Office: Huntington 271. Rm 241
Office Hours: By appointment
Email: c.ledantec@northeastern.edu
TA: Ghada Alsebayel
TA Office Hours: Mondays 12:00–1:00PM and Thursdays 3:00-4:00PM
TA Office Location: 271 Huntington – location TBD
Email: alsebayel.g@northeastern.edu
Class Meetings: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 10:30–11:35AM
Location: 031 Snell Library
DRAFT: This syllabus is subject to change prior to the start of classes.
Course Description
From the course catalog: Introduces the foundational principles of human-computer interaction. Presents an overview of the field, focusing on methods for designing, prototyping, and evaluating user interfaces for computing applications. Emphasizes a human-centered design approach, exploring topics such as human capabilities and social factors that influence interface use. Covers design methods, best practices for ensuring usability and accessibility, and usability evaluation techniques.
NUPaths: None
Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
But really, for computers to be useful, people must, at some point, interact with them. And people are complicated. As a result, a grand challenge in computing is figuring out how to make that human-computer interaction work. As computing systems become increasingly embedded ever more deeply into our everyday lives, understanding how to develop useful, effective, safe, engaging, exciting, and easy-to-use computing systems becomes more urgent.
In this class, you will learn about the theory and practice of developing interactive interfaces and user experiences, and you will work with your peers to practice developing the skills you will need in your career if you wish to make effective computer systems that people want and need to use. As you do this, you will work with your peers to iteratively develop the design of a novel computer interface of your own.
Course Objectives
You will be able to:
- Demonstrate empathy for users and advocate for their needs through design of digital tools.
- Evaluate user interface designs using a variety of strategies.
- Design low- and high-fidelity testable prototypes of effective human-computer interfaces.
- Describe and apply core methodologies from the field of human-computer interaction.
- Use one or more common software tools for rapid interface prototyping.
- Describe current and future challenges that will impact future human-computer interface design.
Grading
The total grade for the class will be based the assignment categories and weights below. More fine-grained information about specific assignments and their weights can be found in the Canvas site for the class.
| Participation | 5% |
| Class Prep, Readings, Quizzes | 10% |
| Individual Assignments | 30% |
| Team Project | 40% |
| Final Exam | 15% |
Most assignments will have rubrics that explain how they are assessed by the instructional team.
Your final project and presentations will evaluated as falling into one of five broad categories:
- Strong: Superior, striking, or unexpected pieces of work with excellent effort demonstrating a mastery of the subject matter and a thoughtful use of concepts discussed in class; work that shows imagination, clarity of presentation, originality, creativity, and effort
- Good: Good work demonstrating a capacity to use the subject matter, with adequate preparation and clear presentation
- Developing: Work that is adequate but that would benefit from increased effort or preparation
- Weak: Work that is inadequate but demonstrates understanding of some material
- Inadequate: Work that does not demonstrate an understanding of the core concepts in the course
These categories correspond roughly to grades of A, B, C, D, and F. Presentations assessed as strong will have a “wow!” factor. This might be expressed through a deep dive into an interesting solution to the challenge, or through embracing the ideas discussed throughout the semester, or by executing an approach that was thoughtful and well-justified. In other words, exceptional effort will be rewarded.
Assignments, presentations and oral defense of the ideas will be expected to be professional, engaging, and polished, demonstrating mastery of not only topics explicitly covered in class, but also topics included in the readings (but perhaps not discussed).
A closed book, in-class, summative final exam will be held during the exam period.
Late Work
I do not accept late work except in rare instances where arrangements were made ahead of time.
Participation
Class attendance and participation is mandatory. Participation in discussion is imperative because it allows you to explore the content collaboratively. Participation in class also challenges you to continuously question, refine, and articulate your own ideas and interpretations of the theories, methods, and approaches we will cover over the course of the semester.
Each student has three (3) no-questions-asked absences. Each additional absence will result in the loss of 1/3 of a letter grade on your M3 assignment (the loss will be reflected on individual, not group basis).
Your participation grade for the course will be determined by a combination of class attendance, in-class engagement, and peer feedback from your project group.
Generative AI
Yes and no; it depends. There is a more comprehensive policy guide in Canvas.
Course Schedule
What follows is an outline for the semester. As the semester progresses, we may adjust dates and materials and those changes may not be reflected here. Dates reflected in Canvas are always the correct dates.
| Week 1 | WED | Introduction Administrivia What is HCI? |
| THR | Human-Centered Design Project Theme |
|
| Week 2 | MON | Figma Introduction |
| WED | Observation |
|
| THR | Interview Due: G1 – Group Formation & Team Contract |
|
| Week 3 | MON | MLK Day No class. |
| WED | Qualitative Analysis |
|
| THR | Qualitative Analysis Due: I0 – Bad UI @ 5pm |
|
| Week 4 | MON | Perception |
| WED | Perception & Heuristic Evaluation |
|
| THR | Heuristic Evaluation |
|
| Week 5 | MON | Project Pitches In-class presentation: schedule TBD |
| WED | Project Pitches In-class presentation: schedule TBD Due: G2 – Project Pitch @ 5pm |
|
| THR | Lab Due: I1 – User Research @ 5pm |
|
| Week 6 | MON | Tasks & Requirements |
| WED | Tasks & Requirements |
|
| THR | Lab |
|
| Week 7 | MON | President’s Day No class. |
| WED | Personas |
|
| THR | Requirement Analysis Due: M1 – Personas, Tasks, Scenarios @ 5pm |
|
| Week 8 | MON | Storyboards |
| WED | Paper Prototyping |
|
| THR | Lab Due: I2 – Rapid Prototypes @ 5pm Due: P1 – Team Check-in @ 5pm |
|
| Week 9 | MON | Spring Break No class. |
| Week 10 | MON | Figma + Lab |
| WED | Figma + Lab |
|
| THR | Figma + Lab Due: M2 – High Fidelity Prototype @ 5PM |
|
| Week 11 | MON | User Testing In-class user testing of hi-fi prototypes |
| WED | User Testing In-class user testing of hi-fi prototypes |
|
| THR | Lab Due: I3 – Heuristic Evaluations @ 5pm |
|
| Week 12 | MON | Experimental Evaluation |
| WED | Experimental Evaluation |
|
| THR | Lab |
|
| Week 13 | MON | Lab |
| WED | Lab |
|
| THR | Lab |
|
| Week 14 | MON | Final Presentations |
| WED | Final Presentations |
|
| THR | Final Presentations Due: M3 – Final Prototype & Report @ 5pm Due: P2 – Peer Evaluation @ 5pm |
|
| Week 15 | MON | Final Exam Week Date TBD by Registrar’s Office |
General Class Policies
Students whose work meets all criteria outlined for an assignment will receive a grade of C; students whose work meets all criteria and shows additional sophistication, thoughtfulness, research, and creativity will receive a grade of B; students whose work meets all criteria and goes well beyond the expected in terms of sophistication, thoughtfulness, research, and creativity will receive a grade of A; students whose work fails to meet to all criteria outlined for an assignment will receive a grade of D or F.
Two points will be deducted for all typographic, spelling, and grammatical errors in all writing assignments.
Late assignments will not be accepted. Presentations must be given on the designated day.
Lectures or in-class materials will not be posted. It is your responsibility to take notes and remain attentive in class.
If you have questions or concerns about this or any other course policies stated in this syllabus, class assignments, email correspondence, or announced in class, please speak with me in class, during office hours, or via email as soon as possible so that we can discuss your concerns.
Debate, Diversity, and Respect
In this class, we will present and discuss a diversity of perspectives. Although you may not always agree with others’ perspectives, you are required to be respectful of others’ values and beliefs. Repeated inappropriate or abusive comments and/or behavior will be cause for disciplinary action. If you feel that your perspectives are being ignored or slighted, or you in anyway feel uncomfortable in the classroom, please contact me immediately.
The Writing Center
The Northeastern University Writing Center – part of the Writing Program and Department of English in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities – is open to students, staff, faculty, and alumni of Northeastern and exists to help writers at any level, and from any academic discipline, in their written communication.
For information on making an appointment please visit their website.
Students with Disabilities
Students who have disabilities may wish to consult the Disability Resource Center for aid with resources and accommodation. Those who wish to receive academic services and accommodations must present the accommodation letters from the DRC to their instructors at the beginning of the semester so that accommodations can be arranged in a timely manner.
Language Support for Non-Native English Speakers
Global Student Success (GSS) supports the success of international students at Northeastern University. We offer services to students, faculty, and staff. For more information, visit their website.
Scholastic Dishonesty and Academic Misconduct
A commitment to the principles of academic integrity is essential to the mission of Northeastern University. The promotion of independent and original scholarship ensures that students derive the most from their educational experience and their pursuit of knowledge. Academic dishonesty violates the most fundamental values of an intellectual community and undermines the achievements of the entire University. The following is a broad overview, but not an all-encompassing definition, of what constitutes a violation of academic integrity:
- Cheating – using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise
- Fabrication – falsification, misrepresentation, or invention of any information, data, or citation in an academic exercise
- Plagiarism – using as one’s own the words, ideas, data, code, or other original academic material of another without providing proper citation or attribution
- Unauthorized collaboration – instances when students submit individual academic works that are substantially similar to one another. While several students may have the same source material, any analysis, interpretation, or reporting of data required by an assignment must be each individual’s independent work unless the instructor has explicitly granted group work
- Participation in academically dishonest activities – any action taken by a student with the intention of gaining an unfair advantage over other students
- Facilitating academic dishonesty – intentionally or knowingly helping or contributing to the violation of any provision of the University Academic Integrity Policy
For further details, see the complete Academic Integrity Policy.