Guidelines Bachelor

The following recommendations apply if you have chosen the study profile "Interactive Systems" (Prof. Dr. Reiterer and Prof. Dr. Feuchtner, Human-Computer Interaction Group) and refer to the examination regulations (Prüfungsordnung) of the bachelor study program Information Engineering or Computer Science.

Profile-specific courses are those that are offered by the Human-Computer Interaction Group (Prof. Dr. Reiterer and Prof. Dr. Feuchtner). 

The choice of these courses as well as the choice of courses from different departments has to be made in agreement with your mentor, Prof. Dr. Reiterer or Prof. Dr. Feuchtner.

Attention: According to the new examination regulation (Prüfungsordnung) some of the courses can only be attended by students in the master program. Please check the examination regulation (Prüfungsordung) that is valid for you.

Important notes referring to the proceeding of the "Seminar to the Bachelor Project", the "Bachelor Project, and the "Bachelor Thesis"

The aim of the bachelor's degree consists, among other things, of the mediation of scientific skills and a (guided) scientific working method. This includes writing a final scientific thesis. It is not expected that the results can be published at scientific conferences. It is rather expected from the student to have a solid understanding of the learned methods and to be able to apply them to a complex problem.

The bachelor thesis is considered as a combination of the seminar for the bachelor project and the bachelor project (see figure 1). Thus the combination is supervised and advised in close coordination with your supervisor (Prof. Dr. Reiterer or Prof. Dr. Feuchtner and the supervising PhD or Postdoctoral student/s).

At the beginning of the semester, the current project topics for the semester are presented in the HCI Student Jour Fixe (see also Current Topics). After the selection of a topic in agreement with a supervising (post)doctoral student, the work on the seminar can be started. Similar to other courses, the seminar for the bachelor project must be completed within the semester in which the registration for the examination took place. After successfully completing the seminar for the bachelor project, work on the bachelor project can begin. The bachelor project must be registered using the appropriate registration form. For the successful completion of the bachelor seminar and the bachelor project, it is in each case required to submit a written documentation and to hold a 30-minute presentation. At the beginning of the semester, a deadline for the written submission of the seminar paper and the project report is announced in the HCI Student Jour Fixe. The deadline is the same for both documentations. The presentation dates are assigned to the participants at the beginning of the semester in the HCI Student Jour Fixe.

I) Seminar to the Bachelor Project

The seminar to the bachelor project is used to familiarize you with the theoretical basics and state-of-the-art analysis of your topic. In addition, you identify and define possible research questions that you will address afterward in your bachelor project. Participants receive initial literature at the beginning. It is crucial to engage in the initial literature and analyze it in detail in your seminar paper. Students are encouraged to search for further literature on their own and to include it in their seminar work in addition to the initial literature.

Seminar Paper

The seminar paper should account for the basic structure that is presented in the following and clearly answer the mentioned questions. The presented structure and the listed questions are only intended to provide a starting point for the structure of the seminar paper. The detailed structuring and addressing of further relevant questions depend on the topic to be worked on and should be done in consultation with the supervising (post)doctoral student/s.

1. Abstract

2. Introduction

• What is the question that the seminar paper addresses?
• What is your motivation for the seminar paper?
• How is the seminar paper structured? (Overview for the different sections)

3. Main part:

• Which requirements need to be addressed from a conceptual point of view?
• How were the requirements addressed by related scientific work? (overview about the fulfillment of the requirements by related work + detailed analysis of related work)
• How do the results of the related work analysis implicate the realization of the bachelor project? (discussion)

4. Final part:

• What is - based on the results of the related work analysis and the discussion - planned for the bachelor project? (presentation of the planned concept)
• What is the planned schedule concerning the bachelor project and the bachelor thesis?

Presentation

The presentation should clearly answer the questions that are provided in the following, among others. As for the seminar paper, the listed questions are only intended to provide a starting point for the structure of the presentation.

• What is the motivation for the seminar and what question does it address?
• How were the requirements addressed by related scientific work? (Overview of all analyzed works + selected details)
• How do the results of the related work analysis implicate the realization of the bachelor project? (discussion)
• What is - based on the results of the related work analysis and the discussion - planned for the bachelor project? (presentation of the planned concept)
• What is the planned schedule concerning the bachelor project and the bachelor thesis?

The presentation should highlight the most important aspects. The main focus of the presentation should be on the analysis of the related scientific work, the own conclusions that were drawn based on the analysis, and the resulting concept for the realization of the bachelor project. Basic concepts that have already been explained in courses of the Human-Computer Interaction group, and that should therefore be familiar to the participants of the HCI Student Jour Fixe (e.g., the Virtuality Continuum of Milgram and Kishino) should not be re-explained in detail in the presentation due to time constraints. Based on the presentation, feedback will be given by Prof. Dr. Reiterer and Prof. Dr. Feuchtner, the (post)doctoral students of the research group, and other students. It is not expected that this feedback will be incorporated into the written seminar paper. However, it is expected that the feedback will be taken into account in further work on the thesis.

Submissions

• Seminar paper: approximately 10-15 pages in the HCI Konstanz template (Latex, .zip - alternative templates (e.g. Microsoft Word) on request)
• Presentation: 30 minutes + subsequent discussion

Seminar Paper Samples

Sample submissions are available on Ilias.

II) Bachelor-Project

The subsequent bachelor project allows you to practically solve a complex human-computer interaction problem. Two models exist:

• The design-oriented project covers the conceptual design and the implementation of a novel interaction concept. The concepts (e.g. scenarios, personas, sketches, story boards) and their implementation are documented in the written project report.
• The evaluation-oriented project consists in the conduction of a comprehensive evaluation study. The subject matter of the evaluation, the chosen evaluation setting, and the conduction (including a pilot study) are documented in the written project report.

Under guidance, the participants learn how to organize a challenging project, carry it out, and communicate it. The technical and conceptual complexity of the implementation/evaluation study is supposed to be appropriate to the bachelor program.

Registration

You have to use this registration form to register for the master project:

Registration Form Bachelor Project 

Project Report

The project report should account for the basic structure that is presented in the following and clearly answer the mentioned questions. The presented structure and the listed questions are only intended to provide a starting point for the structure of the project report. The detailed structuring and addressing of further relevant questions depends on the topic to be worked on and should be done in consultation with the supervising (post)doctoral student/s.

1. Abstract

2. Introduction:

• What is the motivation for the project?
• How is the project report structured? (Overview for the different sections)

3. Main part:

• How do the results of the seminar work inform the project?
• Which requirements need to be addressed from a technical point of view to realize the concept that was derived in the seminar work (interaction concept/study setting)?
• Which previous work (e.g., related to interaction concepts or algorithms), and other available products (software, hardware, and other materials) can help to address the requirements to which extent? (comparative analysis and clear reasons for choices that were made to realize the project)
• How was the project realized? (methodology)
• What was realized in the project and which limitations do still exist?

4. Final part:

• What is - based on the final status of the project - planned for the bachelor thesis? (Outlook to the planned study/data analysis and possibly still necessary revisions of implementation parts)
• What is the planned schedule in regard to the bachelor thesis?

Presentation

The presentation should clearly answer the questions that are provided in the following among others. As for the project report, the listed questions are only intended to provide a starting point for the structure of the presentation. Important: As part of the project presentation, a live demo is expected! It is also recommended to make a backup video to be able to use it in case of unforeseen problems during the demo.

• What is the motivation for the project?
• How do the results of the seminar work inform the project?
• Which requirements needed to be addressed from a technical point of view to realize the concept that was derived in the seminar work (interaction concept/study setting)?
• How did previous work (e.g., related to interaction concepts or algorithms), and other available products (software, hardware, and other materials) help to address the requirements?
• How was the project realized? (methodology)
• What was realized in the project and which limitations do still exist?
• What is - based on the final status of the project - planned for the bachelor thesis? (Outlook to the planned study/data analysis and possibly still necessary revisions of implementation parts)
• What is the planned schedule in regard to the bachelor thesis?

The presentation should highlight the most important aspects (e.g., the three key challenges that were mastered). The focus should be on clearly communicating how the technical realization was done based on the preliminary seminar work. This includes the clear argumentation and justification of design decisions. Basic concepts that have already been explained in courses of the Human-Computer Interaction group, and that should therefore be familiar to the participants of the HCI Student Jour Fixe (e.g., the Virtuality Continuum of Milgram and Kishino) should not be re-explained in detail in the presentation due to time constraints. Based on the presentation, feedback will be given by Prof. Dr. Reiterer and Prof. Dr. Feuchtner, the (post)doctoral students of the research group, and other students. It is not expected that this feedback will be incorporated into the written project report. However, it is expected that the feedback will be taken into account in the further work on the thesis.

Submissions

• Project report: approximately 15-25 pages in the HCI Konstanz Template (Latex, .zip - alternative templates (e.g. Microsoft Word) on request)
• Presentation: 30 minutes + subsequent discussion

Project Report Samples

Sample submissions are available on Ilias.

III) Bachelor-Thesis

Usually, the subsequent master thesis continues the bachelor project.

• The design-oriented master thesis focuses on the conduction of a usability test (with approx. 6-8 users) or a case study (with approx. 2-4 users) in which the implemented design concept is evaluated. The respective insights and implications form the focus of the thesis. Before the study is introduced, the essential findings from the seminar (the state-of-the-art analysis, 3-5 pages) and the project (a brief description of the technical solution, 3-5 pages) are presented.
  
  Typical structure of the thesis: Motivation & research question, results of the state-of-the-art analysis (with reference to the seminar paper), individually developed interaction concept (with reference to the project report), study, study results & conclusions, overall conclusion & outlook.

• The evaluation-oriented master thesis focuses on the presentation and the interpretation of the results of the evaluation. Respective implications have to be presented in detail (e.g. redesign proposals, new evaluation setting, new research question). Additionally, the essential findings from the seminar (the state-of-the-art analysis, 3-5 pages) and the project (a brief description of subject-matter, 3-5 pages) are presented.
  
  Typical structure of the thesis: research question, results of the state-of-the-art analysis (with reference to the seminar paper), subject-matter (with reference to the project report), results, conclusions, outlook.
  
   

Submissions

• Thesis: approximately 40-60 pages (e.g in the HCI Konstanz Template (Latex, .zip - alternative templates (e.g. Microsoft Word) on request))
  • The cover sheet is provided by the university. See: https://www.informatik.uni-konstanz.de/en/service-and-support/links-and-downloads/
  • Attention, the guidelines for the format and submission of the thesis, which are given in the examination regulations and elsewhere by the university, must be checked and primarily followed. If there should be a conflict with the provided template in the future, the guidelines from the examination regulations and other guidelines of the university take precedence!
• Presentation: 30 minutes + subsequent discussion
• Video showing the final outcome of your practical implementation
  • Format: mp4
  • Resolution: maximun available(e.g. HD or full HD)
  • Length: max. 5 min