Modeling and Simulation encompasses interactivity in digital production. Coursework involves designing game narratives, as well as analysis of human-computer (and human-machine) interaction. You can gain expertise in user experience design (UXD) as well as predictive simulation modeling and creating interactive digital games. Every course that counts for this module are typically offered at Behrend each semester unless specified. All game development courses count towards this module.
Here are some minors that relate to this module:
Computer Science
Game Development
Psychology
Also check out the Human Factors Certificate
Problem solving for non-majors.This course focuses on the following: high-level language programming, controlstructures, functions, parameters, recursion, arrays, records/ structures, verification, debugging and documentation.
*Course offered in Fa. and Sp. semesters
Prerequisite: 2 entrance units in mathematics
OO programming, visual programming, classes, objects, ADTs, inheritance, recursion, regular expressions, user-defined controls, documentation, testing, verification and productivity tools are taught in this course. This course forms the second of a two course sequence of courses for non-major students.
It is designed to build upon concepts and skills presented in the first course, CMPSC 102, with the intent of enabling the student to develop larger scale programs and interface with databases and Web servers using a visual programming language. Some of the topics covered in this course will be object-oriented programming, inheritance, string manipulation, regular expressions, creating custom controls, creating controls dynamically, interfacing with databases and using an appropriate platform, such as ASPX.net to create web pages.
This course forms the second of a two course sequence of courses for non-major students. It covers advanced features of the target language , building larger scale programs and interfaces to databases and web servers. It builds on the skills covered in CMPSC-102 and introduces creating new controls, dynamically placing controls at run time, arrays and lists of controls, the use of regular expressions,more in-depth treatment of classes and objects including: inheritance and polymorphism,multi-dimensional arrays,lists,unit testing and project deployment.
*Course offered during Fa. and Sp. semesters
Select one of the following prerequisites:
CMPSC 102
CMPSC 121
In Modeling and Simulation, students will develop an understanding of the systems, processes, tools, and implications of this field.
*Consult with your advisor about when course is offered
Prerequisite:
3 credits of programming(Digit 210 can be accepted); 3 credits of mathematics
Cross-listed with: GAME 430
MIS 387 Website Design and Administration (3) is an applied, hands-on, interdisciplinary website design/administration course. Acquired concepts, techniques and tools are exercised in individual and team projects. is designed to teach students how to design, create, deploy, and administer websites.
The students will have the opportunity to obtain a solid understanding of some of the tools and techniques, beyond basic HTML, used to publish on the Internet via the World Wide Web. Additionally, the students will learn how to present themselves professionally on the web to a specific target audience.
The students' experiences will not be limited to the design and implementation of a website, but will include the opportunity to work within a team, to understand the benefits of working with client organizations to develop a website, and a
web implementation plan.
*Course offered during Fa. and Sp.
Prerequisite: MIS 204
Introductory course in engineering/human factors psychology, emphasizing the application of core psychological principles and research to designing products and systems. PSYCH 244 Introduction to the Psychology of Human Factors Engineering (3) Human Factors Psychology is an area of psychology where the overall focus is the scientific study of human behavior and how it can be applied to the use, design and development of products and systems.
Students will learn basic principles of how people process information, perceive and interact with the world in various circumstances. They will learn how psychologists conduct research on human thought and behavior in an effort to measure peoples' perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. These basic principles will be illustrated and explored with a series of hands-on activities that relate the material to everyday life.Topics to be covered include: research design and methods, sensation and perception, memory and
language, and social psychology. Psychological principles from these areas will be used to discuss ways to improve the safety of tools and systems, reduce human error and increase user satisfaction.
Students will also gain a better understanding of the influence of stress and workload on human performance. A major topic will be ways to develop reliable and valid evaluation techniques for assessing performance, safety and ease of use of systems. In order to design effective systems, individual differences in age, gender and culture must be taken into account. People in different regions of the world have cultural differences that influence the way they perceive the world and process information. These individual differences will be addressed throughout the semester. Topics are presented through a combination of lectures, readings, demonstrations, and in-class activities.
Active learning elements such as library/internet research, writing activities, and
collaborate learning experiences will be applied. Evaluation is on the basis of content-based quizzes, objective exams, brief written reports of hands-on exercises, and collaborative assignments. A major goal of the course is to show how questions relating to proper use and design of tools, computers and other systems are addressed through empirical research. The course introduces students to theories, research, and procedures used in psychological research and practice. It also promotes students to think critically about how they can apply this knowledge to enhance their lives.
After taking this course students should have more sophisticated knowledge of the relationship between the brain, our thought processes and behavior. They should be able to make more informed decisions about what makes a usable product as well gain a better appreciation of the science and profession of human factors psychology.
Select one of the following prerequisites:
PSYCH 100
3 credits of GS
The goal of this course is to give students a detailed introduction to the basic questions in the study of how the energies and information in the external world become part of our immediate experience. This includes questions about how patterned energies (such as light, sound, etc.) are coded by our sensory systems and how those codes are used to support psychological experience. These are fundamental and fascinating questions and concern the most basic ways in which we interact with and experience the physical world.
Students will consider these questions in detail with respect to the visual and auditory systems, and time permitting, with other sensory systems. Because these questions are such fundamental questions, they have long intellectual histories. Philosophers and scientists have been working on these questions for centuries, and the scientific study of them forms the basis for much of contemporary scientific psychology. We will be examining some of
this intellectual history and be discussing the connection between the scientific study of sensation and perception and the other natural sciences, including biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics (including computer science). The class will also focus on some of the tools and techniques that have been developed for the study of sensation and perception. The course will show that these tools and techniques are very general and have application to a broad range of issues in human psychology.
Students will learn the basic procedures for data collection and analysis, and the procedures for evaluating inferences on the basis of that data. The study of perception requires the integration of techniques, methods, and tools from a variety of other sciences, including mathematics. Physics, algebra, and geometry are involved in understanding light as a source of information. Chemistry is involved in the absorption of light by photoreceptors as well as the mechanisms
of neural communication in all sensory systems. Probability and electrical engineering contribute the tools used to conduct signal detection analyses of perceptual performance.
It is not assumed that students are experts in any of these fields, nor do we expect that students will be when the course is complete, however, we do expect students to be willing to consider their importance to perceptual psychology.
*Course counts toward GS requirement
Prerequisite: Psych 100