reads the textbook, the Essential stuff and skims some of the Related links. When they come across things they don't understand, they continue searching and looking until it becomes clearer. Some weeks when the work is especially interesting, they will find other references on the internet and read some more research-oriented papers, and will have at least flicked through the relevant parts of other textbooks on HCI, User Interface Design, and similar titles. They read the news stories in the UsabilityNews feed on the HCI page, and start to redesign their own web pages. They will often have intelligent things to contribute to the interactive part of the group presentations, and at the end of the course can see how they can apply much of what they have learnt when they come to design and build software systems thenselves. They also wander around the world with an eye on how and why artifacts are as they are, and take a peverse delight in finding stuff that is demonstrably wrong.

Average student

reads the textbook, reads most of the Essential stuff and occasionally plays with the demos in the Related things. Just prior to the exam they begin to panic and re-read the book in more detail. Occasionally they look at the newsfeed, and have played with their video remote control for a while to understand its design. They have been known to justify 14 hours solid playing Quake as an experiment in interactivity, which they later come to realise is actually a reasonable approach, though they didn't realise it when they said it. They do their group presentation well but don't really pay full attention to the other groups, which is a shame as that work is also examinable.

Bored student

skims the textbook, flicks through the Essential stuff now and again but doesn't really bother to read and understand it. A lot of stuff is printed off, carried around, but not read. Because of this they don't understand the scope and nature of HCI and so haven't a clue as to what they may be examined on, so panic and do badly. (Solution: look at the broad picture, do the Essential exercises and spend an hour a week reading the book.) They "forget" to turn up to their presentation, and if they make the lectures they don't arrive until late. This is a pity as they drop the 20% continuous assessment marks which are essentially 2 grades.....