COIT 403 Integrative Programming and Technologies
Course number : COIT 283 Name : Human Computer Inteaction
Credits : 3 Contact hours: 42 Hrs Lecture Course coordinator’s
name : L.Nouf Alghanmi
Text book : Alan Dix, Janet E. Finlay, Gregory D. Abowd, and Russell Beale, “Human-Computer Interaction”, 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall , 2003, ISBN 0130461091
Other references :
Goodwin and Alan Cooper, “Designing for the Digital Age:
How to Create Human-Centered Products and Services”, 1st edition, Wiley, 2009, ISBN-10: 0470229101 ISBN-13: 978- 0470229101
Specific course information
a. Synopsis: This course gives the students the understanding and the advocacy of the user in the development of IT
applications and systems. This requires students to
develop knowledge of HCI, including but not limited to such areas as user and task analysis, human factors, ergonomics, accessibility standards, and cognitive psychology.
b. Prerequisites : COIT 260- Fundamentals of Computing c. Type of course : Department
Specific goals for the course:
1. Upon finishing this course, the students should:
§ Describe the relationship between the cognitive principles and their application to interfaces and products.
§ Explain the conceptual terms for analyzing human interaction with products such as affordance, conceptual model, and feedback.
§ Analyze different user populations with regard to their abilities and characteristics for using both software and hardware products.
§ Explain the importance of the user abilities and characteristics in the usability of products.
§ Describe several constraints on developing a user interface on a web page not
§ Encountered in developing a GUI for a standalone application.
§ Describe several affordances of a web environment that can enhance the usability of a web-based application.
§ Describe the connection between the development of a user interface and the user’s knowledge of an application domain.
§ Describe different types of interactive environments other than a computer with a GUI.
§ Match descriptions of cognitive models with the names of the model.
§ Describe the components used in a heuristic evaluation.
§ Demonstrate the steps necessary to perform a simple usability test for an existing software application.
§ Classify usability performance and preference metrics: learning, task time and completion, satisfaction.
§ Describe the major usability guidelines and standards.
§ Describe ways in which users’ characteristics (i.e., age, education, cultural differences, etc.) require adaptation of a user interface to increase effectiveness.
§ Define the different types of interaction styles.
§ Describe options for user interfaces for devices that do not support visual output capable of presenting a GUI.
§ Enumerate the options (techniques) for developing prototypes of user interfaces.
§ Describe the differences between low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototyping.
§ Describe the difference between mobile computing and wearable computing.
§ Explain the characteristics of human-centered design methods.
§ Describe the different software development lifecycles.
§ Describe the attributes of usability.
§ List the advantages and disadvantages for using a human-centered software development approach.
§ Analyze a user population and develop generalized profiles for each.
§ Compare user groups and develop appropriate personas to represent them.
§ Survey the user environment for appropriate tasks.
§ Describe in scenario form a problem situation to be addressed by a new or redesigned product.
2. This course aims to meet student outcomes (C), (I), (K) and (M) of criterion.
Topics covered
o Cognitive principles – perception, memory, problem solving, etc.
o Understanding the user- Designing for humans, affordances, conceptual models, feedback, constraints, mapping, stages of action, Ergonomics, etc.
o Types of environments
o Cognitive models Approaches
o Heuristics Usability Testing Usability standards – international, OS, accessibility
o Understanding the user experience.
o Understanding interaction styles Matching interface elements to user requirements Graphical user interfaces Non-graphical user interfaces Localization, globalization
o Development Tools - Environments, html Prototyping
o Alternative input/output devices, Alternative displays (heads-up, goggles, etc.) o Mobile computing, Wearable computing, Ubiquitous computing, Pervasive
computing Sensor-nets
o User-centered design methods, Software development lifecycles, User analysis – Profiles, personas Task analysis, Scenarios, Use Cases.
Time table for distributing theoretical course contents
Week Theoretical course contents Remarks
1 Introduction
2 Foundation of Computer and Human 3 Model of Interaction
4 Paradigm for Interaction 5 Interaction Design
6 HCI in Software Process Exam 1
7 Design Rules
8 Implementation Support 9 Evaluation Techniques 10 Universal Design 11 User Support
12 Cognitive Models Exam 2
13 Communication and Collaboration Models 14 Task Analysis
15 Model of the System Final exam.
