Complexity theories, complex systems, systems of systems, adaptive systems, human-centered requirement engineering, socio-cognitive stability, resilience, accident investigation and analysis, traceability, design for simplicity, product and practice maturity.
This research area is associated with the HCD 6840 course (also given as ORP 5090 and CSE 5800) that is usually given during the Spring term, and covers the following topics:
Spring 2013: Tuesdays, 5pm-7:45pm, HCDi conference room, Commons (3rd floor)
For more information, please send an email to dcaballe@fit.edu.
Course Description
This course will cover complexity analysis from various points of view to the benefit of human-centered design (HCD). The research field of complex systems is interdisciplinary. The basic goal is to better understand and put into practice how large numbers of relatively simple entities organize themselves, without necessarily the benefit of any central controller, acting collectively to create patterns, use information, and adapt and learn. The course will introduce graduate students, using theories coming from mathematics, computer science, biological sciences and engineering, to the methods and tools of complexity analysis and modeling, and to front-line research on complexity in several different areas of life-critical systems with human-centered design in mind. Topics will include areas of current research in complex systems science, including dynamics, catastrophe theory and chaos, information and computation, life and evolution in nature and in machines, the science of networks, and network structure and information processing in living systems. We will focus on common principles underlying complexity in both natural and technological systems. Repercussions of complexity analysis will be on grounding concepts such as socio-cognitive stability, resilience engineering, product and practice maturity; and methods such as participatory design, traceability management, design for simplicity.
Teaching Media and Delivery Methods
Each live session will be either a lecture or a discussion on a subject prepared in advance. It may include quizzes of 15 minutes at the beginning of the live session. The results of these quizzes may be included in the final score of the course for each student.
Lectures on a specific life-critical system domain, i.e., aeronautics, space, nuclear, medicine, will be given by an expert in this domain. Experts may come from outside of FIT.
It is required that each student read the handouts prepared one week before each live session. This is a very important requirement since live session should be interactive as much as possible.
Lectures will be formally given using slides (video projection) and black/white board text and graphic presentations. Movies may be projected. At the end of each live session a small exercise will be given to make theoretical concepts more concrete and applicable.
Grading Weights by Course Element
All live session have the same weight, i.e., students are required to be present for all live sessions (the list of participant students will be made at the beginning of each session).
Evaluation will be conducted as follows:
Laboratory Use
No specific laboratory will be used. The Human-Centered Design Institute may be used for some demonstrations.
Teamwork Applications in the Course
Each student will be asked to apply each lecture to his or her own project.
Texts and References
Student Materials Beyond Texts, References, and Common Student Materials
Course handouts will be distributed before each live session (typically one week before).
A Web site will be maintained where students will find appropriate information required for each live session and the whole course.