Learning Partnerships, Unit Catalogue 2009/10 |
AS20106: Human computer interface |
 Credits: |
5 |
| Level: |
Intermediate |
| Period: | This unit is available in... |
| Academic Year at Cirencester College | |
| Academic Year at City of Bath College | |
| Academic Year at Weston College | |
| Academic Year at Wiltshire College |
| Assessment: |
CW 100% |
| Supplementary Assessment: | Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations) |
| Requisites: |
|
| Description: | Aims: To give learners the opportunity: * To gain an understanding of the importance of and significant role played by the human computer interface (HCI) * To understand the importance of HCI in the design and development of safe, usable and efficient software * To understand the need for different HCIs for different user groups. Learning Outcomes: At the completion of the unit, learners should be able to : * Describe the latest HCI developments and the applications and user groups to which they are suited * Describe the different user groups and the way they interact with different interfaces * Produce different designs for interfaces using established HCI rules, guidelines and heuristics * Evaluate existing HCIs for usability, functionality and overall efficiency. Skills: Practical skills - interface design skills taught and assessed Personal skills - time management, personal organisation, independent research, problem solving - facilitated Communication skills - oral presentations, demonstrations, written reports - facilitated and assessed. Content: History of HCI * How the topic has developed and grown in importance Current developments in HCI * Hardware developments i.e. screens, keyboards, pointing devices, complete range of input/output devices, speech/face/hand/iris recognition Different user groups * Novice, regular, expert, visually impaired, blind, physically disabled, special needs How users interact with computers * Models of users, human memory, cognition, perception, attention, skills acquisition, use of metaphors Ergonomics, Health and safety considerations * Lighting, seating, office environment, RSI, legal implications Workstation environment * The 'ideal' workstation environment Prototyping * Rapid prototyping, low fidelity vs. high fidelity, selection of tools/methodology Evaluation of HCIs * Task analysis, measuring of usability, functionality. Use of metrics to measure performance, efficiency and user satisfaction. |