Course Outline

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LIS 4277 : Usability and Usefulness of Information Systems

Course Outline

PART ONE: WHY USABILITY MATTERS (3 wks)

August 26 & 28: Introduction to the Course...

Anatomy of a Disaster (http://www.asktog.com/columns/042ButterflyBallot.html) -- Read for Thursday!

September 2 & 4: Why This is Important, Part 1

Lieberman & Fry, Will Software Ever Work? Communications of the ACM 44(5)
Norman, The Invisible Computer, Chapter 8
Norman, Interaction Design for Automobile Interiors (http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/InteractDsgnAutos.html)
Norman, The Complexity of Everyday Life (http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/ComplexityOfLife.html)

September 9 & 11: Why This is Important, Part 2

Landauer, The Trouble with Computers, Prologue and Chapters 1-3
The Importance of Designing Usable Systems (http://www.dray.com/articles/usablesystems.html)
Usability is Next to Profitability (http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2002/tc2002124_2181.htm)
Nielsen, Intranet Usability: The Trillion Dollar Question (http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20021111.html)

PART TWO: HOW TO CONDUCT A USABILITY EVALUATION (7 wks)

September 16 & 18: An Introduction to Usability Evaluation

Assignment 1 Due September 16

September 23 & 25: Usability Inspection Methods, Part 1

Assignment 2 Group Topic Due September 23

October 2: Usability Inspection Methods, Part 2 (NO CLASS SEPTEMBER 30)

Nielsen & Mack, Usability Inspection Methods, chapter 5
Lewis & Rieman, Task-Centered User Interface Design, Chapter 4 (http://hcibib.org/tcuid/chap-4.html)

Assignment 2a Due September 30

October 7 & 9: Empirical User Testing, Part 1

Nielsen, Usability Engineering, chapter 6
Lewis & Rieman, Task-Centered User Interface Design, Chapter 5 (http://hcibib.org/tcuid/chap-5.html)
Rubin, Handbook of Usability Testing, chapter 8

Assignment 2b Due October 7

October 14 & 16: Empirical User Testing, Part 2

Nielsen, Why you only need to test with five users (http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20000319.html)
Tog, If they don't test, don't hire them (http://www.asktog.com/columns/037TestOrElse.html)

October 21 & 23: Usability Performance Metrics and other Methods of Assessing Usability

Assignment 2c Due October 21

October 28 & 30: Evaluating Usability Assessment Methods

Nielsen & Mack, Usability Inspection Methods, chapters 7 & 8
Guerilla HCI: Discount Usability (http://www.useit.com/papers/guerrilla_hci.html)

PART THREE: USABILITY AND USER-CENTERED DESIGN (5 wks)

November 4: The Usability Engineering Lifecycle (NO CLASS NOVEMBER 6)

Assignment 3 (First Iteration) Due By Midnight November 7

November 13: User Centered Design, Part 1 (NO CLASS NOVEMBER 11)

Landauer, The Trouble with Computers, chapters 10, 12 & 13.
Lewis & Rieman, Task-Centered User Interface Design, Chapters 2 (http://hcibib.org/tcuid/chap-2.html)

November 18 & 20: User Centered Design, Part 2

Assignment 3 (Second Iteration) Due By Midnight November 21

November 25: Universal Usability & Accessibility (NO CLASS NOVEMBER 27)

Schneiderman, Universal Usability, Communications of the ACM 43(5);
Nielsen, Usability Engineering, chapters 8-9;
Nielsen, International Usability Testing (http://www.useit.com/papers/international_usetest.html)
Nielsen, How to write for the web (http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/) -- read summary and full paper.
Nielsen, Is navigation useful? (http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20000109.html)

December 2 & 4: The Future of Usability...

Nielsen, Usability Engineering, chapter 10;
Tog, It's Time We Got Respect (http://www.asktog.com/columns/057ItsTimeWeGotRespect.html)
Nielsen, Becoming a Usability Professional (http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20020722.html)

Assignment 3 (Final Version, at least three iterations) Due By Midnight December 5

Final Project Presentations this Week!

Last Modified: August 16, 2003