COSC368-13S2 (C) Semester Two 2013

Humans and Computers

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 8 July 2013
End Date: Sunday, 10 November 2013
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 21 July 2013
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 6 October 2013

Description

The course provides an introduction to Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). HCI is concerned with understanding, designing, implementing and evaluating user-interfaces so that they better support users in carrying out their tasks. On completing the course you will have knowledge of the theoretical foundations of designing for interaction between humans and computers. You will also have practical experience in implementing and evaluating graphical user interfaces.

Learning Outcomes

The designers of interactive computer systems create a language or dialogue that allows users to communicate with their systems. This language may take many forms, such as a text-based command-line interface, a graphical user interface with windows and buttons, or a 3D graphical visualisation. In this course you will learn how to design, implement, and evaluate different types of user-interfaces.

The course (twenty-four lectures) provides an introduction to Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). HCI is concerned with understanding, designing, implementing and evaluating user-interfaces so that they better support users. Having completed the course students will be able to do the following:
- Analyse and identify user requirements;
- Evaluate and apply current methodologies when designing and implementing interface solutions that meet user requirements;
- Demonstrate an understanding of the underlying human factors and usability guidelines that influence successful interactions and apply them to user interaction design;
- Demonstrate theapplication of formative and summative interface evaluation techniques.

Prerequisites

(1) 45 points of (200-level Computer Science and ENCE260), (2) 30 points of EMTH or 15 points of MATH/STAT (MATH120 recommended). MATH101 is not acceptable. RP: From 2011 onwards: COSC110, COSC263.

Restrictions

COSC225

Recommended Preparation

From 2011 onwards: COSC110, COSC263.

Course Coordinator

Tim Bell

Lecturer

Jeffrey Johnson

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Assignment 1 10%
Assignment 2a 20%
Assignment 2b 30%
Final exam 40%


Typically there are three assessment items:
- Assignment 1: Blooper Hunt, 10%, due 22 Jul (17:00)
- Assignment 2a: Project Idea, User & Task Analysis, Conceptual Design, 20%, due 5 Aug (17:00)
- Assignment 2b: Project Prototype, Test, Revise, Report, 30%, due 7 Oct (17:00)
- Final Exam (2 hours), 40%

No assignments will be accepted after the drop dead date. The penalty for the late submission of an assignment will be an absolute deduction of 15% of the maximum possible mark.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $719.00

International fee $3,325.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

Minimum enrolments

This course will not be offered if fewer than 10 people apply to enrol.

For further information see Computer Science and Software Engineering .

All COSC368 Occurrences

  • COSC368-13S2 (C) Semester Two 2013
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