CSCI 4163 / CSCI 6610, Winter 2014
Human-Computer Interaction
web.cs.dal.ca/~hawkey/4163
Dr. Kirstie Hawkey, hawkey@cs.dal.ca
Basic Info
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Instructor: Kirstie Hawkey
TA: Jeevitha Mahendiran
Office: Room 225, Goldberg building
KH Office hours: 2-4 pm, Wednesdays
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Course is offered as both an undergrad course (4163)
and a graduate course (6610)
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NOTE: Tutorial/Lab in TL 4 on Wednesdays, 10:35-11:55
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Website: web.cs.dal.ca/~hawkey/4163
Class style
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Pre-assigned readings
Additional resources
Some lecture content
Interactive exercises
HCI topic seminars (breadth!)
Group work:
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2 mini-projects
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Understanding the user’s needs
Controlled laboratory evaluation of a technique
Individual work:
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Topic seminars
Research paper (grad)
Reading responses
Participation/peer evaluation/quizzes
2 tests
Human Computer Interaction
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Human
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Computer
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The user of a computer program, computerized device, or
other information technology artifact
The physical device, artifact, or hardware that runs the
program
Interaction
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The communication between the human and the computer
Why Care about the human?
Moore’s Law
Slide idea by Bill Buxton
Computer
abilities
transistors
speed
discs
cost
1950
1990
Slide: Saul Greenberg
2030
Psychology
human
abilities
2000BC
Slide idea by Bill Buxton
1950
1990
2030
Where is the bottleneck?
system
performance
Slide idea by Bill Buxton
Slide: Saul Greenberg
Human Computer Interaction
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A discipline concerned with the
implementation
design
evaluation
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of interactive computing systems for human users
Slide: Saul Greenberg
User Centered Design
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1.
2.
3.
Our focus:
Methods for understanding
user needs
Methods for evaluating
interfaces and techniques
with users
Theories/models of human
performance
NOT DESIGN
(3160 in the Fall for user
interface design, prototyping,
discount usability evaluation)
process figure: http://www.yucentrik.ca/en/expertise-2/tools/
User Interface Design  HCI
CSCI 3160: UI Design
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Iterative Design
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Design architecture of system
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Draw UI sketches/task scenarios
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Prototyping
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Evaluate with users (primarily formative)
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Redesign
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Implement Prototypes and evaluate
(heuristics, cognitive walkthroughs)
CSCI 4163 – HCI
Understand
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Critically
understand different
experimental approaches to understand
and evaluate systems
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Design Considerations
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Graphic output/input
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Errors
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Design and layout
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Task
Software
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E.g., GUI toolkits,
users
Learn about their needs, tasks, etc.
understand how users do something
to help inform design decisions
When to use which approach
(advantages and disadvantages)
 Analyze
results and use these to
develop guidelines
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Quantitative and qualitative data
Evaluate
high fidelity prototypes,
interaction techniques, etc. (often
summative, comparative)
Course goals
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To understand strengths and weaknesses of different
experimental methods in HCI
To learn about how theories/human models of human
performance impact interaction
To develop an appreciation for experimental HCI
research and how it can refine the theories/models
To be able to apply these techniques to do basic HCI
research
To learn about User Experience as a career path
Homework for Thursday’s class
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Read Chapter 2 of The Encyclopedia of Human
Computer Interaction
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http://www.interactiondesign.org/encyclopedia/human_computer_interaction_hci.htm
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Email (FB?) Jeevitha 2 questions/comments about the
reading by 10pm Wednesday night
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Excellent (2 pts): thought provoking, insightful, original, good
discussion points
Good (1 pt): relevant
Bad (0 pt): completely irrelevant, comments not sent or sent
late