Coursework Schedule

Coursework Schedule

This page provides you with an outline schedule for what you are supposed to have covered and by when. It gives a series of tasks that have to be completed by a particular milestone, whereupon the work will be assessed. You are strongly advised to set you and your group intermediate milestones to ensure that you achieve all the necessary tasks by the hand-in dates. If you have other assessed work to do, make sure you plan your work carefully and early, and adapt this proposed schedule accordingly. Each topic links to details of the work to be done; this may be in the form of information provided, directed reading from the course textbook, or exercises, or a combination of these. For all but the section on Basics, the concepts should be applied to the particular project you are undertaking, and the general principles adapted accordingly.

The schedule of work to be followed is outlined below, and is based on an HCI-orientated design lifecycle. Note that the timings are suggestions only, and it is your responsibility to schedule things so that you meet the required deadlines.

  1. Basics
    Fundamental concepts and introductory reading material (note that there is a lot of reading for this section).

    You should also look at the project list in preparation for the rest of the terms work.
    Middle of Week 5.

    Work begins on projects

  2. Obtain user ideas about the proposed system
    End of Week 6.
  3. Initial requirements specification
    End of Week 7.

    Deadline - end week 7: hand in requirements specification and questionnaire analysis.

  4. Decide general design approach
    End Week 8.

    You should move on to 5. and 6. quite rapidly, to allow yourself sufficient time. This means you need to consider the design aspects shortly, and begin prototyping soon.

  5. Design
    End Week 9 (at the latest).
  6. Prototype
    For information only.

    Deadline - end week 9: hand in initial design.

  7. Evaluate
    End Week 10.
  8. Redesign
    End Week 12.

    Deadline - end week 12: hand in final design, and details of evaluations done on the prototype and conclusions drawn from these.