3.4 The social practices of HCI academics
3.4.1 Competences: designing, deploying, and evaluating software, hard-
Every day, HCI academics draw on a wide range of competences depending on what they are doing and where they are working [as described by R1-R22]. Much like in the academic practices of other disciplines, some of the competences that HCI academics rely on include: basic and community-specific literacy, communication skills, critical thinking or problem solving skills, creativity, as well as the ability to work in a team. There are generic research-, teaching-, and public-service-specific competences, as well, including knowledge about: appropriate research methods, research ethics, professional ethics, and pedagogy or andr- agogy. Many of these competences are learned in academic settings during an academic practitioner’s career-related training [as described by R1-R22]. For example, learning about pedagogy or andragogy often takes place during formal training sessions offered by univer- sities (e.g. [150]). Although there are discipline-specific ways that those competences are configured21, they are broad and general competences found in many academic practices.
A considerable amount of HCI research deals with the design, deployment, and evaluation of interactive digital technologies (i.e. software, hardware, and products). The competences needed to deliver this work are diverse, in part because of the broad range of digital technolo- gies that HCI academics are designing, deploying, and analysing [20, 54, 50, 141][and as described by R1-22]. In their popular introductory book to HCI, Dix et al. dedicate several chapters to discussing interaction design basics, software development, design principles, implementation practices, and different models for delivering interactive digital technologies [54]. Examples of the digital technologies designed by HCI academics have included tools related to thumb and pen gestures on tablets [199], software for tracking mobile phone usage [14, 273], a domestic technology that prints random Flickr photos [183, 184], multi-purpose platforms for device or service management [46], and “internet of things” devices and support services [114, 246], among many, many other types of software, hardware, and products.
In the aforementioned examples of HCI projects, the programming languages used included C#, C, Javascript, and Python; my interviewees also noted using objective C, C++, SQL, NoSQL, R, HTML, CSS, and Ruby22. The materials—which I discuss in greater detail in the ‘materials’ section—designed or used in the aforementioned examples included: Arduinos, Android phones [14, 273], a vibrating and sensor-equipped belt [246], a hand-
21For example, “creativity” in an anthropological field study might take a different form than in a design- oriented, lab-based HCI project, which might also take a different form than when teaching a class with fifty undergraduates.
22There have almost certainly been HCI projects that relied on other languages, as well; there might even be a temporal correlation between the types of languages used by HCI academics. Legacy languages, such as BASIC and PASCAL, likely featured more prominently in HCI development in the 1980s and 90s.
3.4 The social practices of HCI academics 39
crafted wooden box with a printer inside[183], and hand-held sized cubes “laser-cut from 3mm semi-translucent acrylic” [114]. Where and how HCI academics acquired the skills to work with those diverse languages and materials varied considerably [as described by R1-22]. Some HCI academics learned their software and hardware design and development skills during formal computer science or product design academic programs, whereas some were self-taught and others simply worked on multidisciplinary teams with a relevant expert or intern [as described by R1-22].
Deploying these technologies once they have been designed relies on a different, resource- intensive competence: the ability to establish relationships with partnering communities. In the words of R2023, relationship building is “not usually the part that gets written about, but it’s the necessary part.” He witnessed public service projects failing or resulting in negative press when relationship building was ignored or went sour. Similarly, few—if any—HCI research projects are completed in isolation, and research projects can fail or go sour if HCI academics do not invest in building relationships within their research teams. Many HCI academics work on multidisciplinary research teams, and some research grants are explicitly structured to require cross-country collaboration (e.g. European Union Horizon 2020 grants). This can bring cross-cultural and cross-linguistic challenges to relationship building processes [according to R624]. Beyond research project-specific research building, some established HCI academics take on informal mentorship roles with junior academics [R225, R1026, R1927, and R2128], and many take on supervisory roles with postgraduate and undergraduate students29. Moreover, many HCI academics also build relationships while performing their teaching duties. Being an effective teacher often depends on establishing a rapport with students, as well as with fellow teachers and support staff.
Assessing or evaluating digital technologies once they are deployed also relies on a unique set of heterogeneous competences, which vary depending on what is being evaluated, as well as by and for whom the evaluation is being conducted. Dix et al. explain that “evaluation tests the usability, functionality, and acceptability of an interactive system” [53], and they offer a number of examples of how evaluation can unfold (e.g. heuristic evaluation, model-based evaluation, experimental evaluation). Evaluations can take place in controlled laboratory scenarios or in everyday contexts, which the HCI community often refers to as “in the wild”
23R20 is a mid-career male academic based in North America. 24R6 is a senior female academic based in Europe
25R2 is a senior male academic based in Europe. 26R10 is a mid-career male academic based in Europe. 27R19 is a senior female academic based in North America. 28R21 is a male mid-career academic based in Europe.
40 HCI research practices
contexts30. Acquiring the competences to perform evaluations often happens during an HCI academic’s postsecondary education, or in the field from colleagues. Four of my own participants mentioned that they learned to conduct evaluations during their pre-HCI career training as Psychologists [R731, R10, R1232, and R22].