Welcome to IDIA 642. This course is designed familiarize you with usability testing methodology. It is not a traditional research methods course with statistics, literature reviews and experimental design!
The course will be a combination of lectures, classroom discussions, exercises, and group implemented usability research. For more information on the specifics of the course, view the class assignments and schedule pages. I'll use this page to post late-breaking announcements concerning class in terms of readings, assignments and changes in the schedule.
If you need to reach me between classes, you may contact me at:
410-837-4333
lholmanatubalt.edu
Generally, my hours are Monday - Friday 8:30 - 5:00; however, it is best if you schedule an appointment in advance.
If you don't have a copy of the self- and peer-evaluations of your group, here is the evaluation form you need. I will try to send all of you the compilation of the presentation evaluations and my comments tonight.
I really enjoyed getting to know all of you this semester. Good luck with the rest of your courses and have a great summer!
I was able to find a new classroom for the final presentations - AC 401. I apologize that it's not on the 2nd floor, but that was the only larger room available.
In case you've forgotten, I've attached the snack signup sheet! See you in a week!
I would love to hear from you on ways in which I could improve the course if I teach again. Please consider completing the online evaluation.
I've posted the image collaging readings for Thursday on the schedule, and the reserve reading has been posted. I have requested another card sort reading to be posted on reserve; I hope it will be there by Monday and I'm waiting for another through Interlibrary Loan that should be up first of the week as well. The card sort readings are optional. Sorry for the oversight on the readings.
I've also added a link to the Usability Lab calendar to the site. You won't really need it until April, but I thought you might want to take a look at it. We will all have only view privileges; we'll make reservations through Becca Scollan, the lab manager. She'll explain the process when we meet with her in the lab March 26.
Several of you have asked about the deliverables, specifically task flows, for your projects due Thursday. You correctly noted that the assignment did not specifically mention them (my fault). I would like to see task flows; they are an important piece of analysis, and I think they help you visualize the process and what's needed in a tool/application/site. However, I don't feel that I can require them at this point. SO.....for those of you who have them or are willing to do them, I will offer extra credit for the taskflows. But I will not penalize anyone who does not include them. Do know for future reference, however, that they certainly help to inform the development process in the next stage of development. Professionally, you would want to include them in deliverables to clients.
Just a reminder: We are meeting in Room 512, Cook Library at TU at 5:30 pm on Thursday.
suggest that you try to park at the Towsontown Parking Garage off Towsontown blvd. which should be a 5 or 10-minute walk to the library.
for campus map: http://www.towson.edu/main/maps/
for parking information: http://www.towson.edu/adminfinance/auxservices/parking/
If you're lost or having problems, you may contact me at 443-414-4686 or call the Towson library information desk at 410-704-2462and try to get a message to us.
If any one needs a ride, please give me a call. See you Thursday.
Thanks to those who caught a mistake on the schedule - the readings in Kuniavsky for the week are pp. 159-174. They are correct in reserves (although you don't have to read the entire file), and are NOWon the schedule. Sorry for the mistake and confusion.
Lecture is up under Schedule.
I am still missing a few email links on the student page - if you haven't done so already (or if you have but are not yet linked), please email me with your preferred email, courses taken and class expectations.
See you all tomorrow!
For those of you still waiting for your Rubin book to come in, I've placed the 1st 2 chapters of the 1994 ed. on electronic reserves. That should help until your books arrive. For those of you with the 2nd ed., read chapters 1-3.
I've also added a student list with all those who sent me an email as of Friday. If you have not already, done so, please send me an email with your name, courses already taken and three expectations of the course.
It's come to my attention that there is a new (2nd) edition to the Rubin text. If you can find the original, buy it. I'm trying to locate a copy of the new edition and see how different it is from the first. I'll let you know soon if either edition will suffice.