Human-Computer Interface Design and Evaluation
CS 4750 Fall 2001
General course information and policies
Electronic information
The use of electronic technology in the classroom will play a critical
role in this class. We
will use electronic means to disseminate information about the class,
such as homework assignments, grades, and general announcements
outside of class. The information provided on this page concerns the former use
of electronic information. We will try to make as much use as
possible of electronic information exchange. The three possible
electronic means of exchange will be electronic mail, a collaborative
Web discussion space and a class World Wide Web home page. If
you aren't already familiar with these Internet-based tools, now is
the time to find out.
Electronic mail
Probably the most dependable way to contact the instructor is by e-mail. Whenever you send e-mail,
please make sure you include your full name on the message, as it is
sometimes difficult to decipher student mail addresses.
WWW
You are currently reading text from the class Web pages for CS 4750.
There are a variety of ways to access this page using any of a number
of WWW browsers. For example, you can traverse links directly from
the College of Computing home
page (follow Course Information link and then Class Websites). Or you
can access this page directly by opening the URL
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/classes/AY2002/cs4750_fall/.
The class syllabus, indicating lecture topics, reading, homework and
lab assignments, will be posted on the class Web page and will be
continually updated throughout the semester. You should make it a
regular habit to consult the syllabus. (Note: Since the
syllabus is constantly updated, make sure you explicitly reload the
page to ensure that you are looking at the latest version of the
page. )
All project work will be made available via the Web page for the
class. Individual project teams will be responsible for
preparing a Web notebook of project deliverables.
Discussion spaces
In the past, we have made use of a class newsgroup, but its use has
dwindled substantially for a variety of reasons. As an
alternative, we will be making use of a collaborative Web
discussion space, called a CoWeb. More on that as the course
progresses.
Grading
The final grades will be calculated based on the following weighting
scheme. It is possible that this weighting scheme will be adjusted as the
semester progresses. Any such changes will be announced to the class.
Grade weighting
| Category | Weight |
| Group project | 50% |
| Exam 1 | 12.5% |
| Exam 2 | 12.5% |
| Final Exam | 20% |
| Class Quizzes | 5% |
Students taking the class pass/fail must receive a B or better to pass
the class. They will need to be active members of a project team, do
the homework assignments and take the exams. Students auditing the
class should not be counted as an active member of a project team.
Homework
At times during the semester, supplemental homework assigments will be
provided as individual assignments. The homework will not be graded
and counted in the final grade for the course. These assigments are
given to help you gain a deeper insight into the course material and
prepare for the exams.
Exams
There will be two exams during the semester and a final
exam. All exams will be based on reading, lectures, homework and
group project assignments. The instructor will provide a review class
for the first two exams. The first two exams will be returned within
one week. Questions about exam grading should be directed to the TA
within one week of the return. Adjustments in exam grades will be
rare and could equally well result in a lowering or raising of the
grade.
Group project
A large part of this course will consist of a project done in groups.
More complete information on the project is presented elsewhere. Project groups will
be 3-4 member teams. There will be five separate project milestones
with a written deliverable due for each. There will be three
opportunities for groups to present the progress on their work during
the semester. The first two presentations will be in the form of open
poster sessions held during lecture time after deliverables 1 and 2.
The final presentation will be held during the last week of the
semester, with each group being given a slot to present final results
on their project. The poster and final presentation grades will be
graded together with the associated deliverable.
Class participation/Attendance
A good portion of the learning in any upper level class comes from
intelligent discussion involving the instructor and the students.
If you don't attend class, you cannot participate, and
your performance in the class may reflect that. I expect that each student will make an
effort to attend all lectures and contribute constructively to the
discussion. In order to encourage attendance, occasional unannounced
quizzes will be given at the beginning of class and the performance on
those quizzes will count for 10% of the overall grade in class.
I want to know who you are, so please make an effort to speak in class
and talk to me outside of class. If by the end of the quarter I don't
know your name, it won't necessarily be my fault.
Class participation also includes your active participation in the
group project. At the end of the semester, each student will be
given the opportunity to comment (anonymously, if desired) on
the contribution to the overall project be each individual on
the team. If certain members do not pull their weight, those
members' final grade will reflect this.
Other policies
Students are expected to attend all lectures on time. Students are
expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner. This expectation
includes showing up for exams at the appointed time. Late make-up exams
will not be given. Any conflicts with exam times should be brought to
the instructor's attention as soon as possible and in all cases PRIOR
to the examination period.
Students are expected to follow the university's code of academic conduct.
Cases of suspected academic misconduct will be immediately forwarded to
the Dean of Student Affairs, and will be pursued to resolution. This is an
unpleasant process for all involved, so please do not put yourself in this
situation. Group projects are expected to be done collaboratively.
Individual homework assignments, unless otherwise indicated, are
expected to be done by individuals without collaboration. The
take-home final is also an individual assignment, with no expectation
of collaboration.
Above all, I would like to adhere to the reasonable person principle.
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