Course Policies

AI 380: Human-AI Interaction · Fall 2026

Important

This syllabus is subject to modification as the semester progresses — particularly the class schedule. Students will be informed of any updates via Canvas announcement and class Discord.

Grading

Each activity (whether completed individually or in group) will be graded based on a defined rubric. Verbal or written feedback will be provided on most submissions and presentations. There will also be an active participation grade that students can accumulate over the course duration.

Grade Allocation

Component Weight
Active Class/Lab/Workshop Participation 20%
Homework / Personal Project 20%
Mid-term Quizzes 10%
Group Project 40%
Final Course Reflection Essay 10%
Total 100%

Grade Distribution

Score Grade
≥ 95.00 A
90.00 – 94.99 A–
85.00 – 89.99 B+
80.00 – 84.99 B
75.00 – 79.99 B–
60.00 – 74.99 C
< 60.00 F

Attendance Policy

Consistent attendance is essential for your success in this course. You are expected to attend all classes, labs, and workshops, and actively participate in class discussions and activities. Come to each session prepared and ready to contribute meaningfully. Attendance will be tracked either explicitly or through in-class participation activities, which cannot be made up if missed. If you are unable to attend class due to illness or an emergency, please notify the instructor as soon as possible.

Attendance, Participation & Reading Activities

Your grade for this category will be based on both your attendance and your active participation in class activities. Attendance will be taken randomly throughout the semester, and consistent presence is expected. Additionally, your completion of out-of-class and in-class reading and activities will also contribute to this portion of your grade. Please note that these activities are integral to your learning experience and cannot be made up if missed.

Late Submission and Incomplete Assignment Policy

Warning

Late submission is not allowed in this course.

I totally understand that as humans, things can sometimes come up or go wrong, and you are unable to get an assignment turned in on time. This kind of situation calls for some flexibility where I could consider accepting a late submission. However, this flexibility MUST be subject to my awareness and approval. Therefore, if any student is in this kind of unfortunate situation and would need more time to submit homework or the project a bit late, please contact me immediately.

I must receive an email and reply to it before the due date in order to implement this policy. As a matter of rule, no lateness beyond 1 day (24 hours) can be tolerated for any given homework/project. In some cases, a penalty (i.e., losing a portion or an entire grade for a particular submission) could be applied by the instructor based on the assessment of reasons for late submission, which is solely at the instructor’s discretion.

All students are allowed a maximum of two (2) late submissions in all assignments throughout the course, provided the late submission has been granted by the instructor following the protocol outlined above.

General Notes

  • Collaboration is highly expected in this course both during and outside of the classroom. Students will work together to understand how to solve the homework, complete projects, and other class activities.
  • Students are responsible for all missed work, regardless of the reason for absence. It is also the absentee’s responsibility to get all missing notes or materials.

Policy on the Use of AI and Generative AI

This is a course that heavily integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative AI (GenAI) in designing interfaces for human use. As such, students are encouraged to explore and utilize these technologies responsibly. AI can be an excellent resource for:

  • Explaining complex concepts
  • Providing coding examples
  • Offering debugging suggestions
  • Recommending best practices
  • Exploring new ideas and approaches

Responsible Use and Academic Integrity

While the use of AI for learning is encouraged, it is crucial to maintain academic integrity and ensure genuine skill development. Therefore:

  • Do not use AI to directly solve all portions of assignments. Assignments are designed to develop your skills and understanding. Using AI to generate entire solutions when not instructed to do so is strictly prohibited.
  • Acknowledge AI usage. When you use AI or GenAI tools for inspiration or assistance in your workflow, you must clearly acknowledge this in your submissions. Include a brief note explaining how and where AI was used.
  • Understand what you submit. Ensure you review and understand any code or concepts you include in your work, regardless of whether AI assisted in generating them.

Warning: The Perils of Over-Reliance on AI

Over-reliance on AI for completing entire coursework may:

  • Hinder your learning — The hands-on experience of conceptualizing ideas, defining problems, and problem-solving is irreplaceable.
  • Impede your growth — Relying on AI prevents you from developing critical thinking skills essential for a career in UX/AI design.
  • Limit your creativity — Over-dependence can stifle your ability to come up with innovative solutions.
  • Compromise your future career — Employers value designers who can think independently and solve complex problems.
Warning

Consequences of Misuse: Misuse of AI tools, including using them to directly complete entire assignments without proper acknowledgment, will be treated as academic dishonesty and may result in disciplinary action.

Academic Honesty for Students in Computer Science

Academic integrity is crucial in your journey as a computer science student. The skills and knowledge you develop here will serve as the foundation for your future career.

Reasonable Actions

  • Talking with classmates about assignments — Engaging in discussions to clarify assignment requirements.
  • Discussing solution strategies verbally — Brainstorming and exchanging ideas, as long as no actual code is shared.
  • Whiteboarding a solution — Collaboratively working on diagrams, outlines, or pseudocode without writing actual code.
  • Referring classmates to helpful resources — Suggesting chapters, websites, or other materials.
  • Searching the web for general help — Looking for concepts that might aid in solving the problem, without seeking exact solutions.
  • Using a small amount of code from reliable sources — Incorporating minor code snippets from online or books, provided they are not the core of the solution and are properly cited.
  • Working with a tutor — Receiving help while ensuring all code written is your own.
  • Pairs programming during official activities — Collaboratively writing code with a partner as part of a designated pairs programming assignment.

Reasonable But Be Careful

  • Showing your code to another student — Sharing code for debugging purposes only, in a controlled, private setting.
  • Reviewing others’ code post-submission — Analyzing peers’ code after submission to enhance learning.

Not Reasonable

  • Submitting another student’s work as your own.
  • Copying from another student’s quiz or exam.
  • Viewing or copying another student’s solution.
  • Copying solutions from previous years.
  • Recording or sharing exam content.
  • Maintaining public repositories of course solutions.

Always remember: academic honesty is about ensuring that the work you submit is truly your own. If you are ever unsure about what is allowed, please ask the instructor for clarification.

Willamette University Policies

This section has been adapted from the Willamette University Academic Policy.

Academic Honesty

Cheating is defined as any form of intellectual dishonesty or misrepresentation of one’s knowledge. Plagiarism — intentionally or unintentionally representing someone else’s work as your own — is strictly prohibited. An instructor may impose penalties ranging from a grade reduction to failing the course. An instructor can also involve the Office of the Dean of the School of Computing and Information Sciences for further action. For further information, read the School of Computing and Information Science students handbook.

Academic Integrity

Students of Willamette University are members of a community that values excellence and integrity in every aspect of life. Students are expected not to engage in any type of academic or intellectually dishonest practice and are encouraged to display honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Plagiarism and cheating may be grounds for failure in the course and/or dismissal from the College. For further information, read the Willamette Academic Integrity Policy.

Classroom Conduct

As an educational institution, the School of Computing and Information Sciences is committed to supporting the ideals and standards that help create a constructive and healthy learning community.

Constructive classroom behaviors support learners and teachers in an environment promoting trust, respect, and collaborative learning.

Disruptive classroom behaviors undermine or interfere with the abilities to learn and to teach. Clear examples include: interrupting others; distracting the class; making unauthorized recordings or photos of class meetings; and in extreme cases, any physical threat or harassment toward a student, staff member, or instructor.

Warning

It is a violation of policy to reproduce or distribute class content without explicit permission from the course instructor and implicated course participants, as stated in the university academic integrity policy under section d.

Commitment to Positive Sexual Ethics

Willamette is a community committed to fostering safe, productive learning environments. Title IX and school policy prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, which regards sexual misconduct — including discrimination, harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Please be aware that as a mandatory reporter, the instructor is required to report any instances disclosed to Willamette’s Title IX Coordinator. For confidential support, contact:

Diversity and Disability Statement

Willamette University values diversity and inclusion; we are committed to a climate of mutual respect and full participation. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or accurate assessment or achievement, please notify the instructor as soon as possible.

Students with disabilities are also encouraged to contact:
Accessible Education Services — Smullin 155
Phone: 503-370-6737
Email: Accessible-info@willamette.edu

SOAR Center

The SOAR Center provides free, confidential, and equitable access to food, toiletries, professional clothing, textbooks, and scholarly resources for all WU and WU-affiliated students. Located on the Putnam University Center’s third floor. Email: soar-center@willamette.edu

Land Acknowledgement

We are gathered on the land of the Kalapuya, today represented by the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians, whose relationship with this land continues to this day. We offer gratitude for the land itself, for those who have stewarded it for generations, and for the opportunity to study, learn, work, and be in community on this land. We acknowledge that our University’s history, like many others, is fundamentally tied to the first colonial developments in the Willamette Valley. We respectfully acknowledge and honor past, present, and future Indigenous students of Willamette.

Time Commitment

Willamette’s Credit Hour Policy holds that for every hour of class time, there is an expectation of 2–3 hours of work outside of class. For this course, students should anticipate spending 6–9 hours outside of class per week engaged in course-related activities, including reading course materials, preparing for discussion, and completing assignments.

Intellectual Property & Privacy

Class materials and discussions, including recorded lectures, are for the sole purpose of educating enrolled students. The release of such information (including but not limited to directly sharing, screen capturing, or recording content) is strictly prohibited unless the instructor states otherwise. Doing so without permission will be considered an Honor Code violation and may also be a violation of state and federal laws, such as the Copyright Act.

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