LIS 5275: Usability Analysis

Fall 2022, Thursdays, 8:00 to 10:00 PM, Online
Course Syllabus
Weekly Outline
Assignment Descriptions
Contact Information

Paul F. Marty, Ph.D., Professor, School of Information, Florida State University

Office: 240 LSB
Office Hours: By Appointment

The best way to reach me is by email: marty@fsu.edu. I make every effort to respond to emails within 24 hours; if I don't respond within 48 hours, please email me again, as your message might have gotten lost or junked accidentally.

This syllabus is available online at http://marty.cci.fsu.edu/lis5275/

Course Description

This course provides a comprehensive overview of usability analysis and its role in user-centered design. The course materials are intended to familiarize students with the concepts and procedures necessary to incorporate usability analysis into the information systems design process. By the end of the course, students will possess the resources and skills necessary to conduct usability analyses and evaluate information systems from a user-centered design perspective.

Course Objectives

After the completion of this course, students will be able to:

Course Materials

There is no required text for this course. Instead, we will read a variety of scholarly and professional articles each week, all available online or on reserve in our course management system.

Course Assignments

Please see the detailed assignment descriptions at http://marty.cci.fsu.edu/lis5275/assignments.html

The following list is provided for quick reference:

Individual Writing Assignments (45%)

Group Writing Assignments (35%)

Individual Participation Assignments (20%)

Grading and Evaluation

The most important criteria for grading are timeliness, completeness, and quality. Please complete all parts of each assignment, and please make every effort to present your thinking clearly at each stage. The effort you put into your assignments is just as important as the final outcome.

Assignments that have not been demonstrably spell-checked, grammar-checked, and proofread for absolute nonsense will not be accepted. Unacceptable assignments will receive a zero, and may be resubmitted only at the instructor's discretion.

Please note that all of your work for this class must be original.

If a situation arises where you will not be able to meet a deadline, please let the instructor know well in advance. Work submitted late with a reasonable excuse will be accepted only at the instructor's discretion.

Percentage weights for each assignment are listed above. Final letter grades will be allocated using the following scale: 100-93 = A, 92-90 = A-, 89-87 = B+, 86-83 = B, 82-80 = B-, 79-77 = C+, 76-73 = C, 72-70 = C-, 69-67 = D+, 66-63 = D, 62-60 = D-, 59-0 = F.

Course Schedule

Please see the detailed course outline at http://marty.cci.fsu.edu/lis5275/outline.html

A graphical overview of the semester is available at http://marty.cci.fsu.edu/lis5275/overview.png

The following list is provided for quick reference:

Part 1: Think Different

Part 2: Usability Analysis and Evaluation

Part 3: Usability in the Design Lifecycle

University Attendance Policy

The attendance policy for this course is consistent with Florida State University policy as stated in the Bulletin. Your regular attendance at class meetings is expected, and you are required to participate in class discussions. All students are expected to abide by this attendance policy.

Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family and other documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holy days, and official University activities. These absences will be accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid excuse. Consideration will also be given to students whose dependent children experience serious illness.

University policy requires all students to attend the first class meeting of all classes for which they are registered. Students who do not attend the first class meeting of a course for which they are registered will be dropped from the course by the academic department offering the course. To enforce this policy, instructors are required to take attendance at the first class meeting and report absences to the appropriate person in their department. For further information, consult the FSU General Bulletin at: http://registrar.fsu.edu/bulletin/grad/apdefault.htm.

Class Communication Policy

You are required to check your official FSU email accounts and the course blogs or discussion boards regularly. It is highly recommended that you use your FSU email accounts for all course-related emails. Emails to the instructor must have a subject line that includes the number of the course. You should set up your email account so that your full name accompanies each email (i.e., emails should come from John Smith, not from js44f). Emails that include neither your name nor the course number will not receive a response.

Copyright Statement

Some materials in this course may be copyrighted. They are provided in compliance with the provisions of the Technology, Education, And Copyright Harmonization (TEACH) Act: http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/archive/

Academic Honor Policy

The Florida State University Academic Honor Policy outlines the University's expectations for the integrity of students' academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty members throughout the process. Students are responsible for reading the Academic Honor Policy and for living up to their pledge to "be honest and truthful and [...to] strive for personal and institutional integrity at Florida State University." (Florida State University Academic Honor Policy, available online at http://fda.fsu.edu/Academics/Academic-Honor-Policy/.)

Americans with Disabilities Act

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should:

  1. register with and provide documentation to the Office of Accessibility Services; and
  2. bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type.

Please note that instructors are not allowed to provide classroom accommodation to a student until appropriate verification from the Office of Accessibility Services has been provided.

This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternate format upon request.

For more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities, contact the

Office of Accessibility Services
874 Traditions Way
108 Student Services Building
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4167
(850) 644-9566 (voice)
(850) 644-8504 (TDD)
oas@fsu.edu
https://dsst.fsu.edu/oas/

Sexual Harassment Policy

It is the policy of the University that its employees and students neither commit nor condone sexual harassment in any form. For more information, see: http://registrar.fsu.edu/bulletin/grad/info/university_notices.htm

Hardware and Software Requirements

A list of all hardware and software requirements for students participating in School of Information courses can be found at the following location: http://ischool.cci.fsu.edu/academics/online/requirements/

Student Eligibility for an Incomplete Grade

Incomplete ("I") grades will not be assigned, except in the case of exceptional unforeseen circumstances that occur within the last three weeks of the semester and your work has otherwise been satisfactory (C average).

Syllabus Change Policy

This syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advanced notice.

Paul F. Marty | Florida's iSchool | Page last updated June 27, 2022