Course Description

A survey course designed to introduce students to Human-Computer Interaction and prepare them for further study in the specialized topics of their choice.  Students will have the opportunity to delve deeper in the course through a course project.  The instructor will also have the opportunity to present a two-three week special topic in HCI.

Prerequisite: CSE 214 or 230

Course Objectives

In this class, we will be alternating between the theoretical and the practical. On the theoretical side, you will learn about underlying principles, design guidelines, HCI models and approaches. On the practical side, you will learn to use a multimedia authoring tool (Director) to rapidly prototype and develop your own interactive applications. At the conclusion of the class, students will:

• understand the terminology and methods used in HCI,
• understand users’ needs, requirements and abilities,
• understand the range of possibilities for human-computer interaction, and
• be able to design applications and services that are user-centered.

Textbook

Dan Saffer, Designing for Interaction: Creating Smart Applications and Clever Devices.  Peachpit Press, 2006.  ISBN:  0321432061.

You may also want to purchase a book that teaches you about Director. Here's one that I especially like:

Gary Rosenzweig, Special Edition Using Macromedia Director MX.  Que, 2003.  ISBN:  0-7897-2903-2.

Additional readings will be posted on the Blackboard website.

Course Materials and Facilities

We will be working in the Multimedia Lab for this class. Lab hours and lab procedures will be discussed in class. Although you may prefer to work at home, please be aware that you must be able to present your projects in the classroom; if it does not run in the classroom, I will assume that it does not run at all.

You will need a USB data key for saving your work. Please be sure to bring it to class so that you can save what you do in class.

Course Requirements

• Term Project - 50%
  
Over the course of the semester, students will develop an interactive educational application in Director. This application must focus on a specific topic or concept, and be targeted to a specified audience. See the Project description for further details.
 
• Exams - 40%
  
Two exams will be given: a midterm and a final, worth 15% and 25% respectively. Both will be closed book/notes, and given in the classroom.
 
• Class Participation - 10%
  This includes in-class discussions of readings, scheduled presentations, and homework assignments. See the Assignments section for further details.

Advisories

Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Any suspected instance of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Academic Judiciary. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty, please refer to the academic judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/uaa/academicjudiciary/.

The University at Stony Brook expects students to maintain standards of personal integrity that are in harmony with the educational goals of the institution; to observe national, state, and local laws and University regulations; and to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty is required to report disruptive behavior that interrupts faculty’s ability to teach, the safety of the learning environment, and/or students’ ability to learn to Judicial Affairs.

My Own Advice

Think of me as your cranky client. There may be times when you disagree with what I say about your work. Just remember that I am the one giving out the grades. When I make a suggestion, be sure to listen, because it is likely to have an impact on your final grade.

Start your assignments and your project early. That way if you have trouble, you can get help in time to finish your assignment by the due date. This will also help you to avoid a last-minute crunch in the lab.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you don't understand something, it's likely that your classmates don't understand it either. Raise questions in class. If you need further explanation, come see me during office hours. If you can't make my office hours, send me email. Be sure to do this before you get hopelessly lost.

Work with other students. I do not mean that you should copy each other's work (which will not be tolerated). Rather, you should learn from one another. If you can't figure out how to make something work, see how your colleague did it. It is also useful to discuss different ways of approaching a problem.

Please let me know as soon as possible if you anticipate having any problems with this class. If alerted to them early on, I may be able to accommodate your needs.

Topics

Throughout the class, we will be exploring both the theoretical and the practical aspects of the following topics. Although most readings will come from the Saffer text, additional readings will be made available on the Blackboard site. Readings are to be discussed on the day listed. Deliverables are to be handed in during the week in which they are listed. Please note that this schedule is approximate, and subject to change.