Unity University
Course Number COSC2062
Course Title Human Computer Interaction
Degree Program BSc. In Computer Science
Credits/Contacts 3/3
Prerequisite COSC1012
Semester 1st Semester / Year IV
Status of Course Elective
Course Description A key component to the discipline of Computer Science is the
understanding and the advocacy of the users in the development of
applications and systems. Computer Science graduates must develop
a mind-set that recognizes the importance of users and organizational
contexts. They must employ user-centered methodologies in the
development, evaluation, and deployment of applications and
systems. This requires graduates to develop knowledge of Human
Computer Interaction, including but not limited to such areas as user
and task analysis, human factors, ergonomics, accessibility
standards, and cognitive psychology.
Course Objectives and At the end of the course students will be able to:
Competences to be
acquired • 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.
• Describe the connection between the development of a user
interface and the user’s knowledge of an application domain.
• List several of the emerging alternative I/O devices for
computers
Course Contents 1. Introduction
1.1. Definition
1.2. Historical background
2. Human in HCI
2.1. Information input/output
2.2. Memory
2.3. Reasoning, problem solving, skill and error
2.4. Emotion
2.5. Individual difference
3. Computer in HCI
3.1. Input/ Output device
3.2. Virtual reality
3.3. Physical interaction
3.4. Memory
3.5. Processing
4. Interaction
4.1. Introduction
4.2. Models of interaction
4.3. Ergonomics
4.4. Interaction styles
4.5. The context of the interactions
4.6. Paradigms
4.6.1. Introduction
4.6.2. Paradigms for interaction.
5. Interaction Design and HCI in the Software Process
5.1. Interaction Design
5.1.1. Introduction
5.1.2. What is design?
5.1.3. User focus
5.1.4. Scenarios
5.1.5. Navigation design
5.1.6. Screen design and layout
5.1.7. Interaction and prototyping
5.2. HCI in the Software Process
5.2.1. Introduction
5.2.2. The software lifecycle
5.2.3. Usability engineering
5.2.4. Interactive design and prototyping
5.2.5. Design rationale
6. Design Rules and Implementation support
6.1. Design Rules
6.1.1. Introduction
6.1.2. Principles to support usability
6.1.3. Standards
6.1.4. Guidelines
6.1.5. Golden rules and heuristics
6.1.6. HCI patterns
6.2. Implementation Support
6.2.1. Introduction
6.2.2. Elements of windowing systems
6.2.3. Programming the application
6.2.4. User interface management systems
7. Evaluation Techniques and Universal Design
7.1. Evaluation Techniques
7.1.1. What is evaluation?
7.1.2. Goals of evaluation
7.1.3. Choosing an evaluation method
7.2. Universal Design
7.2.1. Introduction
7.2.2. Universal design principles
7.2.3. Multi-modal interaction
7.2.4. Designing for diversity
8. User Support
8.1. Introduction
8.2. Requirements of user support
8.3. Approaches to user support
8.4. Adaptive help systems
8.5. Designing user support systems
Teaching and learning • Lecture
Methods • Discussion
Assessment/Evaluation • Theoretical Tests (30%)
and Grading System • Assignment (10%)
• Project work (10%)
• Final Exam (50%)
Text Books 1. Ping Zhang, Dennis Galletta, Ben Shneiderman; Human
computer Interaction And Management Information Systems:
Foundations, (2006), M.E. Sharpe
Reference Materials 1. Rogers, Yvonne, Helen Sharp and Jenny Preece, Interaction
Design: Beyond Human - Computer Interaction 3rd ed. (2011),
Wiley
2. Pratt, Andy, Jason Nunes, Interactive Design: An Introduction to
the Theory and Application of User-centered Design, (2012),
Rockport Publishers
3. Dix, Alan, Janet E. Finlay, Gregory D. Abowd and Russell Beale,
Human-Computer Interaction, 3rd ed., (2003) Prentice Hall
4. Kikuo Asai; Human Computer Interaction: New Developments,
(2008), InTech
5. Tidwell, Jenifer, Designing Interfaces, 2nd ed, (2011), O'Reilly
Media
6. Ben Shneiderman and Catherine Plaisant, Designing the User
Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction,
5th ed. (2009), Pearson Addison-Wesley
7. Alan Dix, Janet Finlay, Gregory D. Abowd, and Russell Beale,
Human-Computer Interaction 3rd ed. (2004), Pearson
8. Paul Cairns and Anna L Cox. Research methods for human-
computer interaction, volume 12. Cambridge University Press
New, York, NY, USA, 2008
