Introduction to Positive Computing

A growing number of HCI professionals are interested in how we might design technology to foster psychological wellbeing. Meeting such an aim will involve a crossing of disciplines, of methods, and a new way of thinking about what technology should be doing for us. By turning to the well-established research and methods available in psychology, education, neuroscience, and HCI, we can begin to cultivate a field dedicated to the design and development of technology that supports wellbeing and human potential, a field we refer to as positive computing [1]. In this course we will explore multidisciplinary approaches to evaluating and designing for digital experience that supports wellbeing determinants like self-awareness, autonomy, resilience, mindfulness, and altruism. The objective of this course is to provide participants with: a theoretical foundation, a practical framework, a look at the state of the art, and group-generated design strategies to better support wellbeing in their current and future projects.