Various Demographic Area Pretesting Activities

Protocol for Usability Testing with Students

FACILITATOR:

Thank you for participating in this study.

You are here today because you can help us understand how well some of our computer programs work for young adults your age.

You will be asked to use a computer program to do activities and tasks. We will keep track of what you do with the computer.

This study will be very similar to using other computer software that you use at home or school. Similar to the programs you use in those places, there are very few risks associated with this study. By joining us, you can help us design better computer programs.

This will take less than one hour.

You may change your mind at any time and stop working with us, or you can ask any questions you like. You also can choose to not do any activity if you wish. If you have problems of any kind, please let your parent or guardian know.

Please keep in mind that we are evaluating this computer program and not you. We would like to hear any difficulties, thoughts and frustrations that you may have in order for us to create a better website.

Pre-test questions

FACILITATOR: Before we begin, please look at this home page without clicking on anything; I am going to ask you some questions about this page:

(Facilitator asks the following questions :)

1. What is the purpose of this website?
   
   
   
   

2. What organization is responsible for this website? How can you tell?
   
   
   
   
   

3. Is it clear to you whom this website is designed for?
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. What kinds of information would you go to this website to find?

Ask participant to review the main buckets of the homepage without clicking on the page and asked what kinds of information they would find in the following areas: [PUT THIS IN QUESTION FORMAT.]

1. Teach

2. Learn

3. Research

4. Play

5. About SIS

Testing Scenarios

FACILITATOR: We will now begin the automated part of this usability evaluation. You will see a box appear with a scenario. Once you have read and understand the scenario please click on the START button to begin the scenario. You may click on anything on the screen to complete this scenario. Once you have finished click on the End Task button.

Current State

1. You would like to illustrate where casualties occurred in the Civil War across the United States. Where would you go to find this information? (Current State)

Expected Paths	Notes
Home  Research  Maps

2. You would like to how many people per square mile there are in your local community according to the 2010 census for a class project. Where would you look to find this information? (Current State)

Expected Paths	Notes
Home  Research  Tools

3. You have been given an assignment about Population and Transit Usage. You have been told that there is an exercise for you on this website to complete. How would you find and complete this homework assignment? (Current State)

Expected Paths	Notes
Home  Learn  Normal Curve Activity Or Home  Learn  Grade Level

4. You must create a probability model for a class assignment but are not sure how to do this. Where would you look for information for creating a probability model? (Current State)

Expected Paths	Notes
Home  Learn  College Math  Basic Stats Concepts

Future State

5. You are trying to find data from the 2010 census about your local community for a class project but are not sure how to get the data that you want. You would like to ask someone if they have any ideas of ways to locate this information and if they could give you any pointers. Where would you ask for this information? (Future State)

Expected Paths	Notes
Home  Collaborate

6. You are going to take a test on variability next week and have been given this site as a resource to study for the test. Your teacher has told you that there are a list of questions available that they have created that will help you study for the test. Where would you find this list of questions? (Future State)

Expected Paths	Notes
Home  Learn  My Questions  VA Variability

7. You have been given a homework assignment by your teacher about Civil War causalities. You have been told that there is an activity for you on this website to complete. How would you find and complete this homework assignment? (Future State)

Expected Paths	Notes
Home  Learn  Featured Activities  Civil War Activity

8. Your teacher has told you to go to this website to find an assignment they have created to complete. How would you find your teacher’s assignment? (Future State)

Expected Paths	Notes
Home  Learn  My Activities  Normal Curve

End of Session Follow-up Questions

FACILITATOR: Now that we have completed the automated part of this test I am going to ask you some questions about what you have seen.

What kinds of information will you find in the following areas?

1. Learn

2. Research

3. Collaborate

4. Play

Post-Test questions should be read by the facilitator to the participant.

1. What is your general reaction to the site?
   
   
   
   

2. What did you like best about the site?
   
   

3. What did you like least about the site?
   
   

4. Is there anything that you feel is missing on this site?
   
   

5. If you were to describe this site to a colleague, what would you say?
   
   
   

6. Do you have any other final comments or questions?

After completing the scenarios, participants will be asked to review the main buckets of the homepage and asked what kinds of information they would find in the following areas:

FACILITATOR: I will now have you complete a small survey about your experiences using this website.

Thank you for your participation.