Fall 2025

Principles of Human-Computer Interaction

Course Time and Location

  • Tuesday & Thursday: 12:30 PM – 01:45 PM
  • Building: Wagar, Room: 133

Instructor Information:

Name: Dr. Mohammed Safayet Arefin        

Email: arefin@colostate.edu – My preferred method of communication.

Office: CSB-368

Office Hours: Tuesdays – 2:00pm – 4:00pm (Subject to Change); Other hours by appointment.

Research Lab: Arefin Lab (XR and Perception Lab) – https://www.safayetarefin.com/arefin-lab

Graduate Teaching Assistant Information:

GTA 1: Name: Junhwan Kim (MS Student) 

Email: audeze.Kim@colostate.edu

Office Location: CSB 120

Office Hours: Check canvas

Online office hour: Teams

GTA 2: Name: Tanmay Naidu (PhD Student)          

Email: Tanmay.Naidu@colostate.edu

Office Location: CSB 120

Office Hours: Check canvas

Online office hour: Teams

Prerequisites

See the instructor or CS website.

Course Page

The Canvas system

Course Description

History and trends in human-computer interaction; user-centered interaction design techniques; prototyping; experimental methods for evaluating technology.

Course Topics

This course covers the fundamentals of human-computer interaction. The following tentative topics will be part of this course:

  • HCI Foundations
  • Intro to Human-Factors
  • Experiment Design
  • HCI Research
  • Interaction Design Principles
  • Principles of UX and usability
  • Brief introduction to XR and Perception

Course Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to

  • Describe the principles of human-computer interaction.
  • Apply the principles of user experiment design.
  • Apply the principles of user experiment evaluation.
  • Apply the knowledge of user interaction design.
  • Write a research paper and present ideas relevant to HCI.
  • Develop a complete user interface prototype using HCI techniques.

Textbooks

Required:

Optional:

Course Lectures and Materials

Lecture slides/PDFs and any additional materials will be uploaded to the Canvas course page under the Module section.

Grading Scale and Activities

GRADERANGE
A[90 – 100%]
B[80 – 89%]
C[70 – 79%]
D[60 – 69%]
F[0 – 59%]
ActivityGRADE PERCENTAGE
Quizzes10%
Assignments25%
Mid-Term Exam10%
Final Exam15%
Final Project40%
Total:100%

Grading Clarifications

Quizzes (10%)

  • All quizzes will be announced (no pop quizzes).
  • Quizzes will be individual.
  • At least 5 quizzes.
  • Short Canvas quizzes (10-15 mins). Students will participate in the quiz through the Canvas course page. All the quizzes will be given on the Canvas course page.
  • LockDown Browser is required.
  • Cover the topics and discussions from previous classes. The quiz syllabus will be provided before each quiz.
  • The quiz with the lowest score will not be counted for the final grade.
  • Multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blanks, short essay questions, and other types of questions will be given in the quiz.
  • No Late turn-ins will be allowed.

Assignments (25%)

  • Assignments will be individual.
  • 4-5 assignments.
  • It should be turned in as a digital copy (PDF) via Canvas.
  • Grading will be done based on correctness, effort, and completeness. Sometimes, the assignment will require answers based on your critical thinking. The grading will be performed based on the expected answer and understanding of the level at which this class is set.
  • The assignment with the lowest score will not be counted for the final grade.
  • No Late turn-ins will be allowed.

Exams

Mid-Term Exam (10%)

  • 1 midterm exam via Canvas.
  • LockDown Browser and Webcam are required.
  • Students who need Testing accommodation will need to use the SDC Accessible Testing Center, students will need to schedule their exams at least seven (7) days in advance

Final Exam (15%)

  • Questions will be available on Canvas during the final exam.
  • LockDown Browser and Webcam are required.
  • Students who need Testing accommodation will need to use the SDC Accessible Testing Center, students will need to schedule their exams at least seven (7) days in advance

Final Project (40%)

Key Points: This course necessitates comprehension of theoretical concepts and includes a practical project. Put differently, we will prioritize practical experience alongside theoretical understanding. Every student will choose an HCI-based project. They will:

  • Identify a HCI-based research problem
  • Research questions and hypotheses
  • Carry out an experimentGather pilot data (a pilot study involving at least 6 individuals from the class)
  • Analyze the data
  • Present their findings to the class.

You can do a project in any programming language you desire; it doesn’t have to be 3D. However, developing websites will not be accepted. To work independently on the project, it is necessary to possess a certain level of maturity in programming. Although this course does not focus on statistics, having a fundamental grasp of the subject is crucial. The term project will be conducted in small teams of 3-4 students, with the number of team members depending on the course size. To carry out the pilot study, it is necessary to undergo the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Training). If you plan to present or publish the data obtained from this study, it is important to consult your major professor (and possibly the IRB) to determine if IRB approval is necessary. Failing to complete this training will prevent you from conducting the experiments necessary for your final project. Depending on your project, we may loan you hardware based on the availability of the hardware. If any hardware is borrowed for the final project, it must be returned in the same condition in which it was provided. The instructor will examine the returned hardware, and if the HMD and/or accessories are not operational, a deduction of up to 20% may be applied to each team member’s individual final grade. Before the proposal presentation deadline, it is necessary to obtain my approval for the topic and scope of your project. This approval must be sought and discussed with me in advance. Throughout this procedure, teams will deliver regular updates in class, which will include:

  • Report and presentation on the project proposal
  • An interim project report and presentation
  • A final project report in paper format.
  • A final project presentation, and
  • Submission of final project materials. The final project materials encompass source code, a literature survey, pilot data, pictures, a demo video, and other relevant items.

It is important for students in this class to allocate a considerable amount of time towards their term project. Hence, it is advisable to begin working on it as soon as possible.

Term Project Grades Breakdown: The projects and progress will be evaluated based on subjective criteria. The main factor for grading will be the extent to which the project achieves its set objectives. Other factors that may be considered include the team’s effort in producing high-quality materials. The team will receive a grade based on this evaluation process. Each team member’s grade will be the same as the team grade, but it may be adjusted based on feedback from peers and the instructor. Details and due dates will be posted on Canvas as the semester progresses. Project deliverables must be submitted only through the Canvas system.

  • Team Formation – 2%
  • Proposal Report and Presentation – 5%
  • Interim Project Report and Presentation – 8%
  • Final Project Report – 10%
  • Final Project Presentation – 10%
  • Final Project Materials – 5%

Extra Credit

  • Points may be available throughout the semester with quizzes, assignments, final projects, and exams in the form of bonus questions.
  • All extra credit opportunities will be open to everyone.

Lab Hours

Lab hour is the designated time for working on your final project. It is important to note that lab hours are not mandatory and will not be factored into your grade. The allocation of lab hours has already been considered when determining the overall grade for this class, so make sure to make the most of this time.

Attendance

Students are expected to attend all the classes. While attendance will not be graded, we will keep track of attendance for face-to-face students to comply with student financial aid. If a student miss a class, the student must review the recorded lecture videos posted via echo 360. The instructor/GTAs will not re-teach or revisit material during office hours for students who did not review the lecture videos.

Right To Change

I reserve the right to change the course policies or schedule in order to facilitate instruction. Any such changes will be discussed in class and updated on the canvas course website.