Making a difference: integrating socially relevant projects into HCI teaching

Enriching courses on human-computer interaction with socially-relevant projects provides a compelling opportunity for students to improve their education and make socially beneficial contributions. By having clearly defined user communities outside the classroom, students have the chance to practice their interview, observation, and usability testing skills, while developing projects that continue beyond the semester. These projects often give students life-changing exposure to genuine needs and impressive results to include in their portfolio when seeking employment. Educators will present their strategies for arranging, supervising, and grading these projects. Students will describe their experience and how it influenced them.