Advancing XR Education: Towards a Multimodal Human-Machine Interaction Course for Doctoral Students in Computer Science
Loading...
Date
2025
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Eurographics Association
Abstract
Nowadays, eXtended Reality (XR) has matured to the point where it seamlessly integrates various input and output modalities, enhancing the way users interact with digital environments. From traditional controllers and hand tracking to voice commands, eye tracking, and even biometric sensors, XR systems now offer more natural interactions. Similarly, output modalities have expanded beyond visual displays to include haptic feedback, spatial audio, and others, enriching the overall user experience. In this vein, as the field of XR becomes increasingly multimodal, the education process must also evolve to reflect these advancements. There is a growing need to incorporate additional modalities into the curriculum, helping students understand their relevance and practical applications. By exposing students to a diverse range of interaction techniques, they can better assess which modalities are most suitable for different contexts, enabling them to design more effective and human-centered solutions. This work describes an Advanced Human-Machine Interaction (HMI) course aimed at Doctoral Students in Computer Science. The primary objective is to provide students with the necessary knowledge in HMI by enabling them to articulate the fundamental concepts of the field, recognize and analyze the role of human factors, identify modern interaction methods and technologies, apply HCD principles to interactive system design and development, and implement appropriate methods for assessing interaction experiences across advanced HMI topics. In this vein, the course structure, the range of topics covered, assessment strategies, as well as the hardware and infrastructure employed are presented. Additionally, it highlights mini-projects, including flexibility for students to integrate their projects, fostering personalized and project-driven learning. The discussion reflects on the challenges inherent in keeping pace with this rapidly evolving field and emphasizes the importance of adapting to emerging trends. Finally, the paper outlines future directions and potential enhancements for the course.
Description
CCS Concepts: Human-centered computing → Interaction design process and methods; Mixed / augmented reality; Natural language interfaces; Information systems → Collaborative and social computing systems and tools
@inproceedings{10.2312:eged.20251013,
booktitle = {Eurographics 2025 - Education Papers},
editor = {Kuffner dos Anjos, Rafael and Rodriguez Echavarria, Karina},
title = {{Advancing XR Education: Towards a Multimodal Human-Machine Interaction Course for Doctoral Students in Computer Science}},
author = {Silva, Samuel and Marques, Bernardo and Mendes, Daniel and Rodrigues, Rui},
year = {2025},
publisher = {The Eurographics Association},
ISSN = {1017-4656},
ISBN = {978-3-03868-266-0},
DOI = {10.2312/eged.20251013}
}