M.Sc. in Informatics Engineering

Hellenic Mediterranean University

ADANCED TOPICS IN USABILITY EVALUATION

Module Title: ADANCED TOPICS IN USABILITY EVALUATION


Teaching hours:
Credits: 7,5
Semester: 2nd
Instructor:

Course Description

This course provides the basic principles and practical knowledge for evaluating human-computer interfaces in terms of usability as well as guidelines for applying them to a variety of user interfaces beyond the classic PC software applications.
The students get a comprehensive understanding of usability evaluation techniques of websites, mobile and multitouch devices, gestural interfaces, as well as other non-standard hardware/software user interfaces such as automobiles, industrial and medical devices.
Moreover the notion of Usability Evaluation is considered into the broader context of User Experience Evaluation.

Indicative Syllabus

  • Core Usability Concepts: Usability and User-Centered Design. Usability Guidelines, Principles and Heuristics. Levels of Usability Analysis. Measuring Aspects of Usability (Proficiency, Learnability, Efficiency, Memorability, Error Handling, User Satisfaction)
  • Psychological Concepts: Cognitive Psychology and Information Processing, Dual Processor Metaphor (Norman’s  Human Action Cycle), Attention and Memory
  • Types of Usability Evaluation: User-centered Evaluation (Usability Experiments, Usability Testing, card sorting, eye tracking, quantitative surveys…). Expert-based Evaluation (Usability inspection methods, Heuristic Evaluation / Cognitive Walkthrough). Review-based evaluation. Model-based Evaluation. Engineering Models of Human-Computer Interaction, GOMS Models
  • Special Topics in Usability Evaluation:  Websites, Mobile and multitouch devices, gestural interfaces, transportation interfaces (automobiles, planes…), industrial interfaces, medical interfaces.
  • User Experience Evaluation: Emotion assessment, Verbal and non-verbal measurement tools, Anticipated Experience Evaluation, PAD Emotional Scale, Geneva Emotion Wheel…

 

Indicative Bibliography:

  1. Don Norman, The Design of Everyday Things : Revised and Expanded Edition. New York : Basic Books, 2013.
  2. Steve Krug Don’t Make Me Think, (2014) Revisited: a Common Sense Approach to Web Usability. [Berkeley, Calif.] :New Riders, 2014.
  3. Vijay Kumar, (2012)101 Design Methods: A Structured Approach for Driving Innovation in Your Organization ISBN: 978-1-118-08346-8
  4. Jakob Nielsen Usability Engineering”, published by Morgan Kaufmann, San Francisco, 1994.
  5. Alan Cooper,  RobertReimann, David Cronin, (2007) About Face 3: The Essentials of Interaction Design”, John Wiley & Sons Publishing,
  6. Jacob Nielsen, (2000) “Designing web usability – The practice of simplicity”, New Riders Publishing
  7. Don. Norman (1998)  “The Invisible Computer”, , Cambridge, MA: MIT PressISBN 0-262-14065-9
  8. Class notes