Course Assignments

Course Assignments

Week Starting	Topics	Readings/Assignments
8/28	Introduction to Performance Centered Design The Business Case Underpinnings Attributes and Behaviors Examples Readings Note: You are expected to complete readings and assignment throughout the week in which they are posted. So, unless otherwise stated, your readings and assignments listed in the 8/28/2005 block are due before the next class.	1-1 The Toaster Oven From Hell (Problem Set #1, Problem #1)) 1-2 Introduction 1-3 A Business Case for Performance Centered Design 1-4 Models of Performance Support (Problem Set #1, Problem #2) 1-5a Ten years later: A New Introduction to Attributes & Behaviors and the State of Performance-Centered Systems (Problem Set #1, Problem #3) 1-5b Attributes and Behaviors of Performance-centered Systems 1-6 Performance-centered system review (Problem Set #1, Problem #4)
9/11	Perspectives on performance improvement and performance-centered systems engineering Performance Analysis PCD Principles and Information Appliances Perspectives on performance support engineering Readings Exercises Note: You are expected to complete readings and assignment throughout the week in which they are posted. So, unless otherwise stated, your readings and assignments listed in the 9/6/2003 block will be due before 9/13/2003.	Readings: 2-1 Information Appliances and Performance Support 2-2 Performance Support Engineering: Building Performance-Centered Web-Based Systems, Information Systems, and Knowledge Management Systems In the 21st Century 2-3 The Johnson Family, Remotely Uncontrolled.(Problem Set #2, Problem #1)
9/18	The Compelling Business Need · Examples · The Action Planning Process · Analytic Tools: AHP · Appropriateness · Risk assessment & management · When to take the next step · Exercises	Readings: 3-1 Dickelman,Gershom's Law 3-2 Dickelman, Performance Support in Internet Time 3-3 Banerji, Performance Support in Perspective 3-4 Dickelman, Gershom Rides Again 3-5 Problem Set #3, Problem #1): Provide an example of a web site or software package that you find particularly useful in the context of your job. Is it performance centered? If so, describe it in terms of Gloria Gery's attributes and behaviors. 3-6 performance-centered-design.pdf 3-7 pcd_process_example.pdf Note: 3-6 and 3-7 were sent previously by email.
9/25	Further underpinnings of performance support Representations Cognitive Isomorphisms Design Principles Distributed Cognition Zones of Proximal Development Artifacts Affordance Context	Readings: 4-1 Dickelman (Interview with Donald Norman): Defending Human Attributes in the Pursuit of Performance-Centered Design - EPSS Revisited, p. 98 4-2 Dickelman, Things That Help Us Perform: Reviewing the Ideas of Donald A. Norman - EPSS Revisited, p. 102 and at this link. 4-3 Dickelman, Information Appliances and Performance Support http://www.pcd-innovations.com/piaug99/InfoAppliances.pdf 4-4 Greenberg & Dickelman, Distributed Cognition and Performance Support - EPSS Revisited, p. 56 and http://www.pcd-innovations.com/pijuly2000/DistributedCognition.pdf PROBLEM SET #4: http://files.epsscentral.net/EDIT797/problem_set_4.pdf
10/2	Process Modeling and Simulation · The Role of Dynamics in PCD · Processes and Procedures · Enabling Software · Analytic Tools · Exercises	5-1 Research paper topic and 100-200 word abstract due by 10/10. Guidelines for the Paper: The research paper will be a scholarly work, consisting of 1500 - 4000 words, referencing the works of at least three (3) leaders from fields and practices that comprise PCD. The paper must address a relevant PCD issue in any or all of the categories business performance, cognitive science, and technology infrastructure. See the course syllabus for further details and suggested topics. Readings: 5-2 Cooper, Alan (1999) The inmates are running the asylum: why high tech products drive us crazy and how to restore the sanity. Indianapolis,IN:SAMS (ISBN: 0672316498 ) Chapter 9 - 5-3 EPSS Revisited chapter: Using Diversity Modeling for Instructional Design by Alesha Pulsinelli and Cynthia Roubie (also available online) 5-4 Lecture / discussion of the PCD process. PROBLEM SET 5: http://files.epsscentral.net/EDIT797/problem_set_5.pdf Research paper topic and 100-200 word abstract due by 10/10.
10/10 Tuesday class	Overview of Available PCD Tools and Systems Diversity Modeling · Interests, values, skills, learning style, personal style, risk tolerance · Relationships between diversity, PCD attributes, and business parameters · The role of personas in PCD · Examples	6-1 Project Proposal due 10/16. See the course syllabus for details on how to prepare your project proposal. Readings 6-2 Norman, Donald A. (1998) The invisible computer: Why products can fail,the personal computer is so complex, and information appliances are the solution, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press Chapter 9 - Project Proposals Due 10/16.
10/16	Hypermedia Engineering & Knowledge Management The role of hypertext in PCD Infobases and knowledge bases versus databases Content objects, units, and nodes Reachability Currency Converting between media Tools and technologies	7 - 1 Knowledge Management for the New World of Business by Yogesh Malhotra: http://www.brint.com/km/whatis.htm 7 - 2 Does KM=IT? http://www.cio.com/archive/enterprise/091599_ic.html 7 - 3 The Case for Creative Abrasion - http://www.pcd-innovations.com/creative_abrasion.htm This article is in your EPSS Revisited text. 7 - 4 See Hypermedia / Information Engineering & Knowledge Management http://www.pcd-innovations.com/Avaya/id113.htm from the "lectures." 7 - 5 One cannot claim to know much about hypertext without studying the ideas of Ted Nelson. Start here: http://www.press.umich.edu/jep/03-01/reading.html Final Research Paper Abstracts Due 10/23.

10/23	Representations · The role of representations in PCD · Examples · Underpinnings · The Power of Constraints · The Power of Redirection · Exercises	OPTIONAL: If you have the chance, I would suggest reading Chapters 3 and 4 of: Norman, Donald A. (1993), Things That Make Us Smart: Defending Human Attributes in the Age of the Machine, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. These chapters provide great explanations and examples for the notion of distributed cognition and why our PCD process insists that personas are the arbiters of interaction and interface elements. Note: Many of these ideas are summarized in your text chapters (EPSS Revisited) pp. 98 and 102. Final Project Proposals Due 10/24.
10/30	Interaction Design · Business performance through human performance revisited · Performance-centered usability · Personas versus elastic users · Things that make us smart · Things that make us powerful · Things that bring us pleasure · When the inmates run the asylum	9- 1 9 - 2 9 - 3 Emotional Design: People and Things 9 - 4 Activity-Centered Design Review the above chapters from: Cooper, Alan (1999) The inmates are running the asylum: why high tech products drive us crazy and how to restore the sanity. Indianapolis,IN:SAMS (ISBN: 0672316498 ), and a recent excerpt from Donald Norman's new book (2004): Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things. New York: Basic Books) 9 - 4 Using Diversity Modeling...p. 132 of EPSS Revisited
11/6	Interface Design and Performance-Centered Usability Evaluation Business focus Performance-centered usability goals Icons and buttons and mice (oh, my!) Interactions revisited Objects and actions Low-, medium-, and high-fidelity representations Testing usability of the interface Purpose Techniques Test sites Evaluators Scenarios, briefings, and debriefings Scheduling Observing Drawing conclusions Iteration	10-1 Fear and Loathing on the Keyboard: Why we should hate software that's smarter than we are, and what to do about it. This article addresses Usability Engineering for performance centered design. 10-2 Usability Testing in Internet Time (p. 161 of EPSS Revisited)
11/13	Technologies and related infrastructure Spheres of influence and domains of control The myths of intrinsic, extrinsic, and external support Bandages Source code Agents, events, and messages Distribution and deployment Dynamics revisited Currency, synchronicity, and business dynamics Barriers, tradeoffs, and compromise Philosophy, politics, and engineering The pain model Measuring success Marketing and sales Tips and tricks	11 - 1, 2 Six Sigma: See chapters starting on pp. 77 and 80 of EPSS Revisited (Visibility Into the Work, and Using Six-Sigma...) 11 - 3 Knowledge Management and Context: Knowledge Management in the Pursuit of Performance: The Challenge of Context (EPSS Revisited, p. 117) 11 - 4, 5 It's All Part of the Game..., and Applying Video Game Interaction Design... (EPSS Revisited, pp. 144 and 151).
11/20	Return on Investment	12 - 1 ROI Calculations for Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS Revisited, p. 193) 12 - 2 Using Action Plans to Measure ROI (EPSS Revisited, p. 215)
11/27	Examples	13- 1 Performance Support on the Shop Floor (EPSS Revisited, p. 230) 13 - 2 Literacy Explorer: A Performance Support Tool for Novice Reading Facilitators (EPSS Revisited, p. 237) 13- 3 Award-Winning Performance and Consulting - An Interview with Burt Huber (EPSS Revisited, p. 245) 13 - 4 Staples.com: Focus on Usability (EPSS Revisited, p. 251)
12/4	Presentations	To be scheduled.
12/11	Presentations	To be scheduled.