The Potential and Implications of Generative AI on HCI Education

TL;DR

This paper explores the integration of generative AI into HCI education, highlighting pedagogical insights, potential benefits, pitfalls, and the importance of fostering student literacy and creativity with AI tools.

Contribution

It presents a case study of incorporating generative AI into an undergraduate HCI module, offering practical insights and recommendations for educators.

Findings

AI as a design persona and resource

AI as a reflection of student understanding

Need for assessing AI literacy and assumptions

Abstract

Generative AI (GAI) is impacting teaching and learning directly or indirectly across a range of subjects and disciplines. As educators, we need to understand the potential and limitations of AI in HCI education and ensure our graduating HCI students are aware of the potential and limitations of AI in HCI. In this paper, we report on the main pedagogical insights gained from the inclusion of generative AI into a 10 week undergraduate module. We designed the module to encourage student experimentation with GAI models as part of the design brief requirement and planned practical sessions and discussions. Our insights are based on replies to a survey sent out to the students after completing the module. Our key findings, for HCI educators, report on the use of AI as a persona for developing project ideas and creating resources for design, and AI as a mirror for reflecting students' understanding of key concepts and ideas and highlighting knowledge gaps. We also discuss potential pitfalls that should be considered and the need to assess students' literacies and assumptions of GAIs as pedagogical tools. Finally, we put forward the case for educators to take the opportunities GAI presents as an educational tool and be experimental, creative, and courageous in their practice. We end with a discussion of our findings in relation to the TPACK framework in HCI.