CSC3731 : Human Computer Interaction: Interaction Design
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Dr Ahmed Kharrufa
- Lecturer: Dr Ian Johnson
- Owning School: Computing
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
To give students an understanding of Interaction Design practice and its application to a variety of application areas including ubiquitous computing, tangible interactions, and social interactions.
To give students an understanding of relevant Interaction Design theories.
To equip students with a skill set in practices of Interaction Design including understanding users, prototyping, and evaluation.
To expose the students to the issues of privacy and ethics in relation to digital technologies and how they relate to specific design decisions.
To give students experience in GUI design on multiple platforms.
To give students experience of, and to develop skills in, working in collaborative design teams.
Outline Of Syllabus
Understanding users and user requirements
Fieldwork for design and evaluation
Models, theories, and frameworks of interaction design
Design principles
Methods for designing with and for users
Design considerations for ubiquitous technologies, wearables, tangibles user interfaces, interactive surfaces, and natural user interfaces
Designing for specific application areas such as user experience and social interactions.
Prototyping
Expert and user evaluation techniques
Data, ethics and privacy.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 30 | 1:00 | 30:00 | Coursework development and preparation of individual report |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | A combination of short recordings of lecture material, slides and/or text published on VLE each week |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 15 | 1:00 | 15:00 | Coursework group work development and preparation and group presentation |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 11 | 2:00 | 22:00 | Opportunities for PIP discussions and Q & A about the topics covered during the week. |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 10 | 2:00 | 20:00 | Skills practice - practical independent individual work |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 10 | 3:00 | 30:00 | Reading preparation for seminar class and online engagements |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 11 | 2:00 | 22:00 | PIP Practical classes to carry out group activities |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | Online Seminars around set reading/multi-media material |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 16 | 2:30 | 40:00 | Background reading |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
In each week, students will be provided with online learning material (short videos, slides and/or text) that will be used to introduce the learning material and for demonstrating the key concepts by example.
Lectures sessions will provide opportunities to discuss the materials covered in the week and for live questions and answers about these topics
Students will be expected to read suggested material or engage with suggested online media resources in preparation for seminar sessions. Students are expected to widen their knowledge beyond the content of lecture notes and seminar material through wider self-directed background reading.
Seminars will provide an environment to discuss published research and online material providing students opportunities to be exposed to different perspective about the covered topics and to engage in critical discussions around these topics.
Practical classes will develop skills through hands-on experience of interaction design techniques and developing GUI design on multiple platforms. These will also promote group working skills. Students will be expected to spend significant time in completing work between practical classes, which will be used towards their coursework.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design/Creative proj | 1 | M | 30 | Group showcase of early technology concepts in response to a design brief (equivalent to 1000 words) |
| Design/Creative proj | 1 | M | 70 | Individual report (equiv 2500 words) Individual design report work in response to a design brief. |
Zero Weighted Pass/Fail Assessments
| Description | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Practical/lab report | M | Feedback on practical activities. Submitted responses will be signed-off. To progress , students must have at least 60% signed off |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The students will be given a design brief and are expected to submit a design report in response to the design brief.
The first submission is a group submission and showcase demonstrating the ideation process and initial design(s). This will give an opportunity to give early feedback on the design direction before proceeding with their ideas for the second coursework.
The second submission is an individual report demonstrating the application of knowledge and skills acquired throughout the module to the students designs.
The formative assessment will give students as much feedback as possible before submitting the final report.
These assessments will ensure that students have hands-on experience in advanced user-centred design process that is both field and theory informed. The hands-on practical nature of human computer interaction practice necessitates a coursework based evaluation, rather than a written exam.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- CSC3731's Timetable