Class Attendance	~20%
Design Notebook	~20%
Assignments	~30%
Quizzes	~30%

I prefer to give many small assignments which build up a picture of overall student learning success rather than to rely on one or two large exams which students may bomb based on non-learning related complications.

 

I consider myself someone who points students in the right direction to learn the subject matter rather than someone who is going to actually do the work of learning for the student. Learning is the responsibility of the student. I will help to provide structure and motivation for that learning, but if you can't teach yourself in a technical field like this, then you will be left behind the field in about six months.

Class attendance will be determined by completing index cards. The index cards are also a means for me to get feedback about the course.

 

For each class please write your name on a card, the date, your student ID and a comment about the course.

 

If you would like to submit an anonymous comment, take an extra card and don't put your name on it.

You should begin, starting the first week, a design notebook which may be as simple as blank sheets of paper you carry around in your pocket. On it you should jot down at least one example per week of a user interface success or failure that you encounter and make some notes/sketches about for use in assignments later. Your notebook will be turned in periodically during the class.

 

I recommend keeping it in hard copy format rather than digitally.

 

A typical entry should be a page or two.

Several lab assignments will be assigned consisting primarily of self-directed learning tasks.

 

The goal of the labs will be to give you a chance to familiarize yourself with basic software technologies for modern user interfaces. Rather than producing extensive deliverables the focus is on learning to teach yourself from on-line resources how to build user-interfaces in different technologies. This will hopefully form the basis of being able to create more extensive projects in the future.

 

Possible topics will include:

* Building a web-based map interface

* Building a mobile phone application

* Building a java based user interface

* Building a physical interface

* Working with the design notebook analyses

 

Several quizzes will be assigned covering the assigned readings and discussions in class. The goal of the quizzes is to motivate you to learn the material in the text book and lecture.