CS 3724:  Introduction to HCI

Syllabus, Fall 2009

Course:

• CRN: 91843
  T/Th 11:00am - 12:15pm
  McBryde 304
  Final Exam:  Dec 14, 1:05-3:05pm

Dr. Chris North
Office Hours:  TBA

• Alex Endert
  Email: aendert at cs.vt edu
  Office Hours: Email to schedule a time.

• CS 2605 or 2114 (CS2) required, no exceptions.
• Mandatory first day attendance.

Text:

• Usability Engineering: Scenario-Based Development of Human-Computer Interaction, by Rosson & Carroll, Morgan Kaufmann. (Required)
• Microsoft Visual C# .NET Step by Step--Version 2003 by Jon Jagger & John Sharp, Microsoft Press.   (optional)

• http://courses.cs.vt.edu/~cs3724/

50%  Project (5 parts)
20%  Homeworks (apx. 4)
  5%  Student Presentation
25%  Exams (10% midterm, 15% final)

The breakdown of the project is:

• 0. Teams  0%
• 1. Requirements  20%
• 2. Design, Formative Evaluation, and midterm presentation  25%
• 3. Implementation  10%
• 4. Summative evaluation and Contest  25%
• 5. Final product and presentation  20%

This course covers the basic elements of design, development, and evaluation of software user interfaces.  Much of the course is devoted to the scenario-based usability engineering methodology, grounded in modern HCI theory, and with some additional coverage of graphical user interface development concepts.  Topics covered include:

• Usability engineering:
• analyzing requirements
• activity design
• information design and information visualization
• interaction design
• usability evaluation
• Science of HCI
  • cognition and perception
  • analytics and sensemaking
  • experimental design
  • future of HCI
• User interface development concepts:
• prototyping in C#, event-based programming, 2D graphics

The course is heavily discussion based and requires self motivation.  Students are expected to learn some of the material on their own, since only major concepts are discussed and explored in lectures. In particular, students must be prepared to learn a new programming language, C#, on their own as only new concepts related to GUI programming will be covered in class. Students present short presentations in class.  A large portion of the grading is devoted to a sizable design and implementation project that students do in small groups. The project will take students through the full cycle of HCI design, development, and evaluation process. Some assignments are of an open-ended nature, requiring creativity in application of concepts for success.

Policies:

Assignments handed in late will not be accepted, except at the discretion of the instructor.

Group work on the projects can be difficult. Problems or conflicts within groups should be reported to the instructor immediately, so that problems can be resolved before deadlines become imminent.

Class attendance is strongly encouraged. Some concepts covered during in-class lectures and activities may not be present in readings.

Students needing special accommodations for religious holidays, disabilities, etc. should see the instructor during the first two weeks of the semester.

The Honor System policies of the University and Computer Science Department are to be observed in this course.  All assignments and exams (with the exception of the group project) must be completed by students working alone.  The group project must be completed by the members of the group only.