Course Description: Human-Computer Interaction

(SYST 469-002; Fall 2007)

 

 

Instructor: Dr. Leonard Adelman

Office: S&T II, Room #325; Phone # 703-993-1624

Office Hours: Thursdays, 3:30 - 4:10 (or by appointment)

E-Mail Address: [email protected]

 

 

 

Text: J. Preece, Y. Rogers, & H. Sharp. Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction (2nd edition.). Wiley & Sons, 2007.

 

Prerequisites: IT 108 and IT/STAT 250

 

This course will cover the principals of human-computer interaction: including information processing design, cognitive models, ergonomics, and design metaphors.� Students will learn to evaluate interface design in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and cost. (Systems engineering majors can not take this course for credit toward their major. They need to take SYST 470.)

 

Student Evaluation Criteria

Midterm Exam����������� 35%

Class Project�������������� 25%

Final Exam����������������� 40%

 

I use the full grading scale, including pluses and minuses. The exams will cover material presented in the text and class. The exams are closed-book and closed-notes. The exam questions will probably be short-answer in format. There will be a review period the session before the exams. Laptops can not be used to take the exams.

 

Students will work in pairs (of their choosing) to complete the class project. The project needs to be an evaluation of two or more existing interactive products. The projects need to be guided by user requirements and usability goals and use statistical analyses to determine if there are significant differences in the usability of the products. Each team will make a 15-minute presentation describing their project. You should discuss you presentation topic with me to make sure it is acceptable. Three-person teams might be acceptable if the project is adequately large in scope or if students need teammates. Students who present on November 29th will receive 2 additional points. So, a high A presentation could be worth 27 instead of 25 points, which could easily be the difference between a B+ and an A-.

 

 

Week�� 1� (8/30)���� �What is interaction design? (Ch. 1)

 

Week�� 2� (9/6) �������Understanding and conceptualizing interaction (Ch. 2)

 

Week � 3� (9/13) �����Understanding users (Ch. 3)

 

Week�� 4� (9/20)����� The process of interaction design (Ch. 9)

 

Week�� 5� (9/27)����� Identifying needs and establishing requirements (Ch. 10)

 

Week�� 6� (10/4) �����Prototyping� (Ch. 11) and Review for midterm exam

 

Week�� 7� (10/11) ���Mid-Term Exam

 

Week�� 8� (10/18)��� Mid-Term Review and Introducing Evaluation (Ch. 12)

 

Week�� 9� (10/25) ���Introducing evaluation cont. (Ch. 12) & Evaluation framework (Ch. 13)

 

Week� 10� (11/1) ����Usability testing and field studies (Ch. 14)

 

Week� 11� (11/8)���� Data Gathering (Ch. 7)

 

Week� 12� (11/15)�� Analytical Evaluation (Ch. 15 up to page 706)

 

Week� 13� (11/22)�� No Class: Thanksgiving

 

Week� 14� (11/29)��� Student Presentations

 

Week� 15� (12/ 6) ���Student Presentations and Review for Final Exam

 

Week� 16� (12/13)�� Final Exam� (only on material after the mid‑term exam)