Adjunct Instructor-Master of Human-Computer Interaction (MHCI) Capstone Project

Description

The Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University is pleased to announce an adjunct faculty opening to co-teach the Master of Human-Computer Interaction (MHCI) Capstone project. Adjuncts are paired with another Capstone faculty member to guide three Capstone project teams through the spring and summer semester from January 2025 to August 2025. During the spring semester adjuncts meet their respective Capstone project teams on Friday mornings from 8:00am to 11am and attend a Capstone faculty meeting from 11am to 1pm. During the summer semester between May and August adjuncts meet students on Thursday mornings from 8:00am to 11am and attend a Capstone faculty meeting from 11am to 1pm. Adjuncts facilitate a workshop or give a lecture 3-4 times during the spring semester and summer semester in a topic in which they are expert (e.g., planning research programs, user interface prototyping or project management). In the spring semester workshops/lectures are delivered on a Monday and Wednesday from 11am to 12:20pm. In the summer semester workshops are delivered on a Tuesday and Thursday from 2pm to 3:20pm.

 

Adjuncts grade the teams they advise and write detailed feedback 3 times; at the spring mid-semester, at the end of the spring semester and at the end of the summer semester. Adjuncts are expected to respond to student emails within 36 hours Monday through Friday. Occasionally adjuncts meet individual students at a time that is convenient for both.

 

Compensation

 

The effective date of appointment is January 2025. Salary is $22,000 total for the spring and summer semester of the MHCI Capstone Project. Compensation is paid monthly between January and August 2025.

Qualifications

We seek industry practitioners with a demonstrable history of guiding teams through the full lifecycle of an interaction design project including research, design, prototyping, validation and testing phases. Candidates should present evidence of their mastery of many of the following capabilities;

• Research methods, research planning, interpretation and synthesis

• Insights development and reframing

• Rapid idea generation using scenario-based design, storyboards, sketching, reverse assumptions and others

• Modeling information, interactions, user behavior and system behavior

• Interaction design, user interface design, user experience and service design

• Prototyping in a variety of fidelity levels

• Detailed visual design including typography, color and composition

• Usability testing, user testing and concept validation

• Product management and product strategy

• Project management, scrum, agile software development, lean, KPIs, and OKRs

• Interpersonal skills, effective client leadership and professional communication

• Developing journey maps and service blueprints

• A/B, split and multivariate testing 

 

We seek design practitioners, researchers, communication experts and project managers who are seasoned consultants and/or in-house providers. 

 

Adjuncts serving as MHCI Capstone faculty use the Canvas learning management system (LMS) to release materials, grade, and write grade comments, assemble teams, build peer evaluations, mark attendance and review data from pre-tests, formative assessments and post-tests. Adjuncts deliver lectures and facilitate discussion among students. Adjuncts embrace a dialogic approach to education that is consistent with a design studio experience. Adjuncts occasionally meet students and teams outside of regularly scheduled class times. Adjuncts arrive 15 minutes before MHCI Capstone  to prep with their co-teacher, debrief after each class and record possible improvement opportunities in a Google document. 

 

A Bachelor’s Degree in design or a related field is required for this position. 

 

 

Application Instructions

Applications must include (1) resume or curriculum vitae, (2) a link to a web portfolio or PDF file (3) a short cover letter (5-7 sentences) about why you would be a good fit for this role.

 

The HCII will review applications as we receive them; however, the final deadline to receive materials is Friday, 8 November 2024 or until the position has been filled.

 

If you have questions, please feel free to contact Jennifer McPherson at jmcpherson@cs.cmu.edu.

 

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