UXD 260 User Experience Research and Evaluation
Summary
Summary of course
This course describes a wide array of methods for evaluating the user experience of products and interfaces. We will discuss and practice methods such as heuristic and expert evaluations, cognitive walkthroughs, exploratory, ethnographies, usability testing (formative and summative), surveys, eye tracking, contextual inquiries and hybrid focus groups.
Goals to learn how to:
- Understand the role of usability evaluation
- Establish appropriate evaluation objectives
- Select evaluation methods that address evaluation objectives and take into account existing constraints
- Articulate advantages and disadvantages of usability evaluation methods
- Properly use various usability evaluation methods
- Present results and prepare effective report
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Apply multiple types of user research;
- Apply multiple types of evaluation of user interfaces;
- Recommend appropriate evaluation method(s) for a particular situation;
- Describe the role and value of user research and evaluation in the design process;
- Effectively communicate the results of user research and evaluation through reports and presentations.
Additional Objectives
Students will:
- Develop collaboration and leadership skills by working in teams;
- Complete a project that can be featured as evidence of UX research skills in a professional portfolio;
- Explore and connect personal interests to course topics;
- Connect design and technical knowledge to issues and methods of user experience research.
Attendance and Participation.
The course involves lecture, discussions, hands-on activities, presentations, and group work. Because it is critical
to be present in class, this portion of the grade is mainly
See Attendance Policy below for more regarding attendance expectations. Three or more absences may
constitute failure of the course.
• Group Project. Students work in project teams most of the quarter.
• Exams. There will be a midterm and a final exam administered via D2L.
• Extra Credit. Opportunities for extra credit may be offered
Instructor
Gavin S. Lew
Email: Gavin.Lew@boldinsight.com (both instructors will receive emails sent to this address)
Web page: http://boldinsight.com/hci460
Office Hours: Wed 5pm - 5:45pm and 9pm - 9:45pm in classroom (Loop Campus) scheduled via email
Texts
For this course, text books are optional, but consider the following:
-
Handbook of Usability Testing by Rubin (first edition: ISBN 0-471-59403-2 or second edition: ISBN 0-470-18548-1)
-
AI and UX: Why Artificial Intelligence Needs User Experience 1st ed. By Gavin Lew & Robert M. Schumacher Jr. (ISBN-13: 978-1484257746)
-
Measuring the User Experience: Collecting, Analyzing, and Presenting Usability Metrics by Tullis and Albert (ISBN 0-123-73558-0)
-
Usability Inspection Methods by Nielsen and Mack (ISBN 0-471-01877-5)
-
EYE TRACKING THE USER EXPERIENCE, Author: BOJKO, Publisher: ROSENFLD M, Edition: 13 (ISBN: 9781933820101)
- Various papers on eye tracking by Bold Insight
- Various papers on usability testing by Bold Insight
Grading
20% Project 1: Expert evaluation
30% Project 2: Formative usability study
15% Take-home midterm quiz
30% Final exam
5% Individual contribution to projects
Grading scale:
| A |
100 - 93% |
| A- |
92 - 90% |
| B+ |
89 - 87% |
| B |
86 - 83% |
| B- |
82 - 80% |
| C+ |
79 - 77% |
| C |
76 - 73% |
| C- |
72 - 70% |
| D+ |
69 - 67% |
| D |
66 - 60% |
| F |
59 - 0% |
Course Policies
Changes to Syllabus This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.
Online Course Evaluations Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching.
The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student?s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Please see https://resources.depaul.edu/teaching-commons/teaching/Pages/online- teaching-evaluations.aspx for additional information.
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at https://offices.depaul.edu/oaa/faculty-resources/teaching/academic-integrity/Pages/default.aspx.
Academic Policies All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at: http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx
Incomplete Grades An incomplete grade is a special, temporary grade that may be assigned by an instructor when unforeseeable circumstances prevent a student from completing course requirements by the end of the term and when otherwise the student had a record of satisfactory progress in the course. All incomplete requests must be approved by the instructor of the course and a CDM Associate Dean. Only exceptions cases will receive such approval. Information about the Incomplete Grades policy can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/Grading-Policies.aspx
Students with Disabilities DePaul University is committed to ensuring equal access to its educational and extracurricular opportunities for students with disabilities. The Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) offers reasonable academic accommodations and services to support our students. We also serve as a resource to the many university departments that have a responsibility to accommodate students. 4 Please see https://offices.depaul.edu/student-affairs/about/departments/Pages/csd.aspx for Services and Contact Information.
Proctored exams for OL courses (if applicable) If you are an online learning student living in the Chicagoland area (within 30 miles of Chicago), you will need to come to one of DePaul's campuses to take an exam. Online learning students outside of the Chicagoland area are required to locate a proctor at a local library, college or university. You will need to take the exam within the window your instructor gives. Students should examine the course syllabus to find exam dates and the instructor's policy on make-up exams. Detailed information on proctored exams for online learning students can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/onlinelearning/Pages/Exams.aspx Online office hours for OL courses (if applicable) Faculty should be accessible to online students via phone, email and/or Skype.
Course Policies as Suggested by the Dean of Students Office Attendance: Students are expected to attend each class and to remain for the duration.
Class Discussion: Student participation in class discussions will be measured in two ways. First, students are highly encouraged to ask questions and offer comments relevant to the day?s topic.
Participation allows the instructor to ?hear? the student?s voice when grading papers. Secondly, students will be called upon by the instructor to offer comments related to the reading assignments. Students must keep up with the reading to participate in class discussion.
Attitude: A professional and academic attitude is expected throughout this course. Measurable examples of non-academic or unprofessional attitude include but are not limited to: talking to others when the instructor is speaking, mocking another?s opinion, cell phones ringing, emailing, texting or using the internet whether on a phone or computer. If any issues arise a student may be asked to leave the classroom. The professor will work with the Dean of Students Office to navigate such student issues.
Civil Discourse: DePaul University is a community that thrives on open discourse that challenges students, both intellectually and personally, to be Socially Responsible Leaders. It is the expectation that all dialogue in this course is civil and respectful of the dignity of each student. Any instances of disrespect or hostility can jeopardize a student?s ability to be successful in the course. The professor will partner with the Dean of Students Office to assist in managing such issues.
Cell Phones/On Call: If you bring a cell phone to class, it must be off or set to a silent mode. Should you need to answer a call during class, students must leave the room in an undisruptive manner. Out of respect to fellow students and the professor, texting is never allowable in class. If you are required to be on call as part of your job, please advise me at the start of the course.
WEEK 1: Course overview, overview of usability evaluation methods, heuristic evaluation, cognitive walkthrough, expert evaluation
WEEK 2: Expert evaluation continued, fundamentals of study design
How to write good findings and recommendations
Project 1a - Expert evaluation: individual notes due
WEEK 3: Formative usability testing: How to prepare a study
Project 1b - Expert evaluation: report discussion
WEEK 4: Formative usability testing: How to conduct a study
Project 1b - Expert evaluation: report due
Project 2a - Formative usability study: test plan discussion
WEEK 5: Formative usability testing: How to analyze findings, formulate recommendations, and write reports
Project 2a - Formative usability study: test plan due
Project 2b - Formative usability study: participant screening questionnaire and moderator's guide discussion
Take-home midterm distributed
WEEK 6: Teams will be conducting usability testing
Sample size. Intro to stats. Summative usability testing
Project 2b - Formative usability study: participant screening questionnaire and moderator's guide due
Take-home midterm due
WEEK 7: Summative usability testing
Project 2c - Formative usability study: conducting the test
WEEK 8: Other usability evaluation methods:
Eye tracking, contextual inquiry, surveys, remote usability testing, focus groups
Project 2d -Formative usability study: report discussion
WEEK 9: Eye tracking. contextual inquiry, surveys, remote usability testing, focus groups, personas, etc.
WEEK 10: Overview of material for final exam (and get a proctor for the final exam if you cannot come in person
Human factors and medical devices and global research with some country examples
Final exam on Week 11
This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.
Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course
content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The
evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely
separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation.
Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.
This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you
have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.
All students are expected to abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.
All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.
Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that
you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296