PSYCH 124B
Fundamentals of User Experience
Description: Lecture, four hours. Requisite: course 120A or 120B. Designed for juniors/seniors. Thorough introduction to core principles and methods in field of user experience research and design. This relatively new discipline has evolved as psychologists and designers have begun to place greater focus on understanding and anticipating needs of humans using their products. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
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Most Helpful Review
Summer 2024 - This class was a complete disaster from start to finish. The instructor only delivered lectures for the first two weeks and was virtually absent afterward, leaving us to fend for ourselves. Communication was abysmal, with both the instructor and TA taking days or weeks to respond to emails, often with unhelpful answers. The assignment instructions were incredibly vague and riddled with grammatical errors, making them nearly impossible to understand. A significant portion of our grade (30%) depended on a group project for which we received no instructions and were expected to rate other groups based purely on 'vibes' since no rubric was provided. The average grade for the project was a B, but it was unclear how these grades were determined. The grading system was also deeply flawed. All assignments were ranked against other classmates, meaning there was a limited number of A/A- grades available. This competitive grading system created unnecessary stress and did not accurately reflect individual effort or understanding of the material. This class was such a train wreck, and I really felt like I learned very little. I truly regret wasting money and time on such a worthless exercise.
Summer 2024 - This class was a complete disaster from start to finish. The instructor only delivered lectures for the first two weeks and was virtually absent afterward, leaving us to fend for ourselves. Communication was abysmal, with both the instructor and TA taking days or weeks to respond to emails, often with unhelpful answers. The assignment instructions were incredibly vague and riddled with grammatical errors, making them nearly impossible to understand. A significant portion of our grade (30%) depended on a group project for which we received no instructions and were expected to rate other groups based purely on 'vibes' since no rubric was provided. The average grade for the project was a B, but it was unclear how these grades were determined. The grading system was also deeply flawed. All assignments were ranked against other classmates, meaning there was a limited number of A/A- grades available. This competitive grading system created unnecessary stress and did not accurately reflect individual effort or understanding of the material. This class was such a train wreck, and I really felt like I learned very little. I truly regret wasting money and time on such a worthless exercise.
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2025 - This class had pros and cons. I learned a lot about user research and design, and I liked that it not only applied to software systems, but also to daily use products. I found it difficult to pay attention in lecture and attendance is not mandatory, but there are 5 quizzes spread throughout the quarter. She didn't have an access code until the last quiz, so a lot of people stopped showing up in class to take the lecture and took it at home. You are not supposed to use notes during these quizzes. Other than the way the quizzes were structured, there was a big group project which she broke down into three smaller parts, and it's typical group work- some people will contribute some people won't. She gives you the option to rank your groupmates to give them participation points though. The project was useful- something you can put on your resume and she is VERY helpful with any questions you have. Overall, material is interesting, project is good, but quizzes weren't. Major part of grade was the project.
Winter 2025 - This class had pros and cons. I learned a lot about user research and design, and I liked that it not only applied to software systems, but also to daily use products. I found it difficult to pay attention in lecture and attendance is not mandatory, but there are 5 quizzes spread throughout the quarter. She didn't have an access code until the last quiz, so a lot of people stopped showing up in class to take the lecture and took it at home. You are not supposed to use notes during these quizzes. Other than the way the quizzes were structured, there was a big group project which she broke down into three smaller parts, and it's typical group work- some people will contribute some people won't. She gives you the option to rank your groupmates to give them participation points though. The project was useful- something you can put on your resume and she is VERY helpful with any questions you have. Overall, material is interesting, project is good, but quizzes weren't. Major part of grade was the project.
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