Syllabus

Course: INFSCI 1052 User Centered Design

Time/Loc: Tuesday and Thursday 1:00-2:15 PM

Instructor: Robert Perkoski

Office/Ph:

Perkoski: Room 503 SIS 412-624-9425

perks@pitt.edu (Note: subject = ‘IS1052’)

Office Hrs: By appointment. I am generally available and you’re welcome to drop in at your convenience.

Text: No textbook. Web resources will be listed as well as books from Safari books online.

Objectives: This course covers design principles used in the design, creation and implementation of user interfaces. It focuses on the practical applications of the following technologies: HTML, XHTML, CSS, and Flash. In addition the study of graphics, multimedia, virtual worlds, and gaming will be introduced.

Pre-Requisites:INFSCI 0010 and INFSCI 1044

Evaluation:

This is a small class and there will be individual assignments and a project. The project should use all of the technologies discussed during the term and result in a functional website that solves a particular problem and/or provides a specific service. For example, a corporate tuturial website is one idea that incorporates all of these features. The project will be discussed in class.

40% Assignments

30% Midterm

30% Final Project
Class participation and attendance will be factored into the grade.

Midterm:

October 20th 2009 - Tuesday

Grading Scale:

Exam & Homework Policy: All assignments must be submitted as directed. Late assignments receive a grade of zero. Homework may consist of multiple assignments - the number of assignments will depend upon the progress of the class. Assignments are challenging and generally time-consuming. Class participation includes participation in discussions as well as providing information from your independent research.You are responsible for all information disseminated during class so don’t rely solely on the website.

Academic Dishonesty/Cheating: With the exception of routine studying and tutoring, all graded work must be the sole result of your own efforts. You may not do work for another student nor may you copy or plagiarize someone else’s work. At a minimum, cheating will result in a grade of zero on the assignment. Depending on the circumstances, you may also receive a grade of ‘F’ for the course.

Incompletes: The Instructor’s policy is to not grant incompletes (grade ‘G’). Any exception to this policy is at the Instructor’s sole discretion, and it must be entirely due to clearly extraordinary circumstances supported by verifiable documentation.

Disability: If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact the Instructor and Disability Resources and Services, 216 William Pitt Union, (412) 648-7890 / (412) 383-7355 (TTY), as early as possible in the term. DRS will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course.

Course Schedule

Grades