Grading Scheme

Your final grade in the course will be a function of several components, with half the grade coming from the two projects done in pairs:

Homework Assignments (15%): There will be three assignments, each worth 5 points.

Class Presentation (10%): Each student will read and present a research paper from the most recent proceedings of the CSCW conference. Selection of the paper will on a first-come basis. In addition to the presentation, students will prepare a brief (one-page) summary of the key findings or insights.

Midterm Exam (15%): There will be an in class exam.

Usability Study (25%): Working in pairs, students will select a CSCW system for evaluation. The usability study must involve at least one "research question" and collection of data from representative users. At some point during the semester, students will also organize an out-of-class demonstration of the system studied. The grade for this project will be based on a written report.

CSCW Design Project (25%): Also working in pairs (not the same pairs as before), students will create a new design for one or another of the systems evaluated in the first project. This will be a design only, i.e. there is no requirement to implement a functional prototype. Evaluation will be based on a design document and a class presentation.

Class Participation (10%): Students are expected to attend all class sessions and as many out-of-class demonstrations as possible. Full credit in this category will require active participation (i.e., questions, comments, listserv discussions, and so on).