Syllabus

Course: INFSCI 1052 User Centered Design

Time/Loc: Wed 12:00-2:30 PM RM 411

Instructor: Robert Perkoski

Office/Ph:

Perkoski: Room 720 SIS 412-624-9425

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

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

Text: CSS the missing manual by David Sawyer McFarland - second edition.

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, JavaScript and Ajax. In addition, time will be spent on graphics and image manipulation.

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.

30% Assignments - HTML and Photoshop assignments.

30% Midterm

20% Final Project

20% In-Class Activities (Quizzes, Labs, Participation)

Class participation and attendance will be considered as a key factor in the class.Often times students will critique each others work and feedback is essential for student's to advance their work. So, 20% of your grade comes from quizzes and participation - if you are not here you basically get a zero on both of these counts. Failure to present the final project in class will result in a letter grade drop.

Midterm: Feb 22, 2010 - Wednesday

Final Project Presentations: April 18, 2010

Mar 07, 2010 (Wed) no class Spring Break

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