Human-Computer Interaction II: Cognition, Context & Culture from edX

This course takes you through lessons 9 through 13 of CS6750: Human-Computer Interaction as taught in the Georgia Tech Online Master of Science in Computer Science program.

In this course, you’ll expand the scope through which you view human-computer interaction. You’ll start by going further inside the user’s mind to understand the role of mental models in guiding a user’s interaction with your system. A good user interface designer understands the mental models of their users and how representations can be used to correct those mental models.

You’ll then learn methods for breaking down user behavior into more objective, discernible, and measurable chunks. Through the principles of task analysis and with artifacts like GOMS models, you’ll discover how to take the often-ethereal patterns of human interaction and distill them into externalizable, manipulable chunks. You’ll also learn how to use these artifacts to inform the design and improvement of interfaces.

You’ll then widen your view to look at the context in which your interfaces are deployed. You’ll begin by learning about distributed cognition, which includes the notion that humans may offload cognitive tasks onto interfaces, and that humans and interfaces together may be considered higher-level cognitive systems. You’ll also learn about theories for investigating interaction in context, such as activity theory and situated action, and the role that human improvisation plays in any interface we design. Through these lenses, you’ll be equipped to design not just user interfaces, but user experiences developed with an understanding of the context around the interaction.

You’ll conclude by expanding your view even further to investigate how interfaces interact with society itself: both how society guides the interfaces we create, and how the interfaces we create affect society. You’ll learn how interface design can be used to address societal issues, but also how it can have danger unintentional side effects.

By the end of the course, you’ll have a deeper understanding of how human cognition interacts with user interfaces, and how user interfaces in turn interact with the world. You’ll be able to design interfaces that consider what the user knows and what is going on around the user.

What's inside

Learning objectives

The role of mental models in guiding human interaction with user interfaces.
The role of representations in informing the development of accurate mental models.
The sorts of errors, slips, and mistakes humans are prone to and how to address them.
Learned helplessness, and how to avoid it.
Methods for decomposing human interaction into manipulable chunks.
Goms models for articulating user interaction with a system.

Hierarchical task analysis for understanding assumptions about human knowledge and ability.
Distributed cognition for designing larger systems comprised of humans and interfaces.
Situated action for investigating and anticipating human behavior in context.
An understanding of how society affects the designs we create.
A view of how design can be used to address societal problems.

The role of mental models in guiding human interaction with user interfaces.
The role of representations in informing the development of accurate mental models.
The sorts of errors, slips, and mistakes humans are prone to and how to address them.
Learned helplessness, and how to avoid it.
Methods for decomposing human interaction into manipulable chunks.
Goms models for articulating user interaction with a system.
Hierarchical task analysis for understanding assumptions about human knowledge and ability.
Distributed cognition for designing larger systems comprised of humans and interfaces.
Situated action for investigating and anticipating human behavior in context.
An understanding of how society affects the designs we create.
A view of how design can be used to address societal problems.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Suitable for human factors professionals and UX strategists, this course helps learn how cognitive processes influence user behavior

Covers essential topics related to user behavior, such as mental models, task analysis, and human-computer interaction theories

Provides a solid understanding of how social and cultural factors influence UX design and HCI

May be too advanced for beginners in HCI or UX design

Requires a good foundation in psychology, cognitive science, or related fields

Reviews summary

Well-received hci course

Learners say that Human-Computer Interaction II: Cognition, Context & Culture is a great course with very good content that is simplified with the help of many examples. Explanations are easy to understand and are provided by Dr. David Joyner.

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Human-Computer Interaction II: Cognition, Context & Culture with these activities:

Create a compilation of resources on human-computer interaction

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Gather a variety of resources on human-computer interaction, such as articles, books, and videos.

Browse courses on Mental Models

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Search for resources on human-computer interaction.
Organize the resources into a coherent collection.
Review the resources and identify the most relevant and valuable ones.

Review the book "Thinking with Diagrams" by Howard Wainer

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This book provides insights into how people use diagrams to represent and communicate information.

View A History of Data Visualization and Graphic... on Amazon

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Read the book.
Summarize the key points of the book.
Apply the concepts from the book to your own work.

Create a concept map of the lesson's content

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Create a concept map to help you visualize and understand the relationships between the different concepts in the lesson.

Browse courses on Concept Mapping

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Review the lesson content.
Identify the key concepts in the lesson.
Create a visual representation of the relationships between the concepts.
Review your concept map and make any necessary revisions.

Three other activities

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Practice applying task analysis to real-world examples

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Identify a real-world system and apply the task analysis techniques you learned in the lesson to it.

Browse courses on Task Analysis

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Choose a real-world system to analyze.
Identify the tasks that users need to perform with the system.
Break down each task into subtasks.
Identify the objects that users interact with to perform each subtask.
Analyze the sequence of subtasks and identify any inefficiencies or areas for improvement.

Design an interface prototype that incorporates the principles of distributed cognition

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Design an interface prototype that incorporates the principles of distributed cognition, such as offloading cognitive tasks to the interface or considering the role of the environment.

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Identify a system or task for which you want to design an interface.
Analyze the task and identify the cognitive demands it places on users.
Design an interface prototype that incorporates the principles of distributed cognition.
Evaluate your prototype and make any necessary revisions.

Contribute to an open-source project related to human-computer interaction

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Contribute to an open-source project related to human-computer interaction, such as a library for building user interfaces or a tool for analyzing user behavior.

Browse courses on User Interaction Design

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Identify an open-source project related to human-computer interaction.
Review the project's documentation and code.
Identify an area where you can contribute to the project.
Make a contribution to the project.

Career center

Learners who complete Human-Computer Interaction II: Cognition, Context & Culture will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

UX Designer

As a UX Designer, you will design the user experience for products and services. This course will teach you about the role of mental models in guiding human interaction with user interfaces. It will also teach you about the principles of task analysis and how to use them to design interfaces that are easy to use and efficient. This knowledge will help you to design user experiences that are enjoyable and satisfying.

See salaries and explore the career path for UX Designer

Usability Engineer

As a Usability Engineer, you will evaluate the usability of products and services. This course will teach you about the principles of task analysis and how to use them to design interfaces that are easy to use and efficient. It will also teach you about the role of context in human-computer interaction and how to design interfaces that are appropriate for the context in which they will be used.

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Interaction Designer

As an Interaction Designer, you will design interactive experiences for products and services. This course will teach you about the principles of task analysis and how to use them to design interfaces that are easy to use and efficient. It will also teach you about the role of context in human-computer interaction and how to design interfaces that are appropriate for the context in which they will be used.

See salaries and explore the career path for Interaction Designer

User Interface Designer

As a User Interface Designer, you will create interfaces that are accessible and user-friendly. This course will teach you about the role of mental models in guiding human interaction with user interfaces. It will also teach you about the sorts of errors that humans are prone to and how to address them. This knowledge will help you to design interfaces that are easy to use and efficient.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Interface Designer

Human Factors Engineer

As a Human Factors Engineer, you will design products and systems that are safe and easy to use. This course will teach you about the role of cognition in human-computer interaction. It will also teach you about the principles of task analysis and how to use them to design interfaces that are easy to use and efficient. This knowledge will help you to design products and systems that are safe and user-friendly.

See salaries and explore the career path for Human Factors Engineer

Web Designer

As a Web Designer, you will design and develop websites. This course will teach you about the role of cognition in human-computer interaction. It will also teach you about the principles of task analysis and how to use them to design interfaces that are easy to use and efficient. This knowledge will help you to create websites that are visually appealing, easy to navigate, and effective in communicating your message.

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Product Manager

As a Product Manager, you will manage the development and launch of new products. This course will teach you about the role of cognition in human-computer interaction. It will also teach you about the principles of task analysis and how to use them to design interfaces that are easy to use and efficient. This knowledge will help you to develop products that are successful in the marketplace.

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Technical Writer

As a Technical Writer, you will create user manuals and other documentation. This course will teach you about the role of cognition in human-computer interaction. It will also teach you about the principles of task analysis and how to use them to design interfaces that are easy to use and efficient. This knowledge will help you to create documentation that is clear, concise, and easy to follow.

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Educational Psychologist

As an Educational Psychologist, you will study how people learn. This course will teach you about the role of cognition in human-computer interaction. It will also teach you about the principles of task analysis and how to use them to design interfaces that are easy to use and efficient. This knowledge will help you to design educational experiences that are effective and engaging.

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Trainer

As a Trainer, you will teach others how to use products and services. This course will teach you about the role of cognition in human-computer interaction. It will also teach you about the principles of task analysis and how to use them to design interfaces that are easy to use and efficient. This knowledge will help you to create training materials and deliver training sessions that are effective and engaging.

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Marketing Researcher

As a Marketing Researcher, you will collect and analyze data about consumers. This course will teach you about the role of cognition in human-computer interaction. It will also teach you about the principles of task analysis and how to use them to design interfaces that are easy to use and efficient. This knowledge will help you to understand how consumers think and behave, and how to develop marketing campaigns that are effective and persuasive.

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Industrial Psychologist

As an Industrial Psychologist, you will apply psychological principles to the workplace. This course will teach you about the role of cognition in human-computer interaction. It will also teach you about the principles of task analysis and how to use them to design interfaces that are easy to use and efficient. This knowledge will help you to design workplaces that are safe, productive, and satisfying.

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Systems Analyst

As a Systems Analyst, you will analyze and design business systems. This course will teach you about the role of cognition in human-computer interaction. It will also teach you about the principles of task analysis and how to use them to design interfaces that are easy to use and efficient. This knowledge will help you to design business systems that are effective and efficient.

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Cognitive Psychologist

As a Cognitive Psychologist, you will study the mind and how it works. This course will teach you about the role of cognition in human-computer interaction. It will also teach you about the sorts of errors that humans are prone to and how to address them. This knowledge will help you to understand how people think and learn, and how to design interfaces that are easy to use and efficient.

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Software Engineer

As a Software Engineer, you will design, develop, and maintain software systems. This course will teach you about the role of cognition in human-computer interaction. It will also teach you about the principles of task analysis and how to use them to design interfaces that are easy to use and efficient. This knowledge will help you to develop software systems that are reliable, efficient, and user-friendly.

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