1. CK121 Psychology & Computing BA (Hons)
Thanks – delighted for the opportunity
brand new course
give you some info and answer questions

2. Psychology and computing (not with computing)
Why the mix of Psychology and Computing?
Academic discipline
Career path
Benefits to psychologists
Benefits to computer scientists
Course structure
Entry requirements
we’re making hybrids – prepared for interdisciplinary world we live in
and its not a random pairing of academic subjects

3. Human-Computer Interaction Computer Science
academic discipline
Psychology
Human-Computer Interaction
Computer Science
its not a random pairing of subjects
we wouldn’t do this if there weren’t already a well established academic discipline to study.
and there weren’t jobs already out there
people will learn core skills of psychology and computer science.
they will also learn skills and knowledge related to human computer interaction
so, its 1/3 psych, 1/3 computing, 1/3 HCI
Psychology & Computing

4. technology increasingly surrounds us

5. technology can be really useful

6. technology can also be really dreadful

7. human computer interaction
Technology must be designed – by someone. If that person knows something about human capacities like memory, perception, how people behave in groups, how ageing affects people etc., they will make technology that is more useful.
HCI is the discipline concerned with understanding how to make technology that supports rather than frustrates people
It is applied psychology

8. Core skills of HCI research and practice
Design - working with stakeholders to understand how a piece of technology should work.
Evaluation - working with them again to understand whether or not technology works in practice

9. specialist career paths
user interface designer
user experience designer
researcher
UI: how do people find the information? where should the buttons go?
UX: how do people listen to music on spotify? playlists? albums? how do you make suitable suggestions for new content?
research: what does the existence of this system do to music industry, to artists, to experience of listening to music more generally? how do we link design choices to social, psychological outcomes?

10. benefits to psychologists
Our experience of the world around us is increasingly intertwined with technology -fitness trackers, social media, medical devices, car dashboards, online mental health interventions……
As psychologists we need to understand how these things affect our health, wellbeing, how we process information, participate in democracy, etc.
We need to be able to directly influence how they are designed
Psychology Graduates who will be entirely comfortable with operating in the tech world
and physiological data
big data
neuroscience
etc

11. benefit to computer scientists
Core computing competencies
Excellent research skills
Specialist roles, but also generally very useful skills
Understanding how to tell whether a piece of technology is fit for purpose
this is not a side concern. this is everything. there’s no point making tools that don’t do the job intended.

12. Course structure – Year 1
Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction (5 credits);
Methods for user centred design (5 credits);
Introduction to Neuroscience, Perception and Attention (5 credits);
Foundations of Computer Science I (5 credits);
Social Psychology (5 credits);
Foundations of Computer Science II (5 credits);
Research Methods in Psychology I (5 credits);
Relational Databases I (5 credits);
Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis I (5 credits);
Introductory to Programming & Problem-Solving (15 credits)

13. Course structure – year 2
Social Computing;
Usability Engineering;
Applied Cognition;
Intermediate Programming;
Learning and Behaviour;
Algorithms and Data Structures;
Research Methods in Psychology 2;
Authoring;
Web Development;
Experimental Design and Statistical Applications 2;
Database Design and Administration

14. course structure – year 3
Service Design and Evaluation;
Interaction Design;
Individual Differences;
Mobile Multimedia;
The Psychology of Aging;
Software Engineering;
Health Psychology: Models and Applications;
Data Mining;
Team Project

15. entry requirements DURATION: 3 years or 4 years with a placement
APPROX. INTAKE: 30
Leaving Cert Entry: Minimum grade of H5 in two subjects and O6/H7 in four other subjects in the Leaving Certificate from Irish, English, another language, Mathematics and two other subjects recognised for entry purposes
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: 02/H6 in Mathematics

16. after the degree…
Guaranteed entry to an accredited Psychology conversion course for graduates with 2H1 result (i.e., 4 years to graduate qualification)
Skills and experience attained will result in high graduate demand for careers in software, HCI

17. questions?