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Overview

This course demonstrates how to apply techniques from psychology, software engineering and cognitive science to the design, implementation and evaluation of interactive computing systems. It is suitable for those with a background in either psychology or computing. The course can be taken in one year full time, or part time over two years.

Background

Computers are an integral and indispensable part of our lives. Most people now use or depend on computer technology such as word processors, cash dispensers, process control, and computer-based airline cockpits. Moreover, the advent of computer networking and groupware is offering new possibilities for collaborative work and communication. The problem, however, is harnessing the technology to match users' needs. Most of us have experienced difficulties and frustrations when using computers. There is clearly a mismatch between the way many computer systems are designed and the way in which people want to use them. How can usable and useful systems be developed? What tools, methodologies, and theories can we use to facilitate this process? Human-computer interaction (HCI), knowledge engineering, cognitive and user modelling, computer-supported cooperative working (CSCW), and human-centred system design are rapidly growing areas of research and development, which attempt to address these issues. The aim of this MSc programme is to provide a multi-disciplinary course for graduates in psychology, computer science, and related disciplines, to develop technical and analytical skills, an understanding of human computer interaction, and human-centred approaches to software design and deployment. The degree is unique in its focus on the application of cognitive psychology to technology design, and in seeking a balance between the inter-disciplinarity of cognitive science and the detailed technical skills needed for software engineering. Students will gain a thorough knowledge of the subject area, together with direct experience of a range of methodologies for the design and evaluation of interactive computer systems.

Assessment

Course modules are assessed by a variety of assessment modes, including coursework, short term-paper (3,500 words), programming project, portfolio. The Software Design and Evaluation course will be assessed on a project carried out in groups of four or five students. Each course will be equally weighted, and the MSc dissertation (max 12,000 words) will be equivalent to four courses, i.e. it will make up one third of the total MSc mark. To pass the degree, students must gain an overall average mark of 50, including a pass mark in the dissertation, and must not have failed more than two courses.

Careers prospects

The degree aims to provide graduates with an appropriate set of skills for the computer industry of early 21st century. Current trends in computing indicate that computer technology will become ever more ubiquitous. There is already an acute shortage of people who can combine the technical aspects of software engineering with the social and cognitive skills involved in understanding and acting upon the needs of users. Computing professionals of the next decade will need to rely more on their communication and presentation skills than on the narrow technical expertise provided by traditional computer science courses. By applying the unique inter-disciplinarity of cognitive science to the problems of computer system design, this course is providing graduates with the required flexibility. Since the course first ran in 1992/93, all have found employment, or gone on to further study, within a few months of completing the course. Several of these are working as freelance consultants, offering a range of expertise that many software companies find it hard to meet from within.

Typical services offered by these graduates are design of on-line help systems for existing software, setting up and running usability studies of software prototypes with users, managing the introduction of new software into organisations, and developing innovative interactive multimedia systems and websites. Although the course was originally designed to meet specific needs in the software industry, it has also proven to be an effective starting point for students who wish to study for a PhD in the areas of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW), and related fields. The emphasis is on inter-disciplinarity, and the course is important for students who go on to PhDs in these fields, as such research draws heavily on a number of disciplines.

American Express funding