Visual Languages and Modelling

Course Title: Visual Languages and Modelling (Special Topic)

Course Number: CS1699

Instructor: Prof. S. K. Chang
Office: SQ6101
E-Mail: chang@cs.pitt.edu
Tel: +1-412-624-8423

Time and Classroom: TuTh 9:30am to 10:45am FKART 204

Course Description: There has been growing interests in visual languages, firstly as means of communications between humans and humans or humans and machines, and secondly as tools in modelling and design. Its applications are diverse: scenario-based presentations and design, data visualization, data mining, visual analytics, visual user interface, visual specifications, visual reasoning, visual database systems and multimedia computing, to name but a few. This course is intended for liberal arts students to understand the basic elements of visual languages: maps, icons, relations and scenarios. Through projects using tools such as visualization software, UML diagrams, IC cards and Lego games, students will develop the skills to apply visual languages in scenario-based design and modelling. A student equipped with the basic knowledge and tools will be able to apply visual languages to model, represent, articulate, enact and solve complex real-life problems.

Intended Students: This course is intended for students in the track on Digital Narrative and Interactive Design Program offered jointly by School of Computing and Information and the English Department. However all students interested in visual languages are welcome.

Pre-requisites: Students are expected to have some basic knowledge of computers and how to use computers to navigate the Internet, but no prior programming skills are required.

Class Notes: Class notes will be provided to the class. The notes will be available on the Internet. Detailed course outline provides the background, theory and applcation of visual languages.

Grading: The student is expected to complete four exercises (20%), take midterm and final exam (40%), and do a project and make a project presentation/demonstration (40%).

Project: A student can select a real life problem and apply the knowledge he/she has learned in class about visual languages to represent, model, articulate, enact or simulate the complex problem using a combination of maps, icons, relations and scenarios.