Master Human-Technology Interaction

Learning Objectives

The interaction between people and technology

Computers, mobile phones, office environments, Internet, home entertainment, sustainable energy systems and e-commerce are just a few examples of new technologies that have considerablyaffected various aspects of our lives. On the one hand, these technologies provide us with an ever-increasing range of opportunities, and are often a fascinating source of enjoyment and comfort. Yet, these new products and systems also become increasingly complex, may be difficult to operate, unsafe or annoying. People will never succeed in exploiting the full range offunctions afforded by these technologies, and often use them inefficiently and ineffectively. Consequently, they may get frustrated and their trust in these technologies may be eroded. It is also not entirely clear what are exactly people's preferences regarding evolving new technologies.

The Master's program Human-Technology Interaction offers a unique opportunity to study these issues by applying knowledge from the social sciences, in particular psychology, to problems raised by the introduction of new technologies. The program is based on three fundamentals:

  • human behaviour, specifically applied to technological settings
  • user-oriented development of technological products and environments
  • scientific methodology

The HTI program

The program offers basic knowledge from psychology covering basic themes such as perception, cognition, language and communication, and attitudes and social cognition. This knowledge is then applied to problems arising from the rapidly changing technological environments experienced in daily life. In particular, it is aimed at shedding light on questions like how should products, systems and environments be shaped such that they best serve the goals and needs of individual users, social groups and society in general, in a most efficient way, at the same time minimizing unwanted side effects. The technological domains on which the program focuses are the build environment, information and communication technology and sustainable energy.

Human-Technology Interaction masters acquire the knowledge and skills that should enable them to assess the feasibility of new technological developments in view of human values, goals, constraints and capabilities. This knowledge should enable them to play an important role in the design of new technologies by rendering a central position to the role of the user.

More information

For more information just drop by at our sub-department and ask one of the employees or secretaries, IPO 1.20.