SEM540b Graphics and Human-Computer Interaction.
LAST GIVEN: Autumn 1997.

LECTURER: S.Laflin.
DURATION: Weeks 8-12 Semester One. (Weeks 1 to 5 of the course)
LECTURES: Approx 10 hours.
PROBLEM SESSIONS: Approx 3 hours during scheduled lecture periods.
The problem for week 2 may be viewed here.
The problem for week 3 may be viewed here.
The problem for week 4 may be viewed here.
The problem for week 5 may be viewed here.
PRIVATE STUDY: Approx 20 hours. These exercises were issued one week and discussed the next, so the five-week course included four such exercises. These may be viewed here
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT: Examination (half of 3-hour paper).

SYLLABUS.

PART ONE: Graphics.
History and development of graphics and graphics standards.
Interactive Graphics and Software Techniques.
Graphical Kernel System as an example of a recent standard.
Graphical Output devices and elementary plotter steps.
Mathematics in computer graphics.
Equation of a straight line, intersection of two lines, mapping lines to the screen, DDA algorithms for lines and curves, Resolution and Jaggies.
GKS Output primitives and related topics, text output, cell-array and image processing, compression techniques.
Transformations in two-dimensions, shift, scale and rotate.
Clipping and windowing of lines and polygonal areas.

Week 1: Introduction. (3 lectures)
Week 2: Other Graphics Topics. (2 lectures)

PART TWO: Human-Computer Interaction.
Relevant properties of humans - information channels, visual, auditory and haptic.
Human memory - sensory, short-term and long-term. Human information processing.
Compare these with computers, information channels, memory and processing.
possible mismatches - size, speed, range and resolution.
Interaction, execution-evaluation cycle, interaction styles.
Menu-design, grouping like with like, size of groups, ease of locating functions.
Graphical User Interfaces, WIMP interfaces, virtual windows vs multiple superposition.
UIST conferences and recent topics. Icon design, clarity, distinctness, cultural background and assumptions.
Use of colour, need for high contrast, choice of colours, opposites vs related shades.
Colour blindness, theory, results, recommendations for choice of colour in interfaces. Examples of powerpoint templates and colour schemes.
Natural interfaces, current state of the art in handwriting recognition.
Visualisation methods, example of data sonification.
Evaluation of software?

The lectures for this part of the course may be viewed here
Week 3: Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction. (2 lectures)
Week 4: Graphical Interfaces and Use of Colour. (2 lectures)
Week 5: Handwriting Recognition (my research topic) and Revision Classes. (2 lectures)
The final week of the term must have included and extra revision class to fit everything in.

TEXTBOOKS.
Computer Graphics in SEM307 online text.
Various Computer Graphics Textbooks.
Human-Computer Interaction. Alan Dix et al. Prentice Hall 1993
Other textbooks and sites on WWW.

The examination paper for summer 1997 is included here.