Theory is the bedrock of many sciences, providing a rigorous method to advance knowledge, through testing and falsifying hypotheses about observable phenomena. To begin with, the nascent field of HCI followed the scientific method borrowing theories from cognitive science to test theories about user performance at the interface. But HCI has emerged as an eclectic interdiscipline rather than a well-defined science. It now covers all aspects of human life, from birth to bereavement, through all manner of computing, from device ecologies to nano-technology. It comes as no surprise that the role of theory in HCI has also greatly expanded from the early days of scientific testing to include other functions such as describing, explaining, critiquing, and as the basis for generating new designs. The book charts the theoretical developments in HCI, both past and present, reflecting on how they have shaped the field. It explores both the rhetoric and the reality: how theories have been conceptualized, what was promised, how they have been used and which has made the most impact in the field -- and the reasons for this. Finally, it looks to the future and asks whether theory will continue to have a role, and, if so, what this might be.
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- Velt R, Benford S and Reeves S (2020). Translations and Boundaries in the Gap Between HCI Theory and Design Practice, ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 27:4, (1-28), Online publication date: 25-Sep-2020.
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- Thorvald P, Lindblom J and Andreasson R (2019). On the development of a method for cognitive load assessment in manufacturing, Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 59:C, (252-266), Online publication date: 1-Oct-2019.
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- Nelson G and Ko A On Use of Theory in Computing Education Research Proceedings of the 2018 ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research, (31-39)
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- Beck J and Ekbia H The Theory-Practice Gap as Generative Metaphor Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, (1-11)
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- Sethu-Jones G, Rogers Y and Marquardt N Data in the garden Proceedings of the 29th Australian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction, (318-327)
- Lima B, da Silva Leite P and Almeida L Writing Towards Promoting the Empowerment of Persons With Disabilities in Digital Inclusion Texts Proceedings of the XVI Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems, (1-10)
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- Dietrich M and van Laerhoven K A typology of wearable activity recognition and interaction Proceedings of the 2nd international Workshop on Sensor-based Activity Recognition and Interaction, (1-8)
- Vasiliou C, Ioannou A and Zaphiris P (2014). Understanding collaborative learning activities in an information ecology, Computers in Human Behavior, 41:C, (544-553), Online publication date: 1-Dec-2014.
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