HCI I: Human Factors • Winter 06-07


Course Syllabus

instructor information

Professor: Elizabeth Lane Lawley
Office: 70-2545
Phone: 585-475-6896
Email: ell at mail dot rit dot edu
Office Hours: m/w 4-5pm, t 2-4pm

textbooks and readings

The required texts for the class are:

In addition to the text(s), online readings will be assigned in class, and linked from the relevant items in the course outline. A full list of readings is also available.

Many of the websites that I discuss in class can be found on my del.icio.us page. It's an online bookmark system that allows you to access your bookmarks from anywhere, tag them with words that help you remember them, share links with others, and subscribe to other people's lists of links. The links specific to this class can be found at del.icio.us/mamamusings/425.

important rit deadlines

Last day of add/drop is December 11.

Last day to withdraw with a grade of “W” is January 26 (the deadline for withdrawing from a course with a W grade is the end of the 6th week of the quarter). Forms may be obtained from your department office and need your instructor’s signature.

NOTE: IT department policy states that a student has one quarter to challenge any grade. After that, grades cannot be challenged.

course goals and objectives

By the end of the course you will understand how cognitive processes influence human interaction with machine interfaces and will appreciate how this knowledge is important to the building of usable interfaces. You will be able to:

  • apply the principles of Cognitive Psychology to the design of usable interfaces
  • determine barriers that interfere with product use
  • analyze the usability of a consumer product interface
  • develop user profiles and personas
  • apply appropriate task analysis methods
  • develop appropriate requirements to be used in the design phase
  • work effectively in a team environment

prerequisites

Second-year standing.

grading

It's important to understand that if you complete all the requirements for an assignment, that is only sufficient for a grade of "B" (i.e. "satisfactory work"). To receive an A for an assignment, you must go beyond the basic requirements, and show some creativity, initiative, and excellence--the grade of A is intended for work that is superior, not just competent.

Assignments submitted after the due date/time, without prior approval from the instructor, will lose 5% for each 12 hours they are late.

If you wish to dispute your final course grade, you must do so before the end of the quarter following this one; otherwise documentation of your work may be discarded.

academic honesty policy

Please review the IT department and RIT policies on academic dishonesty.

The bottom line is this: if you plagiarize work (that is, if you use another's work as part of your own without providing appropriate credit), you will fail the class. Always cite your sources. Always.