CMSC 838G - Fall'05
Prof Guimbretière

Advanced Introduction to HCI

Books used during the semester:

The Human-Computer Interaction Handbook, (J. Jacko and A. Sears Editors), 2003.

Doing Psychology Experiments, Sixth edition, (D. Martin), 2004.

Explaining Psychological Statistics, (B. Cohen), 2001.

Philosophy of Science: A Very Short Introduction, (S. Okasha), 2002.

All three books will be available in the CS library (#3164 A. V. Williams)

Topics

• HCI models and theories
  • Human performance
  • Interaction models
  • Task models
  • Group interaction models
• Observing users
  • Ethnographic techniques
• Empirical evaluation
  • Experimental design
  • Data collection
  • Data interpretation

A significant part of the course will involve your participation. Classes will frequently involve discussion and exercises in addition to lectures. Turned in material might be used (anonymously) as a starting point for discussion.

This is a project class. Students are encouraged to form small multi-disciplinary groups who will conduct one research project throughout the semester. There will be 3 project checkpoints during the semester. For each checkpoint, groups will present the current status of their project to the class. While feedback as well as an "advisory" grades will be provided for each checkpoint checkpoint, only the final version of the project will be graded.
In addition, there will be several individual homework assignments during the semester. While the class project is a group effort, homework are to be completed as an individual task without help from others.

Students will be expected to give several presentations to the class during the semester. Presentation topic will includes: bibliography search report, review of a selected paper, discussion of the assigned reading. 

10% Participation
15% Homeworks
15% Presentations
40% Final project
20% Final

All project checkpoints and the final project are due at the beginning of the class on the day that they are due. Both the paper part (if any) and the digital part (if any) must be turned in by the time of the beginning of class. Late assignments will be strictly penalized. Exceptional circumstances will be considered only if discussed with me in advance. All late assignments will have points deducted as follows:

• Project checkpoints

  -5% on the final project grade up to 24 hours late
  -10% on the final project grade up to 48 hours late
  -25% on the final project grade for more than 48 hours late

   

• Final project and homework

If you wish to contest a grade, please do so by sending me an e-mail explaining why you think the grading was inaccurate. Your work will then be graded again and a new grade issued. Please note that the new grade might be lower than the original grade.

The project is a group assignments, and each member of the group is expected to accurately represent their contribution. Homework and exam are individual works and a student may not look at another student's homework or exam, or share notes (unless exceptions are stated in advance), during homework preparation or the exam period. You may discuss homework in general way, but you may not consult any one else's written work, program drafts, computer files, etc. Similarly, groups may discuss about their project in general way but may not consult any one else's written work, program drafts, computer files, etc.  Any marked similarity in form or notation between submissions with different authors (or group in case of a project) will be regarded as evidence of academic dishonesty -- so protect your work.

You are free to use reference material to help you with assignments, but you must cite any reference you use and clearly mark any quotation or close paraphrase that you include (this include material from the world wide web). Such citation will not lower your grade, although extensive quotation might.

Any student violating any of these or general University Academic Honesty Rules will be reported to judicial programs for a hearing.

Excused Absences

Students claiming a excused absence must apply in writing and furnish documentary support (such as from a health care professional who treated the student) for any assertion that the absence qualifies as an excused absence. The support should explicitly indicate the dates or times the student was incapacitated due to illness. Self-documentation of illness is not itself sufficient support to excuse the absence. An instructor is not under obligation to offer a substitute assignment or to give a student a make-up assessment unless the failure to perform was due to an excused absence. An excused absence for an individual typically does not translate into an extension for team deliverables on a project.

Network usage in class

Our classroom has Internet connectivity. Internet usage may be monitored for educational and/or research purposes as it relates to our class.