The field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is an area of constant development. With a starting point in an ambition to support users of IT, often in a work related context, to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction, the field has evolved to also include and emphasize the experience of that use, in a wide range of contexts, and to make it as rewarding as possible.
Through the advent of ubiquitous computing the contexts in which IT is used and the purposes for that use have widened dramatically. Functionality and usability are still important aspects in many contexts, but in others, the experience created, the emotional reward of use, is the main concern. An important aspect of that experience is related to sociability and how use of IT is constituted by interaction with websites, social networking sites, games or services that allow us to create, view, rate, modify, or share digital items of interest with others.
The master's programme in Human-Computer Interaction and Social Media is characterized by a pedagogy that emphasizes theory and practice as two mutually informing aspects of HCI. As such, throughout the master's programme, students will meet theoretical accounts of HCI and interaction design as well as being engaged in practical making of HCI. Given this approach of theory and practice as a whole, students are well prepared for both professional careers as well as further advanced studies.
Another aspect that will characterize the programme is a well-developed and profound cooperation with an established network consisting of external organizations. These organizations and their representative will establish a relationship with students on the programme through guest lectures, site visits, as well as group and degree projects. This will enrich the programme in many ways of which an increased employability is perhaps the most important.
The department of informatics is an ideal environment for hosting this programme through its strong tradition of research related to areas such as Interaction Design, User Experience Design and Social Media research. The programme is not only situated geographically in Scandinavia, but also intellectually drawing on the long-standing traditions of Scandinavian approaches to design and research.
