I. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND PREREQUISITES

This class is an introduction to key methods in user-interface design with an emphasis on usability design and evaluation.

Credit Hours: 4

II. MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES

• Heim, S. 2008. The Resonant Interface: HCI Foundations for Interaction Design. Boston, MA: Pearson/Addison Wesley.
• You need to save your assignments to your own media. Your best bet is to use a flash memory device.

III. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• Provide all students the tools necessary to succeed in their pursuit of a high level of understanding of the principles of human-computer interaction by:
  • Shifting ownership and responsibility for learning to the students
  • Using discovery, problem-based, and other active learning techniques
  • Using assessment techniques not traditionally found in computer science courses
• To facilitate the improvement of student problem-solving skills and processes
• To facilitate an atmosphere conducive to learning the principles of data structures for all students
• To provide quality feedback to students, enabling them to gauge their progress towards achieving their goal in learning the principles of human-computer interaction

By the end of the course, the student should be able to:

• Use vocabulary associated with Human-Centered Design and Computer Science
• Write a customized style guide and apply human factor guidelines to your interface designs
• Appropriately use currently available interaction styles in your interface designs
• Use behavioral, user-centered representation techniques for capturing your interface designs
• Establish usability specifications to measure quantitatively the usability of your interface
• Carry out formative usability evaluation as your interface evolves
• Perform cost/benefit and other analyses to determine which changes to the interface will have the biggest impact on usability

IV. IMPORTANT NOTES

• Turn off all audible pagers, cell phones and other such equipment while in the classroom.
• If you must take care of personal issues during class, please leave quietly and return quietly.
• If you must be late to class, please enter quietly, take your seat and get to work.
• If you know you must leave early, please let me know. Then leave quietly.

Computer Lab:
The computer lab (MLH310) is open two nights a week starting after the first week of class.

Important dates:

Jan 16	Last Day to Register/Add/Drop Classes Online
Jan 19	Martin Luther King Day/Idaho Human Rights Day – no classes
Jan 20	Instructor's Written Approval Required to Add Class
Jan 26	Last Day to Add Class(es) or to Drop without 'W' Grade
Feb 16	President's Day - no classes
Mar 2	Last Day to Apply for Graduation Fall 2009
Mar 13	Midterm Grades Posted
Mar 16-20	Spring Break - no classes
Mar 23	Last Day to Withdraw from Class(es) or College for the Semester
Apr 6-9	Advance Registration for Summer/Fall 2009
May 13	Final Exam

The last date to drop this class without a permanent entry on your transcript is Jan. 26. The last date to withdraw from this course with a W on your transcript is Mar. 23. After that date, withdrawal is permitted only by petition and approval of the division chair, Dr. Matt Johnston. The division chair requires documentation of extraordinary circumstances that prevented you from withdrawing by the deadline.

V. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION

I utilize a lecture and lab format. Homework problems are assigned each week and sometimes each meeting. The lab meeting affords us the opportunity for hands-on work to test and apply material from lecture as well as complete the semester project. Collaboration will be a primary method for project completion.

You will not be ‘lectured’ about material that can easily be read from the book. The content provided in lecture will supplement the text material. You will have activities which require you to work through the material, learning to understand it in your own way.

VI. PERFORMANCE CRITERIA FOR STUDENTS

• Demonstrate persistent and active learning through an organized approach that includes completion of activities, attending every class and lab period and bringing appropriate materials to support quality and active participation in lab activities, organizing work neatly in folders, and appropriately using available resources to aid in learning course content.
• Develop high-level modeling skills where appropriate design elements can be quickly and correctly identified.
• Professionally perform computer skills and functions when applying computer science principles through correct use of equipment and software; and quality documentation of procedures such that others can easily read and assess the work performed.
• Exemplify effective communication skills as demonstrated through the use of appropriate technical language and as documented in homework and project solutions.

Grading Scale (expressed as percentages):

A	>=	94
A-	>=	90 to < 94
B+	>=	87 to < 90
B	>=	83 to < 87
B-	>=	80 to < 83
C+	>=	77 to < 80
C	>=	73 to < 77
C-	>=	70 to < 73
D+	>=	67 to < 70
D	>=	60 to < 67
F	<	60

Please note that you must accumulate 90% or greater for an A, 80% or greater for a B and 70% or greater for a C.

VII. HOMEWORK SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Homework problems are assigned so that you may practice the skills needed in understanding database concepts. All assignments should be typed. If you must turn in handwritten assignments, the maximum grade you may earn on that assignment is 70. All assignments should be clearly labeled. Any problems written on the back side of the page do not exist.

Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. Due dates are listed with each assignment. I intensely dislike late homeworks. There is a substantial penalty for late homework (10% per day). If an unavoidable, documentable emergency arises, please discuss it with me. However, under normal circumstances, if you have not completed your assignment by the due date, you should submit the work you have done for partial credit. For the sake of your grade, you should ALWAYS turn in SOMETHING. Be sure to keep ALL graded material.