Schedule of Classes

 
Class
Date
Topic
Assignment Due
1 Thurs Feb 2 Introduction to CS279R  
2 Tues Feb 7 Introduction to Privacy and Security  
3 Thurs Feb 9 Introduction to HCI Methods & Project #0: Sign up for an account on wiki and to lead a class
4 Tues Feb 14 Secure Communications, Encryption & PKI #1: Online human subjects training
5 Thurs Feb 16 User Authentication: Passwords and Challenge Questions  
6 Tues Feb 21 Graphical Passwords & Human Interactive Proofs  
7 Thurs Feb 23 Biometrics and Security Devices  
8 Tues Feb 28 Phishing and Server Authentication  
9 Thurs Mar 2 Privacy Preferences and Policies  
10 Tues Mar 7 Notification, Awareness & Informed Consent  
11 Thurs March 9 Project: Pitches and Team Creation #2: Initial Project Proposal
12 Tues Mar 14 User Studies- Design, Ethics and User Incentives #2.5: Refined Project Proposal
13 Thurs March 16 Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing #3: Group Project Proposal
14 Tues March 21 Digital Rights Management #4: Task Analysis & Initial Sketches
15 Thurs March 23 Project: Evaluation of lo-fidelity prototypes #5: Lo-fi prototype
16 Tues Mar 28 SPRING BREAK  
17 Thurs Mar 30 SPRING BREAK  
18 Tues Apr 4 Project: Experimental Design #6: Prototype Plan & Draft Experiment Protocol
19 Thurs Apr 6 Security Visualization  
20 Tues Apr 11 Project: Heuristic Evaluation #7: Prototype 2
21 Thurs Apr 13 Project Development  
22 Tues Apr 18 Project: Pilot Usability Testing #8: Prototype 3 & Experiment Materials
23 Thurs Apr 20 Project: Formal Usability Testing  
24 Tues Apr 25 Project: Formal Usability Testing  
25 Thurs Apr 27 Project: Data Analysis  
26 Tues May 2 Project: Data Analysis  
27 Thurs May 4 Paper Presentations #9: Project Presentation
28 Tues May 9 Reading Period  
29 Thurs May 11 Reading Period #10: Final Paper
30 Tues May 16 Exam Period  
31 Thurs May 18 Exam Period  

 

Readings and Assignments

Thurs Feb 2:  Introduction to CS279 (Rachna Dhamija)

Tues Feb 7: Introduction to Privacy and Security (Simson Garfinkel)

Thurs Feb 9: Introduction to HCI Methods and Project (Rachna Dhamija)

Required Reading:

Recommended Reading:

Tues Feb 14: Secure Communications, Encryption and PKI (David Malan)

Assignment #1 due: Complete NIH Protecting Human Subjects Computer Based Training
http://cme.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/learning/humanparticipant-protections.asp

Required Reading:

Thurs Feb 16: User Authentication: Passwords and Challenge Questions (Prashanth Bungale)

Required Reading:

Recommended Reading:

Tues Feb 21: Graphical Passwords and Human Interactive Proofs (David Hammer)

Required Reading:

Recommended Reading:

Graphical Passwords

CAPTCHAs

Thurs Feb 23: Biometrics and Security Devices (Ian Fischer)

Required Reading:

Tues Feb 28: Phishing and Server Authentication (Blase Ur)

Reading Assignment

Recommended Reading:

Thurs Mar 2: Privacy Policies and Preferences (Robert McGrath)

Required Reading :

Recommended Reading:

Tues March 7: Notification, Awareness and Informed Consent (Joe Barillari)

Required Reading:

Recommended Reading:

Thurs Mar 9: Project Pitches and Team Creation

Assignment #2 due:  Post your Initial Project Proposal to the wiki (individual assignment). Be prepared to give a 5 minute presentation of your proposal in class.

In this class, instructors and students will have the opportunity to “pitch” their project ideas to the class. We will choose the best project proposals based on class interest, novelty, feasibility and potential contributions to the field.   Students will form teams of 3-4 (or will be assigned to teams).

Tues March 14: User Studies- Design, Ethics and User Incentives (Michael Pao and Vijak Sethaput)

Assignment #2.5 due:  Revised Project Proposal due

Required Reading:

Thurs March 16: Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing (Anqi Huang)

Assignment #3: Final Group Project Proposal due

Required Reading

Tues March 21: Digital Rights Management (Geoffrey Werner-Allen)

Assignment #4: Task Analysis and Initial Sketches due- Conduct a "task analysis" of the problem that you are studying in your group project. The first goal of the task analysis is to identify problems with an existing interface or security system (consider what users' goals are, what tasks and subtasks are required, what users need to understand and what functionality is needed to support them). The second goal of the analysis is to highlight how your proposed design will address the weaknesses in the existing system (e.g., by changing user tasks, or by supporting new functionality that does not exist today). The David Kieras paper in the Feb 9 Recommended Readings offers tips and best practices on how to conduct a task analysis.

In conjunction with the task analysis, it is useful to start sketching out the design of your proposed interface or interaction techniques. These sketches will be the basis for your first lo-fi prototype, which is due in the next class. The Rettig paper in the Feb 9 Recommended Readings has tips on how to construct a lo-fi prototype.

Create a space on the wiki for your group project and provide a link to your task analysis and images of your initial prototype sketches.

Required Reading:

Recommended Reading:

Thursday March 23: Project- Lo-fi Prototype Evaluation

Assignment #5 due:  Lo-fidelity prototype

Create a lo-fidelity prototype of your proposed interface and interaction techniques. The Rettig paper below has tips on how to construct and test lo-fi prototypes. We expect that you will be able to iterate through several designs and test them (on members of your group or other volunteers) before class. In class, you will test your lo-fi prototype on at least 3 people from another group. Before class, determine the task that you will ask the participant to perform, the instructions that will be given to the participant, which team members will play the roles of "computer" and observer, and what you will observe or what questions you will ask the participant. The results of your evaluation may be included in your final paper.

Please sign up to be a participant in one other group's lo-fi test on the wiki.

Required Reading:

March 28 & 30: SPRING BREAK

Tuesday April 4: Experimental Design

Assignment #6 due: Students will present their plan for incorporating feedback from the lo-fi prototype testing into their hi-fidelity prototypes, and they will present their experimental method and test plan for evaluating the prototype. We will review and critique each project’s experimental protocol and refine them during class.

Thursday April 6: Security Visualization (Phillip Hendrix)

Required Reading:

Recommended Reading:

Tuesday April 11: Heuristic Evaluation

Assignment # 7 due: Prototype 2

Required Reading:

In this class, an “expert” trained in usability and security (a member from another group) will conduct a cognitive walk through or heuristic evaluation of your functioning prototype. Evaluators will develop a list of usability problems with the interface by referencing a list of usability principles (see the required reading) that are violated by the design. After class, each evaluator will be responsible for emailing the evaluation and list of usability problems to the group (CC the instructors).

Thursday April 13: Project Development

This class will be devoted to development of prototypes and a review of your progress on the prototype and experiment materials by the instructors.

Tuesday April 18: Project- Pilot Usability Testing

Assignment #8 due:  Final prototype and experiment materials

—

In this class, each group will be given 30 minutes to conduct their experiment in front of the class, from beginning to end, using a volunteer subject. This is your opportunity to work the bugs out of your experimental set-up, before conducting usability testing on real users. We expect you to run through the test several times before class on your own.

April 20 & 25:  Project- Formal Usability Testing

Groups will collect experimental data by testing prototypes on users.

April 27 & May 2: Project- Data Analysis

These classes will be devoted to analysis of the experimental data.

Thurs May 4: Project Presentations

Thurs May 11: Final Papers Due

Prepare your papers using the CHI Conference Proceedings Publication Format. The recommended maximum length is 12 pages, including references. In your Appendix, please include include the task analysis, the design and results of your lo-fi evaluation and heuristic evaluation, all test materials (including consent forms, instructions and questionnaires) and results from the evaluation of your final prototype.