Learning HCI design
B. Hartfield, Terry Winograd, John L. Bennett · 1992
We describe the role of mentors in en experimental murse on human-computer interaction (HCI) taught in the Computer Science Department at Stanford University for the past two years.Students practice design within the course by collaborating in smell groups on 12-week projects, in which they analyze a work environment, design and implement a prototype user interface, and evtthtate the prototype with project clients.As part of our experiment in providing contact with the world of practical design, we invited people from local industry to serve es mentors for the stmdent groups.These unpaid volunteers have been important adjuncts in guiding students as they developed their HCI projects.We dkeuss: the background for the projects; the role of mentors in the learning process; what is required of mentors end what benefits they ge~ how to support the mentorirtg process; end what we have learned horn the experience so far.We consider mentors to be a critical pert of the design project within the course, end we welcome a sharing of experience with other people who may have developed similar courses where mentors played an important role.1.