Human Computer Interaction

Code:

L.EIC022

Acronym:

IPC

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Informatics Engineering and Computing

Instance: 2023/2024 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Informatics Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Informatics and Computing Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
L.EIC	315	Syllabus	3	-	4,5	39	121,5

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

The main goals sought for the students are for them to get contact, practice and experience with the following topics:

1. HCI foundations: Main concepts of HCI and their importance, including human perception and cognition processes, computer systems and their interaction mechanisms, as well as abridged history of HCI.
2. User Interaction (UI) and Experience design (UX): methodologies for designing interaction, namely User-Centered Design (UCD) and testing
3. User studies: How to assess and validate UI and UX designs and their usability
4. Multimodal Interaction: How to apply the presented topics for creating multimodal interfaces using new interactive technologies

Learning outcomes and competences

Students at the end of the course should be able to reach the following learning outcomes (LO):

1. Critically analyze existing systems/devices and the quality of the interactions and experiences provided to users
2. Apply UCD and other methodologies to study interaction challenges and propose, evaluate and refine solutions for them
3. Use appropriate tools for creating and testing UI/UX prototypes at various levels of fidelity/complexity
4. Define and carry out user studies in the context of UI/UX and usability evaluations

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. HCI Foundations




1. Importance of HCI


2. Basis concepts of HCI




1. Human perception and cognition processes, 


2. Computer systems and their interaction mechanisms, 


3. Overview of UI/UX design methodologies and patterns






2. User-Centered Design




1. Finding needs and defining requirements


2. Ideation and designing alternatives


3. Prototyping


4. Evaluation


5. Iteration and refinement




3. Applied UI/UX design




1. UI/UX Tools


2. Multimodal interaction


3. Accessibility

Mandatory literature

Manuel J. Fonseca, Pedro Campos, Daniel Conçalves; ntrodução ao Design de Interfaces, 2012. ISBN: 9789727227389

Complementary Bibliography

Yvonne Rogers, Helen Sharp, Jennifer Preece; Interaction design. ISBN: 978-0-470-66576-3
Alan Dix; Human-computer interaction. ISBN: 978-0-13-046109-4
Alan Cooper, Robert Reimann, David Cronin; About Face 3: The Essentials of Interaction Design, John Wiley & Sons, 2007. ISBN: 978-0470084113
Donald A. Norman; The design of everyday things. ISBN: 0-262-64037-6
Donald A. Norman; The Invisible computer. ISBN: 0-262-64041-4
Jakob Nielsen; Designing web usability. ISBN: 1-56205-810-X
Jeff Johnson; Designing With the mind in mind, Morgan Kaufmann, 2010. ISBN: 978-0123750303
Giles Colborne; simple and usable, New Riders, 2010. ISBN: 978-0321703545
David Benyon; Designing interactive systems, Pearson, 2014. ISBN: 9781447920113

Teaching methods and learning activities

This course will comprise a theoretical component and a practical component.

In the theoretical component, the main concepts, theories and methodologies of HCI will be conveyed, illustrated with examples, case studies, and possible guest lectures, fostering a discussion environment between lecturers and students. There will be an individual assessment of this component in the form of a mini-test.

In the practical component, the students will work in small groups in a UI/UX project developed throughout the semester. It will include: selecting a problem/topic/application for which to design a user interface; identifying goals and requirements; using appropriate methodologies such as personas’ definition, user stories, usage scenarios and others; propose a UI, create low-fidelity prototypes; evaluate with users; iterate over the design; re-evaluate when possible.

The topic will be selected by the students with approval of the teachers, and may be related to projects in other courses e.g. designing the UI for a program or site being developed in another lab course. The work will be divided in three phases, and at the end of each phase, a report on the work developed in that phase has to be delivered, and the groups shall present and discuss the work in class.

 

keywords

Technological sciences > Technology > Interface technology

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Teste	20,00
Trabalho prático ou de projeto	80,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Elaboração de projeto	69,00
Estudo autónomo	13,00
Frequência das aulas	39,00
Total:	121,00

Eligibility for exams

Do not exceed the maximum number of absences and participate actively in the development of the proposed assignments. Students with worker statute or equivalent are exempted from classes but must coordinate their work with the teachers in advance, present the progress of their work regularly, and should make their presentations together with ordinary students. Students have to reach a minimum grade of 10 out of 20 in the project grade, and 8 out of 20 in the mini-test. The assessment will also be based on the correctness and quality of the English or Portuguese language.

Calculation formula of final grade

The final grade is calculated by the following formula:

FG = PG * 80% + MT * 20%

* FG - Final grade

* PG - Project grade (see below)

* MT - Mini-Test

 

Project Grade (PG) is calculated as follows:

PG = F1 * 30% + F2 * 30% + F3 * 30% + FR * 10%

* F1, F2, F3 - Project Phases

* FR - Final Report

The Project classification of a given student will be determined according to the work developed in group and the degree of work and individual contribution of the student to it. Thus, the project classifications among students from the same group may be different.

Examinations or Special Assignments

The method for the computation of the final mark for students with special status is identical to the method used for regular students.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Students with special status (working-student, military personnel or high-competition athletes) who cannot attend classes, should, like the other students, perform the group project and present it at the scheduled evaluation times, as well as taking the test.

If they choose to perform the special assessment , they can carry out the project individually or in group (together with other students in the same circumstances) with a schedule of evaluation previously agreed (with sufficient time in advance) with the teachers of the discipline.

Classification improvement

Students can perform the course again (in the next year) to improve the classification grade.

Observations