Human-Centered Design and Development (HCDD)

Courses offered in foreign countries by individual or group instruction.

HCDD 113 provides a rigorous introduction to the theories, models, and tools that inform Human-Centered Design and Development. It lays the groundwork for subsequent courses in the sequence by examining the relationship between physical capabilities, cognitive and social models, and philosophical issues pertinent to human-centered analysis, design and development work. The course is practice-based, which means that it instructs more abstract concepts through practical activities and practice-based inquiry. Students will learn how to apply cognitive models and philosophical concepts to real-world problems. This approach has the dual benefit of (1) highly engaging pedagogy and (2) the production of portfolio-quality deliverables that students will be able to use to secure internships and entry-level positions in industry. Students will gain skills for synthesizing and communicating design implications as well as presenting work in multiple contexts (e.g. live presentations vs. bite-sized portfolio pages). The format of the class will balance project work with tests, quizzes, short essays, and discussions on key topics. It will also include readings and some short lectures.

HCDD 113S provides a rigorous introduction to the theories, models, and tools that inform Human-Centered Design and Development. It lays the groundwork for subsequent courses in the sequence by examining the relationship between physical capabilities, cognitive and social models, and philosophical issues pertinent to human-centered analysis, design and development work. The course is practice-based, which means that it instructs more abstract concepts through practical activities and practice-based inquiry. Students will learn how to apply cognitive models and philosophical concepts to real-world problems. This approach has the dual benefit of (1) highly engaging pedagogy and (2) the production of portfolio-quality deliverables that students will be able to use to secure internships and entry-level positions in industry. Students will gain skills for synthesizing and communicating design implications as well as presenting work in multiple contexts (e.g. live presentations vs. bite-sized portfolio pages). The format of the class will balance project work with tests, quizzes, short essays, and discussions on key topics. It will also include readings and some short lectures.

Courses offered in foreign countries by individual or group instruction.

This course focuses on concepts, methods, techniques, and tools for designing effective technology-enabled experiences. The course will provide students with all the elements for a toolbox they can use to design and create both prototypes and working applications, and some analytic methods they can use to perform basic evaluations. The course will emphasize iterative design and the benefits of employing a cycle of analyze - design - built - evaluate in close cooperation with prospective technology users and other product stakeholders. In addition to more practice-oriented skills and knowledge, the course will provide students with an appreciation for some persistent design challenges including managing design trade-offs, ensuring universal and international access, working with others on co-design, and receiving and delivering design critiques. Students who successfully complete the course will leave equipped to engage with practicing design teams in industry, government, and academia.

Supervised student activities on research projects identified on an individual or small-group basis.

Creative projects, including research and design, that are supervised on an individual basis and that fall outside the scope of formal courses.

Formal courses offered infrequently to explore, in depth, a comparatively narrow subject which may be topical or of special interest.

Courses offered in foreign countries by individual or group instruction.

Introduction to object-oriented applications including applications in an Object Oriented Design (OOD) language or OOD languages. HCDD 311 Object-Oriented Design and Software Applications (3) HCDD 311 is among the courses making up the Application Design & Development option in the Baccalaureate degree in Information Sciences and Technology. This course is normally taken in the 5th or 6th semester. It is the first upper-division course in the option sequence. The course is intended to provide students with a background in object-oriented design and object-oriented application development. Students will learn the fundamentals of object-oriented analysis, design, and modeling. They will apply design concepts and develop the skills necessary to bring an idea through the different phases of the application development lifecycle. The course normally involves students working on teams to design and develop working application prototypes. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to apply object-oriented design principles using object-oriented modeling and programming languages, show how object-oriented principles increase the quality of complex applications, and begin development of the team skills necessary when developing complex systems.

Interdisciplinary survey of topics and methods related to the human-centered design use and usability of information systems. HCDD 331 Foundations of Human-Centered Design: User and System Principles (3) This course provides a focused introduction to one of the most complicated parts of information systems design: users and the contexts in which they live, work, and play. The course provides a balance between theory and practice, which are tightly intertwined in this area. Students will learn how to use social science theories about human capabilities and group behavior to predict whether an information system will be usable and useful, and they will learn about the opportunities and challenges that are associated with a wide range of emerging technologies. Students will also gain skills in designing and evaluating information systems that meet the needs of a target audience. Because the information technology design space evolves rapidly, much of the technology-related content covered in this course will evolve from year to year; however the focus throughout will be understanding and responding to the needs, capabilities and preferences of the users of interactive information systems. The format of the class may include lectures, readings, in-class or online discussions, projects, or case studies. Assessment of student performance may include short assignments, quizzes, exams, or in-depth projects.

The course will provide students with an appreciation for the importance of mobile computing in modern life. It will also provide an introduction to the technical aspects of mobile computing including input modalities, sensors and sensing, wearable and smart home devices, and virtual/augmented reality. It will provide an introduction to established design concepts as well as explore emerging ideas and new concepts in the domains of mobile computing, and explore some of the most important domains where mobile computing is having a significant impact including health and wellness and computing in the developing world. The latter part of the course will include an analysis, design, and development project for students to work on individually or in groups.

Second of two design and development studio courses for IST and SRA students. HCDD 361 Application Development Design Studio II (3) This studio course will provide opportunities for students to practice technical skills acquired in their previous design and development courses to date, specifically, in IST 140, Introduction to Application Development; IST 242, Intermediate and Object-Oriented Application Development; and HCDD 311, Object-Oriented Design and Software Applications. The course will follow the general format of experiential studios in the arts and architecture. It will be primarily largely problem-based and project oriented. Peer and instructor design critiques will be the primary feedback and assessment mechanisms. Students in the IST Software Design Studios will be expected to complete deliverables in each phase of the systems development lifecycle (i.e. problem definition, requirements analysis, design, development, test) regardless of the development paradigm employed (plan-based, agile, etc). A key objective of this design studio will be to provide application development opportunities where students can apply knowledge and practice techniques gained from their foundation and first upper-division courses. Projects may be undertaken by individuals, pairs, or larger groups but each studio participant will be responsible for producing significant individual project deliverables. Project ideas may come from the student or from the instructor; however, projects related to students' other course deliverables will require the agreement of both instructors. Students will be required to maintain a design and development journal. This journal will be the analog of an engineering notebook or artist's sketchbook and should contain a running account of the students design and development ideas, explorations, rationale, and other notes. The IST design and development studios are a forum for serious students to engage with the concepts, process, tools, and materials used to envision and build software applications. Both collaboration and individual performance will be emphasized, as will experimentation, risk-taking, and enthusiasm for the process of designing and building working software applications. Students will be expected to improvise and then respond constructively to feedback from instructors and peers.

This course focuses on concepts, methods, and techniques for studying users and evaluating technology in the context of use. It will provide students with methods and tools they can use to incorporate knowledge of users and their settings into the design and evaluation of interactive systems. These methods will include both qualitative and quantitative techniques, as well as how to combine and sequence multiple techniques to gain a more holistic understanding. Students will learn to select and use appropriate data gathering and analysis methods and how to assemble these into a coherent user research design. The course also provides an overview of the most important statistical analysis methods employed in user research. This is a hands-on, practical course designed for HCDD undergraduate students, and others as an elective.

Courses offered in foreign countries by individual or group instruction.

Introduction to distributed-object computing and its use in client/server and real-world computing applications. This course presents the fundamental concepts of distributed-object computing, including client/server computing which is an important platform for real-world computing systems. The course focuses on design, development, and deployment of distributed systems. Students will also consider issues of managing distributed systems and the relationships between organizational processes and information-system architectures. HCDD 411 is an elective course for the Baccalaureate degree program in Information Sciences and Technology. Students completing the Systems Development Option may take this course to fulfill option requirements. Upon completion of this course, students will have a broad understanding of the fundamental concepts of distributed objects and distributed-computing architectures, have the ability to apply these concepts to real-world applications, and be able to design, develop, deploy, and maintain distributed applications.

Introduction to the engineering of complex software systems including software system specification, design and implementation, integration and test, and evolution. HCDD 412 The Engineering of Complex Software Systems (3) This course presents the fundamental concepts of the engineering of complex software systems, including iterative and agile development strategies. The course gives students insight into the full software development cycle, including design, implementation, test and quality assurance, deployment, maintenance, and project estimation and management. HCDD 412 is an elective course for the Baccalaureate degree program in Information Sciences and Technology. Students completing the Systems Development Option may take this course to fulfill option requirements. Upon completion of this course, students will have a broad understanding of the fundamental concepts of complex system software engineering and be able to apply these concepts to managing and developing a complex software project over the full software development cycle.

This course addresses activities in the system development process that ensure usability. It considers the emerging concept of usability, requirements gathering and analysis, activity design, information design, interaction design, documentation design, user testing and usability evaluation. HCDD 413 Usability Engineering (3) The modern system development process includes concurrent engineering of usability - features of a system that make it approachable, learnable, as well as easy and satisfying to use. Topics in the course include the emerging concept of usability, requirements gathering and analysis, the use of scenarios and claims to describe and analyze both current human practices and envisioned practices, activity design, information design, interaction design, documentation design, and user testing, including techniques for formative and summative usability evaluation.

The Human-Centered Design and Development Capstone course develops the research orientation and creative problem solving necessary for successful careers. The capstone develops these skills in the context of a semester long project, the solution to which requires integration of knowledge, skills and analytic techniques taught in the core curriculum. The capstone will also give student a real world experience in which they will need to work in teams and will be coached on ways to translate analytic outcomes into meaningful and actionable information for decision makers. The course is intended for seniors who have successfully completed the core courses. The capstone projects will integrate knowledge gained in technical subjects such as usability engineering, software construction and engineering, and mobile computing as well as general information technology topics such as machine learning, data mining, data integration and visualization, and privacy and security. Students will also hone their presentation and technical writing skills, generating effective reports that not only explain their analytic processes, assumptions underlying the processes and outcomes, but also communicate the limitations of their approach and potential alternate strategies.

An interdisciplinary course that introduces students to process and techniques involved in developing a video or computer game. HCDD 446 An Introduction to Building Computer/Video Games (3) The course is project driven. Students will form teams and collaborate with one another to develop an interactive immersive experience. During the course, students will be exposed to several techniques for building graphical 3D worlds, animating characters, moving the camera and lights in real-time, and building intelligent characters (using state machine-based architectures). They will also learn different techniques of interactive storytelling, such as linear narrative, branching narrative, and adaptive narrative. Furthermore, they will be introduced to several tools that will aid in realizing their own projects and ideas, such as graphic engines (e.g. Wildtangent), and game engines (e.g. Unreal Tournament).The course is heavily project driven. Students will, in the first half of the course, learn the tools used in the development of interactive 3D environments. They will submit 2 individual assignments using these tools to develop a simple interactive environment. These individual assignments will be graded and critiqued.In the second half of the course, students will work on a game idea from generation to actual implementation. Students will be grouped in teams of three to develop a project, integrating concepts they learned through the class. They will use one or more of the tools they learned to build this project. Projects will be continuously evaluated and critiqued during game tuning sessions. In addition, projects will be formally evaluated through two prototypes that are critiqued by the class and the instructor. The students will continuously revise their designs and projects through the semester. The final version of the system is due by the end of the semester.

Supervised student activities on research projects identified on an individual or small-group basis.

Creative projects, including research and design, that are supervised on an individual basis and that fall outside the scope of formal courses.

Formal courses offered infrequently to explore, in depth, a comparatively narrow subject which may be topical or of special interest.

Courses offered in foreign countries by individual or group instruction.