Re: [Sugar-devel] Test protocol for Resume vs. Start new

2010-01-27 Thread Tomeu Vizoso
On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 13:17, Wade Brainerd wad...@gmail.com wrote:
 If possible, it might be helpful to record the students completing
 this test, and then post the results to the wiki (as links to YouTube
 etc).

 We video tape focus testing sessions all the time in the video game
 industry.   You just have to be careful about interpreting the
 results, and it does take some time to go through watching them all.
 But it reveals a lot of hesitations, failed attempts, etc. that don't
 come out in a survey.

 Anyway, either way I agree that this test would be helpful in
 determining the best home view behavior.

This may be relevant:

http://mairin.wordpress.com/2009/08/26/open-source-portable-usability-testing-lab/
http://mairin.wordpress.com/2009/10/17/open-source-portable-usability-testing-lab-part-2-the-parts/

Regards,

Tomeu

 Wade


 On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 11:35 AM, Christian Marc Schmidt
 christianm...@gmail.com wrote:
 Thanks Gary, I'll have a look at this. I'm worried that conducting tests
 with novice users might be inconclusive, given that we are testing
 schoolchildren. But I am also not an educator. I'd be happy to work with
 someone with an educational background to put something together that might
 be suitable as a test for new users.

 For now, though, I'd suggest we stick to our plan to see where it gets us.

 Christian
 On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 11:20 AM, Gary C Martin g...@garycmartin.com
 wrote:

 Hi Christian,

 On 23 Jan 2010, at 15:01, Christian Marc Schmidt wrote:

  Hi all:
 
  For our meeting at 10:30pm EST today, I put together a draft of a test
  protocol (in email body below). Please look it over and feel free to edit 
  or
  add to. Thanks,
 
  Christian
 
  --
  Sugar Home View Concept Testing
  Draft 01/23/10
 
  Goal: Evaluate the Home view for Resume activity and Start new
  activity functionality.
  Protocol: Alternate between two builds, one per student: The current
  build [Build A], which makes Resume the default action, and a test build
  [Build B] making Start new the default action.
  Duration: 5 mins per student
  Student Profile: Should be a current user (not a first-time user). Age
  and grade should be recorded, along with duration of overall Sugar
  experience.
 
  1. Begin at Home screen after boot up
 
  2. Test cognitive model
        • Describe what you see in this view.
        • What are the symbols in the ring?
        • Describe what each symbol in the ring is.
        • Do you know why the symbols are different colors?
        • What activity did you last work on?
  3. Test pathways
  [Alternate between two pathways, one per student]
 
  Pathway 1:
        • Show how you would go back to the activity you last worked on.
  Describe what you are doing. [Student shows pathway to resume activity.]
        • Now, show what you would do if you wanted to start a new
  [Write/Draw/Browse, etc.; should be of the same kind] activity. Describe
  what you are doing. [Student shows pathway to start a new activity of the
  same kind.]
        • Now, show what you would do if you wanted to start a new
  [Write/Draw/Browse, etc.; should be a different activity than the current
  one] activity. [Student shows pathway to start a new activity different
  from the current activity.]
  Pathway 2:
        • Show how you would start a new activity. Describe what you are
  doing. [Student opens a new activity.]
        • Now, show what you would do if you wanted to go back to the
  activity you last worked on. Describe what you are doing. [Student shows
  pathway to resume a previous activity.]
        • Now, show what you would do if you wanted to start a new
  [Write/Draw/Browse, etc.; should be of the same kind] activity. Describe
  what you are doing.[Student shows pathway to start a new activity of the
  same kind.]
  4. General questions
  If you could change anything about Sugar, what would make it easier for
  you to go back to a previous activity?
  What would make it easier for you to start a new activity?
  Is there anything else about Sugar that you would change?

 I know we've drifted from a usability study model, to a focus group model
 for practical classroom reasons – but I though Jakob Nielson's latest
 article was a timely piece worth a quick read through given we are going to
 be getting feedback from existing Sugar users.

 Summary: It's more difficult to conduct usability studies with
 experienced users than with novices, and the improvements are usually
 smaller. Still, improving expert performance is often worth the effort.

        http://www.useit.com/alertbox/experienced-users.html

 Regards,
 --Gary


 --
 anyth...@christianmarcschmidt.com
 917/ 575 0013

 http://www.christianmarcschmidt.com
 http://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmarcschmidt
 http://twitter.com/cms_

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 Sugar-devel@lists.sugarlabs.org
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Re: [Sugar-devel] Test protocol for Resume vs. Start new

2010-01-25 Thread Gary C Martin
Hi Christian,

On 23 Jan 2010, at 15:01, Christian Marc Schmidt wrote:

 Hi all:
 
 For our meeting at 10:30pm EST today, I put together a draft of a test 
 protocol (in email body below). Please look it over and feel free to edit or 
 add to. Thanks,
 
 Christian
 
 --
 Sugar Home View Concept Testing
 Draft 01/23/10
 
 Goal: Evaluate the Home view for Resume activity and Start new activity 
 functionality.
 Protocol: Alternate between two builds, one per student: The current build 
 [Build A], which makes Resume the default action, and a test build [Build 
 B] making Start new the default action.
 Duration: 5 mins per student
 Student Profile: Should be a current user (not a first-time user). Age and 
 grade should be recorded, along with duration of overall Sugar experience.
 
 1. Begin at Home screen after boot up
 
 2. Test cognitive model
   • Describe what you see in this view.
   • What are the symbols in the ring?
   • Describe what each symbol in the ring is.
   • Do you know why the symbols are different colors?
   • What activity did you last work on?
 3. Test pathways
 [Alternate between two pathways, one per student]
 
 Pathway 1:
   • Show how you would go back to the activity you last worked on. 
 Describe what you are doing. [Student shows pathway to resume activity.]
   • Now, show what you would do if you wanted to start a new 
 [Write/Draw/Browse, etc.; should be of the same kind] activity. Describe what 
 you are doing. [Student shows pathway to start a new activity of the same 
 kind.]
   • Now, show what you would do if you wanted to start a new 
 [Write/Draw/Browse, etc.; should be a different activity than the current 
 one] activity. [Student shows pathway to start a new activity different from 
 the current activity.]
 Pathway 2:
   • Show how you would start a new activity. Describe what you are 
 doing. [Student opens a new activity.]
   • Now, show what you would do if you wanted to go back to the activity 
 you last worked on. Describe what you are doing. [Student shows pathway to 
 resume a previous activity.]
   • Now, show what you would do if you wanted to start a new 
 [Write/Draw/Browse, etc.; should be of the same kind] activity. Describe what 
 you are doing.[Student shows pathway to start a new activity of the same 
 kind.]
 4. General questions
 If you could change anything about Sugar, what would make it easier for you 
 to go back to a previous activity?
 What would make it easier for you to start a new activity?
 Is there anything else about Sugar that you would change?

I know we've drifted from a usability study model, to a focus group model for 
practical classroom reasons – but I though Jakob Nielson's latest article was a 
timely piece worth a quick read through given we are going to be getting 
feedback from existing Sugar users.

Summary: It's more difficult to conduct usability studies with experienced 
users than with novices, and the improvements are usually smaller. Still, 
improving expert performance is often worth the effort.

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/experienced-users.html

Regards,
--Gary
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Re: [Sugar-devel] Test protocol for Resume vs. Start new

2010-01-25 Thread Christian Marc Schmidt
Thanks Gary, I'll have a look at this. I'm worried that conducting tests
with novice users might be inconclusive, given that we are testing
schoolchildren. But I am also not an educator. I'd be happy to work with
someone with an educational background to put something together that might
be suitable as a test for new users.

For now, though, I'd suggest we stick to our plan to see where it gets us.

Christian
On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 11:20 AM, Gary C Martin g...@garycmartin.comwrote:

 Hi Christian,

 On 23 Jan 2010, at 15:01, Christian Marc Schmidt wrote:

  Hi all:
 
  For our meeting at 10:30pm EST today, I put together a draft of a test
 protocol (in email body below). Please look it over and feel free to edit or
 add to. Thanks,
 
  Christian
 
  --
  Sugar Home View Concept Testing
  Draft 01/23/10
 
  Goal: Evaluate the Home view for Resume activity and Start new
 activity functionality.
  Protocol: Alternate between two builds, one per student: The current
 build [Build A], which makes Resume the default action, and a test build
 [Build B] making Start new the default action.
  Duration: 5 mins per student
  Student Profile: Should be a current user (not a first-time user). Age
 and grade should be recorded, along with duration of overall Sugar
 experience.
 
  1. Begin at Home screen after boot up
 
  2. Test cognitive model
• Describe what you see in this view.
• What are the symbols in the ring?
• Describe what each symbol in the ring is.
• Do you know why the symbols are different colors?
• What activity did you last work on?
  3. Test pathways
  [Alternate between two pathways, one per student]
 
  Pathway 1:
• Show how you would go back to the activity you last worked on.
 Describe what you are doing. [Student shows pathway to resume activity.]
• Now, show what you would do if you wanted to start a new
 [Write/Draw/Browse, etc.; should be of the same kind] activity. Describe
 what you are doing. [Student shows pathway to start a new activity of the
 same kind.]
• Now, show what you would do if you wanted to start a new
 [Write/Draw/Browse, etc.; should be a different activity than the current
 one] activity. [Student shows pathway to start a new activity different
 from the current activity.]
  Pathway 2:
• Show how you would start a new activity. Describe what you are
 doing. [Student opens a new activity.]
• Now, show what you would do if you wanted to go back to the
 activity you last worked on. Describe what you are doing. [Student shows
 pathway to resume a previous activity.]
• Now, show what you would do if you wanted to start a new
 [Write/Draw/Browse, etc.; should be of the same kind] activity. Describe
 what you are doing.[Student shows pathway to start a new activity of the
 same kind.]
  4. General questions
  If you could change anything about Sugar, what would make it easier for
 you to go back to a previous activity?
  What would make it easier for you to start a new activity?
  Is there anything else about Sugar that you would change?

 I know we've drifted from a usability study model, to a focus group model
 for practical classroom reasons – but I though Jakob Nielson's latest
 article was a timely piece worth a quick read through given we are going to
 be getting feedback from existing Sugar users.

 Summary: It's more difficult to conduct usability studies with experienced
 users than with novices, and the improvements are usually smaller. Still,
 improving expert performance is often worth the effort.

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/experienced-users.html

 Regards,
 --Gary




-- 
anyth...@christianmarcschmidt.com
917/ 575 0013

http://www.christianmarcschmidt.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmarcschmidt
http://twitter.com/cms_
___
Sugar-devel mailing list
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[Sugar-devel] Test protocol for Resume vs. Start new

2010-01-23 Thread Christian Marc Schmidt
Hi all:

For our meeting at 10:30pm EST today, I put together a draft of a test
protocol (in email body below). Please look it over and feel free to edit or
add to. Thanks,

Christian

--
* Sugar Home View Concept Testing*
Draft 01/23/10

*Goal*: Evaluate the Home view for Resume activity and Start new
activity functionality.
*Protocol*: Alternate between two builds, one per student: The current build
[Build A], which makes Resume the default action, and a test build [Build
B] making Start new the default action.
*Duration*: 5 mins per student
*Student Profile*: Should be a current user (not a first-time user). Age and
grade should be recorded, along with duration of overall Sugar experience.

1. Begin at Home screen after boot up

2. Test cognitive model

   1. Describe what you see in this view.
   2. What are the symbols in the ring?
   3. Describe what each symbol in the ring is.
   4. Do you know why the symbols are different colors?
   5. What activity did you last work on?

3. Test pathways
[Alternate between two pathways, one per student]

Pathway 1:

   1. Show how you would go back to the activity you last worked on.
   Describe what you are doing. [Student shows pathway to resume activity.]
   2. Now, show what you would do if you wanted to start a new
   [Write/Draw/Browse, etc.; should be of the same kind] activity. Describe
   what you are doing. [Student shows pathway to start a new activity of the
   same kind.]
   3. Now, show what you would do if you wanted to start a new
   [Write/Draw/Browse, etc.; should be a different activity than the current
   one] activity. [Student shows pathway to start a new activity different
   from the current activity.]

Pathway 2:

   1. Show how you would start a new activity. Describe what you are
   doing. [Student opens a new activity.]
   2. Now, show what you would do if you wanted to go back to the activity
   you last worked on. Describe what you are doing. [Student shows pathway to
   resume a previous activity.]
   3. Now, show what you would do if you wanted to start a new
   [Write/Draw/Browse, etc.; should be of the same kind] activity. Describe
   what you are doing.[Student shows pathway to start a new activity of the
   same kind.]

4. General questions
If you could change anything about Sugar, what would make it easier for you
to go back to a previous activity?
What would make it easier for you to start a new activity?
Is there anything else about Sugar that you would change?
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