Department of Computer Science, Unit Catalogue 2006/07

CM50149 Collaborative virtual environments

Credits: 6

Level: Masters

Semester: 2

Assessment: EX50ES50

Requisites:

Before taking this unit you must take CM50147 and take CM50148 and take PS50067 and take XX50125 and while taking this unit you must take CM50150 and take XX50126 and take XX50127 and take XX50128

Aims & Learning Objectives:
Aims - To give students an advanced understanding of current research issues in human computer interaction. To focus upon human computer interaction research methods, and theory, covering topics in user interface design, evaluation and modelling. Applications areas such as safety and dependable systems, collaborative systems, virtual environments, and agent interaction are examples of current application topics. Issues of human computer and human-human interaction in mobile settings and using embedded devices.
Objectives: The students should learn how to critically evaluate claims made by designers of communication tools that are intended to support collaboration, to account for usability and task efficiency in collaborative groups. They should gain an appreciation of relevant principles and guidelines to support tightly and loosely couples groups in concerted and coordinated activity.
Content:
Computer-supported collaborative work - nature of collaboration. How collaboration is supported; successful and unsuccessful models and systems. How to model group work. Technological forms of virtual working environments - 'white boards', 'rooms'. Web- based versions of virtual environments. Immersive and non-immersive environments. Mobile and wearable environments. Core reading:
T K Capin, I S Pandzic & N Magnenat-Thalmann (eds) Avatars in Networked Virtual Environments Wiley, 1999
C Greenhalgh Large-scale Collaborative Virtual Environments Springer Verlag 1999
Proceedings of ACM International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces 1999
Proceedings of ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work, 1999
S Wilbur & A Sellen (eds) Computer Mediated Communication, Prentice Hall 1998.

University | Catalogues for 2006/07