This assignment is another chance to apply some of the interface
design and analysis techniques we've talked about in class. As
for the first analysis, conduct as thorough an analysis as limited
time and subject availability allow.
However, you should work in groups of two to three students, which
will allow you to conduct more studies with the same amount of
effort per person. I want the names of the members of each
group provided to me by email no later than February 28.
Topic
This time I want you to choose the package and subject to test
yourself, but I want the analysis to specifically focus on the
effects of experience level in performance. Also, try to
use a different evaluation technique(s) than you did for the first
analysis (just to give you some additional experience).
Approach
Perform an initial evaluation of the product you are going to
test. What does it do well and what does it do poorly? Choose
a feature of the product (either something done well or poorly)
that you think might produce different performance levels based
on experience. A trivial example might be to produce a table (multiple
aligned columns) using proportional fonts in a word processor.
Design a simple experiment to evaluate the feature. Perform the
experiment using subjects with at least three experience levels
(novice, intermediate, expert). It would probably be best if these
subjects all had equivalent experience levels with the particular
package but different levels of general computer experience. However,
you may be able to justify using subjects with equivalent levels
of general experience and different levels of experience with
the package.
Analyze the results of your experiment. If there was a difference
in performance, suggest ways in which the design of the feature
could be improved to enhance usability by The poorer performing
group(s). Note that this last part may require a second form of
data collection.
Deliverables
Your report should include:
In addition, each member of the group should email me with a grade
for their colleagues, rating both their level of effort and overall
contribution to the project. This grade should involve both a
brief narrative description of each member's contribution as well
as a letter grade, and be submitted by March 17.
Grading
As for the previous analysis, you will be graded on how clearly
the evaluation question is phrased, the appropriateness of your
choice of method given the question, the degree to which your
results follow from your evaluation, and the proposed design of
your follow-on analysis.