SYLLABUS: CS67/267 Human-Computer Interaction - SPRING25 TERM

Instructor:   Lorie Loeb

Email:   lorie.loeb@dartmouth.edu

Office Hours:   

Class Times: 12 Period - 12:50-1:55 M,W, F

X-hours:   On Occasion

Classroom: Irving Inst. Room 80

Class Final Presentation: During TechniGala, Wednesday, June 4th 6:30-8:30 PM

Dist: TAS

About the Class

Computing technology is ubiquitous and now embedded in our everyday lives. This course will introduce fundamental methods and principles for designing, implementing, and evaluating interactive computing systems, focusing on those systems beyond the mobile phone and web/tablet platforms. This includes wearables, AR/VR, dashboards, medical devices, and more. Students will learn how to design positive user experiences within the context of computation through lectures, readings, videos, in-class activities, and a team project. 

This course is for students who:

• are excited about understanding, envisioning, and designing/building the future of technology with a human (user)-centered focus,

• want to learn interaction design, focusing on digital tools beyond mobile and web (e.g. AR/VR/XR, wearables, dashboards, medical devices, robots),

• are interested in experimental design and conducting user research/user testing,

• are motivated to learn figma, arduino, and whatever they need to learn to build out their prototype,

• are creative and innovative and curious,

• want to dig into the exciting field of Human-Computer Interaction.

• for Graduate students…this class offers you a chance to write a conference paper

Course Design

The goal is to learn as much as you can. In order to do that, you need to stay curious, think creatively, and take risks.

The course is broken down into three core assignments:

1. What is human computer interaction? Noticing, analyzing, and defining computers and interaction in the modern world.

2. Where are we going and why? Speculating and imagining computer interactions in the future—HCI4Good, HCI4Bad

3. How Might We? A final team project to understand, design, prototype, and test a computer-human interaction based on a prompt.

Work is evaluated against a set of criteria described in the brief. The longer projects will have milestones along the way.  The only way to learn is to do the work and keep up with the assignments.  Instead of asking for an extension, turn in whatever you have on time. You can always improve on assignments.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN THIS COURSE

• Do the work

  • keep up with the homeworks and milestones

• Do the work early

  • don’t wait until the night before homework is due

• Do it regularly

  • better to work some every day than to do one long session the night before it is due (everyone can tell the difference)

• Turn stuff in on time

  • late assignments will result in a lowered grade and

  • late assignments keep you from having your work reviewed in class

• Show up

  • ask questions

  • join class ready to work

  • go to TA hours

  • meet with Lorie

  • watch the class videos when available

  • be here now

    • resist temptation to email, check social media, or work on other courses during class time

  • revise your work

    • I accept revised work up until the end of the term and will revise grades accordingly

    • in fact, everyone is encouraged to revise work as it is the best way to learn!

  • have fun (you know how to do it).  

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• A solid understanding of the principles and practice of human centered design as applied to HCI

• Understanding of interaction design

• Thorough grasp of concepts of user research and user testing

• Gain proficiency at the techniques of experimental design.

• Gain comfort working in figma

• Creative problem solving

• Constant iteration — pushing yourself beyond the first ideas, or even the 10th idea, to find the “best” idea, even if it fails

• Experience conducting researching and writing a conference paper

TEACHING METHODS AND TOOLS

Our class sessions will consist of short lectures, demonstrations, peer-review, workshops, and play. 

The lectures will be about concepts underlying the work we do in class.  You are encouraged to ask questions. I have always found that if one person has a question, others do to; asking your question will benefit the entire class. 

Peer Reviews/Critiques are a critical part of the digital arts courses.  We use this time to look at each other’s work, discuss what works, why it works, what doesn’t work, why it doesn’t work, how it could be improved.  These are a central part of the course and attendance during peer reviews is mandatory.  It is during this process that you will learn the most. 

Lecture Slides are available in the Class Lectures section on Notion

Class Video recordings are available on the Class Lectures section on the class Notion and on this website

X-Hours and TA-Hours provide opportunities to deepen your technical skills and get assistance on your class homework. There may be additional times when you can work in class on your own projects. X-Hours are mandatory. TA’s will be available during class, X-Hours, and TA-Hours for you to get advice and extra assistance. You must meet with a TA for 15 minutes per week…any TA.

Your Personal TA: Each team will be assigned to a TA throughout the term. You can work with other TA’s of course, but this TA is one who will keep up with your work.

Slack will be our primary communication method. There will be a tips and tricks channel, a video recordings channel, a general channel, an opportunities channel (where you can learn about work, internships, and cool stuff on campus), and a staff channel that allows you to contact the TA’s and me with questions.

Notion: Class assignments will be posted on Notion along with teams and other important information.

Figma: We use figma and figJam for design work and some prototyping in this course.

ATTENDANCE

As this is a hands-on course, much of the learning happens during class-time. Attendance is required at every class. Absences are often unavoidable. If you need to miss a class, I totally get it. Absences and lateness will only impact the attendance portion of the grade (each absence counts for just 1/30th of 10% of the grade). Reserve the x-hours—we may use them for class and they are great opportunity to meet with your team and your TA!

CLASS CULTURE

We expect all students to participate fully and to take risks in their work. This means trying things that may not work. To that end, it is expected that everyone is treated with respect and civility. Students should conduct themselves professionally, help each other, and refrain from impolite language. Students come into this class from a mix of backgrounds, skills, and interests. Please acknowledge the different viewpoints and state biases up front when possible. Feedback should be provided as a source of learning and feedback should be received in the spirit of learning.

Show up for your team in the way you’d like others to show up—arrive on time, come prepared to work, do the tasks assigned to you, communicate regularly.

NOTE:

It is ok to take a chance and fail, but it is not ok to put in minimal effort. This requires you to keep up with assignments, start work soon after it is assigned, keep working regularly throughout the week, seek help from Lorie and the TA’s, be a stellar teammate, stay curious and creative, iterate regularly. If you do that, you are practically guaranteed of receiving an A.

Grading

Project One 15%

Project Two 15%

Term Project 40%

Team work 10%

Class Attendance 10%

Class Participation 10%

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Honor Code

Dartmouth follows a strict honor code as described here. In this class, it is expected that all work is original—you made it. If you use any assets that aren’t yours, you must cite them clearly and make note of it during any in-class critiques or discussions about that work. In other words, if you borrow something a from an online source, utilize AI, or borrow from a classmate, you must cite it and be clear during class discussions about your work that you didn’t make it but got it from another source (and cite that source).

Religious Observance

Some students may wish to take part in religious observances that occur during this academic term. If you have a religious observance that conflicts with your participation in the course, please meet with me before the end of the second week of the term to discuss appropriate accommodations.

Wellness Services on Campus

The academic environment at Dartmouth is challenging, our terms are intensive, and classes are not the only demanding part of your life. There are a number of resources available to you on campus to support your wellness, including your undergraduate dean (http://www.dartmouth.edu/~upperde/), Counseling and Human Development (http://www.dartmouth.edu/~chd/), and the Student Wellness Center (http://www.dartmouth.edu/~healthed/). I encourage you to use these resources to take care of yourself throughout the term, and to come speak to me if you experience any difficulties.

Accessibility

Students requesting disability-related accommodations and services for this course are encouraged to schedule a phone/video meeting with me as early in the term as possible. This conversation will help to establish what supports are built into my online course. In order for accommodations to be authorized, students are required to consult with Student Accessibility Services (SAS; student.accessibility.services@dartmouth.edu; SAS website; 603-646-9900) and to email me their SAS accommodation form. We will then work together with SAS if accommodations need to be modified based on the online learning environment. If students have questions about whether they are eligible for accommodations, they should contact the SAS office. All inquiries and discussions will remain confidential.

Attendance

You are expected to attend class in person unless you have made alternative arrangements due to illness, medical reasons, or the need to isolate due to COVID-19. For the health and safety of our class community, please: do not attend class when you are sick, nor when you have been instructed by Student Health Services to stay home. 

You will be able to view recordings of class in Canvas if you are unable to attend.

For each class, a present student will write a summary of the class discussion in Canvas. You may participate by responding to that summary if you are unable to attend in person.

Accommodations

Students requesting disability-related accommodations and services for this course are required to register with Student Accessibility Services (SAS; Getting Started with SAS webpage; student.accessibility.services@dartmouth.edu; 1-603-646-9900) and to request that an accommodation email be sent to me in advance of the need for an accommodation. Then, students should schedule a follow-up meeting with me to determine relevant details such as what role SAS or its Testing Center may play in accommodation implementation. This process works best for everyone when completed as early in the quarter as possible. If students have questions about whether they are eligible for accommodations or have concerns about the implementation of their accommodations, they should contact the SAS office. All inquiries and discussions will remain confidential.

Class Recordings Agreement

NOTIFICATION TO STUDENTS

(1) Consent to recording of course meetings

By enrolling in this course, a) I affirm my understanding that the instructor may record meetings of this course and any associated meetings open to multiple students and the instructor, including but not limited to scheduled and ad hoc office hours and other consultations, within any digital platform, including those used to offer remote instruction for this course. b) I further affirm that the instructor owns the copyright to their instructional materials, of which these recordings constitute a part, and my distribution of any of these recordings in whole or in part to any person or entity other than other members of the class without prior written consent of the instructor may be subject to discipline by Dartmouth up to and including separation from Dartmouth.

(2) Requirement of consent to one-on-one recordings

By enrolling in this course, I hereby affirm that I will not make a recording in any medium of any one-on-one meeting with the instructor or another member of the class or group of members of the class without obtaining the prior written consent of all those participating, and I understand that if I violate this prohibition, I will be subject to discipline by Dartmouth up to and including separation from Dartmouth, as well as any other civil or criminal penalties under applicable law. I understand that an exception to this consent applies to accommodations approved by SAS for a student’s disability, and that one or more students in a class may record class lectures, discussions, lab sessions, and review sessions and take pictures of essential information, and/or be provided class notes for personal study use only.

If you have questions, please contact the Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.