Usability Evaluation Methods (HTIS81)

Posted on

 

NEWS

Please NOTE: You must have study rights to University of Tampere (UTA). With the study rights, you get your UTA basic user account ID, which is needed for access to UTA services, such as NettiOpsu (enrollment, course credits etc), course’s Moodle area, rights to enter the usability lab (granted separately after the course has started) etc. (NOTE: TUT or TAMK user account ID does not work, yet as the systems of the three universities have not yet been combined).

TAMK and TUT students can apply study rights via the Tampere3 agreement. See more information at https://www10.uta.fi/ristiinopiskelupalvelu/?uiLang=en (updated 17.8.2016)

For students outside Tampere3, the course is available via Joo-agreement, see https://www.uta.fi/opiskelunopas/en/during-your-studies/free-choice-studies/joo-studies

If you don’t get the study rights in time, email paivi.majaranta (at) uta.fi (you still need to get the rights but you can attend the first lecture(s) while waiting).

See you at the first lecture on Monday 3 September 2018 at 12-14, Pinni B 1097!

You can get a key card for the UTA computer labs from the IT Customer service desk (concerns non-UTA students, UTA students have the key card included in their student card). That card can also then be used to access usability laboratory. Check opening hours and contact information here: Customer service desk  (updated 14.9.2016)

The key card is personal and can be used only by you.

Contents

HTIS81 Usability Evaluation Methods (UEM)  is part of #tampere3 studies. For more information, see https://www10.uta.fi/ristiinopiskelupalvelu/?uiLang=en
Curricula: https://www10.uta.fi/opas/opintojakso.htm?rid=14619&idx=6&uiLang=en&lang=en&lvv=2018

NOTE: You should not take this course, if you have already completed any of the similar previous courses with basically same content, such as:
TIEVS81 Usability Evaluation Methods,
TIEVA30 Käytettävyyden arvionnin menetelmät (“KAME”),
IHTE-3201 Käytettävyystutkimuksen menetelmät,
VTEKA206 Käytettävyyden arvioinnin menetelmät,
ITIA14 Informaatioarkkitehtuurin ja käytettävyyden evaluointiprojekti

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to develop an understanding of usability evaluation methods that are conducted with and without the user and to know how to use them during the product development process. The methods will be first studied theoretically and then applied in practice in the weekly assignments and project work. The emphasis of the course is in the hands-on usability evaluation project which is carried out as team work. The project work involves evaluating and reporting the usability of a given product using good practices. The project work also gives students team work skills needed in working life. After the course the student has an overview of different methods and knows how to select an appropriate usability evaluation method for different cases, has practical knowledge how to carry out a heuristic evaluation and a usability test in a laboratory, and how to report the findings.

Contents

The importance of usability evaluation in different stages of the of product development, the influence of different types of user interfaces and user groups in the selection of the methods, overview of usability evaluation methods, ethical considerations in usability studies, heuristic evaluation, usability evaluation in the lab, making a test plan, conducting usability tests, analyzing and reporting, team work skills.

Read the official course description from the curriculum.

Teaching

 For more information, see Teaching Schedule

Lectures

(Päivi Majaranta)

Mon 3-Sep-2018 – 15-Oct-2018 weekly at 12-14, Pinni B1097
(lab work before the final lecture)
Mon 10-Dec-2018 at 12-14, Pinni B1097

Exercises

(Biju Thankachan)

Group 1
Fri 14-Sep-2018 – 19-Oct-2018 weekly at 10-12, Pinni B0016
Group 2
Fri 14-Sep-2018 – 19-Oct-2018 weekly at 12-14, Pinni B0016
Note: you only have to attend one exercise group (they are the same).

See the course’s  Moodle area  for more information, including assignments for weekly exercises.

Project work

The course includes hands-on project work that is done in small groups. More information is given during lectures and in the course’s Moodle area.

TUT/TAMK students: Make sure you have an UTA keycard (UTA students have the key card feature in their student card). It is needed in order to access the usability lab.

Supporting Materials

Recommended readings

For Finnish students, this seminary report should be useful:

Want to prepare for the course?

Basic knowledge on HCI is assumed. However, if you are fairly new to the area or if it has been long since you studied HCI, this freely available Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction should be useful.