Topics in Human-Computer Interaction Spring 2022

This course will expose students to seminal topics and recent trends in the field of human-computer interaction. For this semester, the theme of the course will be crowd-powered creativity. Content creators in many domains (e.g., software, architecture, interaction design, and business) are often challenged to produce creative solutions to complex problems with social impact. In this course, we will explore inter-disciplinary, state-of-the-art techniques for how the emergence of crowd computing can be harnessed to perform complex work such as design and innovation projects. For example, crowds may be leveraged to quickly brainstorm thousands of divergent ideas, test prototypes at scale with low cost, reach specialized user audiences for feedback, and create new forms of innovation workflows. Our exploration will consist of in-class discussions of the literature and research projects that will allow you to pursue your own creative ideas related to the course theme. Students will come away from the course with in-depth understanding of how crowd computing is shaping the future of creative work processes.

Professors	Brian Bailey Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10-11 a.m. CT in-person or by Zoom.
Prerequisites	CS 465 or consent of instructor
Lectures	Tues: 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. CT Thur: 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. CT 1302 Siebel Center or join by Zoom
Teaching Assistants	Wenxuan (Wendy) Shi
Grading	20% Participation (the degree to which you contributed to learning in the course) 20% Paper Critiques 20% Paper Presentations 40% Research Projects

Anti-Racism and Inclusivity

The Grainger College of Engineering and the staff of this course are committed to the creation of an anti-racist, inclusive community that welcomes diversity along a number of dimensions, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity and national origins, gender and gender identity, sexuality, disability status, class, age, or religious beliefs. The College recognizes that we are learning together in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, that Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous voices and contributions have largely either been excluded from, or not recognized in, science and engineering, and that both overt racism and micro-aggressions threaten the well-being of our students and our university community. The effectiveness of this course is dependent upon each of us to create a safe and encouraging learning environment that allows for the open exchange of ideas while also ensuring equitable opportunities and respect for all of us. Everyone is expected to help establish and maintain an environment where students, staff, and faculty can contribute without fear of personal ridicule, or intolerant or offensive language. If you witness or experience racism, discrimination, micro-aggressions, or other offensive behavior, you are encouraged to bring this to the attention of the course director if you feel comfortable. You can also report these behaviors to the Bias Assessment and Response Team (BART) (https://bart.illinois.edu/). Based on your report, BART members will follow up and reach out to students to make sure they have the support they need to be healthy and safe. If the reported behavior also violates university policy, staff in the Office for Student Conflict Resolution may respond as well and will take appropriate action.

Covid-19 and Personal Well-being

Following University policy, all students are required to engage in appropriate behavior to protect the health and safety of the community, including wearing a facial covering properly, maintaining social distance (at least 6 feet from others at all times), disinfecting the immediate seating area, and using hand sanitizer. Students are also required to follow the campus COVID-19 testing protocol.

Students who feel ill must not participate in any in-person class activities. In addition, students who test positive for COVID-19 or have had an exposure that requires testing and/or quarantine must not attend in-person class activities. The University will provide information to the instructor, in a manner that complies with privacy laws, about students in these latter categories. These students are judged to have excused absences for the class period and should contact the instructor via email about making up the work.

Students who fail to abide by these rules will first be asked to comply; if they refuse, they will be required to leave the classroom immediately. If a student is asked to leave the classroom, the non-compliant student will be judged to have an unexcused absence and reported to the Office for Student Conflict Resolution for disciplinary action. Cumulation of non-compliance complaints against a student may result in dismissal from the University.

Diminished mental health, including significant stress, mood changes, excessive worry, substance/alcohol abuse, or problems with eating and/or sleeping can interfere with optimal academic performance, social development, and emotional wellbeing. The University of Illinois offers a variety of confidential services including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, psychiatric services, and specialized screenings at no additional cost. If you or someone you know experiences any of the above mental health concerns, it is strongly encouraged to contact or visit any of the University’s resources provided below. Getting help is a smart and courageous thing to do -- for yourself and for those who care about you.

Counseling Center: 217-333-3704, 610 East John Street Champaign, IL 61820
McKinley Health Center:217-333-2700, 1109 South Lincoln Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801