User Research Methods, 5 op

The course is organized following project-based learning. Small teams of students are given open-ended research problems that are based on ongoing research at Tampere University (multiple teams working on the same problems). They are expected to make sense of and model the given problem, define specific research questions, select suitable data gathering and analysis methods accordingly, prepare a study plan for a small-scale user study, and finally conduct and briefly report the implemented study. ​

The course focuses on qualitative research methods, such as one-to-one and group-based interviews, field studies and observation in both digital and physical environments, and longitudinal methods like diary studies and design probes. Concerning quantitative methods, the course mainly touches online surveys. Other quantitative methods and experimental research are more thoroughly covered on other courses (e.g., HTI.301 and HTI.350).​

In terms of data analysis, the course covers different approaches to grounded theory, affinity diagramming, task and sequence analysis, interaction modeling, quantification of qualitative data, and other relevant qualitative analysis methods. ​