The document provides information about resources and skills for a university course assignment, including: - Resources for developing academic skills like assignment analysis, research skills, referencing, and time management. It provides links to the university library resources, workshops, and academic support services. - An example assignment analysis which outlines the requirements of a book review assignment, including the word count for each section and expectations for content and structure. - Guidance on developing key skills for the assignment like summarizing course materials, finding and referencing academic sources, and managing time. Examples are provided for each skill.

1. Book Review for 158.757
User Interface Design
National Centre for Learning and Teaching
Library level 3 tinyurl.com/masseynctlhome
View these slides online at: tinyurl.com/158757bookreview

2. CONTENTS
Assignment analysis
Resources
Research skills
Summary skills
Referencing skills
Time Management

3. Resources

4. ACADEMIC Q & A
(see under Academic Support on Stream)

5. VIDEOS tinyurl.com/nctlvideos

6. BASIC SKILLS WORKSHOPS
(Study Up)

7. SEE tinyurl.com/nctlworkshops
NCTL ONLINE WORKSHOPS FOR POSTGRAD STUDENTS

8. OWLL owll.massey.ac.nz
A collection of advice, examples and tools on a range of
learning and writing issues.

9. Available at the library desk (level 2) at these times
during normal weeks of the semester:
• Monday, Tuesday, Friday 9 am – 5 pm
• Wednesday, Thursday 9 am – 9 pm
PERSONAL CONSULTATIONS (in person, by phone or
via weblink)

10. Attend a library workshop: tinyurl.com/masseylibraryworkshops
Contact a subject librarian: tinyurl.com/masseylibrarian
APA referencing guide: tinyurl.com/masseyapainteractive
Endnote guide & download: tinyurl.com/masseyendnote
Health & Counselling: tinyurl.com/masseywellness
Counselling self-help resources: tinyurl.com/masseycounsellingselfhelp
OTHER USEFUL MASSEY LINKS

11. Time management

13. Assignment analysis

14. Assignment question
Overall task:
Write a review of a book on a topic relevant to user interface design.
Sections:
1. Summary of main points (1000 words)
2. Summary of other relevant literature (500 words)
3. Evaluation of the book (500 words)
4. Critique of the points made in the book (500 words)
Length:
2500 words
References:
At least 10 other sources

15. Summary of main points

16. Words: 1000
Paragraphs: six to ten (3 – 6 sentences each)
Possible paragraph topics:
• Overall topic / problem
• Approach / Perspective towards the topic / problem
• One paragraph summary of main points of each section
• Conclusion / recommendations
Style :
Objective and concise
Structure

17. Example
Brown presents an empirically based, functional view of garden design,
based on a comprehensive survey and in-depth interviews with a
representative sample of householders in Australia and New Zealand.
Based on an analysis of this data, Brown identifies four main functions of
gardens (aesthetic, relaxing, recreational, social) and four categories of
garden use (year-round, summer intensive, daily view, special occasion).
She then presents a number of designs, coded for function and use,
which have been developed for users with a range of different lifestyles
and preferences. (86 words)
In keeping with the contemporary focus of the book, the gardens are
mainly urban, including a state house and a high rise apartment balcony,
and users range from university students to couples living in a retirement
village. Videos of each design and interviews with the real householders
can be accessed via short urls provided in each chapter. The designs have
also been costed, not only in terms of items purchased, but in labour, both
to create and to maintain each design. The book concludes with a user-
friendly questionnaire (also available online) to help readers identify the
functions and uses which are important for them and to select relevant
features from the designs presented in the book. (116 words)

18. Summary of other literature

19. Words: 500
Paragraphs: three to five (3 – 6 sentences each)
Possible paragraph topics:
• Books and articles with the same approach, perspective as the book you
are reviewing
• Books and articles with different approaches, perspectives to the book
you are reviewing
Style :
Highlight comparison and contrast
e.g. Like … / Unlike … / On the other hand, … / However, …
Structure

20. Example
Like Brown, White (2016) and Gold (2017) also categorise garden design
according to the needs and wants of contemporary users. White divides
users by demographic and socioeconomic categories (e.g. retired suburban
homeowners) and presents three garden designs for each category based
on maintenance requirements. Gold, on the other hand, uses
sociopsychological categories, such as ‘eco-warrior’, adapted from
marketing theory, as the basis for designs which draw on a wide range of
cultural influences. However, neither White nor Gold presents empirical
evidence for their claims regarding users’ needs and wants. (89 words)
Several other recent guides to garden design are based on different
organising principles, rather than user categories or functions. Gray
(2015), for instance, argues that garden design needs to be based on a
coherent and explicit philosophy which will enable users to make informed
choices which are in harmony with what she calls their ‘lifeworld’. Other
authors (e.g. Cerise, 2012; Creeme, 2014; Dunne, 2010) use the notion
of sustainability as a guiding principle and present designs which will allow
different individual users to achieve sustainable gardens within the
constraints of time, space, climate and lifestyle. (95 words)

21. Evaluation of the book

22. Words: 500
Paragraphs: three to five (3 – 6 sentences each)
Possible paragraph topics:
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Recommendations
Style :
‘Hedge’ your recommendations
e.g. would … / might… / In the second edition, the authors should consider …
Structure

23. Example
Although ‘Garden design 2020’ is already a blended product, tailored to
the needs and wants of individual users, there are several further
developments that I would like to see in future editions. A closer
collaboration with tangata whenua would add depth and credibility to the
cultural meanings of the recommended designs. The linked online videos
need to become more integrated and optimised for portable devices, so
that users can refer to them in their gardens. 3D content, in particular,
would allow users to visualise the new designs superimposed upon their
existing gardens. This type of application is already available for
architectural design (e.g. OpTmal6, n.d.) and gaming (e.g. WYSIWY
Dream, n.d.) and can add value to the user experience (Magenta & Taupe,
2018). Integrated links to retailers and traders should increase
convenience for users and would create a further revenue stream for the
publishers. (144 words)

24. Critique of the points
made in the book

25. Words: 500
Paragraphs: three to five (3 – 6 sentences each)
Possible paragraph topics:
• Summary of points made and evidence for or against (from the book
itself and / or from other sources)
Style :
Highlight evidence base for your arguments
e.g. Because … / Due to … / Therefore, … / As a result, … /
Structure

26. Example
A major limitation of Brown’s approach to garden design is the assumption
that users have pre-existing and stable needs and wants. This limitation is
inherent in the research on which the categories are based. Survey research
only captures user perceptions at a specific moment, but cannot track how
they evolve (Russett, 2009). However, a number of studies have found that
individuals’ needs and wants are far from fixed (e.g. Green, 2010; Black,
2012). Rather than prescribing products based on past needs and wants,
designers need to allow users to interact with designs so that their
awareness of their own preferences and of ways they can be met is allowed to
grow. In this way, designers can broaden, rather than narrow users’
conceptions of how they might form and be formed through their interactions
with natural spaces. (136 words)
Another limitation of the approach is its simplistic application of economic
data. It assumes, essentially, that time is money, and this assumption
leads to unnecessarily tight restrictions on users’ experiences in creating and
maintaining their outdoor spaces. However, as Pink (2011) points out, for
most users, time spent gardening is not seen as labour, but as recreation.
Therefore, it is not appropriate to treat this time as if it were an opportunity
cost (i.e. time which might otherwise be devoted to economically productive
activity). (84 words)

27. Research skills

28. It’s easy to find academic sources using Massey Library’s
search tool ‘Discover’ (and filters if necessary)
The most common academic sources to refer to are:
BOOKS
CHAPTERS IN
EDITED BOOKS
RESEARCH OR REVIEW ARTICLES
IN SCHOLARLY, PEER-REVIEWED
JOURNALS

29. A RESEARCH ARTICLE
A REVIEW ARTICLE
A CHAPTER IN AN EDITED BOOK
A BOOK

30. Referencing skills

31. Survey research only captures user perceptions at
a specific moment, but cannot track how they
evolve (Russett, 2009). However, a number of
studies have found that individuals’ needs and
wants are far from fixed (e.g. Green, 2010; Black,
2012).
The most common way to do this is to put the author’s
surname and the date of publication in brackets AFTER
you’ve used the information.
In-text citations
However, as Pink (2011) points out, for most users, time
spent gardening is not seen as labour, but as recreation.
Occasionally, you may prefer to put the author in your
sentence.

32. • should consist of expert sources
• includes only the sources you have cited
• is on a separate page at the end of your essay/report
with the title ‘References’
• is ordered alphabetically by author
• has a hanging indent (i.e. only the first line of each
reference begins at the left margin (see the last slide in
your handout for tips on how to do this)
Look again at the example (on the next slide).
An APA reference list:

33. Black, D. (2018, January 24). Bright ideas: Dark thoughts. Retrieved from
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/1004532.htm
Blue, R. M. (2017). Color and shading: Core concepts. Boston, MA: Pearson
Brown, P. (2012). Applications of colour spectrometry in product design. Australasian
Journal of Design, 41(3), 46-68.
Fawn, C., & Gray, M. (2001). All the colours of the rainbow. Auckland, New
Zealand: Pearson Education.
Green, I., & Gold, T. (2010). Color and mood. In J. Ecru & T. Hazell (Eds.), The
affective dimension (pp. 102-131). San Francisco, CA: Pilot Press.
Lavender, P., & Peach, R. (2003). Psychosocial design. Central slip, NY: Progressive
Press.
End-of-text references
References

34. TASK:
You’re going to see an APA reference list
TELL YOUR PARTNER:
• Which of these sources appears only once:
journal article
book chapter
book

35. References
Cai, L., Cui, S., Xiang, M., Yu, J., & Zhang, J. (2017). Dynamic hand gesture
recognition using RGB-D data for natural human-computer interaction.
Journal of Intelligent & Fuzzy Systems, 32(5), 3495-3507.
doi:10.3233/JIFS-169287
Cano, S., Manresa-Yee, C., Collazos, C. A., Peñañory, V., & Varona, J. (2017).
Interactive systems design oriented to children with special needs. In J.
Guerrero-Garcia, J. M. González-Calleros, J. Muñoz-Arteaga, & C. A.
Collazos (Eds.), HCI for children with disabilities (pp. 73-89). Cham:
Springer International Publishing.
Martens, M. (2012). Issues of access and usability in designing digital
resources for children. Library & Information Science Research, 34(3),
159-168. doi:10.1016/j.lisr.2011.12.003
MacKenzie, S. I. (2013). Human-computer interaction: An empirical research
perspective. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Morgan Kaufmann.
Perry, M. (2003). Distributed cognition. In J. M. Carroll (Ed.), HCI models,
theories and frameworks: Toward a multidisciplinary science (pp. 193-
223). San Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufmann.

36. MacKenzie, S. I. (2013). Human-computer interaction: An empirical
research perspective. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Morgan Kaufmann.
(year) title of book
city publisher
surname,
initial
Martens, M. (2012). Issues of access and usability in designing
digital resources for children. Library & Information Science
Research, 34(3), 159-168. doi:10.1016/j.lisr.2011.12.003
(year) title of article
surname,
initial
volume &
issue
numbers
page
numbers
name of
journal
doi number
Perry, M. (2003). Distributed cognition. In J. M. Carroll (Ed.), HCI
models, theories and frameworks: Toward a multidisciplinary science
(pp. 193-223). San Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufmann.
(year)
surname,
initial title of chapter title of bookeditor
page numbers city publisher

37. Imported references usually need to be corrected
Cano, S., Manresa-Yee, C., Collazos, C. A., Peñañory, V., & Varona, J. (2017).
Interactive systems design oriented to children with special needs. In J.
Guerrero-Garcia, J. M. González-Calleros, J. Muñoz-Arteaga, & C. A.
Collazos (Eds.), HCI for children with disabilities (pp. 73-89). Cham,
Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.
Reference suggested by the journal
Corrected reference (changes highlighted)

38. Summary skills

39. On the next slide is an extract from an academic journal article
about how a strengths-based model of social work practice with
Korean migrants.
Here is an example of how this was summarised as part
of an essay about effective leadership in Social Work.
90% of the time, when you use ideas from your reading, you’ll
need to summarise these in your own words.
This four-step process is the most effective way to do this:
a) highlight the relevant information
b) turn this into brief notes
c) close the original text
d) expand your notes into one or more linked sentences

40. Hand gesture recognition is widely used in human-computer interaction
(HCI) and has attracted substantial researching attentions. This paper
aims to develop low-complexity and real-time solutions of dynamic hand
gestures recognition using RGB-D depth sensor for natural human-
computer interaction applications. We combine Euclidean distance
between hand joints and shoulder center joint with the modulus ratios of
skeleton features to generate a unifying feature descriptor for each
dynamic hand gesture. And then, an improved dynamic time warping
(IDTW) algorithm is proposed to obtain the final recognition results, which
applies the weighted distance and a restricted search path to avoid the
huge computation in conventional DTW and improves the recognition
performance. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm of
dynamic hand gesture recognition not only achieves higher average
recognition rate of 96.5% and better performance in response time, but
also is robust to uncontrolled environments. Finally, according to our hand
gesture recognition solutions, we develop one real-life HCI applications to
control a virtual coalmine environment, which operates accurately and
efficiently
Original text
Cai, L., Cui, S., Xiang, M., Yu, J., & Zhang, J. (2017). Dynamic hand gesture recognition using RGB-D
data for natural human-computer interaction. Journal of Intelligent & Fuzzy Systems, 32(5), 3495-
3507. doi:10.3233/JIFS-169287

41. 1. Highlight main points
Hand gesture recognition is widely used in human-computer interaction
(HCI) and has attracted substantial researching attentions. This paper
aims to develop low-complexity and real-time solutions of dynamic hand
gestures recognition using RGB-D depth sensor for natural human-
computer interaction applications. We combine Euclidean distance
between hand joints and shoulder center joint with the modulus ratios of
skeleton features to generate a unifying feature descriptor for each
dynamic hand gesture. And then, an improved dynamic time warping
(IDTW) algorithm is proposed to obtain the final recognition results, which
applies the weighted distance and a restricted search path to avoid the
huge computation in conventional DTW and improves the recognition
performance. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm of
dynamic hand gesture recognition not only achieves higher average
recognition rate of 96.5% and better performance in response time, but
also is robust to uncontrolled environments. Finally, according to our hand
gesture recognition solutions, we develop one real-life HCI applications to
control a virtual coalmine environment, which operates accurately and
efficiently

42. • Created a simple mathematical model of each
hand gesture
• Used an improved dynamic time warping algorithm
to reduce computation demands
• achieved improved dynamic hand gesture
recognition rate and performance in uncontrolled
environments
• tested in an industrial simulation
2. Make brief notes

43. Other researchers have developed mathematical
solutions to reduce the computational demands of
HCI devices. Cai et al. (2017), for instance, achieved
substantial reductions in computational requirements
of dynamic hand gesture recognition by creating a
simple mathematical model of each gesture and then
using an improved time warping algorithm to analyse
data. They were able to improve both accuracy and
reliability of recognition in dynamic environments,
including an industrial application.
3. Expand these notes into linked sentences