| 90%–100% | A |
| 80%–89% | B |
| 70%–79% | C |
| 60%–69% | D |
| 0%–59% | F |
| Group HCI Design Project: | 55% |
| Midterm Exam: | 15% |
| Final Exam: | 15% |
| Activities, Homework: | 15% |
Group HCI Design Project: The largest component of your grade will be based on a semester-long group HCI design project. Further details are given below.
Mid-term Exam: There will be one in-class test near the middle of the semester. The test will consist of short answer and essay questions.
Final Exam: The final exam will have the same format as the mid-term, and will be non-cumulative, covering only material from the second half of the semester.
Activities, Homework: There will be approximately 9 in-class activities throughout the semester. Activities will have either a written component for students to prepare individually in advance, or a group assignment to be done in class. Homework assignments are due by class time on the due date; homework will not be accepted after the beginning of class.
You will be assigned to a group of 3--5 students early in the semester. Your group will design a human-computer interface utilizing a scenario-based design methodology. The group HCI design project grade is broken down like this:
| Phase 1: | 10% |
| Phase 2: | 10% |
| Phase 3: | 10% |
| Phase 4: | 10% |
| Phase 5: | 10% |
| Group Presentation: | 5% |
The project will be divided into five phases, and each group will also make a group presentation to the class.
Project Deadlines: Project reports for each phase are due by email by the time specified in the phase specification. Project reports up to 24 hours late will have 10% deducted. After 24 hours, late project reports will not be accepted.
Project Grading and Group Work: Details regarding exactly how the group projects will be graded will be discussed soon, but in general each member of a project group will receive a very similar grade for each phase of the project. Group work can be difficult at times, but it can also be very rewarding and provide good experience for work in real-world software development teams. Each group member is expected to contribute equally, and groups are expected to work out minor problems among themselves. In extreme cases, the instructor will mediate group problems, but groups must agree to abide by the instructor's decision in such cases.
Attendance and Group Work: In cases of in-class group activities, only group members who are present will receive a grade for the activity. Absent group members will receive a zero for the activity.
In this course, students are expected to uphold the Honor Code of Mississippi State University:
"As a Mississippi State University student I will conduct myself with honor and integrity at all times. I will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor will I accept the actions of those who do."
Upon accepting admission to Mississippi State University, a student immediately assumes a commitment to uphold the Honor Code, to accept responsibility for learning, and to follow the philosophy and rules of the Honor Code. Students will be required to state their commitment on examinations, research papers, and other academic work. Ignorance of the rules does not exclude any member of the MSU community from the requirements or the processes of the Honor Code.
For additional information please visit: http://www.msstate.edu/dept/audit/1207.html.
Students are also expected to maintain the standards of academic honesty that are described in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering's Academic Honesty Policy. All work on homework assignments and exams is to be your own. Projects are to be completed by the members of the project group. Project reports should provide full citations for any sources (including articles, books, websites, etc.). Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. Do not turn in someone else's work as if it were your own. This are important policies. Not only will violators fail to learn the course material, but violators will receive an "XF" in this course, and will otherwise be handled according the CSE Department's Academic Honesty Policy, as well as Mississippi State University's Honor Code.
As a professor at Mississippi State University, I am required to report all incidents of academic misconduct.
Occasionally students miss examinations. Sometimes the student knows about these absences in advance, and sometimes they happen unexpectedly. If you know in advance that you will be absent and you wish to have the absence considered excused, then you must meet with me before the date of the exam, and I will let you know whether or not the absence will be excused. If your excused absence will occur during an exam, then I will make arrangements for you to take the exam early.
If you miss an exam unexpectedly and wish to have the absence considered excused, then you must meet with the me at the earliest opportunity possible after the absence, and provide documentation to support your claim that the absence should be considered excused. If the absence is excused, then I will substitute the average number of points of your other exams for the missed exam.
For unexcused absences from examinations you will unfortunately receive a score of zero points.
Attendance and Audits: Attendance is required in this class. Although attendance will not directly affect your grade, I will take roll, and I will list absences on midterm and final grade reports. Students who miss class are still responsible for the material covered and for any assignments distributed. Furthermore, as described above, students who are absent for an in-class group activity will not receive any credit for that activity. Students who are auditing the course must attend at least 75% of the class meetings in order to receive a passing grade.
Personal Electronic Devices: Students must respect their fellow students and not disrupt class. Therefore, cell phones, pagers, other such alarms, or personal conversations which disturb the lecture are not allowed. Students with personal laptops are encouraged to bring them to class; however, laptops are not required for this course.
Grade of Incomplete (I): Incomplete grades will only be given in extreme circumstances, such as illness, death in a student's immediate family, or similar circumstances beyond a student's control.
No Food or Drinks in Class: It is the CSE department's policy that you can't eat or dink in Butler 100.
Drop/Add Policy: This class follows Mississippi State University's Official Drop/Add Policy:
Based on course website designs by Doug Bowman, Mary Beth Rosson, and John M. Carroll, Virginia TechAdd/drop without penalty: A student has through the fifth class day into the semester to add a course and through the tenth class day to drop a course without being assessed a fee or academic penalty.
Drop after the tenth class day through the 30th class day into the semester: A student who elects to drop a course during this period must receive the approval of his/her advisor, will be assigned a W on his/her academic record, and be assessed a fee. The advisor who permits the drop will specify its effective date.
Drop after the 30th class day into the semester: A student cannot drop courses after this period except in documented cases of serious illness, extreme hardship, or failure of the instructor to provide significant assessment of his/her performance. A request to drop a course during this period must be approved by the student's advisor and academic dean. The dean who permits the drop will specify its effective date. A student receiving permission to drop will receive a W on his/her academic record and be assessed a fee.
Faculty are expected to provide a student with significant evidence or assessment of his/her class performance within the first six weeks.