Advanced Topics in Human Computer
Interaction:
Media Spaces and Casual Interaction
|
| Contact information |
Prof. Saul Greenberg
Email: saul or saul@cpsc.ucalgary.ca
Where: room MS 616, 220-6087 or check the human-computer interaction lab on the
same floor |
| Structure of the course |
This is a reading and project course, with regular one-on-one meetings
scheduled between the student and the instructor. The course has restricted enrollment, as
it is meant to prepare a student who is pursuing this specific topic as part of their
graduate research. |
| Pre-requisites |
Permission from the instructor. The student should have some background
in Human Computer Interaction (e.g., work experience, CPSC 481, CPSC 681 or equivalent).
Background in CSCW would be an assett. |
| Description |
The course deals with advanced topics in human computer interaction. The
actual topic changes year by year. In 1999, the course will investigate media spaces and
casual interaction. The student will study the literature on media spaces, including
behavioural foundations (i.e. the role of casual interaction), the tradeoffs between
awareness, privacy and distractions, and current media space technologies. The student
will identify opportunities for further research in this area, and will identify and solve
a substantial problem. |
| Reading Resources |
See a list of papers on this page |
| Assessment |
- 1. An annotated bibliography of Media Spaces and related topics (15%)
- This report, constructed as a web site, will deliver a list of key papers relevant to
media spaces, each annotated with a brief (one paragraph) summary. The list must be
accompanied by the collection of papers, where the collection will become a major resource
for later projects. Note that the list may include related topics: e.g., ambient displays.
[Kevin's deliverable]
-
- 2. An overview of Media Spaces, and identification of a research problem (30%)
- This report, done in the form of a thesis chapter, introduces and provides background to
media spaces. At the very least, it should a) summarize the behavioural foundations, b)
categorize and survey existing approaches; c) indicate outstanding problems; d) identify
at least one good opportunity for further research in this area, and frame that
opportunity as a research problem to be solved.
-
- 3. Design and Implementation of an ambient display that provides awareness of a
small team (40%)
- In this project, the student will design and implement an ambient display that provides
one person with awareness of several other team members. The particulars are as follows:
a) A short presentation will be made early in this project describing the motivation and
requirements for a design, as well as sketches/prototypes of competing designs.
(Prototypes may be mock-ups).
- b) An awareness server will be built to collect and deliver awareness data (probably
using GroupKit)
- c) One or more ambient displays will be designed to provide background awareness
information about other's activities. Preferably, these will be physical devices rather
than traditional computer displays.
- d) One or more sensors will capture and deliver information about other people's
activities in their offices. (Note: I expect the student to attend to point B more than
point C).
- The deliverable will be a functional system installed in several offices, as well as a
short report --- a critique --- of the system (between 6 - 8 CHI format pages max). If
time permits, early usage experiences should be included.
- 4. Research Proposal (15%)
- The student must produce a short research proposal (e.g., 6 - 8 CHI format pages max) on
media spaces and casual interaction, suitable for pursuing as an MSc thesis. The proposal
must include:
-background, motivation, and a description of the general research problem
-a narrowing in onto a specific research problem
-a succintly phrased research question
-a description of how the question will be answered (i.e., methodology)
-a description of how one will know that the question has answered by the methodology
With permission from the instructor, the student may negotiate the details of the
various deliverables to fit his/her evolving understanding and interests in the area. |
| Schedule |
The dates below are for the deliverables. The student is responsible for
discussing with the instructor each component as it is being developed. Assignment #1 -
January 29, 1998
Assignment #2 - February 17, 1998
Assignment #3 Part 1 - Presentation of sketch/prototype: February 17, 1998
Assignment #3 Part 2 - Delivery of implemented system/report: Last day of class
Assignment #4 - Last day of class |