All class content will be posted on the class Web site.

After attending this course, students will be able to:

- Describe the importance of designing systems that fit well with user practices, needs, and expectations.

- Use design methods that lead to user-friendly, and usable systems.

- Evaluate existing systems to identify how their usability can be improved.

In addition, this course fosters the following soft skills:

- Working in a team
- Making informed written and oral arguments in presentations and discussions
- Giving presentations and writing reports in English

This course will enable students to learn the theoretical underpinnings of User-Driven System Design. Students will be introduced to practical guidelines and principles for designing and evaluating systems with the user's needs as the primary focus. Topics covered include: Fundamental concepts and theories of Human-Computer Interaction, Methods for studying user interactions with systems, Techniques for evaluating usability of systems, and Approaches for implementing design ideas.The course will follow the principles of active learning. Students will be assigned reading material for analysis and presentation during class. Via various class activities, students will also experience the practical application of the concepts learned in the readings. Participation in class discussions and activities is an essential component of taking the course. At approximately the mid-point of the course, students will turn in a term paper report on an assigned, course-relevant topic. Additionally, students will work on an assigned course-relevant team project in groups of 2 or 3. At the end of the course, the teams will present their project to class and turn in a written report.

The final grade for the course is comprised of:

Class participation: 20%
Weekly presentation of readings: 20%
Weekly analysis of readings: 20%
Term paper: 20%
Team project: 20% (Class presentation: 33% + Written report: 67%)

Grades will be assigned as follows:

90+: Very good (1)
80-89: Good (2)
70-79: Satisfactory (3)
60-69: Adequate (4)
< 60: Fail (5)

To do well in the course, students will need to:
- read the assigned material prior to each class,
- turn in an analysis of the assigned readings prior to each class,
- present the assigned reading during class,
- participate actively in class activities,
- write a thoughtful term paper on the assigned topic,
- deliver an insteresting presentation and report on the assigned team project, and
- apply the concepts from the assigned readings in all writing and class discussions.

Students must be enrolled in the Masters Programme for IS.

Available by email: jana.korunovska@wu.ac.at