COMP 214 is a guided exploration of current and emerging technologies in human–computer interaction (HCI), with some historical perspective. The aim of the course is to give students a general understanding of the context and current state of interactive computer technology and allow them to explore those aspects of HCI that most interest them.

The course is organized in a non-linear fashion, with four main topics. Students may work on topics in any order and may to some extent select which, and how many, activities they complete on each topic.