The course "Modern Topics in Human - Computer Interaction (HCI)" focuses on modern interaction techniques that address the challenges against the three dimensions of diversity during interaction (Users, Technological Platforms, Context of Use). The interaction of vulnerable user groups (e.g. people with disabilities, elderly people) is addressed under the perspective of Design for All (a modern methodological approach that is an extension of human-centred design).
In addition, students have the opportunity to be exposed to the major challenges faced by users while interacting with emerging computational platforms (e.g. wearables, automobiles, robots), as well as with existing platforms deployed under new perspectives (e.g. Computer Supported Collaborative Work, Social Media)
The course focuses on the following topics (which are updated on a yearly basis):
Modern topics in HCI: An overview.
Dimensions of Diversity during Interaction (Users, Technological Platforms, context of Use).
Design for All and Universal Access.
Web Accessibility.
Interface Design for eLearning.
Interface Design for Accessible Games.
Intelligent and Multimodal Interfaces.
Visualization of (Big) Data.
Modern Interaction Techniques.
Interface Design for Mobile and Wearable Devices, Smart TVs, Automobiles and the new media.
Augmented, Virtual, Mixed and Extended Reality.
Affective and Persuasive Interfaces.
Human – Robot Interaction.
Social Media.
Computer Supported Collaborative Work.
Introduction to Ambient Intelligence and Interaction in Smart Environments.
Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of the course, students are expected to have:
learned the key concepts regarding modern topics in HCI
become familiar with techniques towards implementing accessible user interfaces for sensitive user groups (users with disabilities, older adults, etc.)
acquired the necessary theoretical and technological know-how, including hands-on experience on building distributed, multimodal and adaptive interfaces
acquired the skills to design and implement interactive systems that efficiently integrate multiple implicit or explicit modalities (e.g. microphones, sensors, cameras, speakers)
learned the basic principles regarding the implementation of user interfaces targeting different devices (e.g. computers, smartphones, information kiosks), which interoperate and synchronize their content via the Internet
be able to assess the usability/utility/effectiveness of new approaches and trends in the domain of HCI.
Student Performance Evaluation
Details about grading are provided on the course webpages.
The courses of the Computer Science Department are designated with the letters "CS" followed by three decimal digits. The first digit denotes the year of study during which students are expected to enroll in the course; the second digit denotes the area of computer science to which the course belongs.
First Digit
Advised Year of Enrollment
1,2,3,4
First, Second, Third and Fourth year
5,6
Graduate courses
7,8,9
Specialized topics
Second Digit
Computer Science Area
0
Introductory - General
1
Background (Mathematics, Physics)
2
Hardware Systems
3
Networks and Telecommunication
4,5
Software Systems
6
Information Systems
7
Computer Vision and Robotics
8
Algorithms and Theory of Computation
9
Special Projects
The following pages contain tables (one for each course category) summarizing courses offered by the undergraduate studies program of the Computer Science Department at the University of Crete. Courses with code-names beginning with "MATH" or "PHYS" are taught by the Mathematics Department and Physics Department respectively at the University of Crete.