The Future of Human-Computer Interfaces

Interactive Theory and Audience Analysis Research Project Proposal

This research project will focus on the future of human-computer interfaces (HCI) with a focus on education through gaming.  The human-computer interface is what attracts users, keeps them coming back, and causes them to go out tell their friends, family, and colleagues to visit a website or product.  There are many factors that contribute to the success or failure of any website.  Some of these include the use of the newest and most aesthetically pleasing graphics, controls, displays, and the overall ease of use to mention a few.

Children are an interesting and challenging demographic when it comes to interface design.  The children of today, who were born in the computer age have an inherent knowledge and understanding of computers and how they are used, seemingly from the moment they are born.  It’s as if they have been breed specifically for the advancement of technology and human civilization.  This will be touched upon later in this proposal.

In contrast to this, it is believed children in this and other countries’ public school systems are struggling to learn and appreciate fields of study such as science, mathematics, the arts, literature, history, etc.  There are many theories as to why this may be including, lack of funding for public schools, ineffective teaching methods that do not engage and empower students, large classroom sizes, and even distractions such as Internet and video game usage.

This research project will try to answer some of these questions and determine what the Internet, computers, and games can do to help improve the education of students.  Is interactive gaming a plausible and potential way of taking advantage of children’s computer prowess to help themselves become the most informed individual they can be so they can contribute to human civilization and society in the most positive way, helping to advance the human race?

The research for this topic will cover multiple fields of study including the history of human-computer interfaces, computer science and technology, psychology, social sciences, design, usability testing, and others.  Some background information will come from the fields outside of the computer sciences in order to form an understanding of how and why human-computer interfaces have evolved (from the current mouse-keyboard-display interface) and where they could be heading (like virtual keyboards or devices that can be implanted into the brain).  The majority of information, regarding computer technology and usability will come from military research.  In fact the military is already utilizing children’s innate understanding of computer to help design user interfaces in fighter jets, tanks and other vehicles of this sort.

What technologies will be available in the future to ease the use of computers and the Internet?  How will people interact with computers?  Will they use virtual keyboards or even their own bodies as the interface?  What makes video games so attractive to people and children especially and what can we learn from this to help encourage students to find interest in science, mathematics and art again?  These and many other questions will hopefully be answer by this research.