CSE Undergrad News

HCDE 417 Usability Research Techniques: open to CS and CE students

The listed prerequisite will be waived for your students.  
This course is a beneficial, broad, survey of user research and testing, 
so prior knowledge in programming, specific interface design concepts, etc. is not required.

Please encourage interested students to complete an add code request  as soon as possible at
 HTTP://TINYURL.COM/6PPNAKP.   I’ll be distributing add codes over the next couple of weeks.

Please let me know if you have questions.

Thanks,

Stephanie

HCDE 417 Usability Research Techniques (5) 
Introduces usability research methods used in the product-development process; contextual inquiry, surveys and interviews, focus groups, user profiling, usability testing, cognitive walkthroughs, heuristics, and others.

 
Class description

This course is focuses on usability research techniques, particularly usability testing as it fits into an overall user-centered design strategy. The course takes a process approach; you will learn how to define your audiences and issues, create investigative procedures that answer your questions, administer the procedures, analyze the results, and report your findings effectively.

Student learning goals

Understand user requirements studies and usability testing and what they can contribute to a design effort

Design and conduct a user requirements study to inform the design of a subsequent usability test

Design a usability test that addresses relevant design concerns

Administer the test, analyze the results, and report the findings effectively

General method of instruction

presentations and discussions; workshops

Recommended preparation

Class assignments and grading

Design and conduct of user studies; preparation of a user study kit; data analysis; reporting; reading

All major assignments are graded on the quality of the work submitted. Some assignment grades are based on the work of the group within which an individual works.

Stephanie White

Academic Advisor
428 Sieg Hall – Human Centered Design & Engineering

whitesj@uw.edu  –  206.221.6230
Summer Hours for appointments: M-TH; 9am-3pm

Hey folks,

There have been a few changes to the 2012-2013.

*446 was removed from winter, but will still be offered in the spring

*454 Advanced Internet Systems was added to winter (capstone survey will be re-opened if you want to change your selections)

*there will be another offering of networks added in the winter, so it will now be taught all three main quarters next year

For anyone who filled out the capstone survey and would like to change your answers to make 454, Advanced Internet Systems one of your options, the catalyst survey has been re-opened.

Please note, most students currently were set to get their first choice capstone except for the fall “Kinect” capstone, that one was over-subscribed by about 7 students. Once students have about a week to go in and change preferences with the addition of 454, I’ll send out the capstone assignments via email.

Finally, sorry this is so late, but the capstone pre-assignment survey is now open. It’s about half-way down the capstone page under Capstone Registration.

We have also updated the 2012-2013 Teaching Schedule to include instructor names.

Please note: We had to re move a couple of capstones that had been on the original teaching schedule. At this point, this is what we have to offer. Most will require at least 332 and preferably you should be done with your 300’s and have a 400 or two under your belt as well.   Other prereqs are listed below.  If we add more capstones, you’ll be able to change your preferences.

• Fall 481c: Kinect (Fox)
• Winter 460: Animation (Mones) – prereq 458
• Winter 481: Sound Capstone (Hemingway) C programming, 332 and 333; 466 helpful.
• Spring 481: Games (Zahorjan)
• Spring 477: Hardware Systems (Patel) CSE 466 and/or EE 472.
• Spring 481k: Designing Techology for Resource-Constrained Environments (Borriello)

Sorry for the delay folks, but the capstone survey has been delayed (nope, you haven’t missed it).  We hope to post it by the middle of next week.

CSE Advising

We need to alert all of you to some registration issues this fall.

1. There is a prerequisite change, 477 (the capstone course) will only have 466 as a prerequisite next year.

2. If a course is full, please do two things. One, try to register even though you know it’s full.  The UW registration system captures a tally, and this helps us understand if we need to open more space in a course. Two, keep watching for space to open, watch the blog for announcements for additional sections, and attend the first week to try to overload.

3. CSE 190 the web programming course will open for registration with it’s new (permanent) number late next week, stay tuned. The time , 330 MWF should stay the same.

4. Capstone survey, pre-registration will take place late May or early June, watch the blog for updates.

5. Seminars: There are a few seminars for ugrads this fall.

a. 490q: quantum computing for beginners, one credit, not graded

An introduction to computation using the fundamental laws of quantum
> physics: quantum circuit model, quantum algorithms, experimental
> implementations, recent research progress, philosophical conundrums,
> connections to classical computer science, engineering, and physics.
> Focus on intuitive/pictorial understanding. Includes guest lecturers
> and possibility of programming a D-Wave machine. Prerequisites: high
> school physics, undergrad linear algebra, curiosity.

b. 490 O: k-12 outreach, this course may or may not be offered, please fill out the survey if you’re interested and if there are enough students who express interest, it will likely be offered.

https://catalyst.uw.edu/webq/survey/helenem/168181

c. DUB and CHANGE seminars are usually open to ugrads, search the CSE website for information. They are listed as a 590.

FYI, the add code was only on CSE 352 until the course moved to its new time. That has happened so the add code was removed and you should be able to register.

Crystal Eney

University of Washington – Seattle

Hey folks,

First, capstone registration will take place in a few weeks. We’ll send out a survey, have you request your 1st and 2nd choice for a capstone, and then we will pre-assign students for the following year, so stay tuned for that.

Second, for those interested in HCI, there is a HCDE course that you are eligible for, see details below:

If any HCI focused or any CSE-CS students interested in registering for
 HCDE 417 – Usability Research autumn quarter 2012, please encourage them 
to complete an add code request at HTTP://TINYURL.COM/6PPNAKP .  
Prerequisites will be waived for them.

HCDE 417 Usability Research Techniques (5) 
Introduces usability research methods used in the product-development 
process; contextual inquiry, surveys and interviews, focus groups, 
user profiling, usability testing, cognitive walkthroughs, heuristics, 
and others.

Reminder: Animation course series information session

Application for CSE 458

Want to learn more about the 2012-2013 animation course series? Attend
an info session!

http://www.cs.washington.edu/research/ap/outreach.html

When:

Thursday April 26th, 4:00 PM
Wednesday May 2nd, 2:00 PM

Where:

Paul G. Allen Center room 691 (Gates Commons, 6th floor)

What:

Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) and the Animation Research Labs
invite you to an information session on the Animation Production
undergraduate course sequence at UW Seattle. This sequence runs from
Summer 2012 (A term) through Spring 2013. The Summer course, Story
Design for Computer Animation, is highly recommended but optional.

The Animation Capstone culminates in a very professional and exciting
collaboratively produced digital short film, similar in process to
Disney/Pixar and Dreamworks productions. Examples of previous award
winning films produced in the dept will be shown and questions
regarding applications and admission, etc. will be addressed. We look
forward to seeing you there. Light refreshments will be served.

From: Hank Levy
Date: Sat, Apr 14, 2012 at 4:07 PM
Subject: [cs-ugrads] future growth

I just wanted to tell you that over the next few years we expect to be
growing the program, as the result of the legislation that was recently
signed, which instructs UW to provide funds to increase enrollments in
engineering and computer science.   This means we’ll be hiring more
faculty over the next few years, which will allow us to teach more CSE
courses – both existing courses and new courses.   I can’t give you exact
numbers — we haven’t worked that out yet, but we’ll definitely be growing
the bachelors program and the 5th year master’s program.   Of course, the
demand for our program is enormous, and unfortunately, we still won’t be
able to meet that demand, but we will be able to take more deserving
students per year than we do today.  This won’t happen all at once, since
we need a little time to get new people on board and ramped up.

hank

CSE Department Chair

Hello, I’m Tim Vega and  I’m TAing for the Undergrad Research Seminar, https://catalyst.uw.edu/workspace/timjv/29655/, this quarter.  We would like undergrad speakers to present their work to a group of about 20 undergrads, ranging from sophomores to seniors, on Fridays from 12:30 – 1:20.

The goal of the seminar is to get undergrads to recognize that doing research isn’t just for students going to grad school, seniors doing a thesis, 4.0 students, and students with extensive experience. We’re doing outreach to get undergrads involved with graduate students, faculty, and research.

It would be great if you could speak about what it is you work or have worked on, what you’re trying to accomplish, and entertain the undergrads with a technical, yet accessible, aspect of your research.

We’d additionally like for you to talk about your background: class year/standing, how long you’ve been doing research, what you’ve learned, what it’s like working with faculty/grads, etc.

As an undergrad you’ll have a large advantage in being able to relate to the class. This is also a great chance to practice public speaking if you happen to be working on a senior thesis and need to do a presentation.

Would anyone like to be a speaker for our seminar?