CS 5340 – Computer/Human Interaction, Spring 2025

Instructor of Record:

Megan Hofmann

Email: m.hofmann@northeastern.edu

Description

Covers the principles of human-computer interaction and the design and evaluation of user interfaces. Topics include an overview of how people understand and interact with user interfaces; how this informs the design of interactive technologies; the principles, guidelines, and specification languages for designing good user interfaces; and a variety of empirical methods to design, prototype, and evaluate interactive technologies. We will apply these concepts to various HCI topics (e.g., accessibility, security and privacy, ubiquitous computing, AI). In this class, students will conduct human-subjects studies, prototype and design user interfaces, and evaluate their usability.

Example Topics

  • History of HCI
  • HCI Development Cycle
  • Critical Analysis of UIS
  • Interaction Paradigms
  • Human Factors
  • Data Collection and Analysis Methods
  • Qualitative Research Methods
  • Requirements Analysis
  • User Studies
  • Prototyping
  • Building UI
  • Research through Design

Course Materials

This course has a moderate but steady reading load. All required readings will be available in Canvas.

There is no required textbook for this course. 

  • This course will require you to develop prototypes of user interfaces. You will use Figma for these, which is available with a free educational license. 
  • This course will require the implementation of simple user interfaces. We recommend that students prepare to use common interface-development workflows for the web and/or mobile.
    • To develop a web interface, prepare to use JavaScript, HTML, and CSS programming for Web Interfaces. We recommend you use the JetBrains WebStorm IDE for these assignments. A Free version is available to students through an education license.
    • To develop a mobile interface, prepare to use Android Studio in Kotlin or Java.
    • While not strictly required, we recommend using Git for source control of your code. Github provides free and well-documented services.

Expected Learning Outcomes

This course is structured around three learning outcomes and a competency-based grading model. These learning outcomes are general and cover a variety of concepts taught in the course. Each assignment allows students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills related to at least one learning outcome. By the end of the semester, students are expected to have demonstrated satisfactory competency in each learning outcome on at least two assignments. In this class, students will focus on the following three learning outcomes.

Working with Humans

To be an effective HCI researcher or practitioner requires a great deal of collaborative work with a diverse array of humans. This includes collaborating on teams to develop systems and clearly articulating and presenting your ideas in various modalities (writing, public presentation, prototypes, and demonstrations). Additionally, this field requires significant interactions with a variety of users. This may require engaging with experts in other areas and rapidly learning enough about their practices and language to translate their needs into a design accurately. This may require engaging with novice users who have significantly less experience using the types of technologies being developed or have used them in entirely different ways. Adjusting and effectively communicating with these users is essential. Finally, HCI work requires a grounding in the ethical principles behind human subjects research and an understanding of the ethical implications of the technology we create and enable.

Understanding How Humans Use Technology

Work in HCI is grounded in various disciplines that answer questions about humans (e.g., cognitive science, social sciences, design research, anthropology). In this class, that expertise is distilled into a variety of common theoretical models for human interaction with technology and methodologies for studying and evaluating human behavior. Students are expected to express how these theoretical models apply to specific technologies and have that inform and improve their designs. Students are expected to be able to execute these study methodologies, interpret the results, and choose between multiple methods based on the needs of a specific design.

Designing and Developing for Humans

This outcome focuses on the technical skills of creating prototypes and full interactive systems. While this class does not focus on any specific way of implementing systems, students are expected to demonstrate mastery of common frameworks for implementing interactive systems and propose designs that manage both what is technically feasible and what is needed by users. This is demonstrated by the implementation of interactive systems, the creation of low and high-fidelity prototypes, and the development, execution, and analysis of evaluation plans for these technologies.

Scoring Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes are scored on a 10-point scale with five levels (2.5pt per level).

0/10 Points: No Evidence

This is the lowest score for a learning outcome, which shows that a student did not complete the part of an assignment that demonstrates this specific skill. It may be used if a student violates academic integrity policies. 

2.5/10 Points: Unsatisfactory Outcome

The student completed the assignment. However, the aspects related to this learning outcome demonstrate impactful lapses in knowledge or an inability to translate that knowledge accurately into the assigned product. 

5/10 Points: Approaching Satisfactory Outcome

The student completed the assignment and demonstrated some competency in the area. However, the work includes some errors or misinterpretations of the underlying theory. 

7.5/10 Points: Satisfactory Outcome

A satisfactory outcome demonstrates that the student can accurately apply concepts from the course to the assignment with minimal errors. The proportion of errors required to differentiate between approaching satisfactory and satisfactory depends on the assignment’s complexity and the severity of the errors. 

10/10 points Excellence (Above Satisfactory) 

An excellent score is reserved for assignments where a student demonstrates satisfactory application of skills and can clearly articulate the reasoning behind their decisions using concepts and terminology from class. For example, a satisfactory design may effectively apply knowledge about human perception, memory, and the affordances of designs to create a usable prototype. However, an excellent assignment will go further to highlight these specific theoretical concepts and how they were applied to the task. Simply put, an excellent assignment shows not only that you know how to do something but why you do it that way. 

Competency-Based Grading FAQ

There are no specific rubrics for the assignment. How will I know I’ve done it correctly or that I’m being graded fairly?

The real-world practice of HCI rarely includes a clear rubric. Depending on how you approached the assignment, you may have raised important issues that, while not on a rubric, would determine if you effectively applied the skills taught in this class correctly. Rather than evaluate you on a rubric that may not fit the work you did, I ask you to do the best work you can given the assignment prompts. Consider what is the best way to present your work and discuss how you learned from the class and applied it to these tasks. Use that to justify the quality of your work.

Much like an employer, customer, or peer reviewer, the 10-point scale of each outcome gives you a metric to determine if your product is great, good enough, could use a little work, or unacceptable. Your goal is to always turn in a good enough or excellent product, even if that is not clearly defined. If you have questions about what a good enough result is while working on an assignment, reach out to the instructor or ask questions in class. Searching for this information is a large portion of HCI work, after all. 

I failed a learning outcome. Am I doing poorly in the class?

Probably not, unless it’s the end of the semester and you haven’t passed this outcome. Competency-based grading acknowledges that we often have to fail at something a few times before we can really learn how to do it right. Everyone’s learning will come in their own time, and different assignments will work better for you to demonstrate these skills. If you can achieve satisfactory twice over all assignments, you are on track to do well in this class. 

If you passed each learning outcome on the first try, you probably didn’t need to take this class. 

I failed a learning outcome based on information not taught in class yet. Why is that?

While we like to present knowledge in a linear order from lecture to lecture, the real practice of HCI relies on various sources of knowledge all at once. Depending on how you responded to an assignment, you may have raised important questions related to a subject taught later in the class or not in the curriculum at all. We feel it important to give you this feedback now when it is most relevant to the work you’ve done. 

Do not fear! Almost all of the skills needed to do well on assignments will be taught before the mid-term. You will have many chances to improve your scores, and now you have a very specific example of how you can improve. 

I’ve passed all my learning outcomes. Do I need to do the remaining assignments?

Congratulations! The short answer is that the remaining assignments (like the prior assignments) are up to you. There are obvious consequences for not doing them (like missing turn-in points). Only you know what grade you want in this class and how many more points you need to get it. 

There are less obvious consequences that may or may not matter to you. Students who continue to work hard on each assignment will be much more practiced and get more meaningful feedback on the skills taught in this class in different situations. A good learner, engaged in the subject, would work hard on all of these assignments. While your grade may be secure, your reputation among your peers and instructors will be affected by skipping assignments or turning in work that is not your best. If you are looking for letters of recommendation or research opportunities, continuing your good work is an excellent way of demonstrating your interest and working skills. You may also benefit from the tangible products of these assignments. Explore an interface for a project that is important to you. Answer questions you can’t answer in your classes alone. Apply these assignments to larger projects outside of this class. 

Grading

We will use a mix of traditional and competency-based grading for most class elements. This means that 60% of final grades are determined by demonstrating competency at the end of the course, not an average across the whole course. Students must demonstrate competency in three core learning areas by working on assignments, leading in-class discussions, and completing the final project. Additionally, 40% of the final grade is determined by the student’s working skills across the semester and uses traditional grading methods (weighted average). Working skills are evaluated through attendance, in-class participation,  and turning assignments in on time. 

Learning Outcomes Areas (60% of Final Grade)

By the end of the course, students must demonstrate competency in three learning areas. Each learning area is evaluated on a scale from 0 (incomplete) to 10 (Excellent), with mastery achieved at 7.5 points. Each assignment in the course is assigned to one or more learning outcomes. Your final grade for each area is determined by the sum of your two highest evaluations across each assignment. 

Working Skills (40% of Final Grade)

Students must demonstrate consistent working skills across the course. These evaluations have been designed to provide students with substantial flexibility while reflecting the expectations of computing professionals working on collaborative teams. Further, these grades incentivize regular participation in all aspects of the course.

Reading and Discussion Participation (10% of Final Grade)

Before each class, you are expected to read the assigned reading related to the topics in class. Readings include a mix of research papers, blogs and newspaper articles, videos, and online tutorials. These will give you a broad sense of the topics in this course and should inspire your projects. During each lecture, there will be an in-class activity and/or discussion related to the assigned reading. You must participate in at least 10 of these to receive a full participation grade for the class (1pt per participation). Students are encouraged to participate in all classes but will not receive extra credit for additional participation. The semester includes far more than ten lectures, giving students flexibility in attendance. 

Participation Policies and FAQ

When are grades posted for each day’s participation?

Participation is counted during class, and your participation grade in Canvas will be updated by the end of the workday. 

What counts as participation in class?

This depends on the class and activity. Participation in a reading discussion means that you spoke up in class with meaningful questions or thoughts about the reading. Participation in activities may include engaging with your classmates in group discussions or providing insights into a whole class activity. 

I believe I participated in class today, but I did not receive a point. What should I do?

You have 24 hours after the end of class to email the instructor if you believe that you did not receive participation credit in class when you should have. To receive credit, include in your email:  the date of class, your name as it shows up in Canvas, and a detailed description of how you participated in the class.
Requests to update your participation grade for a class will not be accepted more than 24 hours after the end of class.

I was absent from class. Is there a way to make up for the participation point?

No, participation points require in-person participation in class. You do not need to attend all classes in the semester to receive the full 10 points.

I attended class over Zoom but did not receive a grade for participation. Why is this? What do I do? Can I receive a point?

Sometimes, it is easy for Zoom participants to participate fully in class, and this may result in receiving a participation point. However, many in-class activities do not translate to hybrid learning. We do not guarantee that Zoom participation will count toward your participation grade. Students are encouraged to attend in person as often as they can and use the Zoom lectures to supplement their learning when in-person is not an option. 

Days that you attend class over Zoom will not be considered for re-grading participation points.

Turning Assignments in on Time (10% of Final Grade)

Completing assignments on the course schedule will determine 10% of the grade. For more details, refer to the Late Policy in the next section. 

Assignment Completion (20% of Final Grade)

In addition to turning assignments in on time, you are expected to complete all assignments, even if all late points have been spent. Presentations that cannot be completed on their assigned day may be marked as incomplete, regardless of spare late days.

Different types of assignments are weighted differently. Completing each skill check is worth 1% of the final grade (4% total). Completing each Small project is worth 2% of the final grade (6% total). Completion of the final project is worth 10% of the final grade.

Late Assignment Policy

It is critical that students turn in work throughout the semester as assignments align with lecture materials and are spaced out to prevent periods of stress. For example, students should not be working substantially more the week before finals than they were throughout the semester. However, course deadlines may not always align with the outside world, and some late assignments are to be expected. 

Students are given two tools to manage their time spent on this course flexibly while keeping up with the course schedule: 10 Flex days and Late-Assignment Grade Points.

10 Flex-Days

Each student starts the semester with ten flex days that they can spend on late assignments with no grade penalty. A flex day is spent turning in an assignment one day late. Students can spend these however they wish. For instance, you can turn in one assignment ten days late or five assignments two days late each. There is no extra credit for left-over flex days at the end of the semester. 

Students do not need to contact the instructor to spend their flex days. Your flex days are automatically tracked in an assignment grade in Canvas. You can always refer back to this grade if you are unsure of how many flex days you have left.

Flex days cannot be spent on in-class presentations. If you will be absent when you have an assigned presentation, contact the instructor to work out a presentation plan.

Days are rounded up, so submitting an assignment 5 minutes after the deadline will cost one flex day. 

Once you have spent all ten flex days, you must set a private meeting with the instructor to find solutions to stay on the course schedule going forward.

10 Late-Assignment Grade Points

Late-assignment grade points act the same as flex days, except each late-assignment grade point will be deducted as 1% of the final grade. Once these are spent, students will lose no more points for late assignments; however, this will trigger another discussion with the instructor to address substantial lateness.

Like flex days, late-assignment deductions do not apply to presentations; however, if a presentation cannot be completed on schedule, it may result in losing completion points for that assignment.

If you need to use all of your flex days and late assignment points, you are likely too far behind in class to be successful. If you are experiencing significant hardship in life that is impacting your performance in the course to this extent, you should consider contacting the instructor to have an incomplete subject to university guidelines.

Faculty / Student Communications

If you have any questions regarding this course, please email the instructor. Please expect a response within two business days.

Please email the instructor if you would like to schedule a meeting about this course outside of office hours. Meetings outside of office hours should be reserved for private conversations with the instructor and are not guaranteed. 

Academic Integrity

You are expected to demonstrate academic integrity: present work that is actually yours—do not plagiarize. You will be held to the NU Code of Student Conduct (http://www.northeastern.edu/osccr/code-of-student-conduct/) and Academic Integrity Policy (http://www.northeastern.edu/osccr/academic-integrity-policy/). Acts of academic dishonesty may be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution (OSCCR).

A commitment to the principles of academic integrity is essential to the mission of Northeastern University. Promoting independent and original scholarship ensures that students derive the most from their educational experience and pursuit of knowledge. Academic dishonesty violates the most fundamental values of an intellectual community and undermines the achievements of the entire University.

As academic community members, students must become familiar with their rights and responsibilities. In each course, they are responsible for knowing the requirements and restrictions regarding research and writing, examinations of whatever kind, collaborative work, using study aids, the appropriateness of assistance, and other issues. Students are responsible for learning documentation conventions and acknowledging sources in their fields. Northeastern University expects students to complete all examinations, tests, papers, creative projects, and assignments according to the highest ethical standards, as set forth either explicitly or implicitly in this Code or by the direction of instructors.

Violations of Academic Integrity will result in an automatic 0 on any involved assignments.

Cheating FAQ:

Can I use ChatGPT or other generative AI Tools?

Yes, you can use these tools at your own risk. Be aware that you are responsible for the content of your submissions. If these systems make false statements, it will have the same effect as you making a false statement. If the system plagiarizes another’s work, it will have the same effect as you plagiarizing work. 

Use these tools where they are helpful to your learning. If you do use these tools, cite them. Note that citation will not change your responsibility for repeating what you have cited. 

Can I work with my classmates?

Yes, and you should! Do not turn in the work of others and call it your own. 

Can I use outside sources?

Yes, and you will need to! This class relies on you going out and seeking knowledge from various places. Keep track of your sources and cite them.

Can I use the work I have done in other courses?

Generally, yes, but, if the other class is ongoing, please request permission from your other course’s instructor of record. Otherwise, if the course has been completed,  you may use the results of prior assignments.  It is unlikely that any two classes’ assignments are the same or will be graded the same. Make sure to account for these differences when reusing your work.  Do not use work from group assignments in other classes. This work was created by your classmates and is not yours to reuse. 

Student Accommodations

We will work to provide you with any accommodations within our power that serve your learning goals.

The purpose of accommodations is not to make learning easy but to make learning effective. We all have different needs and learning styles that require flexibility.

The goal of the class is for every student to be successful. If you have any needs not being met in the course or a situation affecting your coursework, please feel free to bring these things to the instructor’s attention so that we can work together to find the best solution for you. We will not disclose your disability status without your permission.

Default Accommodations

  • All lectures can be attended remotely over Zoom.
    • If you benefit from live captions you can use the Zoom call remotely or in the classroom to view the live transcript.
  • All lectures will be recorded for viewing after class.
  • All lectures will be automatically transcribed over Zoom. Transcripts will be made available with the recordings.
  • All lecture materials will be posted to Canvas at least an hour before class.
  • Students can attend office hours online over Zoom by email request.
  • This class does not include timed assignments or exams.
  • Grading policies allow students flexibility in turning in assignments with no questions asked. 
  • A competency-based grading policy provides students with multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery of learning outcomes across various formats.

Disability Access Services

We encourage you to use University resources to support and document your accommodation needs. However, we also recognize that these systems are not available to every student in a timely manner. To prevent delays in accommodation, we encourage you to connect with the instructor and university services as early as possible. 

Northeastern University and the Disability Access Services (DAS) are committed to providing disability services that enable students who qualify under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADA) to participate fully in the activities of the university. To receive accommodations through the DAS, students must provide appropriate documentation that demonstrates a current substantially limiting disability.

For more information, visit https://disabilityaccessservices.sites.northeastern.edu/.

Other Course Policies

Names and Pronouns

If you go by a name or set of pronouns different from the one under which you are officially enrolled, please inform me if you are comfortable doing so. Likewise, if a classmate or the instructor mispronounces your name, please let them know so they can correct it. Students are expected to respectfully refer to each other by preferred, correctly pronounced names and pronouns during class discussions, project meetings, and any other course-relevant spaces. 

Basic Needs and Childcare

Any student who faces challenges securing their food or housing and believes this may affect their performance in the course is urged to contact the Dean of Students for support. Furthermore, please notify the professor if you are comfortable in doing so. This will enable her to provide any resources that she may possess.

If you are unable to find alternate childcare accommodations, children and/or other family members are permitted in class. Please attempt to minimize distractions for other students and reach out to me if you need assistance in managing classroom participation expectations. 

Wellness 

As participants in the academic community, we do our best to maintain a healthy, balanced life. As a student, however, you may experience a range of challenges, including significant stress, difficult life events, mood changes, excessive worry, or problems with eating and/or sleeping. This may all be amplified by the current national and global environment. These can diminish your academic performance and/or reduce your ability to participate in daily activities. If you or anyone you know is struggling, please seek support. Northeastern University provides several services and resources to support the overall wellness of students: University Health and Counseling Services, Find at Northeastern, and We Care.

Discrimination, Harassment, and Title IX

The Office for University Equity and Compliance (OUEC), leads efforts to maintain the University’s compliance with all federal, state, and local laws pertaining to anti-discrimination, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Title IX. They are also responsible for investigating and resolving all complaints of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation at Northeastern. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you can find the appropriate resources here: https://www.northeastern.edu/ouec/. 

Faculty at Northeastern are required to report to a Title IX coordinator.