Image by Daniel Asiviero

Yesterday I started my latest MOOC. Yes, another one! But I saw the description and knew I had to do it in the same way a normal woman would feel about a pair of shoes in a shop window. I am staring to worry about myself! Anyway, Human-Computer Interaction sounds fascinating. Scary, but fascinating. Fascinating because,

you will learn how to design technologies that bring people joy, rather than frustration.

Scary because,

You’ll learn several techniques for rapidly prototyping and evaluating multiple interface alternatives — and why rapid prototyping and comparative evaluation are essential to excellent interaction design

What does that even mean?! Well I guess I am about to find out. It’s one of the things I love about MOOCs, it’s risk free. I would never pay for a course like this because of the risk of failing. But because its free I can have a go and hopefully learn and connect with like minded individuals.

After watching the first week lectures I started thinking about invention and how great it would be to invent or design the next great thing (obviously this isn’t one of my expected learning outcomes!) But I also wondered if we have now invented all the best stuff. I mean, can we really top the Internet, human flight, safe anaesthetic, electricity, vaccines etc?

Will the younger generation ever get the sense of amazement I did when I first saw a fax machine, the CD, our first computer, the Internet, photocopier and colour TV? I still get excited when I discover things I consider to be exciting to use, Windows 8 desktop, the iPad, Google docs etc but do younger generations just have a sense of expectation? Are they now so immersed in this world that they expect them to be improved upon or that there will always be an upgrade?

Who knows, but I will keep my sense of excitement and wonder, whether it be over the sight of a beautiful sunset or the latest iPad.

Now I am off to design the most amazing and ground breaking app for my course. Well once I work out what wireframing means that it.