Syllabus
Prerequisites
Assignments will involve conducting interviews and observations, doing synthesis and analysis, ideation, paper prototyping, and implementing a prototype of a working design, using some computational medium. We will use the interactive design tool Figma for some assignments. No background in HCI is expected.
Required Textbooks
There is no required textbook for this course. Readings are drawn from a variety of books, readings and online postings, and will be provided by the instructor.
Amount of Work
This is a “6 unit” mini. As per university policy, this means that this course is expected to take students 12 hours per week, including class time. Surveys of previous students show that this is accurate.
Course Materials and Communications
- All assignments must be turned in using Canvas.
- Slides will be on this page; You will need to log in with your Andrew ID to access them.
- If you have questions related to course materials or logistics, please post them on Slack (See the link on Canvas). We strongly recommend to ask questions publicly on Slack if others might have similar questions. Email or slack us if you would like to make an appointment.
- Please bring paper and something to write with to class. Sometimes I may ask you to upload a photo.
- If you have special requests, please email the TA at TBD. If the TA cannot answer your question, she will forward it to the instructor.
In-person teaching and lecture recordings
The course will be taught in person and we consider in-class participation as an important part of the learning experience. We will not provide an online option. We will not make recordings of lectures or labs available.
We regularly use Slack for in-class activities. Please make sure that you have access to Slack on a laptop, tablet, or mobile phone during class.
If you cannot attend class due to a medical issue, family emergency, interview, or other unforeseeable reason, please contact us about possible accommodations. We try to be as flexible as we can, but will handle these cases individually.
Participation
Design and engineering content requires active engagement with the material and discussions of judgment decisions on specific scenarios and cases. We strongly believe in in-class discussions and in-class exercises and want all students to participate, e.g., answering or asking questions in class, sharing own experiences, presenting results, or participating in in-class votes and surveys. We will give many opportunities for participation in every lecture. We take notes on participation throughout the semester and grade participation. Note that we do not consider mere passive attendance as participation, but only active engagement. We will provide feedback at mid-semester so you can check in on how you’re doing. Again, please talk to us if you need accommodations.
We assign participation grades as follows:
- 100%: Participates actively at least once in most lectures by (1) asking or responding to questions or (2) contributing to breakout discussions
- 75%: Participates actively at least once in two thirds of the lectures
- 50%: Participates actively at least once in over half of the lectures
- 25%: Participates actively at least once in one quarter of the lectures
Homework and Quizzes
You will have homework assignments each week. Also, around every two weeks there may also be a quiz based on the lecture content which you will complete via canvas.
All assignments in this course are individual: you are required to do them by yourself.
Grading
Homework will be posted to canvas. The due date is posted as well. Each day late will result in a 10% deduction (up to a maximum of 50% off). Students caught cheating or plagiarizing will receive no credit for the assignment. Additional actions – including assigning the student a failing grade in the class or referring the case for disciplinary action – may be taken at the discretion of the instructor. Please note that Canvas has automated plagiarism detection built in now, so please do not cheat or turn-in uncited work.
Your final grade in this course will be based on:
- 80% Homeworks
- 10% Quizzes
- 10% Participation
Use of content generation AI tools and external sources
Given the nature of this course, we are open to using AI tools for completing work. We place no restrictions on the use of content generation tools, such as ChatGPT, Bard, Co-Pilot, or Stable Diffusion. In any case, you will be solely responsible for the quality and correctness of the solution. You are also responsible for complying with any applicable licenses. If you use content generation tools, we encourage you to share your experience with the course staff or the entire class.
Also, importantly: If you choose to use AI tools, for it to not be considered plagarithm, please always acknowledge the usage of the AI system – Which one you used and how.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Among the many topics in this class, we will discuss many that relate to diversity, equity, and inclusion. As your professor, I am committed to fostering and supporting an inclusive environment in my class (which extends beyond the physical room). It is our goal that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives are well served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength, and benefit. Dimensions of diversity include race, age, national origin, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, intellectual and physical ability, sexual orientation, faith and non-faith perspectives, socio-economic class, political ideology, education, primary language, family status, military experience, cognitive style, and communication style. We are intentional in our aim to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity, based on these dimensions and any other visible and invisible differences not captured in this list. Your suggestions for ensuring that the class lives up to these values are encouraged and appreciated.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability and are registered with the Office of Disability Resources, we encourage you to use their online system to notify us of your accommodations and discuss your needs with us as early in the semester as possible. We will work with you to ensure that accommodations are provided as appropriate. If you suspect that you may have a disability and would benefit from accommodations but are not yet registered with the Office of Disability Resources, we encourage you to contact them at access@andrew.cmu.edu.
Health and Well-being
If you are experiencing COVID-like symptoms or have a recent COVID exposure, do not attend class if we are meeting in-person. Please email the instructors for accomodations.
If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, we strongly encourage you to seek support. Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) is here to help; call 412-268-2922 and visit their website at www.cmu.edu/counseling/. Consider reaching out to a friend, faculty or family member you trust for help getting connected to the support that can help. If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or in danger of self-harm, call someone immediately, day or night:
If the situation is life threatening, call the police. On campus call CMU Police: 412-268-2323. Off campus: 911.
If you have questions about this, please let the instructors know. Thank you, and have a great semester.