CMSC 434/828C   Human Factors in Computer and Information Systems

University of Maryland     Dept. of Computer Science     Spring 2004

 

Dr. Ben Shneiderman   ben@cs.umd.edu   http://www.cs.umd.edu/class/spring2004/cmsc434

Class hours:  Tues & Thurs  9:30am - 10:45am   Room: CSIC 1122

Office hours: Tues & Thurs  11am - noon            Room: AVW 3177   Phone: 301-405-2680               

 

Teaching Assistant:  Adam Perer  adamp@cs.umd.edu    

Office hours: Tues & Thurs  2:00pm – 3:00pm (NOTE: This may change)            Room: AVW 3204

 

Books:  B. Shneiderman, Designing the User Interface, 3rd Edition, Addison-Wesley, (1998)

  http://www.awl.com/DTUI      Other Web Resources:  www.hcibib.org     www.usability.gov     
  www.useit.com    www.ibm.com/easy

  

Topics: Human factors issues in the development of software, use of database systems, and design of user interfaces for interactive systems.  Science base (theories, models, usability studies, and controlled experimentation), and software engineering with user interface development environments.  Issues include: command languages, menus, forms, and direct manipulation, graphical user interfaces, computer supported cooperative work, information search and visualization, World Wide Web design, input/output devices, and display design.

 

Homework: Critiques will be written for an experimental study and for a working system.  Students will implement user interfaces with modern software tools such as Visual Basic.

 

Term Projects: User needs assessment, design, usability test, and re-design  (teams of 3-5 people).

   See previous projects at  http://www.cs.umd.edu/class/spring2002/cmsc434-0101/   

Graduate students will carry out a 2^nd team project, examples from previous courses:     
  www.otal.umd.edu/uupractice   www.otal.umd.edu/charm

 

Week   Topic                          Chapter          Term Project                         Homework

1/27   Introduction, Theories       1, 2

2/3     Managing Design              3                                                                    Design Critique (2/3)

2/10   Evaluation & Tools           4, 5                Proposal (2/12)

2/17   Direct Manipulation          6                                                                    VB 1 (2/19)

2/24   Menus & Forms                  7                 User needs (2/26)                     Exam 1-6 (2/24)

3/2     Command & Nat Langs     8                   References (3/4)                        

3/9     Interaction & Response    9, 10              First design (3/11)                    VB 2 (3/9)

3/16   Style/Manuals & Help     11, 12              Task list & Q (3/18)                

----Spring Break --------

3/30   Multiple Windows           13                                                                   VB 3 (4/1)

4/6     CSCW                              14                 Usability test (4/6)                    Exam 7-12 (4/8)

4/13   Info Search                       15                  Redesign (4/13)                        Expert review (4/15)

4/20   Web                                  16                                                                

4/27   Social Impact                 After                 Final Project (4/29, 6pm)          Comments (5/3, noon)

5/4     Reports                                                  Revision (5/6, 9am)

5/11   Reports                                                          ***Final Exam:  (Friday 5/14, 8-10am)***

 

 

Final Grade: Exams: 10+10+ 20%   Homework+class participation: 30%  Term Project: 30%.