Usability
Evaluation Preliminary Results
Part
1 - Usability Testing
Procedure
- Testing 3 participants
without tutorials, 3 with tutorials.
- Standardize
the testing by using prepared Task
Scenario (describing tasks user are to perform), Test
Script (describing the standard participant introductions & steps
for each task so we can see where users go wrong), and media
files that participants will use.
- Note user time for task, errors, comments.
- Add user interface
problems & bugs to the Quality
Assurance (QA) Database so Shuangbao can see them all.
- Develop a webshop
and a course tutorials with usability results in mind.
Results
- Tested the 3
users without the tutorials.
- Making
webshops was not clear, none of the 3 users completed the task
as we requested.
- All
users repeatedly used the templates incorrectly resulting in saved
pages
they never intended.
- All
users were reluctant to use preview since it made the site appear
to loose their data every time.
- Inconsistencies
in linking behavior makes users do a lot of trial & error
clicking trying to edit or run a webshop.
- All users
had trouble discovering and remembering where to go to edit.
- Many
things on pages were not clear, including what data was required
and why. Suggestion for clarifying user guidance on things like
alt tags is found in the QA Database.
- Other
less common or serious issues that will entered in the QA Database.
- Quick
guides on how to create a webshop and a course are done.
- The
1st draft of the tutorial of how to create course is done, tutorial
of how to create webshop course almost done.
- One
usability participant evaluated the create a course tutorial and
her comments were favorable. She thought it would be definitely
be useful.
Implications/Directions
for the Project
- Cover problems users had in tutorials, such as explicit step by
step procedures and explanations of required page features.
- Working
to optimize placement of and size of graphical elements in the
tutorials & to make them consistent.
- Ensure the most serious usability problems are addressed by April
20.
- Try to develop more tutorials for assisting T/TAC staff, such as
teaching them how to resize images using different programs, such
as PowerPoint, Photoshop, and Paintshop Pro.
Part 2 - Best Practices for Multimedia
Procedure
- Test the site with various audio & video formats, including Flash,
to determine best practices (formats & specifications).
- Develop guidelines for producing and uploading video
based on ongoing experiments.
- Test procedures for converting PowerPoint to accessible webshops
to determine best practices.
Results
- Much more success loading larger Quicktime video files. Can now
upload over a minute of video.
- Have been successful in creating some high quality, 320 x 240,
1 minute long videos through judicious selection of compression codec
- 3 methods are available for changing PowerPoint to accessible format.
Each as advantages and disadvantages.
Implications/Directions for the Project
- Continue testing with formats, not clear yet which are allowed.
- Explore
how to best eliminate the disadvantages from the simplest PowerPoint
conversion
method.
- Include this information in tutorials.
- Mike agreed to ask Shuangbao to add a plug-in for using flash
Part 3- Pre-Production Workflow for Webshop Development
Procedure
- Develop instructions on how to prepare content for webshops.
- Have various T/TAC staff members review it, then revise content
and form.
Results
Implications/Directions for the Project
- Review potential formats for the final version of the workflow
document.
- Incorporate into a webshop.
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