Project 5 Analysis of Research

I decided to give out a questionnaire that would help to determine the effectiveness and usability of the set of instructions in order to justify the recommendations that I am writing in this report to help to improve the instructions. This questionnaire is designed to be brief but to the point. I did not want a questionnaire that was long and went into too much detail but I did aim for enough information to be gathered to be able to justify what I wanted to recommend. I instructed the students to just answer yes o no to the questions. I also left a space blank for any suggestions that they might add in order to improve the quality and effectiveness of the set of instructions.

Results of questionnaire as shown as a collective yes or no answer per question, and the suggestions gathered from students will be available at the end of results.

Project 5

· What is a recommendation report?

A recommendation report is a report that is based on a need of information on a certain report. In this case it will be information that will help improve the instructions tutorial for formatting a paper in MLA format in Word 2007. These report on suggestions or recommendations that can be used ino rder to improve the set of instructions.

·  When is one used?

A recommendation report is used when a client asks what there can be done to improve something. In this case this report will be used to recommend ways of improvement for the set of instructions MLA format in Word 2007.

· What recommendations will you make to your client?

The recommendations that I will be making to the clients are ways to improve the set of instructions by using the information gathered on the usability test.

Project 4: Usability Reflection

·         What did you find was easiest about doing the usability test?

The easiest thing about conduction the usability test was conducting the test itself. It was a quick test.

·         What did you find was missing in your test?

I should have included a sheet to write feedback or a survey on what could’ve been changed in my instructions instead of asking the students to suggest any feedback. There could have been a possibility of them being more honest and suggesting what could’ve been improved in my instructions.

·         What did you learn about your instructions form the test?

I learned that my instructions were successful and that they were, for the most part, easy to follow.

·         Did you find the test valuable? Why or why not?

Yes I found the test valuable because it let me see firsthand that the students were able to format paper after viewing instructions.

·         What changes did you make to your instructions after user testing them? Did the results of usability testing surprise you?

The change that I will be making to the instructions is possibly splitting one of the steps into different sections so that it can be better followed.

·         Comment on working collaboratively? How was this similar, different, easier, more difficult than other projects you have completed on your own?

Working with the other students was different and easier than working on my own, I was able to view firsthand how my instructions helped them, instead of just writing them and assuming that the instructions would be successful.

Project 4: Usability Test

Usability: Conducting the Test.  NOTES

Test is being held at my house. Test takers will be two freshmen college students.

Test began at 3:00 pm. Both students are on a computer at the same time.

Students began watching slideshow at the same time.

Student A has completed slideshow and began to attempt to format paper.

Student B has paused slideshow and has gone back to the previous slide to read once again.

Student A has successfully added header to page and is on their way to entering information that is needed to identify paper.

Student B has asked question about slideshow that they did not understand and has began attempting to add the header to the paper

Student A has gone back to play sideshow. Had a question about where to put cursor after title.

Student A has successfully formatted the paper in MLA format.

Student B has finished has gone through the necessary steps and has completed test successfully.

Both users that have tested the instructions have completed test.

Student B had a problem understanding one of the slides, feedback will be asked about how I can improve slide.

Both of the students have switched back and forth from tutorial at times to complete the steps but they were able to both format the paper successfully without taking long.

Project 4, Test Plan

Test Plan

• Project goals in which you describe what the goals for your original project are; in this case, your original project/product is your instructions.

The goal for my instructions is to help students learn and understand how to properly format an MLA paper.

• Testing goals in which you explain what you want to learn from the test, what you hope to achieve.

The goals that I have for this test is to see how effective my instructions are. I would like to see if they are easy to navigate.

• Scenarios and Tasks in which you detail the hypothetical situation and tasks which you will give your test participant to perform.

• User Profile in which you explain the type of user which you expect will be using your product.

The type of user I expect to be using my set of instructions is a college student.

• Testing Materials in which you detail what you will need to have to conduct your test.

I will need a computer with word 2006 to conduct my test.

• Testing Protocol in which you provide step-by-step specifics as to how you will conduct the actual test.

I will have a college student sit at a computer, watch the instructions and attempt to format a paper in MLA format.

Project Goals

• What are the goals of your instructions?

The goals of my instructions are to help a student navigate through word 2007 and be able to format a paper in MLA style.

• How are they useful or beneficial to the user? What do users want or need to do?

This is useful to a student who needs to have a paper formatted in MLA style.

• What is the general background of the users?

Users will be first year college students who have not had experience with MLA format.

• What is the context in which the user is working?
• What has to be left to the machine? What to the user?

Testing Goals

• which one of the MEELS are you going to focus on for your test?
• why did you choose that particular measure?
• what type of information do you think you will learn?
• how do you anticipate that information will help?

User Profile

• Who are the users, what do they know, and what can they learn?

The users are college students that can learn how to do an MLA format on a paper.

• What do users want or need to do?

They need to format a paper in MLA style.

• What is the general background of the users?

College freshman

• What is the context in which the user is working?
• What has to be left to the machine? What to the user?

Scenarios and Tasks

List your scenario or scenarios. What story and setting will you create for your user so they feel the test is actullay a "real-life situation."
What tasks will you have them do? They will have to be using the instructions to complete the tasks so you might want to look at your instructions and create tasks that your users will be able to do while using the instructions?

Testing Materials

What else will you need for your test? How will you take notes? What do you need for notetaking?
Word 2007 will need to be installed. I will be taking notes by writing then down on paper as the students takes the test and then I will transfer them to word.
I will need a paper, pen, and a computer with word installed.
What software do you need installed on the computers?
Word 2007
Will the user be using something during the test?
The user will be using word 2007 and the instruction slideshow.
Can you think of any other materials which you need for the test?

Testing Protocol

• Where and when will you be conducting the test? How many people will take the test?

There will be two students taking the test.

• How will you break up your 30 minute test? What will you start with? What will you end with?

I will start with letting the student view the instructions, and then attempt to format the paper. The results will be an MLA formatted paper.

• What methods will you use? How long will you wait if your user is having trouble? Why? Will you let them ask you questions for help? Why? Will you interrupt them if you think it is necessary? Why?

I will wait until the student is done attempting the particular task that they are having trouble with. I will do this because I plan to test is my instructions are easy to follow. I will let them ask me a question for help because this will help me to determine if one of my slides is not understandable. I will not interrupt them if I think it is necessary. I choose to not interrupt them because I wouldn’t want to disturb them during this test.

• Will you ask questions during the test or after the test?

I will ask questions after the test.

• What type of outputs or deliverables will you have after the test? One will be a test report? What other items will you be able to submit after the test?

I will be able to submit screen shots of the results of the formatted papers.

Project 3 Peer Reviews

1.    Is the task appropriate to the assignment?

Yes the task is appropriate to the assignment.

2.    Is all necessary information included?

Yes all of the necessary information is included to complete the task.

3.    Does the introduction successfully orient the reader to the task ahead?

Yes it has the needed information for the reader to understand what the task will be.

4.    Are the major steps and sub-steps of the process clearly organized?

Yes they are clearly organized.

5.    Is each step or sub-step explained separately?

Yes each step has it’s on slide in the video.

6. Is the audience addressed directly?
Yes the audience is addressed directly.

6.    Do the graphics and other visual cues of the document make the information more accessible?

Yes the graphics help to guide the reader and it helps to understand the information of the task.

7.    Is the style clear, concise, and active?

Yes the style is clear. The only thing about the video is that in some parts it jumps a bit quickly to the other step.

9. Are the instructions free from disconcerting mechanical errors, such as spelling and grammatical mistakes?

I did not notice any mechanical errors in the instructions.

http://aealva.blogspot.com/2009/03/blog-post.html

Peer Review Andy Alvarez

1.    Is the task appropriate to the assignment?

Yes the task is appropriate to the assignment, it is instructing a student to something they might not know.

2.    Is all necessary information included?

Yes, all of the necessary information is included to help the student complete the task.

3.    Does the introduction successfully orient the reader to the task ahead?

Yes, the introduction lets the reader clearly know what the task will be.

4.    Are the major steps and sub-steps of the process clearly organized?

Yes the steps are clearly organized.

5.    Is each step or sub-step explained separately?

Yes, each step is explained separately.

6.    Is the audience addressed directly?

Yes, the audience is addressed directly.

7.    Do the graphics and other visual cues of the document make the information more accessible?

Yes the graphics are great, they show what the page you need to be on should look like.

8.    Is the style clear, concise, and active?

Yes the style is clear.

9.    Are the instructions free from disconcerting mechanical errors, such as spelling and grammatical mistakes?

I did not notice any mechanical errors in the instructions.

http://www.slideshare.net/mrschapa/finalized-project-3-1116016

Steph Vargas.

Project 3 - Reflection

· Who is your audience?

My audience for my MLA format instructions is geared towards college students that will be writing a paper that is required to be in MLA format.

· What visuals did you choose to include Why? If you included a visual, why did you choose to include this particular visual?

The visuals that I chose to include in my instructions powerpoint were screen shots of my word2007 paper.

I chose to use these visuals in particular because I felt it was the best way to help guide the reader exactly where to click as they were following the instructions.

· What are the important or essential design elements of your set of instructions?

 I chose to keep the design of my set of instructions really simple. I felt that keeping the instructions simple would help the reader to not be distracted and it would make the instructions easier to follow.

· In which medium do you anticipate these instructions would be used?

I would anticipate for these instructions to be used either in a class setting or on a possible website where this tutorial could be available to guide students through the MLA format process whenever they would need the help.

· How would you change the presentation of your instructions if you had to physically present them to a user?

I don’t think I would change the presentation of my instructions if I had to physically present them to someone. The thing I would possibly change is remove the text and have the images if I would be guiding them through the steps.