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controversy and provocation

controversy and provocation. Alan Dix alan@hcibook.com http://www.hcibook.com/alan/papers/HCIE2004/. the invitation …. “wondering if you would start off Friday morning's session by being controversial - as we know only you can ;-)” “Sure, but I'll not be deliberately provocative of course”.

wayne-paul
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controversy and provocation

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  1. controversy and provocation Alan Dix alan@hcibook.comhttp://www.hcibook.com/alan/papers/HCIE2004/

  2. the invitation … • “wondering if you would start off Friday morning's session by being controversial - as we know only you can ;-)” • “Sure, but I'll not be deliberately provocative of course”

  3. .. so I won’t mention • student fees and the two tier HE system • A’ level grades as social apartheid • abolishing homework and extending the school day • or even unlimited re-sits for UG and PG degrees

  4. controversydebate between disciplines controversy: disputation, (prolonged) debate, esp. conducted in writing [L. controversus (CONTRA-, vertere, vers- turn)]

  5. now … psychology HCI people who use computing etc. changing expertise in the past … psychologists computer scientists who do HCI etc. now … psychology HCI people who use computing etc.

  6. the danger • loss of roots • intellectual decoupage • professional practice passed off as academic • is the best HCI education no HCI education?

  7. vocational & academic tension is growth … but stretched or natural

  8. joined up thinking? • theory and practice together? • … but • mature disciplines … • … separate theory and professional practice

  9. theory vs. practice • opposed? • theory is the language of generalisation • guidelines and methods last a while • … but theory keeps you going longer

  10. theory is the viagra of professional life

  11. just-in-time theory

  12. mini-case studies • wot I do … during teaching • when technology doesn’t work … • analyse why • use it as extended examples • plus other real examples

  13. Excel modes • wouldn’t closewhy? • theory: • hidden mode • closure www.hcibook.com/alan/casestudy/excel-mode/

  14. does it work? • weakness • knowing it is ‘teaching’ time • strengths • ‘real’ example • introduces theory when relevant

  15. ecological validity • examples • one issue at a time • a good ‘solution’ • from theory to practice

  16. ecological validity • examples • one issue at a time • a good ‘solution’ • from theory to practice • mini-case study • lots of relevant issues • no easy solution – tradeoffs • from practice to theory

  17. passing on knowledge • case studies, examples, patterns • good for use in practice • but how to generalise • textbooks full of theory! • just-in-time theory • appropriate theory when needed

  18. just-in-time theory • appropriate theory • given when needed • contextualised theory • apply theory in actual context • including trade-offs • situated theory • make new theory if necessary e.g. toilet rolls • example of T-model

  19. what we teach breadth depth

  20. what students learn? breadth depth

  21. extension T model breadth depth grounding

  22. why T ? • texture • more engaging! • grounding • more rigorous • mastery • more motivating

  23. provoking theory in HCI provocative: tending to cause provocation (of curiosity, anger, lust, etc.). [L. PRO(vocare call)]

  24. importance of HCI • late 20th and 21st century ... technology meets people • so where is our own theory and methods? • some … MHP, Norman, Inf. Foraging Theory …… but enough? • do we need it anyway?

  25. async sync domain spec. A B C generic a little story … • BIG ACM sponsored conference • ‘good’ empirical paper • looking at collaborative support for a task X • three pieces of software: • A – domain specific software, synchronous • B – generic software, synchronous • C – generic software, asynchronous

  26. generic domainspec. async sync sync async domain spec. A B C generic experiment • reasonable nos. subjects in each condition • quality measures • significant results p<0.05 • domain spec. > generic • asynchronous > synchronous • so really want asynchronous domain specific

  27. ? generic domainspec. async sync sync async domain spec. A B C generic what’s wrong with that? interaction effects • gap is interesting to study • not necessarily good to implement more important … if you blinked at the wrong moment … NOT independent variables • three different pieces of software • like experiment on 3 people! • say system B was just bad B < A B < C

  28. can we fix it? • borrowed psych method • … but method embodies assumptions • single simple cause, controlled environment • HCI needs ecologically valid exp. • multiple causes, open situations • what to do? • understand assumptions and modify • both and … • quantitative – what is true end to end – phenomena • qualitative and anecdotal – why – mechanism

  29. a call (vocare) HCI – a defining discipline of Century 21 we must develop and teach knowledge that will last

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