CSC 586a/SENG 480A
Information Visualization and Knowledge Management
Spring 2003
http://www.cs.uvic.ca/~mstorey/teaching/infovis/

Instructor : Dr. Margaret-Anne Storey
Instructor's email : mstorey@uvic.ca
Office: EOW 313
Office Hours : M 2:30-3:30, immediately after class and by appointment

Lecture Schedule:

 Csc586a/SENG 480a: MR 11:30-1:00pm Cornett A 148

Textbook:

Required : Readings in Information Visualization:  Using Vision to Think, Edited by Card, MacKinlay and Shneiderman, Morgan Kaufmann, 2000.  

Course Objectives:

Visualizing and navigating large amounts of information is a challenging problem being faced in many knowledge domains.  Humans frequently rely on external cognitive aids such as maps, diagrams, tables and other visual metaphors.  These graphical tools are used not only to facilitate personal processing and management of information, but also for communicating mental models and information between humans.  Unfortunately, many of these static aids do not scale to the large, complex  information sources available today.  The information visualization and knowledge management communities have both made many exciting technological advancements to address these emerging demands.  These technologies are the focus of this course.

Throughout the term, we will explore the basic principles underlying many different visualization techniques, as well as learn the fundamentals of knowledge management and representation.  We will examine various systems, tools, techniques and visual metaphors, and learn how to critique and evaluate the different approaches.    Moreover we will explore applications and domains that have or could potentially benefit from the use of visualization.  We will learn how to develop new and innovative visualizations to support  information exploration, decision making, communication and information sharing in a variety of domains.   The focus of this course will primarily be (but not exclusively) on visualizing abstract data that does not have a geometric or physical correspondence in the physical world.  A detailed list of the proposed topics and themes are listed below.

Topics and themes:

  • Creative design and innovation

  • Data, Information and Knowledge

  • Cognition and visual perception

  • External cognitive aids

  • Knowledge representation   

  • Using 1D, 2D, 3D, >3D spaces for representing information

  • Trees 

  • Networks 

  • Graph Drawing 

  • Interaction styles

  • Searching, queries 

  • Focus + context 

  • Zoomable interfaces 

  • Hypertext

  • Document Visualization

  • Visualization on the web 

  • Visualizing the Web 

  • Personalized information spaces 

  • Information Workspaces 

  • Collaborative environments for visualization and knowledge management

  • Customizing visualizations

  • Evaluation of information visualization tools

  • Software visualization

  • eLearning and entertainment visualization

  • Visualizing and managing medical information and knowledge

  • Mobile devices and shared devices

  • Visualization and GIS systems

Assignments, critiques, participation and project:

There will be five assignments and five critiques (of assigned readings) assigned during the term.  Assignments and critiques are to be completed individually.  Students are required to participate in class and to the course.  There will be a project which will be completed in groups of 2-3 students (group members will be selected by the instructor).

Exams:

There will be no midterms or final exams in this course.

Csc 586A Grading:

5 assignments at 5% each :  25%
5 critiques at 2% each :  10%
Class participation:  15%
Project :  50%

SENG 480A Grading:

5 assignments at 6% each :  30%
5 critiques at 3% each :  15%
Class participation:    5%
Project :  50%

Final Grades are obtained by converting the numerical scores against the conversion table below.  Dividing lines between letter grades may be adjusted by a maximum of 3% to account for natural breaks in the numeric scores.

F D C C+ B- B B+ A- A A+
0-50 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85-89 90-100

Posting of Grades:

Term marks, provisional final grades and final grades will be posted by student number.  NO NAME WILL APPEAR. These postings are for your information and for your validation of the data entry. If you do not wish your term marks  and grades to be publicly posted in this manner, please notify the course instructor by e-mail no later than  January 15th, 2003.

Course Policies & Guidelines:

Late Assignments : No late assignments are allowed.
Coursework Marks Appeals : All marks must be appealed within 7 days of the mark being posted in writing.

A list of department policies regarding all courses may be found at http://www.csc.uvic.ca/courses/policies/index.html

The University of Victoria is committed to promoting, providing, and protecting a positive, and supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.