Usability Engineering, Spring 2008

Usability Engineering 175420 (5 ECTS)

Käytettävyystekniikat 175420 (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)

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Final results of the course here.

Second midterm exam: 12.3.2008, 10:15 - 13:15, room TD106. Topics: what has not been on the first exam :).

Lectures on week 10 are cancelled. Thanks all for attending the class. Final exam date will be soon announced.

Last week of the course, calendar 10. The date of 2nd intermediate exam will be agreed, please, attend the lectures.

Demo 8 assignment published, containing one X task (two points) and one normal task.

Due to the sports-day, demos on 26.2.2008 are cancelled. Yet, your solutions need to be emailed by Mo-Tue midnight. Thanks A.P. for noticing.

Change in the schedule! You should have received an email with more details. If you have not, contact the lecturer.

Demo 7 assignment published, containing one X task (two points) and one normal task.

Demo 6 assignment published, containing one X task (two points) and one normal task.

Results of the 1st intermediate exam published.

Demo 5 assignment published, containing one X task (three points).

Demo 4 assignment published, containing one X task (two points) and one normal task.

Demo 3 assignment published, containing only one X task.

First intermediate exam: 30.1.2008, 10:15, 2D106.

Demo 2 assignment published, containing 3 tasks (incl. one X task).

Demo 1 assignment published, containing 3 tasks. Email answers to the task 1.

First lectures will be held: 9.1.2008, time: 10-12, room 2d106. Welcome!

Demos will start in week 3 (calendar), i.e. 15.1.2008.

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

Main topics so far (in order)

Week 1: HCI & SW Eng, introduction to Usability, UE life cycle general, 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, Introduction to eye-tracking, Work Reengineering
Week 4: Intermediate exam, Conceptual Model Design, Mock-Ups, Conceptual Models and Design (Norman), CMD Evaluation
Week 5: UE lifecycle and WWW, Personas
Week 6: Usability Inspection - Pluralistic Walkthough
Week 7: Heuristic Evaluation.
tbd: 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
- communicate and report usability problems

Course arrangements

General info

master-level level course, language of instruction: English.
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

Wednesday and Thursday, 10 - 12, room 2D106

Lecturer: Roman Bednarik

Exceptions: 31.1.2008: Visit the Usability Lab. Demo group 1: 10:15, Demo group 2: 11:15.
27.-28.2.2008: Home reading assignment.

Demo sessions

16 hours

Group 1: Tuesday, 12-14, room: B180.

Group 2: Tuesday, 16-18, room: B180.

Teacher: Roman Bednarik

Exceptions:

Demo assignments:

The Usability Engineering 2008 competition!

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

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

Already found problems

Tersia Gowases (2006): Flat floor of 2D106 classroom disallows students in back rows to see the bottor lines of the projected screen.

Cristina Garrido Morro and Sebastián Bravo López (2006): Several problems in Science Park (white boards,computers, stairs,doors after 16:00, such things as toilet basin)

Niina Jormanainen & Klaus Johansson (2006): light switches, toilet seats, lift, Corelli's menu on WWW

Konstantin Petrukhnov (2006): Strange equipment, Dirty mice, Strange door, Missing floor plans, Loud projector, Clocks in the lecture rooms, E-mail

Santiago Hernandez de Luis (2006): 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. 1st exam 30.1.2008, 10:15, 2D106.
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 be 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
firstname.lastname@cs.joensuu.fi

Visit: Usability Research Group at CS JoY