Course syllabus for Prototyping in interaction design

Course syllabus adopted 2021-02-26 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish namePrototyping in interaction design
  • CodeCIU176
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPIDE
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyComputer Science and Engineering, Software Engineering
  • DepartmentCOMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 23117
  • Maximum participants80
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0114 Laboratory 4 c
Grading: UG		4 c
0214 Examination 3.5 c
Grading: TH		3.5 c
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Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

To be eligible for the course the student must have a Bachelor degree of 180 credits. Additionally, a course in Human - computer interaction, 7.5 credits, is required.

Aim

After the course you should have a clear understanding of the use and idea of prototyping in Interaction design, as well as be able to create prototypes at different levels of fidelity using appropriate tools and technologies.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

Knowledge and understanding
- Describe how prototypes are used in interaction design.
- List the pros and cons with different types of prototypes.
- Explain what can be learned from a certain prototype and why.
- Explain what can NOT be learned from a certain prototype and why.

Skills and abilities
- Create physical prototypes in various materials, with various techniques.
- Create video prototypes to present a koncept or proposal.
- Create simple illustrations and carry out basic image manipulation.
- Create graphic user interface designs using mock-up tools.
- Perform basic programming of micro-controllers connected to sensors and actuators.
- Program simple interactive prototypes.

Judgement and approach
- Decide which type of prototype to use in order to find out what needs to be learned or tested, taking possible constraints into account, e.g. time and budget.
- Evaluate a prototype.
- Incorporate suitable prototypes at the right stages in a design process.

Content

The course gives an introduction to, and practice in, creation of different types of prototypes in Interaction Design. The contents cover both physical prototypes (e.g. paper prototypes, prototyping through controllers and micro-controllers, and prototyping through tinkering and physical modelling) and digital, screen-based prototypes (sketching, coding and design of interactive prototypes, video prototypes). The course also gives an understanding of what to test with different prototypes, and when. 

Organisation

Education is performed through lectures, workshops, and hands-on lab tasks.

Literature

See separate literature list.

Examination including compulsory elements

In order to pass the course students need to pass both modules. Generally a 3 means that the student shows basic skill and understanding of physical as well as screen-based prototyping. A 5 means that the student presents a deepened knowledge and besides technical skills also presents critical and reflective capabilities.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.