Assignment P1 (Spring 2017)

Due: Sunday, January 22nd, 2017, by 11:59PM UTC-12 (Anywhere on Earth). This assignment is based on lessons 2.1 (Introduction to Principles) and 2.2 (Feedback Cycles).

Assignment Instructions

Select and answer three of the following four questions in a maximum of 400 words each; if you supply more than 400 words, the grader will stop reading at the 400th word, and you will not receive credit for anything written after that. Clearly delineate where each answer starts and ends. You are encouraged but not required to complement your responses with diagrams, drawings, pictures, etc.; these do not count against the word limit, though any captions, text in tables, etc. does.

  1. As a Georgia Tech OMSCS student, you likely regularly use T-Square, Piazza, Udacity, and other tools. Select one interface (or one piece of one interface) that you believe adopts the processor model of the user and explain what elements of the interface suggest that model (~125 words). Then, select one interface (or one piece of one interface) that you believe adopts the predictor model of the user and explain what elements of the interface suggest that model (~125 words). Then, select one interface (or one piece of one interface) that you believe adopts the participant model of the user and explain what elements of the interface suggest that model (~125 words).
  2. Think of an interface that you use on a regular basis that takes the processor view of the user; that is, it considers only the user’s input and output rather than the more general task in which the user is engaging. Briefly (~125 words) describe the interface and what three characteristics about it clearly focus on the processor view. Then, describe (~225 words) how you would redesign the interface to adopt either the predictor or the participant views of the user.
  3. Describe submitting an assignment to T-Square in terms of our discussion  of feedback cycles. Specifically, discuss how the specific stages of the gulf of execution and the gulf of evaluation apply to submitting an assignment via T-Square (~60 words each).
  4. Select an activity from your regular life that struggles with a wide gulf of execution or gulf of evaluation. Describe what makes that gulf wider than it might need to be (~100 words). Then, select a similar activity from your regular life that has a narrow gulf of execution or gulf of evaluation. Briefly describe that activity and what gives it a narrower gulf (~100 words), then describe lessons could be borrowed from the second activity to resolve the wide gulf in the first activity (~150 words).

Submission Instructions

Assignments should be submitted to the corresponding assignment on T-Square in accordance with the Assignment Submission Instructions. Most importantly, you should submit a single PDF for each assignment. This PDF will be ported over to Peer Feedback for peer review by your classmates. If your assignment involves things (like videos, working software prototypes, etc.) that cannot be provided in PDF, you should provide them separately (either through the class Resources folder or your own upload destination) and submit a PDF that describes how to access the assignment.

This is an individual assignment. Every student should submit an assignment individually.

Late work is not accepted without advanced agreement except in cases of medical or family emergencies. In the case of an emergency, please contact the Dean of Students.

Grading Information

You are to choose three of the four questions above to answer, and each question is graded out of 5 possible points; thus, the assignment as a whole is graded out of 15 possible points. If you answer more than three questions, the first three will be graded. Your grade and feedback will be returned to you via T-Square. An announcement will be made via Piazza when grades are returned.

Peer Review

After submission, your assignment will be ported to Peer Feedback for review by your classmates. Grading is not the primary function of this peer review process; the primary function is simply to give you the opportunity to read and comment on your classmates’ ideas, and receive additional feedback on your own. All grades will come from the graders alone.

You will typically be assigned three classmates to review. You receive 1.5 participation points for completing a peer review by the end of the day Thursday; 1.0 for completing a peer review by the end of the day Sunday; and 0.5 for completing it after Sunday but before the end of the semester. For more details, see the participation policy.