01 UC/11 MHIT/1 UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha CUAP Proposal-New Qualification Section A Proposal Description Purpose of the proposal To introduce a Master of Human Interface Technology (MHIT) degree to be offered through the Human Interface Technology Laboratory New Zealand (HIT Lab NZ) at the University of Canterbury. Justification The field of Human Interface Technology involves the development of technology that can improve human interaction with technology, and through using technology, such as computers and telecommunications, improve human-to-human interaction. The overall goal of Human Interface Technology is to improve users’ experience with technology. It is also useful tool/element to be used in a wide range of application domains such as medicine, rehabilitation, education and training, entertainment, business and other areas of human enterprise. Study in the field incorporates a diverse range of topic areas including User-Centred Design, the development of new interface devices and technologies (hardware and software), evaluating these technologies within the application context, and studying the broader impact of interface technology on human behaviour and society. One example of the current topics of research in Human Interface Technology is the development of interactive touch displays that allow multi-touch input (multiple people can touch the screen with multiple fingers at the same time). This research involves the engineering of fundamental touch technologies, industrial and mechanical design of the touch display enclosures, software development of interface libraries for providing multi-touch support into desktop applications, psychological studies of how people might perceive the affordances of touch displays, ethnographic observation of how the technology may be used in a work setting and formal user evaluation studies. Thus, Human Interface Technology encompasses interface design, technology development, and evaluation; it is a multi-disciplinary field that involves related domains such as Computer Science, Engineering, Psychology, Communications, and Creative Design. Internationally, this is an active field of study with its own conferences (ACM (Association for Computer Machinery) Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST) and the ACM Conference on Computer Human Interaction (CHI), etc.), journals (Transactions on Computer Human Interaction (ToCHI), Computers in Human Behaviour, International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, etc.), professional organisations (ACM's Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction) and centres of research (MIT Media Lab, Stanford D-School, CMU Human-Computer Interaction Institute, etc.). Some of the underlying topics in the field of Human Interface Technology are currently studied at the University of Canterbury (such as computer science, psychology and engineering), but until now there has been no Master’s level degree to focus on the more multi-disciplinary Human Interface Technology teaching and research areas. This programme will allow students to undertake multi-disciplinary research and development (such as in psychology and computer science, or engineering and art) that focuses on hardware and software. There are four key drivers for a new Master’s Degree: 1) There is a need for a multi-disciplinary degree at the Masters level that complements and serves as a feeder or preparation stage for the more integrative PhD. multi-disciplinary research degree that is currently being offered by the HIT Lab NZ. 2) A Masters degree is needed, which capitalizes on the opportunities provided by the diverse nature of the research activities encompassed by the HIT Lab NZ and other UC departments and research centres. The degree provides a close connection between students supported by the HIT Lab NZ and the research direction of the HIT Lab NZ. 3) There is currently an unaddressed need from Industry for graduate students educated in Human Interface Technology. 4) There is an unmet demand from students across the world that are approaching human interface technology from other trajectories such as Art, Design, Psychology, and who do not fit into the traditional Engineering and Computer Science 1 01 UC/11 MHIT/1 disciplines. Below we will discuss these justifications in more detail. Alignment of Students with HIT Lab NZ Research Focus The HIT Lab NZ has been conducting research in Human Interface Technology for more than eight years, starting in 2002. The lab is now recognized as a national and international centre of excellence in the area, as evidenced by the amount of competitive research grants (more than $1.4 m NZD funding secured in 2010) and peer-reviewed publications (more than 25 publications produced in 2010). It is currently one of largest and best funded research centres in this area in New Zealand and it has a research focus on developing technology to improve people’s experience with computers. During this time, more than 20 postgraduate students have conducted research in the HIT Lab NZ through other University of Canterbury departments; there have been eight Masters, one Honours and ten PhD degrees completed. In addition, 12 Master’s students from abroad have conducted their research at the lab without necessarily being enrolled as international students. Currently the HIT Lab NZ has ten active research projects, over half of which are multi-disciplinary in nature and involve collaboration with other university departments. As such, it needs students who reflect the multi-disciplinary nature of the Human Interface Technology research field. Current Masters students in the HIT Lab NZ are enrolled in home departments outside of the HIT Lab NZ and conduct research in the HIT Lab NZ. The HIT Lab NZ currently has eight Masters and ten PhD students from eight different departments undertaking research in Human Interface Technology topics. Most of these students come from one department (Computer Science and Software Engineering) so the HIT Lab NZ student composition is not as multi-disciplinary as it should be. The remaining students come from departments such as the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Department of Psychology, the School of Fine Arts and the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. While this is ideal for some research conducted at the HIT Lab NZ, there are growing opportunities for students who are able to work across departmental boundaries. Creation of a Masters in Human Interface Technology will facilitate formation of multi-disciplinary supervision teams. The HIT Lab NZ currently collaborates with five departments across the University of Canterbury campus. It is hoped that this will produce students who are comfortable working on multi-disciplinary research projects, which are typical within Human Interface Technology. The main outcome will be a group of Masters Students who are engaged in research activities that have the multi-disciplinary background and research interests thus enabling the HIT Lab NZ to better meet its broader strategic research goals. HIT Lab NZ will continue to host students who wish to work on Human Interface Technology projects that are dedicated to a single discipline. The students will then enrol in other departments (such as Computer Science and Software Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Psychology, etc.) and conduct their research at the HIT Lab NZ. This strategy will allow the lab to focus on multi-disciplinary work while still being able to heavily collaborate with the other departments. The teaching supervision split will be negotiated for these students on an individual basis. Meeting Industry Needs In order to move its goods and services up the value chain, New Zealand industry needs to explore the ways in which to add value to existing goods and services and how to identify new commercial opportunities. Internationally, research has shown that consumers are prepared to pay more for a higher quality user experience with technology and services (note for example, Pine and Gillmore’s work on the Experience Economy). Companies such as Apple (the iPod, iPhone, iPad), Nokia (N95 mobile phone), Nintendo (Wii game console) and Microsoft (the Xbox Kinect), have all shown that excellent Human Interface Technology can produce an outstanding end user experience and so drive product sales. Recognising the need for innovative commercial opportunities, the New Zealand government recently created a Design Industry Taskforce to raise the profile of New Zealand design and human-centred technology development. Their report, Success By Design, identifies the development of educational (or capital Education Initiatives) initiatives as one of the key efforts needed to increase industry capability. There are significant gaps in the current design education in New Zealand and a lack of engagement between Tertiary Education Organisations (TEOs) and Industry. One of these gaps is in the creation of skills needed for Next Generation Interface Technology development. As New Zealand business moves to a more design- centred future, there is increasing demand for Human Interface Technology skills. (Letters of support from 2 01 UC/11 MHIT/1 Industry and academic partners, providing evidence of demand, are available in Section B.) We also surveyed the previous graduates (Master and PhD) of the HIT Lab NZ. Two of them continued an academic career while nine of them started to work for companies (e.g. Lockheed Martin, Mighty Power River, Telogis, Pure Depth, COMRAD, Stickman Studios). This ratio shows a healthy ratio between academia and industry. All the graduates remained in the HIT area, which indicates clear opportunities for future graduates. These factors contributed to the motivation for starting the HIT Lab NZ PhD degree in Human Interface Technology approximately a year ago. Moreover, we recognize that Industry requires expertise for interface design for safety critical processes and operator control systems; interfaces that enable operators to perform more effectively and efficiently will create a market pull for such products. Currently there are no other academic institutions in New Zealand offering postgraduate study in Human Interface Technology. This programme will advance Human Interface Technology teaching and research in New Zealand by providing a place for students to further their studies in this area. The Masters degree that complements the PhD will create graduates capable of research in Human Interface Technology, and will help fulfil the future need for academics in the field. In this way the Human Interface Technology Masters degree through the HIT Lab NZ will also fulfil its mission of becoming an economic engine for New Zealand. We will provide the talent and impetus for the development of new industry in the region, while supporting current industries that are impacted by having better interfaces between humans and machines. Meeting Student Needs This programme will give the HIT Lab NZ the opportunity to attract domestic and international students with diverse backgrounds and interests in Human Interface Technology. It will also provide them an avenue to pursue Masters level studies. Historically, students have had to enrol in programmes that have not had a core focus in Human Interface Technology. This could be a challenge in some cases where the student’s background might not have fit into the focus of the hosting programme. We believe there are local and international students who would come to the university to study human interface technology if there were a better pathway provided. Experience has shown that many of the international students stay in New Zealand. This increases the quality of the talent base that fuels New Zealand Industry. We also conducted a survey on existing master programmes in the wider field of Human-Computer Interaction that are offered in English. From this survey 36 programmes in the North America, 9 in the United Kingdom, 10 in Europe, and 3 in Australia were identified. These numbers suggest that there is a demand for Human Interface Technology education and that New Zealand’s universities have not yet met this need. Finally, this programme will also meet student needs by providing the type of multi-disciplinary graduate degree that is becoming increasingly popular. Internationally there is a decline in student numbers in Computer Science and more traditional engineering disciplines (e.g. the National Science Foundation (NSF) reports a 5% decline in the proportion of science and engineering MScs since 1996). In contrast there is increased demand for multi-disciplinary programmes. For example numbers of BioEngineering graduate students in the US more than doubled from 2001 to 2006 (an increase from 3000 to 7000 students). Some of the types of multi-disciplinary research projects that the students could engage in include: Exploring how mobile phones can be used as a platform for social networking Researching the impact of next generation teleconferencing on communication behaviour Developing visualization tools that can be used by medical practitioners Building authoring tools that will allow artists to create interactive installations that respond to emotion Providing viable interactive tools for teaching science, mathematics and engineering Exploring how users interact with social robots Developing graphical training environments for nurses, chemical engineers and audiologists Bridging the gap between complex control tasks and the human interaction The programme will also meet student needs by providing a mechanism for industry engagement. Industries will be encouraged to provide student sponsorship to offset the tuition fees (especially for international students). Sponsored students will then conduct their thesis research on a topic of interest to the company and spend time within the company. This will reduce the high fees that would have been an obstacle for international students, and also provide a strong connection between the students and Industry. The new Masters degree will incorporate the components of Challenge, Concentrate and Connect from the University of 3 01 UC/11 MHIT/1 Canterbury’s Statement of Strategic Intent, in the following ways: Challenge: The new curriculum reflects a need for education in Human Interface Technology. It will improve the educational performance and capability of the HIT Lab NZ by providing a programme that HIT Lab NZ staff can teach into, and curriculum material directly relevant to the HIT Lab NZ research focus. Concentrate: This programme increases the research output of the HIT Lab NZ and enables us to take advantage of immediate strategic research opportunities. The increase in Masters students pursuing HIT lab NZ related research will help to improve the PBRF (Performance-Based Research Fund) scores of the supervising staff. Connect: The MHIT degree will increase internationalisation through being attractive to international students. It will also increase the engagement with research partners (CRIs, businesses, universities) through the focus on sponsored and applied Master’s thesis projects. The multi-disciplinary nature of the degree will also improve UC community engagement between departments and across colleges. Acceptability Extensive consultation was conducted with relevant student, academic, industrial, professional and other community bodies. Initially, we contacted 51 people to give us feedback on the first draft of our proposal. A full list of people we have contacted is on request. We received 30 encouraging responses and improved the proposal by taking into account the suggestions and comments given. Based on the improved proposal we received 22 letters of support from the University of Canterbury, Universities in New Zealand, Industry, and international academics. In addition, several companies expressed their support of this programme and are looking forward to having access to the graduates of this programme. The letters of support are available on request. The following committees have reviewed and commented on the proposal: HIT Lab NZ Academic Board of Studies Postgraduate Committee of the Faculty of Engineering and Forestry Faculty of Creative Arts Committee Faculty of Education Committee Faculty of Humanities and Social Science Committee Postgraduate Committee of the Faculty of Science The proposal was presented at the following Faculties: Faculty of Science Faculty of Engineering and Forestry The PVC of the College of Engineering is supporting this proposal. We have been able to incorporate the feedback from the Dean of Postgraduate Research, and she too supports our proposal. Furthermore, we have received the agreement of the HIT Lab NZ’s student representative. Goals of the Programme The purpose of the programme is to: Provide Masters level qualification in Human Interface Technology Provide qualified graduates for New Zealand’s high tech industry To offer a pathway into the PhD programme The goal of the Master of Human Interface Technology is to enable the students to: Synthesise knowledge from the areas of design, prototyping and evaluation in Human Interface Technology and apply this to new and unfamiliar situations in Human Interface Technology Conduct original research in Human Interface Technology Know and be able to apply multiple methods to create effective User Experience designs Have the ability to conduct qualitative and quantitative usability studies Be able to apply user-centred design principles in technology development Be able to develop Human Interface Technology hardware and software and optimize these technologies for application in areas such as medicine, rehabilitation, business, entertainment, education and training sectors Be able to work independently and as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Graduate profile 4 01 UC/11 MHIT/1 Students who graduate with the Master’s in Human Interface Technology (MHIT) will have gained a detailed knowledge of the research area of Human Interface Technology chosen for their thesis topic. In addition, from the coursework taken, they will have: Knowledge of key interface design principles The ability to describe and evaluate of interface hardware and software The ability to work in multidisciplinary teams The skills to conduct research and development in Human Interface Technology The ideal industry job would be as a project leader or manager of an interface design and development team, a researcher in an industry laboratory developing new human interface technology, or a user experience manager responsible for evaluating the user experience of the companies’ products. Students’ Masters research will enable them to lead and interact with multi-disciplinary groups and successfully complete Human Interface Technology projects. Outcome statement Students will apply fundamental knowledge in Human Interface Technology to solve problems in the interaction between humans and technology. They will integrate knowledge from different disciplines to handle a complex problem as evident from their thesis. The students will be able to communicate the results of their work through a thesis that is accessible to a multi-disciplinary audience. Programme overview The students will start with a twelve-week course (HITD 601) in which they will be exposed to the fundamental knowledge of Human Interface Technology. Students will apply this knowledge during two short group project phases and during this time they will also prepare the topic of their thesis. Following this, they will write a thesis proposal before starting their thesis project proper. Students will then spend the remaining time on their thesis. Proposed new regulations and prescriptions (use the Calendar Form at the end of Section A) See below. Proposed teaching/delivery methods The programme will consist of a 0.25 EFTS course (HITD 601) and a 0.75 EFTS thesis (HITD 690). HITD 601 will be given during the first twelve weeks of the programme and offered in both Semester One and Semester Two. Within these twelve weeks, the students will spend two blocks, of one and three weeks, on small applied projects in which they will integrate their acquired knowledge into a practical application. These small projects are not to be extended into theses. Project work will be conducted in multi-disciplinary teams and the students will be asked to form teams in which members will have different backgrounds. The lectures and thesis will be predominantly individual work. After this twelve week period, the students will work on their thesis during which time they may take up to five weeks of vacation. Students will work closely with their supervisor/s to develop a research topic and plan, and then follow the plan to generate original research suitable for the award of a Masters degree. During this process they will work closely with their supervisor to start publishing research papers in the field of interest, and they may have opportunities to attend leading research conferences to present their work in person. Senior supervisors and co-supervisors will be normally drawn from all of the departments engaging with the HIT Lab NZ (9 departments in 2010), thereby, ensuring that the student has faculty supervision suited both to the research topic and drawn from different departments to provide a multi-disciplinary experience. Each student will have a supervising team of at least two academic staff, from the HIT Lab NZ and/or other partner departments. There are a number of faculty leaders / members outside the HIT Lab NZ who will be available to act as senior supervisors or co-supervisors, depending on the interests of the student. For those thesis projects that involve close industry collaboration, there may also be a cosupervisor from the partner company. Assessment procedures Selection Procedure: Students will be required to complete an application form and provide a statement of research interests, relevant employment record and experience, along with letters of support from previous supervisors. Students will have to submit their application two months before the start of the programme and applicants will be evaluated by the existing HIT Lab NZ Academic Board of Studies to determine whether they are suitable for the programme. Final approval will be made by the Dean of Engineering and Forestry based on the admission criteria prescribed in the Calendar Regulations and the recommendation of the Academic Board of Studies. Students’ progress in the thesis will be monitored as per the University of Canterbury General Course and Examinations Regulations outlined in the Calendar. 5 01 UC/11 MHIT/1 In the HITD 601 course, students will be assessed on their performance in each of the three lecture main subject areas (11% per track), the results of the second team project (33%) and a final exam (33%). Within 13 weeks of enrolment the students will be required to submit a thesis proposal, which outlines their planned course of research. The proposal has to be assessed by the HIT Lab Board of Studies and approved by the Dean of Engineering and Forestry. The thesis will be assessed as per the University of Canterbury General Course and Examination Regulations. Predicted student numbers/EFTS We expect to attract 10 to 20 students per year. During the initial start-up phase of the programme, we expect to start with 5 to10 students per year. These numbers are based on our previous numbers as explained above in the Alignment of Students with HIT Lab NZ Research Focus Section. The course and its programme are designed to attract international as well as domestic students. We will have to limit the total number of students for the whole programme (semester 1 and semester 2) to 25 due to the limitations in available space. Resources The HIT Lab NZ currently has space available to support 25 graduate students (both PhD and MHIT) with individual workplaces. In addition to the student space, the HIT Lab NZ also has a number of dedicated research spaces, including an immersive projection theatre, a usability lab, a computer vision lab, teleconferencing suite, and an electronics lab. These spaces will provide all the physical facilities needed by students in the programme. In the event of unexpected high student numbers, we intend to discuss the expansion of the HIT Lab NZ to some parts of the second floor of the Old Math building. Other University of Canterbury facilities are also available for students in the MHIT programme, such as the Blue Fern Supercomputer, a Virtual Reality Laboratory in the Department of Psychology, and a Robotics Lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The students will also have access to the ethical committee of the university to verify their experimentation with users. The HIT Lab NZ has a diverse range of equipment relevant to Human Interface Technology research, such as high end graphics computers, head mounted displays, tracking systems, force feedback devices, sensor hardware and simulator devices. In addition, we are offering a desktop computer, with the appropriate software packages installed, to each student. The HIT Lab NZ has a generous book budget that can be used to buy any required books to support research conducted by the Masters students along with the PhD students. In previous years the HIT Lab NZ has always underspent this budget and therefore we do not anticipate the need for this budget to be increased. The library has a subscription to the relevant journals and research publications, such as Presence, Computers in Entertainment, and Transaction of Computer Human Interaction. The HIT Lab NZ currently has the following academic staff and expertise to supervise the students’ projects. Academic staff from related disciplines will also be directly involved in the supervision of students. The use of staff outside of HITLAB has proved successful in the PhD programme. The Research Scientist and Postdoctoral Researchers are also encouraged to participate: HITLAB staff available to provide supervision are: Professor Mark Billinghurst (Director): Prof. Billinghurst has expertise is in the field of augmented reality, computer supported collaborative work, teleconferencing and mobile interfaces. Dr. Christoph Bartneck (Senior Lecturer, Academic Director): Dr. Bartneck has expertise is in the field of visual design, human-robot interaction and the philosophy of science. Dr. Andreas Duenser (Research Scientist): Dr. Duenser has expertise in psychology and related user evaluation methods. Dr. Gun Lee, Dr. Adrian Clark (Post Docs): Two Post Doctoral researchers have expertise in the area of 3D interaction, computer vision and artificial intelligence 6 01 UC/11 MHIT/1 Professor Tom Furness III (International Director): The part time international director has expertise virtual reality and advanced human interface technologies. Plans for monitoring programme quality As the HIT Lab NZ is a department within the College of Engineering, this programme will be carefully monitored by the Faculty of Engineering and Forestry through the Graduating Year Reviews and the Programme Reviews. Results will be monitored, reviewed and discussed by the Faculty of Engineering and Forestry at the mid-year and end of year Examiners’ Meeting process. Furthermore, a periodic review of the degree will be made by the HIT Labs Academic Board of Studies and external academics involved in similar Masters programmes in other countries. The standard of the master research and the number of publications generated from this research will provide an indication of the quality of the programme. Other measures such as student feedback and HIT Lab NZ faculty PBRF (Performance-Based Research Fund) scores may also be considered. Confirmation that Section B has been prepared and is available to CUAP on request confirmed For New Qualifications – TEC/NZQA/NZVCC Requirements EFTS value of qualification 1 NZSCED code NZQA exit level of qualification to go on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework 020199 9 Statement regarding funding This programme meets the criteria to be fully funded at the postgraduate level Memorandum of understanding n/a Duration of the Qualification Minimum number of points to complete the qualification 120 Vacation/recess weeks 5 Work experience/placement hours per week n/a Tuition/teaching (full-time equivalent) weeks (including exam and study weeks) 47 Teaching hours per week 10-12 Self-directed learning hours per week 20 Calendar Form New Qualification Regulations 2011 UC Calendar page 205 The Degree of Master of Human Interface Technology(MHIT) See also General Course and Examination Regulations 1. Qualification Required To Enrol In The Degree A candidate for the degree of Master of Human Interface Technology shall have: (a) either i. qualified for the award of the Bachelor with Honours Degree in an appropriate field; or 7 01 UC/11 MHIT/1 ii. qualified for the award of another appropriate degree in New Zealand; or iii. been admitted ad eundem statum as entitled to proceed to the Degree of Master of Human Interface Technology; and (b) been approved as a candidate for the degree by the Dean of Engineering and Forestry. Notes: 1. Relevance and standard of previous study are the main criteria for approval 2. Candidates will be approved only if appropriate research supervision and resources are available 3. Candidates who do not have an appropriate background may be required to take an approved course or courses prior to approval into the programme. 2. Structure of the degree A candidate shall: a) enrol in and pursue full-time study for one year; and b) complete a programme of study with a minimum total weight of 1.0EFTS. The programme of study consists of a thesis (HITD 690 0.75 EFTS) and one course (HITD 601 0.25 EFTS). Notes: 1. The Master of Human Interface Technology is a full-time programme only and cannot be taken part time 2. Normally the programme will be completed in one year of study; Students will need to have prior approval by the Dean of Engineering and Studies to extend their enrolment into the second year. 3. Masters of Human Interface Technology with Distinction Candidates who obtain a GPA of 8.00 or more in their programme of study will be eligible for the award of MHIT with Distinction. 4. Theses The presentation of the thesis shall conform to the requirements of the General Course and Examinations Regulations: L, to the guidelines for Master’s Thesis Work and to the Library Guide to the Presentation of Thesis. 5. Transfer from Master of Human Interface Technology to PhD When a candidate has demonstrated high research potential and has the support of the supervisor, Head of the Department and Hit Lab Board of Studies, the candidate may apply to transfer to a PhD in Human Interface Technology, with such a backdating of research thesis enrolment as may be approved by the Dean of Postgraduate Research. 6. Award of a MHIT instead of a PhD Where a thesis has been presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Human Interface Technology and the examiners are of the opinion that it does not justify the award of that degree, they may recommend that it be presented for the degree of Master of Human Interface Technology. In such a case, the Dean of Engineering and Forestry may, if required for the award of the degree, exempt the course work component of the degree. Prescription entry UC Calendar page 659 HITD 601 Human Interface Technology 0.2500 EFTS The Advanced Topics in Human Interface Technology course will cover the prototyping of user interface, their aesthetical design and the evaluation methods with users. The students will work in a multi-disciplinary environment. This twelve week course consists of lectures and short course project blocks. P: Subject to approval of the Dean of Engineering and Forestry HITD601-12S1 (C) Semester 1 HITD601-12S2 (C) Semester 2 HITD 690 Thesis in Human Interface Technology 0.7500 EFTS Thesis in Human Interface Technology. P: Subject to the approval of the Dean of Engineering and Forestry HITD690-12W (C) Whole Year (S1 and S2) 8 01 UC/11 MHIT/1 9