalization and visualization

Lab classes focus on designing, implementing, testing and evaluating mobile applications using state-of-the-art software frameworks. In hands-on sessions with geographical information systems students become familiar with the processes and interfaces for handling spatial data.

Lectures and practical sessions combined with individual and group-based study related to theoretical and practical aspects of the contents. Practical sessions can include project-oriented and lab work based on concrete problems (problem-based learning approach).

Classes in this module consist of a 90min lecture and a 45min practical session per week during the semester. The practical sessions are at least 50% hands-on sessions in the labs of the involved professorships. Coursework consists of maximally 12 assignments distributed over the module. Postdoctoral researchers, doctoral students and teaching assistants are supervising the students. They are available for intensive discussions and immediate feedback.

This module conveys method skills and theoretical and practical backgrounds, which are assessed via an oral or written exam. Practical skills and implementation competencies are assessed via coursework.

Up-to-date literature recommendations will be announced in the course catalogue of each semester.

The module consists of the following courses:

• Mobile Information Systems (Jun.-Prof. Echtler) 90+45min/week (lecture + lab)
• Geographical Information Systems (GIS) (Prof. Rodehorst) 90+45min/week (lecture + lab)

Alternative courses – if any – that can be used to substitute these concrete courses will be announced in the course catalogue of each semester.

4.5 ECTS
4.5 ECTS

Weekly over the course of 2 semesters

Prof. Eva Hornecker

M.Sc. Human Computer Interaction

Bachelor degree in a relevant field for HCI

Varies, depending on choice of specific courses taken.
Language: English (German courses may also be selected)
The resulting grade of the module is calculated as the weighted mean of the grades obtained in the component courses, weighted by the courses’ECTS credits.

Students acquire in-depth knowledge of specialized HCI topics and broaden their knowledge of HCI-related areas. Depending on the chosen classes, through taking courses from other disciplines, such as media studies or design/arts disciplines, students gain exposure to different disciplinary cultures and styles of working, methodologies and approaches, as well as first-hand experience of working in interdisciplinary teams.

Electives can be freely chosen from all courses offered within computer science and media, humanities related to media, media management, media arts and design, media studies, architecture and urbanism, art and design, as well as advanced English courses. Students may also do a project offered by other study programs as part of their electives. Provided the approval of the curricula committee, students can also choose courses from other faculties. It is recommended to partake in classes with at least 6 ECTS from art/design oriented areas (such as architecture, art and design, media arts and design). 

Teaching and learning forms depend on the individual choice of courses, and may range from lectures and practical sessions over project work and seminars.

Research Project I/II

HCI-RP1/-RP2

1 or 2 or 3

Every semester

Over the course of one semester

15

450h, thereof 45h in organized meetings/ classes and 405h Self-study

Respective professorship

M.Sc. Human-Computer Interaction

Open to other M.Sc. students of collaborating professorships.

Basic knowledge of HCI at bachelor level from a suitable previous degree

Completion of a body of work and its documentation, usually in the form of a scientific report. Specific criteria for evaluation will be announced in the course catalogue and at the beginning of the individual project. Quality of the presentation, results achieved, autonomy in work and creativity are important factors.

Depending on the type of project, students have gained practical experience with the design, implementation and evaluation of software systems and their user interfaces or have practical experience of designing, planning and running user studies within particular domains or related to specific user interface technologies.

Participants refine their presentation skills via independent literature research based on current publications and presentations on the various aspects and milestones of the project. An evaluation and documentation of the results in the form of a scientific report completes the project. As a result of various types of activities involving presentations, participants have experience presenting and explaining their work in oral and written form. They understand the importance of project management and organisation for complex projects and are accustomed to acquiring new skills and knowledge in self-study.

Projects require considerable autonomy from students and train social and general transferable skills via group work and independent research (team work, self-organisation, project management).

Depends on individual topic

Within the project, students work on research topics in close collaboration with the supervising professors and their research assistants. In many cases, the projects focus on the design, implementation and evaluation of software systems and their user interfaces with a particular emphasis on team work. Projects may also focus on designing, planning and running user studies within particular domains or related to specific user interface technologies.

Projects will often produce a body of practical work or a working system, and a scientific report, or may predominantly result in a larger scientific report.

Projects confront students with complex problems of scientific relevance and require as well as train autonomy and creativity as well as problem-solving skills and team work. They are at the core of the Bauhaus tradition of teaching.

Typically, project teams meet once a week with the supervising professors and their research assistants. The majority of effort consists of autonomous self-study.

Master Thesis Module

HCI-MT

4

Every semester

Anytime, 5 months

30 (24 written thesis, 6 defence)

900h, of which 700h in self-study, 20h in meetings with the supervisor, and 180h for the defence and its preparation (1h for the defence itself)

Respective professorship

At least 60 ECTS of the HCI master have to be successfully completed. English proficiency at C1 level (CERT).

Written thesis in the style of a scientific publication (weight 80%) and a related defence (weight 20%)

In the thesis, the students prove their ability to perform independent scientific work in the area of HCI on an adequately challenging topic within a given timeframe. They utilize established HCI methods or adapt existing approaches while adhering to standards of scientific work. They are given the opportunity to develop, refine and realize their own ideas and work critically with the literature.

Depends on individual topic

Largely independent research with regular intermediate reporting and consultation with the supervisor.

The final thesis is the most important part of the module and describes the results as well as the path that led to these results. The thesis should be written in the style of a scientific publication, whereby the student’s own contribution to the results should be clearly evident. The evaluation of the thesis comprises a grade for the written thesis (weight 80%) and a combined grade for the presentation and the related defence (weight 20%).

• Introduction to cognitive systems
• Selected basics: cognition, perception, artificial intelligence
• Production, connectionist, and hybrid systems
• Cognitive architectures (such as ACT-R, SOAR, Cogent)
• External cognition
• General models and individual abilities
• Applications to human-computer interaction, intelligent user interfaces, information design, etc.and selected other topics.

The lecture covers basics of spatial information systems, such as acquisition, organization, analysis and presentation of spatial data. The exercises and an individual project gain a deeper understanding of GIS workflows, tools and extensions and should turn the knowledge into practice.

The course topics include

• Acquisition of spatial data and public resources
• Reference systems and map projections
• (Geo-)databases and efficient data structures
• Geometrical and topological data analysis
• Cartographic generalization and visualization

The lecture gives an introduction to the basic concepts of image processing, image analysis and object recognition.

Outline of the course topics:

• Image enhancement 
• Local filters and morphological operators
• Feature extraction
• Image segmentation
• Operations in frequency domain
• Generalized Hough transform
• Object categorization and recognition

• lecture notes for download
• R.C. Gonzalez and R.E. Woods: Digital image processing, Prentice Hall, 2008.
• R. Szeliski: Computer vision: algorithms and applications, Springer, 2010.
• R.O. Duda, P.E. Hart and D.G. Stork: Pattern classification, Wiley, 2000.

The course will explore advanced topics in HCI, providing an overview of the different perspectives within and the interdisciplinary nature of this area. It will introduce students to the different types of research methods commonly used within HCI research, ranging from quantitative experimental studies to qualitative research methods and mixed method strategies, and present case studies as examples illustrating the use of these methods. You will gain practical experience in utilizing a selection of these methods through practical assignments and mini-projects, and will work with the research literature.

The course will furthermore provide an overview of how the role of theory in HCI has expanded from the early days of human factors and mathematical modelling of behaviour to include explanatory and generative theories, which reflect influences from fields such as design, sociology, and ethnography.

Successful students should be able to

• appreciate the diversity of research methods and relate them to research paradigms and theory
• select research methods appropriate to the domain and research question, based on an understanding of the characteristics, strengths and weaknesses, and practical demands of methods 
• utilize a range of HCI research methods and approaches to investigate a research question 
• design, plan, and organize experimental (comparative) user studies and interpret the data
• report and present user studies and findings properly
• relate the role of theory in HCI to the expanding range of methodical approaches utilized for HCI research

Main texts (in excerpts):

• Lazar et al. Research Methods in Human-Computer Interaction
• Cairns & Cox. Research Methods for Human-Computer Interaction. Cambridge Univ Press
• Yvonne Rogers, HCI Theory. Morgan & Claypool

 Additional readings:

• Andy Field and Graham Hole. How to Design and Report Experiments. Sage
• Uwe Flick. Introduction to Qualitative research. Sage 2014

The lecture "Mobile Information Systems" focuses on the topics and issues surrounding modern mobile devices, their software and hardware and the structure of the associated networks.

Preliminary list of topics:

• Overview: history & current state of mobile devices
  
  • Hardware & related issues (power consumption)
  • Software & major OSs: Android & iOS
 
• Architecture of Mobile Networks
  • 3G (UMTS) Network
  • SS7 Backend Network
• Location Discovery & Queries
• Service Discovery & ad-hoc networking
  
  • „Big brother“ issues
  • Decentralization/P2P
 
• Dealing with Limited Bandwidth & Connectivity
  
  • Distributed Filesystems (Case Study: Dropbox)
  • „rsync“ rolling checksum algorithm
• Background: distributed databases (CAP theorem)

Exercises: Development of Android apps with advanced features (P2P
networking, location features, NFC, ...)

For many problems randomized algorithms are the only known efficient solution method. For some other problem we can find randomized algorithms that are much simpler and more understandable than any known deterministic method. It is therefore not surprising that we find randomized algorithms in many areas, such as in

• data structures,
• geometric algorithms,
• graph algorithms,
• parallel and distributed systems,
• on-line algorithms and
• number theory.

In the lecture Randomized Algorithms, we will present and analyze randomized algorithms and basic methods from some of these areas. Furthermore, basic probabilistic methods for the analysis of algorithms are presented.

 
• Michael Mitzenmacher, Eli Upfal: Probability and Computing Randomized Algorithms and Probabilistic Analysis, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2005 

• Factors that determine a system’s usability
• Usability engineering lifecycles
• Testing for usability: goals, theories, methods, techniques
• Formulating requirements
• Usability heuristics
• Running an experiment
• Usability engineering for specific systems and specific user groups
• Issues of standardization
• Designing for usabilityand selected other topics.

The course teaches the theoretical, applied and technical foundations of modern virtual reality systems, 3D TV, 3D Cinema and 3D user interfaces. The accompanying lab classes allow students to implement a set of 3D interaction techniques in stereoscopic environments and a project of their own choice.

The course focuses on the following topics:

• Scene graph technology
• Stereoscopic single- and multi-viewer display technology
• Basics of 3D perception
• Rendering stereoscopic images
• Modern 3D user interfaces

• Bowman et al. 3D User Interfaces
• IEEE Virtual Reality Conference Proceedings
• 3D User Interface Symposium Proceedings