F28DX User-Centred Experimental Design (GA)

Dr Diana Bental

Course co-ordinator(s): Dr Diana Bental (Edinburgh).

Aims:

To give students an introduction to designing, conducting, and analysing experiments that involve human participants, along with other basic methods of studying human interaction with computational artifacts.

Detailed Information

Course Description: Link to Official Course Descriptor.

Pre-requisites: none.

Location: Edinburgh.

Semester: AY.

Syllabus:

  • Design and conduct an experiment to evaluate the usability or user experience of a computational artefact or interface.
  • Follow university and employer requirements for ethical approval.
  • Devise testable hypotheses about the usability and user experience of a computational artefact and test hypotheses by experiment and analysis.
  • Conduct usability experiments.
  • Perform basic statistical analysis on usability data and present the outcomes.
  • Perform qualitative analysis on usability data and present the outcomes.

Learning Outcomes: Subject Mastery

  • Collect and work with user data according to legal and ethical guidelines.
  • Design and conduct experiments to evaluate computational systems with users.
  • Analyse data to test hypotheses and present statistical results to provide evidence for research questions.
  • Use discipline appropriate software for data analysis.
  • Present, analyse and interpret simple numerical and graphical data gathered as part of evaluation studies.

Learning Outcomes: Personal Abilities

  • Exercise autonomy and initiative by planning and managing their own work within a specified project. (PDP)
  • Take responsibility for their own and other’s work by contributing effectively and conscientiously to the work of a group (PDP)
  • Communicate effectively to knowledgeable audiences by preparing informal presentations and written reports. (PDP)

Assessment Methods: Due to covid, assessment methods for Academic Year 2021-22 may vary from those noted on the official course descriptor. Please see the Computer Science Course Weightings and the Maths Course Weightings for 2020-21 Semester 1 assessment methods.

SCQF Level: 8.

Credits: 15.