This document outlines the syllabus for a course on intelligent interfaces and human-computer interaction. The course aims to help students reason about user models, design adaptive systems, and evaluate interfaces that maintain interactions using innovative technologies. Over 12 weeks, topics will include theoretical frameworks, input technologies, visual design, natural language interfaces, and case studies. Students will complete a group project involving iterative interface design, online discussions, and a final presentation. The project consists of 6 milestones involving analysis, paper and computer prototyping, implementation, and user testing.

1. ICS3211 - Intelligent
Interfaces II
Combining design with technology for effective human-
computer interaction

2. Study Unit Aims
At the end of this unit you should be able to:
• Reason about explicit and implicit user models,
take into account ethics, and evaluate them;
• Design systems that adapt to different users and
contexts;
• Evaluate systems that maintain an interaction with
the user using smart and innovative technologies;

3. Learning Outcomes
• Identify different user models for specific contexts;
• Apply and justify the use of a specific model,
adapted to a particular situation;
• Discuss how AI techniques can contribute to a
system optimisation for a more effective HCI;
• Design and test user interfaces for different
purposes;

4. Course Syllabus
• Week 1: Intelligent interfaces; overview &
perspectives
• Week 2: Theoretical frameworks in HCI
• Week 3: Choices & decisions
• Week 4: Computers in HCI; input technologies & AI
• Week 5: Designing devices

5. • Week 6: Visual design for user interfaces
• Week 7: Multimodal interfaces
• Week 8: Design for natural language
• Week 9: Interface design I
• Week 10: Interface design II
• Week 11: Testing & Evaluation
• Week 12: Exploring case studies

6. Study Unit Modality
• An online learning approach
• interactivity
• participation … is key
• group work & collaboration; can be done in an
online environment for a more effective solution

7. Study Unit Assessment
• Project (60%) - group
• Work in small groups to design, implement and evaluate a user
interface through an iterative design process with a series of
graded milestones (T01-T06)
• Online postings (30%) - individual
• Use the UoM Moodle VLE to view weekly readings, and
participate in class discussions
• Presentation (10%) - group
• Recorded 5 minute presentation (can use multiple modalities)
tracing the development of your project

9. The Project
• Contains 6 gradable tasks (T01-T06);
• Milestones will be announced via VLE calendar;
• Milestones will be spread across the semester;
• Online discussions will also involve your project
design & development;

10. • T01: Project Proposal & Analysis;
• T02: Designs;
• T03: Paper Prototyping;
• T04: Computer Prototyping;
• T05: Implementation;
• T06: User Testing;

11. T01: Project Proposal & Analysis
• Groups should be no bigger than 3;
• Choose your own project: either web, desktop or
mobile
• Carry out (a) user analysis, (b) task analysis, (c)
domain analysis
• Hand in a form of a web page for the project

12. T02: Designs
• Write and present scenario;
• Generate 3 different storyboard designs
(preliminary)
• Combine text with sketches for your storyboard and
explain how each works in the scenario
• Subsections on web page will include (a) scenario
and (b) designs

13. T03: Paper Prototyping
• Prototype building (hand sketching can work);
• Draw static background, menu, and decide on the
dynamic parts of the interface;
• Prototype testing will include: user debriefing, three
tasks for your users to carry out, practice paper
prototype;
• Subsections on web page will include (a) prototype
photos/videos,(b) briefing, (c) scenario tasks and (d)
observations;

14. T04: Computer Prototype
• Your prototype should be:
• High fidelity in Look
• Medium fidelity in Feel
• Low fidelity in Breadth & Depth;
• This prototype will be distributed amongst your class mates so that
they can do a heuristic evaluation. Therefore make sure that your
prototype can run on Windows, Mac or Linux;
• On your project webpage, include a subsection called computer
prototype with (a) platform, (b) brief instructions, (c) which parts are
shallow, and (d) prototype link downloaded in a single file;

15. T05: Implementation
• Due by presentation (end of semester);
• Brief on application purpose and user population;
• Walk through of interface;
• Answer questions about your design decisions and
development process;

16. T06: User Testing
• At least 3 representative users from your
population;
• Prepare briefing and tasks;
• Provide a formative evaluation including : (a)
briefing, (b) tasks and (c) observation;
• On your website make sure you have the following:
(a) final design (including screenshots), (b)
implementation, (c) evaluation and (d) reflection;

17. Online Postings
• A combination of discussions on selected papers &
publications as well as project discussions;
• In project discussions, you are expected to
participate in forum discussion boards to highlight
challenges and share strategies with other groups
and collaborators;

18. Online Tasks
• Week 1: Project discussion
• Week 2: Readings + discussion tasks [T01]
• Week 3: Project discussion
• Week 4: Readings + discussion tasks [T02]
• Week 5: Project discussion

19. • Week 6: Readings + discussion tasks [T03]
• Week 7: Project Discussion
• Week 8: Project Discussion
• Week 9: Project Discussion [T04]
• Week 10: Readings + Discussion Task
• Week 11: Project Discussion [T06]
• Week 12: Readings + Discussion Task [T05 to be
presented in class]

20. The Presentation
• To be delivered at the end of the semester;
• Presentation should feature a 5 min run through of
the application as well as possible 5 mins briefing
+ questions as per T05;

21. User Interface
Design
The evolution of human-
computer interaction

22. • The human side of human-computer interaction
changes very slowly;
• Much of what was learned about our perceptual,
cognitive, social and emotional processes when we
interacted with the older technologies applies to
our interaction with the emerging technologies;

23. HCI vs. CHI
• HCI covers research areas of:
• human factors & ergonomics
• information systems
• computer science
• library & information systems
• CHI is narrower with a specific focus on computer
science

25. Origins of H & I
(19th century)
• Taylor (1911) - improve work
practices by reducing
performance time;
• Gilbreth (1914) - efficiency &
worker experience as a
founder of human factors;
• World Wars I & II prompted
human engineering, human
factors & ergonomics;

26. Origins of H & I
(19th century)
• Late nineteenth century - the
evolution of technologies &
practices for compressing,
distributing & organising
information;
• Photography used for
documentation;
• Library services & management in
the US took precedence over
technology;
• Otlet implemented UDC in
Belgium - financed in 1919 to
fund the Mundaneum;

27. • HCI has evolved from the memex, vacuum tubes,
and early computing, to new systemic research
based on vision and computer graphics,
interconnectedness, and information science.
• More recent evolution of computer science, AI, &
computer graphics and the Internet era

28. Why HCI?
• contribution to the design of new systems and tools
• by understanding behaviour we identify user
techniques and preferences
• a deep understanding of human behaviour and
needs will lead to improvements in HCI

29. Donald Norman’s Execution-
Evaluation Cycle Model

30. Dix’s et al. General
Interaction Framework

31. Schneiderman et al. four-
phase framework

32. Hearst Model of Interaction

33. –Paul Boag
“Users are not always logical, at least not on
the surface. To be a great designer you need
to look a little deeper into how people think
and act.”