Usability and User Interface Design (5 cr)

Evaluation scale

H-5

Content scheduling

Initial schedule (may change)
• 9/25 : usability definition, benefits, principles and operating models
• 10/25 : human as user, interaction, culture and environment and usability evaluation
• 11/25: usability testing, user research, conceptual design and sense of sight and visual observation
• 9-12/25: practice work on the topics discussed in the course. It is carried out in small groups.

The content of the course is divided into three areas: analysis, planning and evaluation.
In the first part, the acquisition of user data is practiced as a basis for planning. In the second part, you practice creating an interactive user interface. In the third part, user interface and user experience evaluation methods are practiced.
- Basics of user orientation and usability
- User research and information acquisition methods
- Design sprints and creating an interactive user interface
- Usability assessment methods and tools
- Design and execution of usability tests

Objective

After completing the course, a student can
- identify basic problems in usability situations 
- pay attention to basic demands existing between users and tools  
- take user’s place in usability problems   
- construct easy driven user connections

Content

- Designing the user connection
- Problematic situations in usability
- Estimating the usability
- Ergonomics in usability

Materials

All course materials and instructions can be found in It'sLearning workspace.

Teaching methods

The course is implemented as face-to-face teaching using electronic work tools with a schedule according to the timetable. The course material is added to It'sLearning as the course progresses and is available to students until the end of the course.

There are several individual exercises during the course related to the topics covered on the lectures.

During the course, a group exercise is carried out , where the things learned during the course are applied to a practical application. A report is produced from the exercise work, which is evaluated as part of the whole. The progress of the exercise is followed with pre-determined milestones.

Some Q&A sessions will be arranged where students can discuss and get a feedback from exercises done during the course.

Exam schedules

There are no exams or re-exam possibilities due to course implementation nature

Pedagogic approaches and sustainable development

In the course, the basic skills of usability and usability planning are studied. The examples and tasks contain specific application examples. The study course uses source material in English, which gives students the ability to understand international engineering literature, publications, standards, etc. When solving assignments, students are encouraged to work in a team. Digital study material and an electronic learning environment are used in a variety of ways in the course.

- Weekly face-to-face meetings with lecture teaching and small group work
- Learning by doing and experimenting (exercise tasks, project work, information search)
- Small group work and peer learning
- Self-study material
- Teacher guidance and examples

Completion alternatives

None

Student workload

Contact teaching 28h
Exercises and Q&A sessions 12 h
Personal studying, homework, project work and exam preparations 90h

Evaluation methods and criteria

All individual and group assignments must be approved to pass the course. Group work 50% of total assesment, individual excercises 50% of total assesment. Group work is evaluated 0-5 and minimum grade 1 must be attained to pass the course. Minimum 50% of the total individual assignment points must be attained to pass the course.

Lecture attendance rewards penalty or bonus for total grade in following way:
0-10% -5
10-20% -4
20-30% -3
30-40% -2
40-50% -1
50-60% none
60-70% 0,1
70-80% 0,2
80-90% 0,3
90-100% 0,4

Failed (0)

Student has not met the requirements to pass the course. 50% attendance, minimum 50& points from group exercise and minimum 50% points from individual exercises.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

The student knows the topics covered in the course and recognizes the practical design tasks to which they could be applied.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

The student is familiar with the topics covered in the course and knows how to use them in practical planning tasks.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The student has mastered the topics covered in the course and knows how to apply them independently to practical design tasks.

Further information

All course materials and instructions can be found in It'sLearning workspace.

The use of AI inlearning tasks
Allowed, can be used, must be reported
Artificial intelligence can be used in the creation of outputs, but the student must clearly report its
use. Failure to disclose the use of AI will be interpreted as fraud. The use of AI may affect the
assessment.

Available for max. 5 open TUAS students.