Assignment 06: Usability Test Plan
| Assignment | Description | Due on | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | user analysis | 06 Feb | 10% |
| 02 | task analysis | 25 Feb | 10% |
| 03 | your rationale for the design decisions made | 06 Mar | 20% |
| 04 | prototype and system description | 10 Apr | 20% |
| 05a | usability inspection of a design developed by one of your classmates | 17 Apr | 10% |
| 05b | response to a usability inspection of your design | 22 Apr | 05% |
| 06 | planning a usability test of your own design | 06 May | 15% |
| participation | in class and online | daily | 10% |
Assume that you have incorporated the suggestions provided by the usability inspection of your design and that you will now conduct a usability test as the next evaluation cycle. In particular, consider the design decisions that were made with little support; can you design a study that will provide a stronger foundation for making those design decisions?
Your study should use standard social science research methods that are commonly applied in the evaluation of usability.
You will present your test plan in the form of a proposal to UNC's Behavioral Institutional Review Board (IRB). Normally you would complete the "Application for IRB Approval of Human Subjects Research." You will need to complete parts A and B of the application form (you can omit part C). We will use the linked document for this purpose in INLS718, even though the IRB process is currently transitioning to an online experience. Additional information about ethical treatment of human subjects can be found in the FAQ section on the Office of Human Research Ethics website.
The proposal is due by 1100 on Monday, 06 May 2013
This assignment will be evaluated on the quality/significance of the question being investigated
- the appropriateness and completeness of the literature review
- the appropriateness of the sample to be used in the study and the feasibility of the recruitment plans
- the quality of the measurements to be taken
- the appropriateness and practicality of the research design, data collection methods, and data analysis methods
- and the reasoning used to consider possible implications of the study results
You might find this relatively old IRB proposal to be instructive. It was regarded by the IRB as a good example for others to follow.
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