CS 770 is a graduate seminar and research-methods course in Human-Computer Interaction, cross-listed across Computer Sciences, Psychology, and Educational Psychology. It weaves together three strands: a reading seminar surveying the landscape of HCI, a research-methods sequence, and a semester-long team research project that culminates in a conference-style paper and a final showcase.
This year the course treats artificial intelligence — especially generative and agentic AI — as a transforming force across HCI, without losing the enduring fundamentals. Our organizing idea: fundamentals are the medium, not the message. Each week we ask what the durable concern of an area is, how AI is changing it, and — honestly — how much. The fundamentals are the instrument you use to read the AI moment, not a relic to move past.
First offered in Fall 2009, CS 770 has been taught every year since — enrolling more than 1,000 graduate students and training generations of computer scientists in HCI research.
Schedule at a glance
Class meets twice a week, decoupled by strand: Mondays are the reading seminar (one HCI topic per week) and Fridays are research methods. Select a topic to jump to that week’s readings.
Final paper due Mon Dec 14, 11:59 pm. Schedule subject to minor adjustment; changes announced on Canvas.
Where things live
Assignments, discussion, submissions, and grades live on Canvas; project papers are written in Overleaf (ACM format). This site holds the public schedule, readings, and syllabus. For personal questions, email the instructional team at hci-class@cs.wisc.edu; bring course questions to class or office hours (Fri 11 am–12 pm).