Prerequisites: A course in probability and statistics, or a course
in social science research methods. Fall 2007 Slla!us C"#ta$t I#%"r&ati"#: I#stru$t"r: Kathleen Higginbotham O%%i$e: Virtual O%%i$e '"urs: Monday-Friday 10 am 11 am or anytime you see me in !eb"oard O#li#e '"urs: Monday-Friday 10 am - 11 am IM: #athleen$higginbotham%yahoo.com (e! Site: http:&&'eb.n(it.edu&)#h*+ Tele)*"#e: ,-./0 .+.-1/+. ,1oicemail a1ailable0 E+&ail: #h*+%n(it.edu C"urse ,es$ri)ti"#: . Methods 2or identi2ying usability problems and 2or testing the relati1e merits o2 alternati1e designs 2or interacti1e systems. Follo'ing a re1ie' o2 usability heuristics, students read (ournal articles about and practice 2i1e di22erent methods: semi-structured inter1ie's, protocol analysis, cogniti1e 'al#throughs, user sur1eys, and controlled e3periments. C"urse O!-e$ti.es: 1. 4earn to e1aluate computer applications, including human and organi5ational aspects o2 per2ormance, in a scienti2ic and ob(ecti1e 'ay. *. 6e1elop s#ills to: 1. 7arry out a case study. *. 6esign a 8uestionnaire. 9. 6o inter1ie's. :. 7arry out a controlled e3periment. 9. ;he course 'ill introduce: 1. Methods o2 analy5ing data. *. Ho' to analy5e an in2ormation system: 1. !ebsite. *. <roup'are. 9. 4egacy organi5ational so2t'are. 9. Ho' to identi2y usability problems. :. Ho' to test the relati1e merits o2 alternati1e designs. :. =tudents 'ill read (ournal articles about, discuss and practice the 2ollo'ing types o2 methods: 1. =emi-structured inter1ie's. *. >ser sur1eys. 9. ?3periments. Readings: 1. ;e3t boo#: H. @ussell "arnard, Social Research Methods, *000 , 1 st e/iti"#0 =age Aublications, B="C: -+.0+D1-1:09+. *. A number o2 recent articles 2or each 'ee#. ;hese articles 'ill contain e3amples o2 di22erent research methods being applied to analy5e and impro1e so2t'are usability. ;he articles are chosen 2rom A7M and other publications. ;hese publications are a1ailable online to CEB; students through the digital library 2acilities. As a student you can ha1e access by do'nloading the 7isco =ystems VAC client. B 'ill include instructions in !eb"oard on ho' to 2ind it and, also, set up a con2erence 'here 'e can deal 'ith problems encountered 'ith its use. Assessment 7ourse assessment ,sub(ect to modi2ication0 is +0F course 'or# and 90F e3ams, bro#en do'n as 2ollo's: Assess&e#t All"$ati"# 1ra/e/ Out O% Assignment 1: Research Design 10% 100 Assignment 2: Protocol Analysis 15% 100 Final Project. 20% 100 ro!" Presentation 10% 100 #lass Partici"ation 15% 100 Mid$%erm 15% 100 Final &'am 15% 100 ;G;A4 100F
C"urse Outli#e: * Assignment 1. Research Design * Assignment 2. Protocol Analysis * Final Project * Group Presentation ;his is a presentation o2 the 2inal document. Bt is due one 'ee# a2ter the 2inal pro(ect. ;he ob(ecti1e o2 this assignment is to gi1e the group a time to synthesi5e the 1arious indi1idual 'or# that has created the 2inal pro(ect and to present the pro(ect in a po'erpoint presentation. =ince this is a distance course and 'e 'ill not be presenting our pro(ects in a classroom, B 'ill e3pect that a 1oiceo1er narrati1e 'ill be pro1ided 'ith each presentation. B 'ill pro1ide instructions in a !eb"oard con2erence on ho' to do this and entertain any 8uestions you may ha1e on the mechanics. * lass ParticipationH;his class is presented in a 1irtual 2ormat ma#ing you a member o2 a 1irtual community.. My philosophy o2 education is simple: IB2 you can say it, then you o'n it.J Another 'ay to put it might be, IB 'ant you to 2ind your 1oice on this sub(ect.J As such, B 'ill e3pect you to contribute to the !ebboard discussions and acti1ities. ;his is 1/F o2 your grade. For this purpose, the grading 'ee# 'ill run 2rom =unday morning through =aturday night. A topic 'ill be set up 2or each reading assignment in the @eadings 7on2erence or the 4ectures 7on2erence. Kou are re8uired to ha1e in each topic, one comment on the material and at least one response to someone else in the pre1ious 'ee#Ls postings. ;his is /0F o2 the participation grade, the other /0F 'ill in1ol1e the le1el o2 your participation in these con2erences. B donLt 'ant to orchestrate this participation, but 2or those ne' to !eb"oard, B 'ant to clari2y e3pectations. For a per2ect participation grade, B 'ould e3pect to see the 2ollo'ing types o2 interactions: Message: Kou ma#e a good point, but B 'onder i2 this might also ha1e a bearing on MMM. Kou #no', MMM seems to be related to KKK and it e1en seems you canLt ha1e one 'ithout considering the other. Message @esponse: Co, B thin# they ha1e 1ery little interaction. B thin# it is more li#ely that NNN is in1ol1ed here. Bt says in the article by A"7, that. . . . Ceedless to say this participation le1el can ta#e many 2orms: personal opinion, 8uotes 2rom the boo#, 8uotes 2rom the readings, etc. ;he more interaction, the more you 2ind your 1oice, the better your participation grade. B 'ill post your participation grade 'ee#ly. ;his is to gi1e you immediate 2eedbac# and to help you prepare 2or the test. Ans'ers to test 8uestions 'ill in1ol1e this same le1el o2 2amiliarity 'ith the material and the ability to 1erbali5e it ,on paper0. My (ob is to help you become articulate on this sub(ect. * !id"#erm * Final $%am #he &ollo'ing !atri% represents a (rea)do'n o& the the course re*uirements:
comple3, <uttman, 4i#ert, semantic di22erential, t-testing unidimensionality Bnitial Aosting on !. ,7+, 7. R Article S4ederer 1--.T0 Assi2#&e#t 2: Arotocol AnalysisH6ue Fi#al Pr"-e$t: Bssued--"egin Arti$les: 4ederer A.4. et. al W;he role o2 ease o2 use, use2ulness and attitude in the prediction o2 'orld 'ide 'eb usageW A#M #PR , unde2ined 1--., p1-/-*0:. http:&&portal.acm.org&citation.c2mUidV*+-*11 <0 7432 t" 7439 S)ri#2 =rea> C"ul/ !e a 2""/ ti&e t" :"r> "# Fi#al Pr"-e$t0 300 743< t" 7424 E5)eri&e#tal /esi2# Te5t: AA@; GC?: "A7K<@G>C6 ;G @?=?A@7H C*a)ter 4H@esearch 6esign P"sti#2: @esponse to !. posting ,7+ R 7. R Article S4ederer 1--.T0 Bnitial Aosting on !- ,7: R 4- R Article SHoadley 1--0T0 Fi#al Pr"-e$t++7ontinue Arti$le: ?llen Hoadley, IBn1estigating the e22ects o2 color,W 7A7M, 99, * ,February 1--00, 1*0-1*/. http:&&portal.acm.org&citation.c2mUidV+//+.RcollVportalRdlVA7M ,VAC Access0
Part III0 ,ATA ANAL?SIS
330 7425 t" 7473 8ualitati.e a#/ qua#titati.e a#alsis++ U#i.ariate a#alsis a#/ $"rrelati"#: @a' data, 2re8uency distributions, measures o2 central tendency and dispersion, graphing 1ariables, 5-scores and chi-s8uare test Te5t: AA@; FG>@: "A7K<@G>C6 ;G @?=?A@7H C*a)ter 33HBntroduction to Pualitati1e and Puantitati1e Analysis C*a)ter 34H>ni1ariate Analysis P"sti#2: @esponse to !- posting ,7: R 4- R Article SHoadley 1--0T0 Bnitial Aosting on !10 ,711, 71* R 410 R Article SFogg *001T0 Fi#al Pr"-e$t++7ontinue Arti$le: ". E. Fogg et. al I!hat ma#es !eb sites credibleU: a report on a large 8uantitati1e studyJ, Proceedings o- the S*#,* con-erence on ,!man -actors in com"!ting systems, p.D1-D., March *001, =eattle, !ashington, >nited =tates http:&&captology.stan2ord.edu&pd2&pD1-2ogg.pd2
320 443 t" 447 L330 =i.ariate A#alsis 3: t-test, ACGVA, cross-tabs, 4ambda, chi-s8uare, <amma Te5t: AA@; FG>@: "A7K<@G>C6 ;G @?=?A@7H C*a)ter 35, pp. /:/-/+D P"sti#2: @esponse to !10 posting ,711, 71* R 410 R Article SFogg *001T0 Bnitial Aosting on !10 ,71/ pp. /:/-/+D R 411 R Article SMue *009T0 Fi#al Pr"-e$t++7ontinue Arti$le: Mue, K., =an#ar, 7.=., and Mbari#a, V.!., ,*0090, WMultimedia and Virtual ;eams: @esults o2 an ?3perimental @esearchW, American Society -or &ngineering &d!cation =outheast =ection 7on2erence, Macon, <A, April *009. http:&&'''.auburn.edu&research&litee&media&pd2s&e1al$con2$papers&*009se$luc#y.pd2
370 449 t" 4434 L320 =i.ariate A#alsis 2: 7orrelation, =pearmanLs r, AearsonLs r, @egression, =igni2icance, ?ta Pla# ar"u#/ Easter =rea>@ #"t*i#2 is /ue Fri/a "r Su#/a@ :*i$* are s$*""l *"li/as@ s" :e s*"ul/ !e ">a0 ?"u #"r&al )"sti#2s are /ue ! Satur/a@ s" )la# a*ea/ i% "u are !us "# Satur/a0 T*ere is #" rea/i#2 %"r t*is :ee>0 I *")e t*is &a>es t*e *"li/as "% Pass".er a#/ Easter &"re e#-"a!le0 Te5t: AA@; FG>@: "A7K<@G>C6 ;G @?=?A@7H C*a)ter 35 pp. /+D-D1* P"sti#2: @esponse to !11 posting ,71/ pp. /:/-/+D R 411 R Article SMue *009T0 Bnitial Aosting on !1* ,71/ pp. /+D-D1* R 41*0 Fi#al Pr"-e$t--7ontinue
340 4435 t" 4422 L370 Multi+.ariate A#alsis: Aartial correlation, Multiple regression, Aath analysis, Factor, 7luster and 6iscriminant analysis Te5t: AA@; FG>@: "A7K<@G>C6 ;G @?=?A@7H C*a)ter 3;6Multi-1ariate Analysis P"sti#2: @esponse to !1* posting ,71/ pp. /+D-D1* R 41*0 Bnitial Aosting on !1* ,71D R 4190 Fi#al Pr"-e$tH6ue
350 4427 t" 543 Re.ie: A Fi#al E5a& 7ircumstances 2or Final to be determined at a later date.
opying+heating
All students are e3pected to 2ollo' published guidelines on academic honesty and integrity. Kou 'ill 2ind these at: http:&&'''.n(it.edu&academics&honorcode.php. Kou must ac8uaint yoursel2 'ith these policies be2ore submitting any assignments. All 'ritten 'or# must be original. Violations o2 CEB; policies 'ill be reported to the 6ean o2 =tudents and may result in 2ailure on a particular assignment, 2ailure in the course, 2ailure in the course and probation, or 2ailure in the course and e3pulsion. Honor 7ode 1iolations 'ill be pursued immediately and aggressi1ely.
,sing -#,R./#/..0!- A copy o2 all indi1idual assignments, including the 2inal pro(ect, 'ill be re8uired to be submitted to the Wturnitin.comW 'eb site. ;his is in addition to paper copies that may be supplied to the pro2essor, or to posting a copy o2 the assignment 2or the class, according to detailed instructions that 'ill be gi1en 2or assignments. ;his ser1ice chec#s your 'or# against e1erything a1ailable on the 'orld 'ide 'eb and in the archi1es 2or all sections o2 D+/ past and present, and gi1es a report on e3actly 'here your 'or# is similar to that o2 other 'or# that can be 2ound. ;his is an ob(ecti1e 'ay to help determine 'hether plagiarism has occurred. ;he last thing B 'ant 2or any o2 you is that you 2ind Isomeone elseLs 1oiceJ. B can assure you that ho'e1er good ;urnBtBn may be, B am better. <oogle and B 'ill personally sit do'n 'ith each assignment and loo# 2or sources o2 e3act matches. Ma#e sure i2 you use material 2rom a source, that you 8uote it i2 e3act. B2 you integrate the material into your 'or#, please cite it. !hen you are 'riting a paper 2or a pro(ect, you are building a case 2or the premise o2 your paper. Bt is much less 'or# 2or you i2 you cite pieces o2 in2ormation 2rom a source than ha1ing to actually ma#e a case 2or the material. B 'ant you to lea1e this educational e3perience being able to 2eel con2ident in tal#ing about the material you ha1e assimilated. B 'ant us to ha1e a great semester. =ee you in classX Kathleen ,is$lai&er: B do reser1e the right to ma#e any changes B deem necessary. #mh