ENE 595M, Cognitive Engineering
Spring 2008
3 cr, TTh 9:00-10:15am, ARMS 3115
Professors:
Monica Cardella
Johannes Strobel
Intended for
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
ARMS 1311
ARMS 1231
[email protected]
[email protected]
Multidisciplinary Engineering Seniors
Other Multidisciplinary Engineering students
ENE graduate students
Other engineering students, with senior standing or higher
Psychology students
Education students
Pre-requisites: Senior/graduate student standing in the College of Engineering or Permission of
Instructor.
Description of the course
This course deals with fundamentals of cognitive engineering and user-centered design. The course is
designed to introduce students to different disciplinary approaches and respective interpretations of
what it means to do user-centered and learner-centered design. Students receive an introduction into
the psychological make-up of individuals and insight on cognitive and socio-cognitive theories of
how people differently perceive and interact with the world and others, as well as an introduction to
principles of how people learn. The course takes an experiential (experience yourself) and pragmatist
(learning by doing) approach. Students will experience individual differences by learning more about
themselves (as individuals and in group) with the use of a variety of psychometric instruments and
exercises and conducting usability testing of existing products and their interaction with users. In
addition, students are introduced to a systematic design process s in applying the newly acquired
knowledge to develop life-long learning skills and re-design and prototype everyday life products with
the end-user in mind.
Learning Outcomes
The purpose of this course for students is to learn about individual differences and user-centered
principles and develop skills to apply user-centered principles in the design of interfaces, every-day
products and learning environments, whether in industrial or academic settings. In addition, the
acquired knowledge on individual differences will be translated into life-long learning skills.
Texts
Required:
Norman, Donald A. (2002) The Design of Everyday Things. Basic Books. Paperback.
Casey, S. M. (1998) Set Phasers on Stun: And Other True Tales of Design, Technology, and Human
Error. Aegean; 2nd edition
Optional :
Bransford, Brown & Cocking (2000) How People Learn. National Academies Press; 2nd edition.
Isaacs, Ellen & Walendowski, Alan (2001) Designing from both sides of the screen. Sams.
Additional Readings: We will post additional reading assignments on Blackboard
Course Performance O bjectives
At the end of this course, learners will be able to:
- Identify different cognitive styles, cognitive traits, learning styles, epistemological beliefs and
their contribution to the make-up of individuals.
-
Reflect on themselves and other users in regards to individual differences in cognitive and
socio-cognitive dimensions.
Critically assess the impact of individual differences on learning and use habits.
Evaluate one’s own learning environment and determine how conducive for learning it is
Given a set of learning strategies and the learning context, students develop individual
learning plans
Given different user preferences, as well as knowledge on how people think and learn,
students will be able to design products, which take the different users into consideration.
Evaluate and apply a variety of user-centered design principles, like participatory design and
standardization of interfaces, to design projects
Apply different cognitive engineering analysis techniques, like task analysis, user
observations, verbal protocol analysis, interviews, focus groups and needs assessment in order
to learn more about how people think and learn
Apply and translate a systematic design process and the knowledge of individual differences in
the design of user-centered everyday life products and/or learning environments
Empathically interact with different users and develop sensitively different products
Synthesize different user-centered design approaches into a reflection of one self and a usercentered design philosophy.
Assignments
1. Complete a number of “tests” that illuminate different learning styles, personality types, etc.
These are in-class assignments.
2. One-page write-up of weekly reading assignments.
3. Evaluate your learning environments, and present a poster summarizing two learning
environments:
-
How does this environment support your learning style?
-
How can you change this environment so that it does support your learning style?
4. Group design project.
5. Self-reflection and user-centered design philosophy paper.
Assessm ent
The course employs authentic assessment strategies and chooses assessment techniques, which
correspond with the different learning objectives and the given assignments. Additionally, the
instructors take individual differences in the context of assessment into consideration.
Students will receive credit for completing the in-class activities and participating in class discussions.
Students will also receive credit (rather than a grade) for completing the Reading Reflections.
Professors Cardella and Strobel will grade the Evaluation Poster projects, the Design Project and the
Self-reflection/Philosophy papers. Additionally, students will be assessing each others’ Evaluation
Posters and Design Project presentations. There will be no final exam; however, the final paper will
be due during finals’ week (though you may turn it in early!)
The final grade will be based on the following:
Participation (in-class activities and discussion)
Thursday Papers (Reflection on Weekly Readings)
Evaluation of learning environment Poster
Self-reflection and User-Centered Design Philosophy Paper
Design Project
5
10
25
20
40
Total 100
Grading
The scale for course grades will be A (90-100); B (80-89); C (70-79), etc. The final scores may be
adjusted (in a positive direction) at the discretion of the instructors based on overall class
performance.
We expect that all assignments will be turned in on the due date, unless you have a valid
(documented) excuse. Finally, requests for re-grading of any assignment must be made within one
week of the date when the item was available for return. Requests for re-grading must include a
written statement detailing the reason why you believe that your grade should be adjusted.
Thursday papers
The bulk of the reading for each week will be assigned for Thursday. (Nearly) every Thursday you
will submit a one-page paper that contains:
(a) a summary of the readings of the particular week. The summary should highlight and emphasize
key elements and important constructs.
(b) at least two discussion-starters coming from the reading. A discussion-starter could be a clarifying
question, a challenge to the reading, a comparison to other readings, or a difficulty you expect by
implementing a particular idea. Later in the term (starting around week 5), the discussion starter
could also be related to your respective projects.
The one-pager can be written with bullet-points. Please include page numbers when you make specific
references. The one-pager is mainly for you to record your thoughts; we check that you did (or did
not) submit the one-pager but will not grade them for content.
You can choose two weeks in which you do not turn in a Thursday paper. Please let the instructors
know at least one week in advance if you will not be submitting a Thursday paper.
Evaluation of learning environment
You probably spent at least 12 years in secondary schools and have taken classes for a number of
terms at Purdue. You are probably involved in associations, clubs, and extra-curriculur activities. This
gave you exposure to many different teachers and many different settings of instruction and learning.
You enjoyed some classes and others, well, not. In this reflection of learning environment project,
we want you to focus on two specific learning experiences in the past, a very good learning
experience you remember and one, which might need a lot of improvement. The course gives you
much terminology and categories of what to look for and how to evaluate a learning environment:
a) Your own personal cognitive make-up (do you prefer to learn hands-on or do you need to write it,
hear it, or see it or or or or)
b) The context of the learning (with a lot of stress, with detailed descriptions, with a lot of space for
creativity or or or or )
c) the nature of the tasks (authentic or contrived, problem solving oriented)
d) The style of the teacher
e) The variation of different classroom styles (inviting for questions, open spaces and time or or or )
Prepare a poster presentation that contains information on the environment you chose:
- Background information (where, when, who, when)
- What made it a very-good (or a much-improvement-needed) environment?
- How did you act, interact, think, learn in these environments?
- What were the experiences of other learners? Were they similar, dissimilar? Why do you think so?
- How could the leaning environment be improved? (for both)
Use the readings in the class and different categories, like the list above or others.
You will present your poster in class on Thursday, February 10. You will be given 2 minutes to
briefly provide an overview of the poster; after everyone has presented their poster, we will spending
the remaining 45-50 minutes reviewing and critiquing each other’s poster. You will be given more
specific information regarding the poster (e.g. dimensions, materials, criteria for assessment).
Self-reflection paper
Throughout this term, you are expected to keep a journal, called a design dialectic, where you write
reflections on the readings, on your own individual differences and on the user-centered project you
are working on. This journal is meant to inform the writing of a self-reflection paper, which has two
parts:
(a) what did you learn about yourself in terms of individual differences? and
(b) what is your philosophy of user-centered design?
Specifics on this assignment will be provided later in the term.
The deadline for submission of the Self-reflection paper is April 3. The expected length of this
paper is 6 pages double-spaced. You will not receive any deductions for submitting a longer paper.
Each self-reflection paper will be shared with the entire class, and we will spend week 14 discussing
the papers and reflecting on the class together.
Group design project
You will be assigned to a three or four-person group to work on a specific user-centered design
project for the majority of the semester (week 3-16). The goal of the project is to synthesize and
apply all of the material you will be learning throughout the semester. To that end, we anticipate
that your project will incorporate some aspect of learning (and in some cases, learning may be the
central theme of the project). We will discuss the project in more detail on Tuesday, January 22
and teams will be assigned on Thursday, January 24. There will be some class time devoted to the
group design project, but you should also plan to meet regularly with your group outside of class.
During the course of the semester, the group will provide interim reports of design steps. These
phases, or project milestones, are meant to provide you with the structure and tools you will need to
complete the project. You will be graded based on how well you complete the overall process. For the
purpose of this class, the final design product itself is not as important as the process of designing it.
Specifically, your grade will be determined by how well the process, as associated with your design, is
illustrated and communicated in your phase milestone reports and final presentation and report.
Group members will also assess the contribution of each individual group member.
Schedule
Week
1
Class #
Date
Class 1
Jan 8
In Class Activity
Introduction to the course,
review of the syllabus
Assign Evaluate a Learning
Environment project
What is cognitive engineering?
1
Class 2
Jan 10
2
Class 3
Jan 15
Class 4
Jan 17
What are cognitive individual
differences? – Overview
How do people learn? –
Overview
3
Class 5
Jan 22
3
Class 6
Jan 24
4
Class 7
Jan 29
Class 8
Jan 31
Class 9
Feb 5
Different models of
intelligence?
Introduction/Start of the redesign project
Systematic Process of Usercentered design – Introduction/
basic principles
Learning Strategies for
cognitive differences
Life-long learning strategies
2
4
5
Class 11
Feb 12
Finding out who the user is –
User analysis?
6
Class 12
Feb 14
7
Class 13
Feb 19
Class 14
Feb 21
Class 15
Feb 26
Class 16
Feb 28
How to design for different
users in mind – different
models?
Participatory Design models
8
9
Class 17
Mar 4
Write-up for How
People Learn
reading
Design of
Everyday Things:
Ch 7
Jonassen, 9 - 33
Write-up for
DOET reading
[see Blackboard]
Write-up for
reading
Smith & Ragan
Chapter 4:
Analyzing the
Learner
Set Phasers on
stun: Chutes and
Ladders
[see Blackboard]
6
8
How People
Learn Chapters 1,
2 and 6
Jonassen 43 – 51
(optional 52 – 62)
[see Blackboard]
Class 10
Feb 7
Individual
Assignment
Group Assignment
Prologue & Ch1
of Set Phasers on
Stun
Jonassen, 3 - 17
Analysis – Needs Assessment
(observations, interviews and
questionnaires)
Poster Session
5
7
Reading before
class
phase 1: project
prospectus
Poster for the
Evaluate a
Learning
Environment
project
phase 2:
background review
and identify design
issues and
performance
requirements
Write-up for
reading
[see Blackboard]
Strategies of Participatory
design
Analysis – Task Analysis
[see Blackboard]
User-centered design
principles and design
guidelines
Personality Traits
[see Blackboard]
phase 3A: generate
user persona
Write-up for
reading
[see Blackboard]
[see Blackboard]
phase 3B: scenario
& storyboard
Write-up for
reading
phase 4: task
analysis (time in
class Thurs to meet
in teams)
9
10
Class 18
Mar 6
Spring
Break
Class 19
Mar 18
Cognitive traits, styles
[see Blackboard]
Write-up for
reading
[see Blackboard]
Finding out if a
product/process fulfills the
user’s need? – Usability
testing?
Strategies for usability testing I
– observations, think-alouds
and eye-tracking
Strategies for usability testing
II—interviews, focus groups
and surveys
[see Blackboard]
10
Class 20
Mar 20
11
Class 21
Mar 25
11
Class 22
Mar 27
Class 23
April 1
Guided project work (phase
5B: Build prototypes)
Case studies
[see Blackboard]
Class 24
April 3
Class 25
April 8
Class 26
April 10
Class 27
April 15
Case studies
[see Blackboard]
Limitations of user-centered
design
Guided project work
[see Blackboard]
conduct phase 6B:
field trials 2
Reflection I
Read your
classmates’
reflection papers
Phase 6B:
assessment &
define
improvements for
phase 7 (Status
Report due)
Class 28
April 17
Class 29
April 22
Class 30
April 24
Finals
April 30
Reflection II
12
12
13
13
14
14
15
15
16
Final project presentation
Final project presentation
[see Blackboard]
phase 5a: flip book
(show flipbook to
instructors but keep
to use for 6a)
Write-up for
reading
[see Blackboard]
phase 6a: field
trials-1 with flip
book (turn in
findings)
[see Blackboard]
phase 5B: Show
prototypes to
instructors
Reflection Paper
due
Project
Presentations
Project
Presentations
Turn in final paper
by 5pm April 30