Course Number: IAT 302
Course Title: Cognition in Design of Rich Sensory (Interactive) Environments
Credit Hours: 3
Vector: 3:0:0 (lecture-tutorial-lab)
Course Description
Examines aspects of cognitive science that can inform the design and testing of this large and growing class of interfaces: VR, AR, ambient intelligence/ubiquitous/mobile computing, public and situated displays, etc. These methods extend HCI to explore a complex systems approach to high-bandwidth human computer interaction design.
Prerequisite: Completion of 48 credits, including IAT 200.
Recommended: None.
Corequisite: None.
Special Instructions: None.
Course(s) to be dropped if this course is approved:
None.
This course provides an understanding of the cognitive underpinnings of interaction in applications that are perceptually complex and highly interactive. The course is intended to support upper division design studio courses in the Interaction Design (IAD) and Technology in Arts and Design (TAD) stream by providing a sound theoretical underpinning for design of richly interactive environments.
Will this be a required or elective course in the curriculum; probable enrolment when offered?
This is a core required course for the Interaction Design Stream. It is an elective for other streams. The expected registration would be 100 students per year.
Indicate Semester and Year this course would be first offered and planned frequency of offering thereafter.
2005-3
Which of your present CFL faculty have the expertise to offer this course? Will the course be taught by sessional or limited term faculty?
Brian Fisher
Are there any proposed student fees associated with this course other than tuition fees?
No.
Is this course considered a `duplicate' of any current or prior course under the University's duplicate course policy? Specify, as appropriate.
No.
Note: Senate has approved (S.93-11) that no new course should be approved by Senate until funding has been committed for necessary library materials. Each new course proposal must be accompanied by a library report and, if appropriate, confirmation that funding arrangements have been addressed.
Provide details on how existing instructional resources will be redistributed to accommodate this new course. For instance, will another course be eliminated or will the frequency of offering of other courses be reduced; are there changes in pedagogical style or class sizes that allow for this additional course offering.
This course will require no change to the SIAT curriculum.
Does the course require specialized space or equipment not readily available in the department or university, and if so, how will these resources be provided?
No.
Does this course require computing resources (e.g. hardware, software, network wiring, use of computer laboratory space) and if so, describe how they will be provided.
No.
One of the main goals of HCI is to constrain design so as to ensure that the final product optimizes the interaction from the perspective of the user. Traditionally this has been done by adapting findings from psychology and kinesiology that describe the users' perceptual, cognitive, and motor limitations. This has been reasonably successful for first and second generation interfaces that rely on 2-D visual displays that are presented on small screens and controlled by a mouse and keyboard—i.e. the familiar desktop interaction metaphor.
Current trends suggest that in the future our environment will be populated by a variety of interconnected devices many of which will access large, 3-D and multimodal, displays and which will use alternative control methodologies such as new control devices, gestural control, and observational “attentive systems”.
This course examines aspects of cognitive science that can inform the design and testing of this large and growing class of interfaces: VR, AR, ambient intelligence/ubiquitous/mobile computing, public and situated displays, etc. These methods extend HCI to explore a complex systems approach to high-bandwidth human computer interaction design.
Topics covered include Marr’s levels of analysis, cognitive architecture, embodied, enactive and distributed cognition. Methods introduced include cognitive architecture-based task analysis, linear and nonlinear dynamics modeling, toy world studies, and mixed qualitative/quantitative research methods.
Grading will be based on performance in a mid-term and final examination, a final paper and class participation.
Mid Term Exam 25%
Final Exam 40%
Final Paper 25%
Participation 10%
Note: These outlines are drafts and are subject to change. Official textbook list should be consulted