First Thoughts

Thanks for landing on my blog page. 

My name is Marty Siegel. Since 1984, in one form or another, I've been teaching courses on the topic of human-computer interaction design--mostly to graduate students, but sometimes to undergraduates.

I will use this blog as a place where, from time to time, I will reflect on what's happening in I300. This will also be a place where you'll be able to ask questions about the course projects, and expect to get some answers! (To do so, just "add a comment" at the bottom of this post or click on "see comments" to read others' comments and add your own. Your comment may simply be a question.)

In this first post, I'd like to tell you a little about myself. After all, I've asked to learn something about you, so it's only fair that you learn something about me. But before I do that, I'd like to share a professor's perspective the night before the first day of classes. For me, and I've been doing this for a long time, it's a period of preparation, anticipation, and a bit of fear. There are 150 students enrolled in the class. In addition, there are 10 students who will assist me in teaching this class (all but two are graduate students in the HCI Design Master's Program). But there are 150 of you! How does a professor get to know 150 different people. Answer: it's not really possible, and certainly not in any deep way.

However, there are some general things I already know: Some of you signed up for this particular section because you heard that I'm a pretty good instructor (it's good to have this reputation); some of you know nothing about me and you're taking the course because it's a requirement (that is, if it weren't a requirement, you'd never take this course). Some of you will want to sit up close, and some of you will want to sit in the back. Some of you will be engaged in the topic, and some of you would rather attend to your Facebook stream, listen to your music, or be anywhere else other than Jordan Hall. You or I could continue this list of "some of you..." and it would be very long. The challenge for me as a professor, as your professor, is to create a strong learning community among us. We need to come together as a class, and the first challenge is to me: I need to make this course as engaging and interesting as possible; it needs to be relevant to your future career, and it may be the start of your interest in this field (that is, some of you may want to enter the master's program in HCI design after taking this course). All of this is a big responsibility. But I will work hard each week to do so. What I expect from you is to be open to some new ideas, new ways of learning, and for you to engage with the content. Even in a class of 150 students you can ask questions; I'm more worried that no one asks a question rather than we get too many questions. Here's something I wrote in the syllabus: "If an explanation is unclear, ask for a better explanation. If you don’t understand why we’re doing something, please ask. There are no stupid questions; but if you have a question and you don’t ask it, that is stupid." (Sadly, some of you will never ask a question.)

And now, here's a little information about me...

I am a Professor of Informatics, Education, and Cognitive Science at Indiana University. In 1999, I founded IU’s first start-up company, WisdomTools, Inc., focused on scenarios-based learning. I began my work in the area of computer-based learning, starting in 1973 on the PLATO system at the University of Illinois. At Illinois, I was the Assistant Director of the Computer-based Education Research Laboratory (CERL) and Director of the Curriculum Applications Group. Between 1990 and 1991, I served as Director of Professional Services at Authorware (once Macromedia, now Adobe). In 1988, I was appointed as Microsoft's first Faculty Fellow, spending a couple of summers working in Redmond, Washington.

At the School of Informatics and Computing, my research focuses on the design of Digital Learning Environments, Slow Change Interaction Design, and Design Pedagogy. I was the first Chair of the Informatics Department and served as the school’s Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Executive Associate Dean. I now serve as the Director of Graduate Studies in Informatics. My latest venture is a new company called "Glerb." You'll hear more about it later, but our tagline is: Everybody has something to learn. Everybody has something to teach. (If you're a gifted web programmer, and you want to volunteer to work in the company, talk to me!)

I have two children. My daughter, Mara, an IU graduate, is a Senior Manager at Accenture. My son, Adam, also an IU graduate, founded two companies. Adam is married to an HCI Designer, and Mara is married to another HCI designer! They all live in Chicago. My first grandchild, Margot, is 13 months old.

I live with my partner Doug Bauder; he’s the Coordinator of the IU Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Student Support Office (a part of the Dean of Students). So, my "coming out" story is an interesting one. Ask me, if you're interested.

I take my responsibilities as a professor very seriously. I look forward to working with you. As I said above, what I intend to do with this blog is to reflect on the course, I300, as it unfolds over the next few months. I’ll be kind of “thinking out loud” about what’s happening in and out of class. I hope you will comment on what I have to say.

I hope we both have a great semester! :)