MLIS 512 Interface Design - Jacek Gwizdka

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MLIS 512 Interface Design - Syllabus - Spring 2008: on-campus

Basic principles for designing the user interface in information systems, with special reference to computerized systems. Major topics include: relationships between users' models of information systems and the conceptual models presented to them; human cognitive capabilities; evaluation.

Course Description

This course provides an overview of the user interface design. Although the catalogue course name is "Interface design", a more appropriate name would be "Design and Evaluation of Digital Library Interfaces". Accordingly, the course concentrates on the user interface design for digital libraries. The user interface (UI) lies between the user and the information system. UI is designed to facilitate user-system interaction. Information searching is a highly complex and intelligent task. Given the explosion of digital information available for search, information retrieval systems need more effective, efficient, and natural user interfaces to support access to information.

The course will cover user interface design principles, task and user analysis, interface design methods, user interface evaluation and usability testing. Students will be expected to do readings, participate in discussions, and complete all assignments. Students will extensively use web design tools (Dreamweaver/MS PowerPoint) to prototype user interfaces for information retrieval systems. For further information about the topics covered in this class, please see the weekly class topics.

Please note that this is NOT a web page design course. The course requires hands-on skills with the use of HTML prototyping tools (such as Dreamweaver).

Course
Objectives

The objective of this course is for students to learn how to design, prototype and evaluate user interfaces to effective browse and search systems by examining what research has uncovered, what developers have produced, and how people perform information tasks.

Objectives:

Learn the main concepts in human computer interaction
Learn basic user interface principles through practice
Learn about cognitive and perceptual abilities and constraints that impact information use
Learn about human information processing and how it is applied to the design of user interfaces
Learn to conduct user and task analysis specifically for information retrieval tasks
Learn to design and prototype user interfaces
Learn to perform user interface evaluation and usability testing
Prepare for further training and research in this area
Be familiar with research issues in user interface design

Organization & Method

The course combines on-line lectures, discussions, and assignments/projects to help students understand interface design principles, task and user analysis, design methods, and interface evaluation and usability testing techniques in developing interactive information systems. Students are encouraged to discuss, question, and clarify course content in on-line discussions.

The assignments are individual and/or group work (depending on the class size). The course project reflects a process and each one builds on the results of the previous. All focus on conceiving, developing and testing an interface to information content, and will follow the material discussed in class.

Textbook & Readings

Sharp, H., Rogers , Y., & Preece, J., (2007). Interaction design : beyond human computer interaction. 2nd Ed. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-470-01866-8.

For additional recommended books, please see the course readings webpage. Note the book abbreviations.

Additional readings are selected from a range of information science and human computer interaction books, journals and conference proceedings. Please see the course schedule webpage.

Required readings should be read in advance of the class; additional readings are included in this list for enrichment and supplementary purposes, and may be useful for assignments and further study.

Note about copyright: Some materials posted on the course website may be copyrighted. They are to be used only as a part of this course.

Class Policies

HELP!

If you experience any technical problems with eCollege system during this online course, please do not hesitate to contact the HELP DESK at eCollege. They can be reached by phone (877-778-8437) or by email at helpdesk@rutgersonline.net

For course related issues (such as course content, exercise clarifications) please contact me via eCollege or by email. I will get back to you as soon as possible (see also Communication Section below).

Late submissions

Deadlines are your responsibility. Late submissions will be accepted with a penalty of one grade level the assignment would otherwise deserve (e.g. B instead of B+). The penalty will be applied for each day of delay (e.g. a two-day late submission will get C+ instead of B+). In the case of unforeseen emergencies (e.g. with a doctor's note), or with a prior permission from the instructor (obtained before the due date), late submissions will be graded normally. Late submissions will not receive any verbal or written feedback.

Course Handouts

All course materials will be distributed electronically via the course website. You are expected to read all handouts and assigned readings, and may expect their content to appear in assignments and/or tests.

Communication and Netiquette

For communications outside eCollege: email policy: use Rutgers accounts to email; always include your name (in "From" or message body), and put the course name [MLIS 512] in subject line. In all your communications, be respectful of other students. Foul discourse will not be tolerated. Please take a moment and read the about "netiquette". http://www.albion.com/netiquette

Cellphones, Computer use, etc.

Cell phones should be set to vibrate or turned off during class. Please do not text nor view text messages during class. Please do not use computers (or laptops) to check e-mail, IM, surf the web, and other such activities. This is distracting for other students and there have been student complaints about this.

Attendance

Students are expected to attend class meetings and actively participate in the discussions.

Academic honesty

Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Please read the University's Policy on Academic Integrity for Undergraduate and Graduate Students.

Assignment Submission

Assignments are submitted electronically (details will be provided with each assignment).
Each submitted homework needs to include the following information: your name, assignment number and title (if applicable), course name, your email address, and date. For short assignments, please put it at the top of the first page, for longer assignment, put include a separate title page with the required information. When submitting your work electronically (e.g., via eCollege drop box), please include the course number your last name, and the assignment number in the file name (e.g., MLIS_512_Your_Name_A1.doc).

General Evaluation Criteria

Detailed criteria will be given for each assignment, exercise, project or presentation.

Grading scale:

Grading is based on a your performance on all assignments, lab exercises, as well as class participation. Course grades are assigned according to The Graduate School-New Brunswick policy (see SCILS Catalog at http://ruweb.rutgers.edu/catalogs/scils.shtml) :

A (95): Superior work of the highest standard, mastery of the topic.
B+(90:) Very good work, substantially better than the minimum standard, very good knowledge of the topics.
B (85): Good work, better than the minimum standard, good knowledge of the topic.
C+ (80): Minimum standard work, adequate knowledge of the topic.
C : (75): Work barely meeting the minimum standard, barely adequate knowledge of the topic.
F : (70): Wholly inadequate work
IN : Incomplete or T: Temporary.

Assessment

The content of this course is best understood by assimilating the lectures, by readings, by analyzing examples and by practice. The assessment for this course is based on a series of assignments that match the real-world process and on class participation. Assignments are of two types: smaller exercises and a multi-part course project. Descriptions of the assignments are available on the course website. There will also be exercises that are not graded - in all cases, you will later use the same techniques/methods as a part of your project. Class participation includes participation in discussions; reading descriptions.

Detailed assessment criteria are given for each assignment, exercise, project and presentation. Please treat the detailed assessment percentage points for each assignment as guidelines only; they will inform you, which elements of the assignment are more important.