Computer Science 171
Human-Computer Interaction
Spring, 2007
Syllabus

Instructor

 Robert J.K. Jacob
Dept. of Computer Science
Halligan Hall
http://www.cs.tufts.edu/~jacob/

Textbooks

 Required:
  • Ben Shneiderman and Catherine Plaisant, Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass.
Recommended:
  • Any introductory book on Visual Basic that you prefer.

WWW Page

 http://www.cs.tufts.edu/~jacob/171/

Course Work

 Course work will consist of exams, some homework problems, and a project in which students will design a very small user interface, build a prototype, and then test it for usability.

Grading

 Based mainly on homework projects, also presentations, exams, and class work.

Prerequisite

 Computer Science 15.

Topic Outline and Reading List

1. Introduction to Human-computer Interaction
Reading: Chapter 1

2. Methodology for Designing User-computer Interfaces
Reading: Chapters 2-3

  • Task analysis
  • Conceptual, semantic, syntactic, and lexical levels of the design of an interactive system

3. Interaction Styles
Reading: Chapters 6-8

  • Command language
  • Question and answer
  • Form-based
  • Menus
  • Natural language
  • Direct manipulation
  • Virtual Reality
  • Augmented Reality
  • Passive non-command-based
  • Other emerging interaction styles

4. Design and Evaluation Process
Reading: Chapters 4 and 11

  • Testing and evaluating interface designs
  • Prototyping
  • Introduction to Visual Basic for prototyping
  • Guidelines and criteria for designing user interfaces

5. User Interface Software
Reading: Chapter 5

  • Languages and tools for specifying and building interfaces
  • Dialogue independence
  • UIMS (user interface management system) approach

6. User Interface Specifications
Reading: Chapter 5 (continued)

  • Languages and software abstractions for user interfaces
  • Programming support tools

7. Basic Interaction Tasks, Techniques, and Devices
Reading: Chapter 9

  • Interaction Tasks
  • Input Devices
  • Interaction Techniques
  • Models and theories

8. Human Performance
Reading: Chapters 4.7, 11.4-11.5, and 13

  • Scientific foundations for designing user interfaces
  • Visual presentation of information
  • Designing experiments

9. Introduction to Research in Human-Computer Interaction

  • Why do HCI research?
  • Research prototypes
  • Interdisciplinary nature of HCI research
  • Examples of HCI research

10. New Interaction Techniques

  • New modes of modes of human-computer communication
  • Voice
  • Gesture
  • Eye movement
  • Tangible user interfaces

11. Project