Electives Recommended for LTI graduate students:
Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

Courtesy of Alex Rudnicky:

One significant application of language technology is the creation of interactive systems that communicate with human beings through speech and language. Specialized techniques have been developed for understanding the design and behavior of such systems. This encompasses at least two types of skill:

1. Students interested in a straight introduction to HCI should consider the HCI intro course. The main value here is understanding the concept of usability and how to systematically work with it. Students would learn specific techniques as well as (presumably) the insight that the user is key in interactive technologies:
   05-610 Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction
   This course covers general approaches to the study of HCI, as well as specific techniques. I (AIR) believe only some of the material would be of direct interest to an LTI person, but someone interested in the broader problem of creating and understanding interactive technologies would find this course very useful.

2. Statistical Techniques and Research Methods. What is meant by statistical methods here is very different from the statistical techniques used in, e.g., 11-761 Language and Statistics. In this case the focus is on experimental design and data analysis. This is a skill that many in our area seem in general not well acquainted with, yet is critical to the conduct of any scientific work.

   The Statistics Department seems to offer an excellent introductory sequence in statistical methods for their "undergrad minor" in stats. The 36-201 Statistical Reasoning/36-202 Intro to Statistical Methods course sequence looks good; there is also
   36-220 Engineering and Quality Control Statistics.

   The Psychology Department offers
   85-310 Research Methods in Cognitive Psychology
   (which however has as pre-requisites Statistics 36-201/36-202, described above). While this is probably somewhat specialist from an LTI perspective, it would introduce people to more advanced techniques common in the social sciences. The methods courses in Psych are currently undergoing reorganization; students should get in touch with that department for details.