University of Maryland – College Park
University of Maryland – College ParkCollege of Information StudiesINFM 605 Users and Use ContextFall 2017Instructor: Vera T. RhoadsContact Info: e-mail: vrhoads@umd.edu Phone: (703) 867-4297 Skype: progled; Twitter: @vtrhoads Office hours: By appointmentCourse Hours: Tuesdays – 6.00 pm -8.45 pm All weekly assignments are to be completed within the assigned week New materials will be posted on Mondays by noon.Course Website: (Note: This syllabus is subject to change. Please refer to the course website weekly schedule for the most up to date schedule.Course Description: Examine theories, issues, and emerging trends in the study and evaluation of users. This course will examine the nature of how users approach systems and interact within different design contexts. It will introduce students to the methods of user-centered systems design as practiced by information and user-experience professionals. It will explain and provide hands on experience to a variety of methods including Design Thinking, personas and persona development. The class will combine theoretical analyses with practical exercises in user analysis, contextual enquiry, use observation, data capture, and information design evaluation. The aim of the course is to develop critical awareness and insights into the behaviors, motivations and needs of the users with a view to using such insights to help shape improved information systems and to enable students to pursue more advanced studies in user experience.Course Objectives: At the end of this course, students will be able to:Understand the users. Conduct several major user experience research methodsIdentify major historical, current and emerging trends in user interactions with information systems to include special needs and multimodal design interactionsDevelop and apply a customizable heuristic to the evaluation of an information systemUnderstand the basic principles of usability testing – how to set up, conduct and report on the results of a usability testUnderstand the emerging field of interaction design and the possible career directions within the field Format of the class:Lectures, research, small group discussions and exercises, student presentations, online work and quizzes, guest lecturer presentations, final student research projects.Required readings:Goodman E; Mike Kuniavsky and Andrea Moed (2012) Second EditionObserving the User ExperiencePortugal, Steve (2013) Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights Recommended Readings:Baxter, Kathy and Courage, Catherine (2005) Understanding Your Users: A Practical Guide to User Requirements Methods, Tools and TechniquesSaffer, Dan (2007) Designing for Interaction. Creating Smart Applications and Clever Devices. New Riders PublishingRosenfeld, Louis and Peter Morville (2006) Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, Third Edition Designing Large-Scale Web Sites, 3rd edition. O’Reilly (the Polar Bear Book)Nielsen, Jacob and Hoa Loranger (2006) Prioritizing Web Usability. New Riders PublishingPlease note that there are additional required articles for each session identified in the course schedule below. Additional Recommended Reading:There is a list on Amazon listmania with the recommended list of readings – you can search by my name or the name of the class. “INFM 605”Students are encouraged to contribute with their suggestions to the recommended reading list as well. Tools:For the success of the class you will need several types of tools. Please make sure you get free trial accounts for the following tools – Optimal Sort free-trial– for the card sorting and Morae from Techsmith ? for the Usability Test. The university provides licenses to the Qualtrics survey tool (please go to ) For Apple Mac users – Silverback.Student Requirements/Methods of Evaluation:Course Requirements:Both, regular attendance and active participation are expected. All assignments are to be submitted in complete form and on time. Any delay in submission of assignments will affect the grading. Since the course is taught in a seminar style, student participation is mandatory. Students will be asked to make oral presentations as required in the course. There is a group project.Grading:The grade will be assigned based on the completion of course projects and class participation in the following manner:Class Discussion and Participation– 10%Required Readings and Quizzes – 10%Leading a Current Topics Discussion – 10%Heuristic Evaluation – 5%Empathy Map – 5%Final Class Project – Portfolio – 60% distributed as for the following components:User Interviews/ Contextual Analysis – 10%Personas – 10%User Experience Journey Map – 10%User Survey – 10%Usability Study – 10%Final Report Presentation of the Portfolio – 10%Leading Current Topics Discussions:Each student will be required to lead one 15 minute discussion on current usability topics. The topics must current and relevant. The discussion will introduce the topic and the pros and cons of the innovation or discuss relevant aspects. Each student signs up for a current topic discussion time slot.Academic integrity: The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information, please visit . Final Portfolio Requirements:Purpose of the portfolio: Gain direct experience with a variety of key user research methods and develop a portfolio to demonstrate your newly acquired expertise to help you bridge academic and industry points of view.Group Project: Please Note: You will work in groups for your final portfolio, groups should be between 3-4 students and need to be established by September 19, 2017 to give you enough time to complete all the work. Part of learning to understand users and context is the ability to understand how to work collaboratively in teams.One page proposals on what you will study are due on October 3, 2017.Once you choose your topic It will have several weeks to complete the four required elements – it will be best if you develop a plan of completion to make it easier and to plan your time and to schedule all the activities appropriately.Also, please note that you need to use different users for each method – meaning you can’t have the same person complete the survey, do the usability tests, etc. It is perfectly acceptable to use the students from this class for your tests and your instructor who loves participating in tests if they fit your user demographic and other requirements. Yes, you may use family members and friends and colleagues for your studies.Detailed Final Portfolio Requirements:Five Required Elements:1. User Interviews or Contextual Inquiry2. Usability Test3. Personas4. Surveys 5. User Journey MapInterviews (2): Conduct two Interviews with usersTo conduct semi-structured interviews, you will need to first develop a set of open-ended questions for users. Your instructor needs to approve the questions. Next, identify two users and conduct separate interviews. Each interview should last approximately 20 minutes, and should include both the list of questions that you have developed as well as any questions that spontaneously arise during the interviews. The interviews must be synchronous –however, you may conduct the interviews face-to-face, via telephone, Skype, or via instant messenger software. You may either take detailed notes during the interview or record and transcribe the interview. You will need to turn in a sample of your detailed notes, transcript, or a session log.Contextual Inquiry (2): Conduct contextual inquiry with two usersFor the contextual inquiry, please identify two people who use the selected information system on a regular basis, and arrange to study their use of the product as a part of their normal routine. Each contextual inquiry should last approximately 30 minutes, and should include questions and observation. During this time, you must write detailed field notes documenting how they use the product. You will need to turn in your detailed field notes as part of the individual project.Usability Tests (1): One test with three usersThe first step in usability testing is developing a guide detailing the tasks to be performed by the users. This guide should take about 15-20 minutes to complete. Next, identify three potential users, and conduct the usability tests separately. For each usability test, have the user follow the guide while you take detailed notes about their performance of the tasks, including at your discretion such factors as the time taken to complete tasks and the number of mouse clicks or key presses required to complete certain tasks. You will need to turn in your detailed notes as part of the individual project.It is recommended that you use software such as Morae or Silverback to record your sessions.Personas (4) Develop 4 personasTwo primary personas, one secondary and one excluded persona will be developed. You will use the persona templates distributed in class.Surveys (10): Survey with 10 questions and five completed surveysFirst, you will need to develop a survey including at least 10 questions related to the design and use of the product. Next, you will need to distribute the survey to users, and collect 5 completed surveys. You may distribute the survey via print copy, Web, or e-mail, or you may conduct a phone survey. After collecting the answers, you will need to collate the data from the survey, totaling up the number of responses of each answer for each question. You will need to turn in the raw surveys as well as the collated data as part of the individual project. Journey Map (1) Create one user journey map identifying the touch points.Optional: These are optional (sort of like extra credit, in case you need to make up for missed classes, not enough participation, or you really want to learn more methods). If you are particularly interested in working with a user research method that is not listed here please contact me with your proposal.Focus Group (1):To conduct a focus group, you will need to first develop a set of open-ended questions for your focus group of users. Next, identify four to six users and conduct a focus group with these users. The focus group discussion should last approximately 60 minutes, and should include both the list of questions that you have developed as well as any questions that spontaneously arise during the discussion. The focus group discussion must be synchronous – however, you may conduct the focus group discussion face-to-face, via telephone, or via a chat room. You may either take detailed notes during the focus group discussion or record and transcribe the focus group discussion. You will need to turn in the detailed notes, transcript, or session log as part of the individual project.Card Sort (1) :In person or online using Online Card Sorting software. Optimal Sort.Diary Study (2): Conduct at diary study for at least a 2-week period with at least 2 individuals. Diaries can be filled out on paper, via email, or on the web.Questions:? 1 -2 pages for each procedure please provide a very detailed description of the entire procedure used to conduct the analysis, including an explanation of how you collected, recorded, and presented data (approximately one to two pages).? What data did you collect? Please provide all of the raw data that you collected while conducting your analysis, making sure that all data is presented so that it is easy to read and understand (length will vary greatly depending on the type of analysis used and the presentation format). This will go in the appendix.? What does this data mean? Please explain the significance of your data, including providing some additional representations of the data collected (e.g. tables, graphs, summaries, etc. – again, length will vary greatly depending on the type of analysis used and the presentation format, but should include approximately one page of text in addition to representations of the data).? Overall, what would you conclude about the usability of the product based on the analysis that you conducted? Please describe the strengths and weaknesses of the product as well as some initial impressions of how the product can be improved (approximately one page).? Overall, what did you learn about user research by conducting this analysis? Please describe how this hands-on experience influenced your perspective on user research (approximately one page).General Criteria for grading written papers and exercises:Organization – clear, discernible parts of the paper. There will also have to be clear transitions, no bouncing back and forth between points and a comprehensive conclusion Clarity – are key terms defined and used consistently? Does the author make sweeping generalizations that are unsubstantiated or lack supporting evidenceAnalysis, not travelogue. Typically a student can improve the analytical aspect of his/her writing by identifying and comparing the strengths and weaknesses or advantages-disadvantages of specific ideas; by examining the implications of a topic, by examining applications or offering examples of how an idea could be applied in a particular setting; by asking the “why” and “so what” questions, by making direct comparisons among the various sources; e.g. person X says….but person Y states and then offering your opinionUse of Literature. Outstanding students will back up their assertions or support their views with outside references. They will analyze and integrate key readings in their paper from the required readings and the general usability literature.Grammar, Style and Presentation – students are expected to write at a graduate level – spell words correctly. Sloppy grammar and style significantly injures pleting Assignment Correctly. Simply stated: Were the assignment instructions followed?Course Schedule: Please note that this class follows the University’s policy for snow and other emergencies.DateSession #TopicsAssigned ReadingsAugust 29, 20171Overview of the class Introductions Review of Syllabus Class Expectations/ Policies/ Grading Basic Concepts and Definitions - Approaching the usersHeuristic EvaluationsDeveloping a heuristic methodology. How to assess a web site.Assignments:Update your profilesPlease log into ELMSUpdate your profilesIntroductions Chapters 1-4 Observing the user experienceNielsen on Usability - -- a lot of this is already in their book One presentationSeptember 5, 20172Historical Foundations for User Interaction with Information Systems. Intro to Design Thinking Follow the instructions for the assignmentsdmalouf/history-of-interaction-design/Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights – Chapters 1-6September 12,2017Class session conducted by zoom in person sessionPlease complete CITI trainingKeep reading, do the quiz, keep studyingCITI Training: In the next week or so, you will now be able to log on to the CITI website [] with Single Sign On.? Thismeans that you will be able to use your UMD credentials to log on.? It should automatically to match your SSO account with your current CITIaccount.? If not, you will be presented with two options. The options are in the attached document for your reference.? Folks without UMDcredentials will still be able to access their accounts without issue. Please feel free to call or email if you have trouble: irb@umd.edu or x54212September 19, 20173There are several assignments due on that dayAssignments:QuizHeuristic Evaluation DueTeams must be decidedReadingInterviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights - Chapters 7-12Please complete the quiz online on ELMSSeptember 26, 20174Methods to study the usersOrganizational MethodsCard SortingHow to organize informationmethodsRead the 2017 NFM 605 workbook in course filesChapters 2 and 10 of the Understanding Your Users bookOctober 3, 20175Surveys InterviewsContextual AnalysisHow to create and analyzeFocus GroupsTeam One Page Proposals dueChapters 5, 6, 7 and 12 – Observing the User ExperienceChapters 7, 8 and 12 of the Understanding Your Users bookOctober 10,20176Personas – Developing personasUser Attributes – demographic and technogrpahic. Examining and envisioning the user - who they are, how they think. Examining personas and persona developmentChapters 8, 9 and 10 – Observing the User ExperienceAssigned Readings on Personas- Persona Creation and Usage Toolkit (pdf) finalpapers/86/86_Handout_or__final__paper.pdfTeam One Page Proposals dueOctober 17,20177Usability TestsUsability Tests - fundamental principles, set up, design. Career opportunities for the usability professional. Usability Software: Morae or Silverback, or UserZoomUser TasksUser StoriesCreation a User StoryCheck ELMS for additional assigned readingsChapter 11 – Observing the User ExperienceOctober 24,20178No in person meeting Understanding Users through Web AnalyticsDesign Thinking and Empathy MapsContinue ReadingHandouts, assignments in ELMSOct 31, 20179Special Types of Users and User ConsiderationsChildrenSeniors Users with disabilitiesGlobal UsersUniversal Usability and AccessibilityUX Escape RoomExtra credit given based on team’s performanceIntroduction to Web Accessibility - 7, 201710How to report on findingsHands on usability work in classCreating the best reportChapters 15 through 18 – Observing the User ExperienceNovember 14,201711Ubiquitous User ExperienceNew Developments:Augmented RealityService DesignBeauty and Interaction DesignAssignments in ELMS Chapters from the J. Nielsen - Mobile Usability 2012 book - maybe handouts - Chapter 1, Chapter 3Chapter 13 – Observing the User Experience 21,201712StandardsCognitive DevelopmentsDeveloping for SIRI, ALEXA and moreMobile and Social and the impact on Understanding the UserResponsive Design and its impactsInternational and Global Aspects of understanding the usersUsers and PET (Persuasion, Emotion, Trust) Readings to be assigned on ELMSNovember 28, 201713Team Student presentations Review of the class Be prepared to deliver great presentationsDecember 5, 201714Team Student presentations Review of the class Be prepared to deliver great presentationsDecember 12, 201715 Review of the class Putting it all togetherHow to stay current in the fieldAdvice on how to continue your journey in User ExperiencePeer Feedback forms due.All final portfolio materials due. ................
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