Elective300 LevelFirst SemesterHuman-Computer Interaction
CSC307
Human-Computer Interaction
Course Description
Human-Computer Interaction teaches design and evaluation methods for interfaces that real people actually have to use: usability heuristics, prototyping, and structured user testing. Students run an actual usability study on their own project during the semester.
Learning Outcomes
- Apply usability heuristics to evaluate an existing interface.
- Design and iterate on low- and high-fidelity prototypes.
- Plan and conduct a basic usability study.
- Interpret usability findings into concrete design changes.
Weekly Topics
Examines foundations of hci from a practical angle, using a case drawn from real systems to motivate the concepts.
Builds directly on the previous week to extend understanding users, with an emphasis on where the earlier techniques stop working.
Combines a short lecture on usability heuristics with an in-class exercise students carry into the week's assignment.
Focuses on common mistakes and misconceptions around prototyping methods, using student work from the previous assignment as material.
Introduces interaction design patterns and immediately puts it to use in a small design or implementation task.
Situates accessibility in design within the broader arc of the course, showing how it connects to what comes next.
Uses a guest dataset or scenario to explore mid-semester review in a setting closer to professional practice.
Introduces designing a usability study through short lectures and worked examples, building the vocabulary the rest of the course relies on.
Works through conducting user testing in a lab-driven session, with guided exercises students complete and discuss in small groups.
Covers analyzing usability data in depth, connecting the underlying theory to a concrete example the class builds together.
Examines iterating on design from a practical angle, using a case drawn from real systems to motivate the concepts.
Builds directly on the previous week to extend final study presentations, with an emphasis on where the earlier techniques stop working.
Combines a short lecture on revision with an in-class exercise students carry into the week's assignment.
Assessment
Assignments — 25%
Practical Work — 30%
Mid-Semester — 10%
Final Examination — 35%
Prerequisite Map
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