Human Computer Interaction & Technology

Human Computer Interaction & Technology Technology and computer evolution as a reflection of human worldviews

Human Computer Interaction • Human–computer interaction (HCI) is the study of interaction between people (users) and computers. It is often regarded as the intersection of computer science, behavioral sciences, design and several other fields of study. Interaction between users and computers occurs at the user interface (or simply interface), which includes both software and hardware.(Wikipedia, 2010) • There is currently no agreed upon definition of the range of topics which form the area of human-computer interaction. • Yet we need a characterization of the field if we are to derive and develop educational materials for it. Therefore we offer a working definition that at least permits us to get down to the practical work of deciding what is to be taught: Human-computer interaction is a discipline concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use and with the study of major phenomena surrounding them. • Curricula for Human-Computer Interaction(ACM SIGCHI.)

Strict Sciences of HCI • Computer science • Electronics • Programming

Applied Sciences of HCI • Psychology • Biology • Philosophy

HCI • HCI is the study of accomplishing the combination of technological and biological sciences with human behavior and cognitive sciences in order to create an interactive interdependent system between technology and humanity. • Not a machine

Advancement of Society through Science • Saint-Simon,” Science is directly tied to progress and the advancement of civilization” The Pursuit of Knowledge; Robert F. Rich.Pg.5). • science is in direct correlation with the progress of man and his understanding of nature and perpetuation of self. Therefore scientific progress and technological progress are a natural process of an evolving civilization and when one is inhibited the other suffers.

Science & Technology • Therefore science and technology are unavoidable because curiosity and the human needs for survival and progress exists. • Technology exists as a manifestation of what the consciousness of a society is becoming and in what way that society views the world and itself. • Therefore the utilization of information and technology “reflects society’s overall context of what social problems need solving” (The Pursuit of Knowledge; Robert F. Rich.15). which reflects the way such a society views the world and their existence in it.

Dawn of Computer Interaction • True computer Interaction did not occur until the 1960s. • Human-computer interaction arose as a field from intertwined roots in computer graphics, operating systems, human factors, ergonomics, industrial engineering, cognitive psychology, and the systems part of computer science. Computer graphics was born from the use of CRT and pen devices very early in the history of computers. This led to the development of several human-computer interaction techniques. Many techniques date from Sutherland's Sketchpad Ph.D. thesis (1963) that essentially marked the beginning of computer graphics as a discipline. Hewett, Baecker, Card, Carey, Gasen, Mantei, Perlman, Strong and Verplank.(1992,1996). Curricula for Human-Computer Interaction. ACM SIGCHI.)

Dawn of Computer Interaction in Libraries • Coincidently the 1960s was also the beginning of computer implementation into libraries. • Most notably the MARC system (Machine Readable Cataloging) that became the standard for the creation of bibliographic records.(Richard E. Rubin, Foundations of Library and Information Science. p.227)

1960s • The 1960s were a tumultuous time and the need for technological advancements in the form of interactive computer technology is a direct result. • 1960s was a time of uncertainty that saw major social change and war. Computer science and technology would be born out of this chaos as a result of the need for change and better more secure technology to protect the U.S. and close some of the gaps between society and opportunity.

Space • 1968 saw a huge breakthrough in HCI in the form of the Apollo Guidance Computer that the astronauts communicated with by typing two digit codes into the system on Apollo 7, that a year later guided Apollo 11 to the lunar surface. (Computer History Museum. 1968. (2006). • Finally with the help of computers mankind could expand its horizons and do things formerly thought of as impossible.

World view • With the knowledge that people could travel to the moon anything seemed possible. • Such a paradigm shift in world views is what happens when a new technology is realized and people begin to see past their old worldviews and start to imagine new possibilities. Which in turn creates new technologies that reflect society’s evolution of mind.

Online technologies • The 1970s saw the first applicable online resources. • The Department of Defense installed computer-to-computer communications with several Universities as a comprehensive resource sharing network. • Quickly other institutions such as businesses and libraries realized the opportunities that being connected to other information sharing bodies could provide and became connected as well.

Consequences • Due to the ever changing technology the American public was becoming more prone and therefore more apt to technology. • The phenomenon of people integrating new technology into there lives was becoming comfortable as a means of change that was good for society. • Therefore libraries and other institutions had to become connected and act as a leading role to integrate new technology into everyday life because the integration was already happening cognitively through noticeable changes in behavior due to technological opportunities.

Culture and Tech • It is no coincidence that the 70s were a time of advanced civil rights, increased space exploration, heightened environmental concerns, and increased influences of women’s movements. • Such enlightened societal strides are the result of societal world view changes that also reflect the leaps in technology the 70s experienced. • The need for change is not only experienced culturally but it is also evident technologically and in this case begins to become one with culture.

80s • The 1980s saw integrated library systems and advanced information storage as common place • The “Linked Systems Project” and “Online Public Access Catalogs (OPACs)” were implemented and in full swing before the 1990s(Richard E. Rubin. p.232). • HCI had become an expected part of life and was expected with enthusiasm to become more prevalent and encompass more responsibility in one’s life (Richard E. Rubin. p.233).

80s • The American culture was robot and technology crazy • Embracing and celebrating the technological breakthroughs of the last 20 years by literally depicting as entertainment in movies what society expected HCI to be • While simultaneously The Department of Defense and people like Bill Gates were working on real advancements in HCI that were in essence the response to what society wanted

Tech Culture • Whether it was films like “The Terminator” or “Robocop” that depicted HCI as cyborgs relying on technology to survive or technology relying on biology to hide, we now know that such advances are not as much science fiction as once thought • With advancements in nanotechnology to machines actually preforming delicate surgeries, HCI is truly becoming an interdependent system of interaction between humans and computers

Conclusion HCI, as I see it, is just the next step in societal evolution brought on by consciousness evolution and world view changes that reflect humans’ needs for progress Every major technological advancement to date has been the reaction of paradigm shifts in consciousness that changes society’s needs and wants

Conclusion • Societal evolution and consciousness permeate every layer of humanity and every scope of mans’ intellect and invention. Therefore technology is an extension of consciousness and the evolutions of world views. • Technology mirrors how people perceive the world. • Technology acts as an agent of persuasion towards societal and consciousness evolution by being a manifested reflection of a period’s or society’s consciousness perception of the world. • Technology forces people to go beyond what their perceptions of the world are because simply having the higher degrees of consciousness that allow for even the inception of an idea that is based on the newest beliefs and knowledge of the time is not enough.

Conclusion • HCI reflects today’s society by its ever advancing interactivity • Society’s and people’s exposure to computers and their benefits has been long enough for there to be a push towards more complex interactions • Nanotechnology, as mentioned, could require tiny computer driven machines in the blood stream, or one’s next heart surgery could be done without human hands touching a tool

Conclusion • HCI is not just getting on the internet • HCI is also the conscious choices society makes that creates a need for more advanced HCI • Full HCI is probably the next paradigm shift in society’s and people’s world views that will act as the evolutionary push for greater technologies

References • Hewett, Baecker, Card, Carey, Gasen, Mantei, Perlman, Strong and Verplank.(1992,1996). Curricula for Human-Computer Interaction. ACM SIGCHI • Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.(2010). Human Computer Interaction. http://en.wikipedia.org • Robert F. Rich. (2009). The Pursuit of Knowledge. Princeton University. • Computer History Museum. (2006). Time Line of Computer History, 1968. www.computerhistory.org

Human Computer Interaction & Technology