"“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” ...

Note: Web browser should be open to __________.

Preamble:

Note: This establishes the purpose of the test and includes a statement of consent.

Hi, ___________.

My name is ___________, and I’m going to be walking you through this website usability-test session today.

Before we begin, I’m going to review our goals briefly.  We’re asking people to try using the teaching resource websites on waynestatecomposition.com, which we’re working to revise.   The session should take about twenty minutes.

The first thing I want to make clear right away is that we’re testing the site, not you. You can’t do anything wrong here.

As you use the site, I’m going to ask you as much as possible to try to think out loud: to say what you’re looking at, what you’re trying to do, and what you’re thinking. This will be a big help to us.

Also, please don’t worry that you’re going to hurt our feelings. We’re doing this to improve this early version of the site, so we need to hear your honest reactions.

If you have any questions as we go along, just ask them.

I may not be able to answer them right away, since we’re interested in how people do when they don’t have someone sitting next to them to help. But if you still have any questions when we’re done I’ll try to answer them then.

With your permission, we’re going to record what happens on the screen and our conversation. The recording will only be used to help us figure out how to improve the site, and it won’t be seen by anyone except the people on the curriculum committee working on this project. And it helps me, because I don’t have to take as many notes.

The test will also include a series of specific tasks and follow up questions.

Note: Give them a copy of this form and a pen. While they sign it, START the SCREEN RECORDER.

Sign here: _________________

Initial questions about users

OK. Before we look at the site, I’d like to ask you just a few quick questions.

1. Now, roughly how many hours a week altogether—just a ballpark estimate— would you say you spend using the WSU online resources?

2. Have you used waynestatecomposition.com to compile a lesson plan?  If so, how many times roughly?

3. Among the available resources you tell me what resources you consider yourself familiar with on the site?

Initial Navigation

OK, great. We’re done with the initial questions, and we can start looking at things.

Please click on the bookmark for the site’s Home page.

First, I’m going to ask you to look at this page and tell me what you make of it: what strikes you about it, whose site you think it is, what you can do here, and what it’s for. Just look around and try to explain your observations out loud.

You can scroll if you want to, but don’t click on anything yet.

(Allow this to continue for three or four minutes, at most.)

Specific Tasks

Thanks. Now I’m going to ask you to try doing some specific tasks.  I’m going to read each one out loud and give you a printed copy of the list of tasks.

And again, as much as possible, it will help us if you can try to think out loud as you go along through the following list of tasks.

Describe what is appealing or interesting to you about the content of the site.  Follow links that interest you (or alternatively, explain what links you wish you saw).

Use the site to locate some resources you might use for professional development purposes. Where do you usually look for this type of resource? Why do you look there?

Find and download a printable common syllabus for ENG 1020. Now navigate back to the waynestatecomposition.com main page.

Locate a link to resources that you might consider using to prepare students for a reflective argument.

Find the spot to sign up for a teaching circle. Try initiating the sign up process.

Comment on a teaching blog entry.  Then navigate back to the waynestatecomposition.com site main page.

Find a sample syllabus from a teacher in the program.

Search for and download a supplemental reading for 1010, 1020 or 3010.

Scenarios

Now I’m going to give you two scenarios:

(Hand the participant the two scenarios, and read them aloud. Allow the user to proceed until you don’t feel like it’s producing any value or the user becomes very frustrated.)

Scenario One

You have a month to prepare to teach a section of a course you’ve already taught before (1010, 1020, 3010, 3050 or 3060).  Spend a few minutes talking us through how you might use the site to help you design this class.  What sort of resources do you typically draw on?  Navigate to the different areas you might visit and comment on how useful you find the site or the resources.

Scenario Two

You have a month to prepare to teach a section of a course you’ve have never taught, or have not taught in some time (say at least a year) (1010, 1020, 3010, 3050 or 3060).  Spend a few minutes talking us through how you might use the site do help you design this class.  What sort of resources to you typically draw on?  Navigate to the different areas you might visit and comment on how useful you find the site or the resources.

Finally, here are a few questions for you before ending the session:

(Here we use Likert-scale questions to evaluate persuasiveness and usability)

I am confident that I the site is being designed to produce comprehensive resources I’m looking for:

1 – Strongly Agree 2- Agree 3- Disagree 4- Strongly Disagree

I am confident that I can navigate the site to find resources I’m looking for:

1 – Strongly Agree 2- Agree 3- Disagree 4- Strongly Disagree

…

General Interview Questions (similar to Guideline 2)

After having explored the site, is there anything that strikes you that you want to see changed?

Can you suggest any additions or subtractions of to the site’s content?

Can you suggest any changes to the structure, design or the means of navigation (links across the top, categories on the side, twitter feed, etc).

Now that you have used the site, how likely would you be to use it again in the future? For course development? For professional development?

Do you have any questions for us, now that we’re done?