Course syllabus

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DAT610 / DIT096 Human - Computer Interaction lp3 VT25 (7.5 hp)

Course is offered by the department of Computer Science and Engineering.

 

Contact details (please use email and not Canvas DMs to ensure we see your message on time)

primarily contact is Aris in his Chalmers email (see below); include "[DAT610/DIT096]" in the subject and use your Chalmers/GU email account (that's for everyone, not just Aris)

examiner: Aris Alissandrakis (aris.alissandrakis@chalmers.se)

teacher: Morteza Abdipour (abdipour@chalmers.se)
teacher: Sara Ljungblad (sara.ljungblad@chalmers.se)
teacher: Wendy Zhou (zwendy@chalmers.se)

guest lecturer: Nico Reski (Linköping University)

TA: Chia-An Wang (chiaan@student.chalmers.se)
TA: Kimia Mohammadi Mohammadi (kimiamo@student.chalmers.se)

Administration

Student representatives

  • TBC

Course purpose

The purpose of this course is to give students basic knowledge regarding methods for designing and evaluating user interfaces.

Schedule

The course follows the scheme D (Tue, Wed and Fri mornings). Please check the schedule page [weekly, for any changes] 

Link to Time Edit

Mandatory course literature

Preece, J., Rogers, Y. & Sharp, H. (2019). Interaction design: beyond human-computer interaction. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley.
Link to the e-book (Chalmers' Library)
Link to the e-book (University of Gothenburg's Library)

Further reading

Check links and references in the course notes ;)

Course design

The course is based on lectures, exercises (contributing to the project), a group project and report, and an individual exam (Inspera).
The course is highly connected to the course book (Preece et al., 2019).

Types of activities

Lecture: Aris, Sara, Morteza and Wendy deliver a traditional interactive lecture, engaging students with the course material in real-time.
Exercise: This is a mandatory, attendance-monitored activity led by Aris, Morteza, Wendy and TAs, focusing on the practical application of course concepts to your project.
Supervision: A dedicated period for enhancing your project, clarifying doubts, and obtaining feedback from instructors on your progress.
Exam: The exam and any retakes are conducted digitally via Inspera.

Attendance

Active group work is mandatory during Friday exercise sessions. The majority of the group members (depending on group size) should be present.

How groups are formed 

Project works are randomly assigned before the start of the course by Aris. Minor adjustments can be made, but only by the end of the first course week, as project work properly starts on the second week.

Examination form

The examination consists of two modules, namely:

  1. Project, 3 credits (U/G), assessed based on the group project report
  2. A digital on-campus exam (Inspera) 4.5 credits (U/3/4/5)
In case the students fail the project report, they must write a new report, with extra requirements, in the next retake period. There is only one opportunity to correct the project report. The exam can be retaken as per local regulations. The course grade is the exam grade, if project is passed.

Examination dates

March 17 2026, 14:00-18:00

Learning objectives and syllabus

Knowledge and Understanding

Describe phases in the design process
Describe methods for the development and evaluation of human-computer interaction
Describe similarities and differences in design for different user groups
Describe considerations for involving users in the design process
Understand the role of HCI in the software development process and information technology

Skills and Abilities

Design interfaces for certain user groups
Adapt design methods to suit users' context and needs
Investigate and describe user needs and requirements
Include ethical issues in the design process and adapt the process for ethical needs

Judgement Ability and Approach

Analyze designs based on user needs
Make a well-founded evaluation of the ethical and societal consequences of a design
Critique design and design processes with respect to user needs

Link to the syllabus at Chalmers.

Link to the syllabus at GU.

Assessment Matrix
Learning goal Project Exam
Describe phases in the design process x x
Describe methods for development and evaluation of human-computer interaction x
Describe similarities and differences in design for different user groups x x
Describe considerations for involving users in the design process x
Understand the role of HCI in the software development process and information technology x
Design interfaces for certain user groups x x
Adapt design methods to suit users' context and needs x x
Investigate and describe user needs and requirements x
Include ethical issues in the design process and adapt the process for ethical needs x
Analyze designs based on user needs x x
Make a well-founded evaluation of the ethical and societal consequences of a design x x
Critique design and design processes with respect to user needs x x

 

Course Evaluation

<Link to this year’s course evaluation and result>
Last year’s course evaluation result

To be discussed at the intro session.

Changes made since the last occasion

A number of minor adjustments were made to accommodate the course feedback from the two previous instances that took place in 2025.

Course summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due