SYLLABUS
EDC 604 – Interactive Multimedia Research & Design
Spring 2001 - University of Kentucky
Dr. Andrea Peach
Office Hours: by appointment
863-7050 (Office) - 296-9933 (Home)
apeach@pop.uky.edu
Class web site: http://www.uky.edu/~apeach/index.htm
Objectives
Examine the foundations of multimedia and interface design
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Apply software design techniques, primarily user-centered design to multimedia design
process
Apply interface design principles to multimedia projects
Identify and interpret multimedia research studies
Identify and evaluate multimedia resources
Use multimedia authoring tools to create interactive instructional multimedia product
Textbooks
Scheiderman, B. (1998). Designing the user interface: Strategies for effective human computer
interaction. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley (ISBN: 0-201-69497-2)
Tannenbaum, R. (1998). Theoretical foundations of multimedia. New York: W. H. Freeman and
Company. (ISBN: 0-7167-8321-5)
Reading packet of articles are available at Johnny Print. Other readings are on-line.
Grading
Media Project and user test -- 55 points (includes project, documentation (paper) and user test)
Presentation/Topic Paper -- 15 points
Assignments -- 15 points
Journals and Participation - 15 points (includes attendance, participating in discussions, journal
entries)
Grading Scale
90 - 100 = A
80 - 89 = B
70 - 79 = C
60 - 69 = D
BELOW 60 = F
Media Project
As a group or individually, you will create an instructional, interactive, multimedia product. The
instructor must approve the topic and scope of the project. Included in the project will be
documentation describing the rationale for the project, design process, legal issues, detailed
description, user testing, and user documentation (how to use the program, etc.) Treat this
documentation as a research paper, with references where appropriate.
Presentation
Each student will be assigned a class period to lead the discussion on the readings. The student
will summarize the readings, and prepare a 15-20 minute presentation, using either PowerPoint
or FrontPage.
Participation
The success of this class will depend on a great deal of student participation. Attendance will be
taken at each class and unexcused absences will result in a grade penalty. Specifically, after the
first absence, the participation grade will be reduced by 10 points. If there is a second absence,
the participation grade will be reduced to 0. This means that the highest grade you could get with
2 absences would be a 90% and the highest grade you could get with 3 absences would be an
85%. If you were to miss more than 3 times, you will receive an additional letter grade deduction
for each additional absence.
All reading must be done prior to each class session. We will not always discuss every reading,
but the class discussions will require the knowledge that was covered in the reading assignments.
If you don't understand what you read, read it again. If you still don't understand it, try to find more
information via the web or books. If you still don't understand it, send me e-mail and I'll try to
explain it to you! Students will be expected to participate in discussions, including leading
discussions when assigned.
SNOW POLICY
If UK cancels evening classes, I will post an assignment on the web site by Tuesday at 5:00pm
for you to complete before the next class session. In other words, we will have a 'virtual' class
when we can't meet in person!
Schedule (NOTE: this schedule is subject to change)
Jan 22
Jan 29
Course overview and approach; interface design introduction and exercises;
Underlying foundations of multimedia; emerging issues in multimedia
Readings: Tannenbaum, ch 1, 5, 10; p. 360 (6.5.3)-378; Koschmann (1996).
Paradigm shifts and instructional technology: An introduction (from packet)
Feb 5
Software design process; team building – PRESENTATION: Michael
Readings: Katzenbach and Smith (1993) The Discipline of Teams; Rowland (1996)
“Lighting the fire” of design conversation; McDaniel and Liu (1996) A study of project
management techniques for developing interactive multimedia programs: A
practitioner’s perspective (from packet); Tannenbaum, c 8
NOTE: Bring in example of bad interface design
User-centered design principles; Participatory design
Readings: IBM User Centered Design Introduction (online at http://www3.ibm.com/ibm/easy/eou_ext.nsf/Publish/570); Katz-Haas (1998) User-Centered
Design and Web Development http://www.stc.org/pics/usability/topics/articles/ucd%20_web_devel.html ;A Case
Study In User Centered Design Of A High Traffic World Wide Web Virtual Community
- http://www.freeform.org/thesis/
Feb 12
NEW: The Use of Participatory Design in the Implementation of
Internet-based Collaborative Learning Activities in K-12 Classrooms by
Marcos Silva and Alain Breuleux (online at
http://www.helsinki.fi/science/optek/1994/n3/silva.txt )
Grudin: Obstacles to Participatory Design in Large Product
Development Organizations (in packet)
Feb 19
Structure of multimedia: hypermedia, Narrative Simulation, Participatory Design,
Games, Situated learning environments Presentation: Ashley
Schneiderman c. 14-16; Malone (1981). Toward a theory of intrinsically motivating
instruction (in packet).
Bush, As We May Think (online at http://www.isg.sfu.ca/~duchier/misc/vbush/vbushall.shtml )
Feb 26
Mar 5
Mar 12
Mar 19
Assignment 1 due – Bad design demo in Director
Interface design and HCI introduction: Presentation - Carol
Schneidermann, c. 1, 2, 3;
ACM SIGCHI Human-Computer Interaction – (online at
http://www.acm.org/sigchi/cdg/cdg2.html )
Defining the Interface Type and Functions of Features – Presentation – Andrew
(Windows). Melissa (Macintosh)
Readings: MAC OS8 Interface Guidelines (online at
http://developer.apple.com/techpubs/mac/HIGOS8Guide/thig-2.html )
Microsoft User Interface Guidelines (online at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?URL=/library/books/winguide/ch00a.htm
)
IBM Ease of Use ‘Real Things’ guide (online at http://www3.ibm.com/ibm/easy/eou_ext.nsf/Publish/581PrintView )
IBM Ease of Use ‘Real Places’ guide (online at http://www3.ibm.com/ibm/easy/eou_ext.nsf/Publish/84)
SPRING BREAK
Evaluating Usability and Learning in Interactive Multimedia: MEET IN HARDYMAN
BUILDING (SEE NOTE ON HOME PAGE)
Reading: Nielsen, Voodoo Usability – (online at
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/991212.html )
Usability methods – (online at http://www.usabilityfirst.com/methods/index.html)
Mayer (1997). Multimedia learning: Are we asking the right questions? (in packet);
Mar 26
Interactivity – PRESENTATION: Bebe (interactivity) Presentation: Kristen (usability
from last week)
Schneiderman: 6, 7, 9, 10, 13
Interactivity: A Forgotten Art? - http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwitr/docs/interact/index.html ;
Apr 2
Visuals and Audio Presentation: Sharon Bennett
Schneiderman, c. 11; Tannenbaum, c. 2
Design Meetings / Consultations
Research issues in multimedia – Presentation: Donna Hoover
Reading: No Significant Difference Phenomenon http://nova.teleeducation.nb.ca/nosignificantdifference (click on 2-3 years per decade
and read the quotes--interesting?);
A Significant Difference - http://teleeducation.nb.ca/media/0594/billorr.shtml ;
Legal issues in multimedia Presentation: Lynda Short
Presentations of final projects
Apr 9
Apr 16
Apr 23
Apr 30
Final Project DUE