CMP-2E12:
Human Factors, Human Computer Interaction

A. R. Forrest
School of Information Systems
University of East Anglia

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To give students an appreciation of human factors in the design and implementation of computer systems. The course will range from user sociology and psychology, through the basic physiological abilities of human beings in terms of vision, touch, hearing and memory, to the properties of computer hardware from the human perspective and the design and implementation of good user interfaces.

COURSE CONTENT AND STRUCTURE

The course is thus complementary to both CMP-2B23 and CMP-2E21. Much of the material in human-computer interaction appears, with the benefit of hindsight, obvious. The course will place heavy emphasis on real examples, both successes and failures.

ASSESSMENT

The module is assessed 100% by coursework which will probably consist of a practical design exercise and a group project Neither will involve computer implementation.

TEACHING SCHEDULE

Over the semester there will be approximately 18 lectures. There will be occasional seminars and it is hoped lectures from invited speakers. Students should watch the CMP noticeboard for up-to-date information.

BOOKS

Most of the material in the course is covered by a combination of:

• Preece, J. (Ed.) A Guide to Usability: Human Factors in Computing. Addison-Wesley, Wokingham, 1993. ISBN 0-201-62768-X

... and the recommended textbook for both CMP-2E21 and CMP-3E20:

• Foley, J.D., van Dam, A., Feiner, S.K. & Hughes, J.F. Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice. 2nd Edition, Addison-Wesley, 1990. ISBN 0-201-12110-7
• Dix, A., Finlay, J., Abowd, G. & Beale, R. Human-Computer Interaction. Prentice Hall (UK), 1993, paperback edition. ISBN 0-13-437211-5

... costs slightly more than Preece but covers much more ground and is meatier: a good buy if funds permit.

• Norman, D.A. The Design of Everyday Things. Doubleday Currency, 1990. ISBN 0-385-26774-6

... should be read at some stage by all computer scientists. Additional material will be found in:

1. Shneiderman, B. Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction. Addison-Wesley, 1986. ISBN 0-201-16505-8
2. Laurel, B. (Ed.) The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design. Addison-Wesley, 1990
3. Johnson, P. Human Computer Interaction. McGraw-Hill, 1992.
4. Barfield, L. The User Interface:Concepts and Design. Addison-Wesley, 1993.