Spring 2007

Room:YR 201

Time: Tues., Thurs. 5:30-6:45

Textbook: Robert Spence, Information Visualization: Design for Interaction (2nd Edition), Prentice-Hall. Note that this book is brand-new. If for any reason it is not available, we will use the research papers on electronic reserve as the main text.

Supplemental Textbooks:

• Colin Ware (2004), Information Visualization: Perception for Design (2nd Edition) Morgan-Kaufmann.
  An alternative text, heavy on perception
• Benjamin B. Bederson and Ben Shneiderman, eds. (2003) The Craft of Information Visualization: Readings and Reflection, Morgan-Kaufmann.
  Research papers from the University of Maryland<
• Stuart K. Card, Jock D. Mackinlay, and Ben Shneiderman (1999) Readings in Information Visualization: Using Vision To Think, Morgan-Kauffman.
  Classic papers in Information Visualization

Web Page: http://triton.towson.edu/~hhochhei/classes/spring07/686

Course Description:

Information Visualizations combine dense graphical displays with highly interactive user controls to create tools for navigating, exploring, and interpreting large, abstract, multi-dimensional datasets. This course will explore the theory behind information visualization, examine different classes of visualization problems and proposed solutions, and discuss future challenges and open research problems. Readings from current research will inform discussions. Projects will involve the implementation, use, and/or evaluation of information visualization systems, but no programming experience is required.

Course Organization:

This is a research-oriented graduate course. Much of the material that we cover will be taken directly from research papers. You will survey recent research in Information Visualization, both as a means of understanding the work that has been done in the field and as an introduction to the research challenges that are currently of interest.

Lectures will consist of some mix of demonstrations, lectures from the instructor, discussion, and class presentation. Each student will be expected to present at least one paper during the semester. As other students in the class will be expected to be prepared to comment on the papers as well, class participation is crucial.

A semester-long research project is the focus of this course. These projects may be done individually or in groups: a group of n students will be expected to do n times as much work as an individual. Three types of projects are possible: Development projects involve the design and implementation of new visualizations - either from scratch or by using or modifying available visualizations. Experimentation projects involve conducting empirical user studies to measure some aspect of performance with a visualization. Theoretical projects involve the development of new theories or models for information visualization.

A list of project ideas will be provided, but novel ideas are always welcome. Each project will include a proposal, a progress report, and a final paper, which will be a conference-quality research report. These projects provide an excellent opportunity for thesis or other work, and can result in conference publication.

The balance of the course will be a midterm exam, and a small number of homework assignments.

Policies:

• Attendance is a component in the grading of this class. I understand that there may be some instances where absences are unavoidable. However, if you are going to miss more than 2 class meetings, please speak to me as soon as possible.
• Participation is crucial: you will be expected to complete reading assignments and to be prepared to discuss them in class.
• All homework should be submitted electronically via email on the due date. Assignments should be in my inbox by 4PM on the due date. I will try to respond with email receipts. Late assignments will docked 15% per day of lateness.
• Your work should be easy to read: there are many papers to be graded and we do not have the time to decipher cryptic handwriting. If possible, type your work. Otherwise, please write neatly and clearly. In any case, please explain your answers clearly and succinctly. No credit will be given for answers that we cannot understand.
• The work you turn in must be your own. You can feel free to discuss assignment questions with others, and you may need to work in teams during lab times, but the written assignments that are turned in must be your own work. Cheating in any form - including copying someone else's work or letting your work be copied - is unacceptable at Towson University. Do not turn in work that has been copied from somebody else, do not let your work be copied. Anyone found cheating (on either side, copying or being copied) will receive an F for the course and a letter to the dean will be sent. Any incidents of cheating will be handled through appropriate administrative channels.
• Towson University does not post grades. The department office will not inform you about your grade after a course is completed since you can check your grades online.
• University policy states that students may not repeat a course more than once without prior permission of the Academic Standards Committee.
• Please don't use cell phones, pagers, laptops, etc. in class.

Evaluation:

• Class Participation and Paper Presentations: 20%.
• Homework: 20%.
• Midterm Exam: 25%.
• Project: 35%.

Grading Policy

	A: 93-100	A-: 90-92.9
B+: 87-89.9	B: 83-86.9	B-: 80-82.9
C+: 75-79.9	C: 70-74.9
D+: 65-69.9	D: 60-64.9
	F: < 60

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Syllabus:

• Introduction to Information Visualization
• Representations: mapping data to visual features
• Multivariate Data
• Hierarchical Data
• Network Data
• Distortion, Overviews, and Context
• Interaction Techniques
• Evaluation of Information Visualization
• Theories and Models
• Miscellaneous

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