Grades and the answers to the multiple choice questions on tests 1 and 2 are in the file GradesAnswers4D03.html. Please verify your grades against the papers returned to you and report any discrepancies as soon as possible, by December 10 at the latest.

Human vision: I have added links to information on the fovea of the retina, the night blind spot, the distribution of rods and cones in the retina, etc. to the file PerceptionExp.html.

Questions regarding the accelerator and MBE human machine interfaces: If, after reviewing your notes taken during your visit to these laboratories, you have further questions, (1) review the pictures of this equipment and the control panels on our web site (see below), (2) discuss your questions with classmates, especially ones in different groups and (3) ask Mr. Scott McMaster (telephone extension 23640), who has kindly offered to answer your questions. The TAs or I may also be able to answer your questions.

Pictures of the accelerator and MBE equipment and control panels are available as follows:

• Accelerator pictures for general viewing are at AccMBE/AcceleratorSmall/Acc.html.
• MBE pictures for general viewing are at AccMBE/MBESmall/MBE.html.

• Individual high resolution pictures of the accelerator are in directory AccMBE/Accelerator.
• Individual high resolution pictures of the MBE are in directory AccMBE/MBE.

• The entire sequence of high resolution pictures of the accelerator is at AccMBE/Accelerator/Acc.html.
• The entire sequence of high resolution pictures of the MBE is at AccMBE/MBE/MBE.html.

For general introductory information on the accelerator and the MBE system, see web page AccMBE\AcceleratorMBE.html.

Assignment 6 was due on November 25 and is in the file Assignment06.html. Because you are expected to put more extensive thought and effort into this assignment than into others, and to integrate different kinds of material to a much greater extent than in previous assignments, this assignment will be weighted doubly (i.e. counted as two assignments) in the calculation of grades.

Perceptional experiments and illusions: See the file PerceptionExp.html for visual and auditory illusions demonstrating that what you see or hear is not necessarily what is really there and that what is really there is not necessarily what you see or hear.

Teaching assistants: Our teaching assistants (TAs) are:
Hong Duan, DuanH@McMaster.CA, tel. ext. 23101, room ITC/223.
Jian Sun, Sun@function.CAS.McMaster.CA, tel. ext. 23101, room ITC/223.
If you would like to meet with either or both of our TAs, please email them first to arrange a time and to tell them what you would like to talk about.

Reading and study assignments:
("S1" below stands for Shneiderman chapter 1; "R2", for Raskin chapter 2, etc.)

before September 9: Read and study S1, R1.
before September 16: Read and study R2, S2.
before September 19: Read and study S10.
before October 7: Review the above chapters, your notes on the lectures on human psychology and perception, and all assignments to date thoroughly.

Test 1 on October 8 Tuesday, 13:30-14:20, ABB/B163

Test 2 on November 12 Tuesday, 13:30-14:20, ABB/B163

Last assignment: due November 25

Note: Your reading is expected to precede the corresponding lectures. The lectures will explain, discuss and expand upon the material you have read, not simply repeat it. You should be prepared to raise questions in the lectures on the material covered, which you are expected to have already read.

A web site for our textbook by Ben Shneiderman is located at http://www.awl.com/DTUI.

Note for your reading:
The literature on human computer interfaces contains many suggestions, principles, guidelines, "rules", "laws", etc. for designers. Unfortunately, they are not well structured or systematized. When reading the literature on human-artifact interfaces, therefore, compile a condensed and systematized list of these principles. Strike a meaningful compromise between completeness and brevity, between generality and concrete detail. Edit and revise your list from time to time as needed. Compiling such a list will help you to identify the main and important points and will be useful as a study guide before tests and the final examination.

Select points for your list which seem to you to be fundamental, widely applicable and useful to designers.

The most important aspect of this process of extracting key points from text is to think about and consider carefully what you read and then select and organize the ideas and guidelines most worth remembering. Do not simply and mechanically copy particular phrases.

You should compile your own list of principles, rules, guidelines, etc., from the material you read in the two books and any other relevant literature you read. You will not find them neatly listed for you; instead, you should glean them yourself from the texts. Pick out those ideas, suggestions, etc. which seem to you to be particularly important, rephrasing passages in the books as you feel appropriate. Select and summarize the most important points, based on your own interpretation, understanding and judgement. Draw your own conclusions from the material in the books and from your experience doing the assignments and exercises.

In the textbooks, the authors italicize some passages they consider particularly important. These are candidates for your list, but do not simply add them to your list without carefully considering them. If you do, your list will be much too long. Also, Raskin identifies some points as "laws". Again, these are candidates for your list, but do not accept them without careful consideration.