Insructor: John Stasko
Spring 2006

Information visualization is a research area that focuses on the use of visualization techniques to help people understand and analyze data. While fields such as scientific visualization involve the presention of data that has some physical or geometric correspondence, information visualization focuses on abstract data without such correspondences such as symbolic, tabular, networked, hierarchical, or textual information sources.

The objectives of the course are

• Learn the principles involved in information visualization
• Learn about the variety of existing techniques and systems in information visualization
• Develop skills in critiquing different visualization techniques as applied to particular tasks
• Learn how to evaluate visualization systems
• Gain a background that will aid the design of new, innovative visualizations

The course will follow a graduate seminar style with much discussion of assigned readings, as well as viewing of videos and hands-on experience with research and commercial information visualization tools.

We will not have a primary textbook. Instead, we will read recent research papers about the field. Additionally, we will use the book Envisioning Information by Edward Tufte, Graphics Press, 1990.

Grading will be based on class participations, class presentations, short homeworks, assignments involving use and analysis of some information visualization tools, and a semester project. The weight of each assignment can be found on the assignments page.

Students from a variety of disciplines are invited to take the course, but some prior background in human-computer interaction will be helpful. Programming experience is not required but will be useful.

11:00am, Apr. 7^st -- Project presentation date
We have decided that we will hold final project presentations from 1:30-4:30 on Wed. May 3rd, room TBD. Project reports also will be due at the start of the presentations.

11:00am, Apr. 6^th -- HW6 posted
HW 6 is available now.

9:30am, Mar. 14^th -- HW5 posted
HW 5 is available now.

3:00pm, Feb. 23^rd -- HW4 extension
HW 4 is now due on Tuesday 7th.

1:30pm, Feb. 9^th -- HW4 posted
HW 4 is available now.

9:00am, Jan. 31^st -- Project posted
The semester design project is now available.

9:00am, Jan. 26^th -- HW3 posted
HW 3 is available now.

2:00pm, Jan. 13^th -- HWs posted and fixed
HW 1 and HW 2 are available with the correct due dates now. Remember to bring your survey to class on Tuesday if you haven't turned one in yet. Also, make sure to add yourself to the Who's Who page on the class CoWeb.

6:30pm, Jan. 8^th -- WebSite is up
Our website is live and running, although many items are missing and more complete details about course matters will gradually be filled in. See you on the first day of class, Jan. 10th.