Note: This unit is an archived version! See Overview tab for delivered versions.
INFO3315: Human-Computer Interaction (2015 - Semester 2)
| Unit: | INFO3315: Human-Computer Interaction (6 CP) |
| Mode: | Normal-Day |
| On Offer: | Yes |
| Level: | Senior |
| Faculty/School: | School of Computer Science |
| Unit Coordinator/s: |
Professor Kay, Judy
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| Session options: | Semester 2 |
| Versions for this Unit: | |
| Site(s) for this Unit: |
| Campus: | Camperdown/Darlington |
| Pre-Requisites: | None. |
| Brief Handbook Description: | This is a course in HCI, Human Computer Interaction, with a focus on web-based Computing. It introduces the core topics in HCI and web-based system design as well as advanced topics. |
| Assumed Knowledge: | Background in programming and operating systems that is sufficient for the student to independently learn new programming tools from standard online technical materials. Ability to conduct a literature search. Ability to write reports of work done. |
| Lecturer/s: |
Professor Kay, Judy
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| Tutor/s: | TBC | |||||||||||||||
| Timetable: | INFO3315 Timetable | |||||||||||||||
| Time Commitment: |
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| T&L Activities: | Laboratory: The weekly laboratory class will enable students to consolidate the key ideas for the week. Depending upon the topic, this laboratory session will involve small experimental activities, discussions or technical work. |
Attributes listed here represent the key course goals (see Course Map tab) designated for this unit. The list below describes how these attributes are developed through practice in the unit. See Learning Outcomes and Assessment tabs for details of how these attributes are assessed.
| Attribute Development Method | Attribute Developed |
| The essence of the course is to learn how to design web-based computing systems, where this includes learning the relevant theory, its application, the techniques and their use. | Design (Level 3) |
| The lectures and all practical and project work will build discipline specific expertise in the area of building web-based computing systems. | Engineering/IT Specialisation (Level 3) |
| The assessment of the group project is based on a web-based system design, a report and a demonstration of web-based system. These will develop written and spoken communication skills. The practical class activities and the final examination will include short answers questions that will require good written communication skills. | Communication (Level 3) |
| The major project involves working in a team. | Project and Team Skills (Level 3) |
For explanation of attributes and levels see Engineering & IT Graduate Outcomes Table.
Learning outcomes are the key abilities and knowledge that will be assessed in this unit. They are listed according to the course goal supported by each. See Assessment Tab for details how each outcome is assessed.
Design (Level 3)
1. Ability to analyse a context to define the overall goals of a new web-based system
2. Ability to select suitable techniques for establishing requirements for a web-based computing system, including the usability requirements. Ability to make use of these techniques.
3. Ability to apply standard design approaches to creating a user interface, and to adapt these to the particular emerging demands of web based computing systems.
4. Ability to evaluate interfaces, based upon both discount and user-based techniques. Ability to select the most appropriate technique for a particular situation and to justify this.
5. Ability to explain how human factors influence aspects of design of interfaces.
6. Ability to bring together design and evaluation techniques to create a prototype interface that is designed to address a defined user need.
Engineering/IT Specialisation (Level 3)
7. Hot topics.
Communication (Level 3)
8. Write a report on the prototype system created, defining the requirements, describing the design processes, its evaluation, int erms of the requirements and conclusions about its strengths and weaknesses.
| Assessment Methods: |
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| Assessment Description: |
Lab. Weekly activities to build up to the assignments, with a mix of technical, design, usability, user experience. Demonstrations and presentations. First design project presentation: Group presents their design requirements and low fidelty prototypes Mid-semester practice exam: Prepare the solutions in preparation for the lab class then complete in class, with assistance from the tutor, and submit by the end of the class. Second design and usability presentation: Group presentation of the design and evaluation of their prototype. Final demonstration: Group demonstrates the final prototype. Final examination. This assesses the lectures, labs and assignments. |
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| Assessment Feedback: | Lab. Within each lab, tutors will review the student`s work, students will share their work and conduct peer assessments to provide feedback. The tutor will record aspects of each student`s performance each week and discuss this with the student. The grade will reflect participation in each class and mastery of the key elements of each week`s lab. Presentation: Students will present in the first hour in the Week 6 lab. The tutor will record grading information against a set rubric. The tutor will then discuss the presentations with each group in the second hour. The tutor will provide formative feedback about: -- strengths and areas for improvement for the Assignment 2 presentation in Week 12; -- strengths and areas for improvement for core concepts, as formative feedback towards the exam. The teaching team will meet to review the grading to ensure consistency across classes, with marks finalised by Week 7. Mid-semester practice exam: This will be graded by the tutor, with feedback in the lectures as well as individual grading. Final demonstration: Students will present in the first hour in the Week 12 lab. The tutor will grade it during the week. Demonstrations: Students will present in the second hour in the Week 12 lab. For both of these, the tutor will record grading information against a set rubric. The teaching team will meet to review the grading to ensure consistency across classes and to identify the projects for the Hall of Fame. The tutor will return the grade and discuss the presentations and demonstrations with each group in the Week 13 lab. The tutor will provide formative feedback about key strengths and weaknesses that should guide student revision for the exam. The tutor will return the grade and discuss the presentations with each group in the Week 13 lab. The tutor will aim to provide formative feedback about key strengths and weaknesses that should guide student revision for the exam. The teaching team will identify the projects for the Hall of Fame. These will be shared with the whole class in the final lecture, with commentary to highlight lessons the class can take from these. |
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| Grading: |
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| Policies & Procedures: | IMPORTANT: School policy relating to Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism. In assessing a piece of submitted work, the School of IT may reproduce it entirely, may provide a copy to another member of faculty, and/or to an external plagiarism checking service or in-house computer program and may also maintain a copy of the assignment for future checking purposes and/or allow an external service to do so. Other policies See the policies page of the faculty website at http://sydney.edu.au/engineering/student-policies/ for information regarding university policies and local provisions and procedures within the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies. |
| Recommended Reference/s: |
Note: References are provided for guidance purposes only. Students are advised to consult these books in the university library. Purchase is not required.
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| Online Course Content: | comp3315.usydhci.info/ (not available yet) |
| Note on Resources: | Additional readings will be listed on the class website. |
Note that the "Weeks" referred to in this Schedule are those of the official university semester calendar https://web.timetable.usyd.edu.au/calendar.jsp
| Week | Description |
| Week 1 | Overview of HCI, UX, usability, the semester and practical project. |
| Week 2 |
Contextual analysis. Tasks. Activities. Advanced topic: Interfaces for learning. |
| Week 3 |
Design. ideation. Sketching. Storyboard. Advanced topic: MOOCs. |
| Week 4 |
Design. Personas. Usability. Heuristic Evaluation. Guidelines. |
| Week 5 |
Usability and UX testing: Think-aloud. Advanced topic: gamification. |
| Week 6 |
Prototypes, moving beyond conceptual designs. Advanced topic: Agile meets UX ... tensions and trends |
| Assessment Due: First design project presentation | |
| Week 7 | Guest lecture. |
| Assessment Due: Mid-semester practice exam | |
| Week 8 |
People: psychological and physiological constraints. Mental models. Fitts Law. |
| Week 9 |
Usability: Questionnaires. Interviews. Advanced topic. Usable security. Privacy. |
| Week 10 |
Usability: Cognitive Walkthrough Advanced topic: the media equation. Avatars. Social robots. |
| Week 11 |
GOMS. Advanced topic. NUI. |
| Week 12 |
Design: Accessibility Advanced topic: Asethetics. Fun. |
| Assessment Due: Second design and usability presentation | |
| Assessment Due: Final demonstration | |
| Week 13 |
Review of the semester and big picture. Review of prac. About the exam. |
| Exam Period | Assessment Due: Final Exam |
Course Relations
The following is a list of courses which have added this Unit to their structure.
Course Goals
This unit contributes to the achievement of the following course goals:
| Attribute | Practiced | Assessed |
| Project and Team Skills (Level 3) | Yes | 0% |
| Design (Level 3) | Yes | 92.87% |
| Engineering/IT Specialisation (Level 3) | Yes | 0% |
| Communication (Level 3) | Yes | 7.15% |
| Professional Conduct (Level 3) | No | 0% |
These goals are selected from Engineering & IT Graduate Outcomes Table which defines overall goals for courses where this unit is primarily offered. See Engineering & IT Graduate Outcomes Table for details of the attributes and levels to be developed in the course as a whole. Percentage figures alongside each course goal provide a rough indication of their relative weighting in assessment for this unit. Note that not all goals are necessarily part of assessment. Some may be more about practice activity. See Learning outcomes for details of what is assessed in relation to each goal and Assessment for details of how the outcome is assessed. See Attributes for details of practice provided for each goal.
