Fall 2025 - IAT 804 G100
Foundations of Research Design for Human-Centred Design of Interactive Technologies (3)
Class Number: 3393
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Surrey
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Instructor:
Jon Corbett
jmcorbet@sfu.ca
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Prerequisites:
SIAT Graduate Student.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Provides an introduction to different epistemological worldviews, research approaches and methodological traditions of inquiry that are used to conduct research within SIAT. Students are introduced to a range of ways of knowing and inquiring in human-centred design, development and analysis of interactive technologies including scientific, social science, humanities, design and art-based approaches.
COURSE DETAILS:
Designed for students pursuing research in human-centred interactive technologies, this course offers a robust examination of the epistemological and methodological frameworks vital for this interdisciplinary field. We will explore key terminology and research approaches from both the arts and sciences, critically analyzing the assumptions inherent in different philosophical paradigms such as post-positivism, constructionism, and pragmatism. The course highlights diverse methodological traditions of inquiry, including Western and Indigenous perspectives, and provides practical guidance on qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research designs. A strong emphasis is placed on research ethics and the responsible conduct of research involving human participants. Upon completion, students will possess the foundational knowledge required to undertake meaningful research within SIAT's varied specializations.
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
Students will be able to:
- understand and use key terminology around the creation of knowledge, inquiry, and methodology
- understand and analyze the underlying concepts of research in the human-centred design of interactive technologies and the differences between research methodologies (e.g., experimental research design, ethnographic research study, phenomenological study, art/design based approaches)
- plan a research investigation using one or more methodologies for conducting research in the areas of human-centred design
- understand and apply principles of research ethics surrounding the design and use of interactive technologies for people and conducting research studies with human participants
- document a research study plan through writing and oral presentation
Grading
- Ethics tutorial and assignment 5%
- Short paper and in-class group discussion 15%
- Workshop critique / in-class presentation 15%
- Assignments on methodological traditions 15%
- Final paper detailing a research design 50%
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
“Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative & Mixed Methods Approaches” (2014/2018) by John W Creswell; 4th/5th Editions; SAGE Publications
ISBN: 9781452226101
"Ways of Knowing in HCI" (2014)by Judith S. Olson and Wendy A. Kellogg (editors), Springer.
ISBN: 9781493903771
RECOMMENDED READING:
“Doing Psychology Experiments” (2007) by David W Martin; 7th Edition; Wadsworth Publishing"
ISBN: 9780495115779
“Methods in Psychological Research” (2013) by A Evans, B Rooney; SAGE Publications
ISBN: 9781452261041
| “Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches” (2017) by John W Cresswell; 4th Edition; SAGE Publications |
ISBN: 9781506330204
| “How to Design & Report Experiments” (2003) by A Field, G J Hole; 1st Edition; SAGE Publications |
ISBN: 9780761973836
"The Craft of Research" (2016) by W. Booth, G. Colomb; Fourth Edition; University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022623973X
"Indigenous Research Methods: A Systematic Review" (2017) by A. Drawson, E. Toombs, C. Mushquash; International Indigenous Policy Journal, Vol. 8, No. 2, Special Issue: Reconciling Research: Perspectives on Research Involving Indigenous Peoples (Part 1) (April 2017), pp. 1-25
REQUIRED READING NOTES:
Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.
Graduate Studies Notes:
Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.
To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit:
- SFU’s Academic Integrity Policy: S10-01 Policy
- SFU’s Academic Integrity website, which includes helpful videos and tips in plain language: Academic Integrity at SFU
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION
Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.