Since 1984, in one form or another, I’ve been teaching a graduate course variously titled: Human-Computer Interaction Design. This semester, fall 2007, I’ve decided to track my reflections before, during, and after the course. Hopefully, the students will participate as well through the comments. My goal is to better understand the process of teaching and learning design, particularly the acquisition of tacit design knowledge. This is one professor’s and his students’ perspectives.

About the Professor

Martin A. Siegel, Professor of Informatics, Education, and Cognitive Science at Indiana University. In 1999, he founded IU’s first start-up company, WisdomTools. The company focuses on the development of next generation e-learning tools , “Scenarios,” designed to develop deep, insightful learning, a kind of practical intelligence or tacit knowledge. Marty is among a group of pioneers in computer-based learning, beginning with his work in the 1970’s on the PLATO system. At the University of Illinois, Marty was the Assistant Director of the Computer-based Education Research Laboratory (CERL) and head of CERL’s Curriculum and Applications Group. Between 1990 and 1991, he served as Director of Professional Services at Authorware (now Macromedia / Adobe). In 1988, he was Microsoft’s first Faculty Fellow. At the School of Informatics, Marty’s research focuses on the design of Digital Learning Environments, including the development of deep conversation spaces. He is Chair of the Informatics Department and serves as the school’s Associate Dean for Graduate Studies.