Usability Engineering, Spring 2006

Usability Engineering 173345 (3 cu/5 ECTS)

Käytettävyystekniikat 173345 (3 cu/5 ECTS)

"The usability of an interface is a measure of the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction with which specified users can achieve specified goals in a particular environment with that interface." (ISO 13407)

News

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Final results published.

Demo 8 published. Demonstrations take part in edtech lab 2D309.

Last lecture: 11.5.2006.

Results of the 1st intermediate exam published.

Demo 7 published.

Second intermediate exam: 17.5.2006, 10:00 - 12:00, room:2D106. Topics: second part of the course.

Demo 6 published.

Note about Exercises 5 on 19.4.2006! Due to the lack of participants last week, the second group of foreign students is cancelled. So there will be only one foreign group which will gather at 12.15 in front of CogLab as agreed in last week's exercise session.

Demo 5 published.

First intermediate exam: 20.4.2006, 12:15, 2D106. Topics: first 8 lectures AND 4 DEMOS of the course.

Demo 4 published.

The date of the First intermediate exam has to be changed (no teaching on 13.4.2006). Come to the next lecture if you want to influence the decision.

Demos of the group 2 start now 16:00 sharp.

Demo 3 published.

Links to demo points can be now found near-by your group.

Demo 2 published.

Demo 1 published.

Download the Cross cultural usability engineering lecture notes. (C) Christian Sturm.

The UE Competition announced.

First lectures will be held: 9.3.2006, time: 12-14, room 2d106. Welcome!

Demos will start in week 11, i.e. 15.3.2006.

Human-Computer Interaction in the Context of Software Engineering
What is Usability Engineering, life cycle
Usability Inspection
Usability Testing
Practical Usability Test in a Usability Lab
Web Usability
Usability of Educational Environments
Cognitive Dimensions
Cultural Aspects of Usability

Topics so far (in order)

Week 1: HCI & SW Eng, introduction to Usability, UE life cycle general, Cultural aspects of usability, User Profiles
Week 2: CTA, sample technique to conduct CTA, Platform Capabilities and Constraints, General Design Principles
Week 3: Usability Goal Setting, Style Guide Development, Work Reengineering
Week 4: Conceptual Model Design, Mock-Ups, Conceptual Models and Design (Norman), CMD Evaluation, UI detailed design, UE lifecycle and WWW, Personas
Week 5: Intermediate exam, Usability Testing - preparing a test
Week 6: Usability Testing - test plan, conducting a test
Week 7: Usability Testing - reporting. Usability Inspection - Heuristic Evaluation
Week 8: tbd

Goals

to learn how to test and evaluate usability aspects of (mainly, but not only) software artefacts
to become acquainted with
- a range of different methods to evaluate user interaction and interfaces
- integration of usability activities into the software development process
- latest tools, instruments and equipment for usability engineering
to be able to
- design and conduct a practical usability evaluation session in a modern usability laboratory
- report usability problems

Course arrangements

General info

laudatur level course
course prerequisites:
required: aprobatur in computer science, Ihminen ja vuorovaikutteinen teknologia (basic knowledge about HCI)
recommended: cum laude approbatur in computer science, Graafisten käyttöliittymien toteutus (Designing Graphical User Interfaces).
It will help you a lot to have any previous experience with designing any interface.

Lectures

32 hours

Thursday and Friday, 12 - 14, room 2D106

Lecturer: Roman Bednarik

Exceptions: no lectures on week 13 (27. - 31.3.2006), no lectures on 13.4.2006 (Easter period 13.4. - 18.4)

Last lecture: 11.5.2006

Demo sessions

16 hours

Group 1: Wednesday, 14-16, room: B180. Demo points. Finnish students are recommended to visit this group. Foreign students can visit, too.

Group 2: Wednesday, 16:00-18, room: B180. Demo points. Foreign students are recommended to visit this group. Finnish students can visit, too.

Teacher: Minna Kamppuri

Exceptions: no demos on week 14 (3. - 7.4.2006)

Demo assignments:

The Usability Engineering 2006 competition!

*Do you find something annoying in the Science Park? Bad design? Poor usability? Tell us all about it!

write a short description (2-5 sentences)
tell what is wrong
document the problem by a photo or drawing
propose a solution
get (up-to) 1 point for the Usability Engineering course
repeat the process from * ! You can get more.

Submission 1: Tersia Gowases: Flat floor of 2D106 classroom disallows students in back rows to see the bottor lines of the projected screen.

Submission 2: Cristina Garrido Morro and Sebastián Bravo López: Several problems in Science Park (white boards,computers, stairs,doors after 16:00, such things as toilet basin)

Submission 3: Niina Jormanainen & Klaus Johansson: light switches, toilet seats, lift, Corelli's menu on WWW

Submission 4: Konstantin Petrukhnov: Strange equipment, Dirty mice, Strange door, Missing floor plans, Loud projector, Clocks in the lecture rooms, E-mail

Submission 5: Santiago Hernandez de Luis: Sponges, Screens between tables, Bathroom doors, Wardrobe problems

Evaluation

Active participation in lectures and demo sessions.
Calculation of the grades (preliminary):

Two intermediate exams: 30% each
Compulsory demo tasks (8, marked X) : 5% each. Without passing the compulsory tasks, the course cannot be completed.
Normal demo tasks (16): extra 0.5% each

The course will be graded by using scale 0-5 (5=excellent and 0=failed), where 50% = 1, 60% = 2, 70% = 3, 80% = 4, 90% = 5. If plagiarism will noticed, the course will be failed and misconduct reported.

Literature

Course books:
- The Usability Engineering Lifecycle by Deborah Mayhew
- Usability Inspection Methods by Jakob Nielsen, Robert L. Mack
Additional materials:
- Desing of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman
- Usability Engineering by Jakob Nielsen
- Handbook of Usability Testing by Jeffrey Rubin
- The Design of Everyday Things, D. A. Norman
- Meisalo, V., Sutinen, E. ja Tarhio, J.: Modernit oppimisympäristöt, Tietosanoma, RT-Print Oy, Pieksämäki, 2003.
- Fincher, S., Petre, M. (Eds.): Computer Science Education Research, RoutledgeFalmer, London, 2004.

Additional information

Roman Bednarik
Minna Kamppuri,
firstname.lastname@cs.joensuu.fi

Visit: Usability Research Group at CS JoY