Ten Years of HCI Courses in IDCAs the rains hit Mumbai this June, there is a frog in my throat. It has been 10 years since I conducted my first course on HCI for working professionals through the Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay. In these 10 years, I have taught 1,048 students outside of IIT Bombay through 38 courses lasting a total of 212 days and adding up to 4,655 person-days. I think this is a good opportunity for me to acknowledge the support and contributions of several people as we reach this milestone. Firstly, thanks to IDC. While I have been teaching HCI since March 1994 - I taught my first course when I was working with the Tata Consultancy Services - IDC gave me a mandate, legitimacy, an opportunity, and an open platform to conduct these courses on a regular basis. I must also acknowledge the excellent support provided by the Continuing Education Programme office of IIT Bombay. Though I always taught best those ideas that I learnt on my own, my teaching has been deeply influenced, directly and indirectly, by the many of my teachers. I also have had the good fortune to work alongside some of those as a colleague in IDC since 1998, and learn more things that can be taught in only in the classroom of real life. I particularly thank those of my colleagues who join in my courses to deliver short, insightful lectures that help make my courses complete. I have also learnt a lot from my students, both within IIT Bombay and outside. I have been lucky to have had a diverse set of students - designers, engineers, artists, architects, writers, managers, and teachers, with industry experience and without, most younger than me, a few older, most from India, a few from abroad. They have been friendly, keen, inspired, yet also critical and have kept me on my toes as well as gratified. Contrary to what I was warned about once or twice, I find that teaching more frequently than usual has not burned me out, but rather has given me an experience much ahead of my years, and has given me more opportunities to improve as a teacher. Finally, I must also acknowledge the contribution of my family. 212 days of teaching (and perhaps the 424 days of preparation) does not sound like a lot. It adds up to only 17% of one's time in 10 years. Yet, contrary to popular belief, there is much else to do for a "young" faculty member (as I have been referred to most of these years). So, much of that 17% inevitably comes from the "free time" in your life - a time that one normally ought to reserve for one's family - children, parents, and spouse. Thank you all, and please keep up the good work :). Anirudha Joshi |