1. http://whatsmygrade.info/screen-6e567fbb8f-indexhtml.html
2. The prototype works in Firefox and Chrome the size of the window you are using matters
3. Hello, participant. My name is ________________. We are creating a simple and easy way to track a student's grades, and would really appreciate your feedback on some sample tasks. Our grade software will help many students from college level down to high school. Some users will only need to track grades, calculate a final grade, or use this product to figure out what grades they need in certain requisite grading areas to achieve a desired final grade. We will be observing you as you complete a few tasks to improve our product. You are free to leave whenever you want, as this is strictly voluntary on your part. Thank you very much for any and all help! Do you have any questions?
4. Task Scenarios:
1. Create a new class called CS2600 where homework counts for 10%
2. Open the existing class CS2600 and add a 86 to the homework section
For our grader, we have a number of use cases, all of them essential to the overall profile of our product. Using these cases, we have a useful framework for the genesis of a utile and usable design.
The first task is obviously to add a class. This is the introductory step and as such should have an interface that represents this fact. At our first turn of this task, we will have no other options to burden the user with. As such we can leverage this fact to completely unclutter our interface and provide the user with an immediate and easy to understand option. At later points our challenge is to formulate an interface that allows easy use of the existing classes in the gradebook while also keeping the “add class” feature well within sight. Some exceptions include adding a grade that is out of bounds or leaving it blank which will prompt them to discount the space towards their total or have them make a guess. The ultimate goal is to have the class there so it can be easily updated when future grades come in to be tabulated. It will happen frequently at the beginning of the semester and sporadically thereafter. Removing a class is as well a task we must identify. This should exist in equal visibility to our “add class” option. This ought to include a precautionary message or prompt that will dissuade an accidental deletion of the user's data. Users will use this feature on completion of a class or they made a mistake in the adding class process. This will happen most often at the end of a semester or after a drop course or withdraw. Dividing a class into its requisite grading areas is also a task. Upon first accessing an added class, the interface should prompt for a single area, and its respective weight and how many assignments in this area to calculate. There isn't any need to add any grades as the area is assigned. This as well includes removing a grading area from the class, however this will also require a prompt so as to discourage an accidental deletion. Exceptions will occur if the weight is below 0 or above 100 and it will take into account other assigned weights to ensure they add to 100%. This will occur often at the beginning of the semester and occasionally after that depending on the syllabus. The deletion will occur mostly after a mistake has been entered because they will be automatically removed with the class at the end of the semester. Adding grades is the most atomic of all tasks to be considered. It should be obvious which area you are adding your grade to, and to which class. For this task however, the deletion of grades does not come with a prompt or confirmation window. The amount of information deleted is
minimal and does not contribute to a significant loss of information on the part of the user. It is worth considering to simply implement a small window for the filling in of numerical grades. Depending on the number of assignments per class it could happen frequently to less often. Exceptions are limited to adding a grade out of bounds or trying to enter an empty field. Computation of known grade thus far is a mandatory task for the gradebook. It is the one task that will be most often used and thus should be very easy to use but also easy to manipulate. This deigns that the methods used to provoke this computing of the grade should be easy to spot, preferably be a single button to use, and the ability to be invoked anywhere. Depending on the person (question 3) this will happen at a wide variety of frequencies. The typical person might calculate their final grade two to three times a semester, the slacker: once or twice depending on their perceived progress, the obsessive: very often to the point of obsession. The counselor is a corner case where she may never need it or may need it weekly depending on her schedule. The last of our use tasks is the calculation of needed grades to achieve a certain grade. Given an incomplete list of grades among a stretch of different grading areas, the program is to compute what the needed minimum grades that the user would need to achieve to attain the grade they have input into the program. While this seems to be one of the more robust features of the gradebook, it may be delegated to the background when it comes to saving interface space. Since it is possibly a feature for a power user, it should possibly be invoked via a menu. Again this could happen very frequently or not depending on the personas described above.
5. Mitch: Designer, Web development assistant, web content creator
Dennis: Web development assistant, note taker, business analyst, web content editor
Rich: Web developer, business analyst, web content creator
2. The prototype works in Firefox and Chrome the size of the window you are using matters
3. Hello, participant. My name is ________________. We are creating a simple and easy way to track a student's grades, and would really appreciate your feedback on some sample tasks. Our grade software will help many students from college level down to high school. Some users will only need to track grades, calculate a final grade, or use this product to figure out what grades they need in certain requisite grading areas to achieve a desired final grade. We will be observing you as you complete a few tasks to improve our product. You are free to leave whenever you want, as this is strictly voluntary on your part. Thank you very much for any and all help! Do you have any questions?
4. Task Scenarios:
1. Create a new class called CS2600 where homework counts for 10%
2. Open the existing class CS2600 and add a 86 to the homework section
For our grader, we have a number of use cases, all of them essential to the overall profile of our product. Using these cases, we have a useful framework for the genesis of a utile and usable design.
The first task is obviously to add a class. This is the introductory step and as such should have an interface that represents this fact. At our first turn of this task, we will have no other options to burden the user with. As such we can leverage this fact to completely unclutter our interface and provide the user with an immediate and easy to understand option. At later points our challenge is to formulate an interface that allows easy use of the existing classes in the gradebook while also keeping the “add class” feature well within sight. Some exceptions include adding a grade that is out of bounds or leaving it blank which will prompt them to discount the space towards their total or have them make a guess. The ultimate goal is to have the class there so it can be easily updated when future grades come in to be tabulated. It will happen frequently at the beginning of the semester and sporadically thereafter. Removing a class is as well a task we must identify. This should exist in equal visibility to our “add class” option. This ought to include a precautionary message or prompt that will dissuade an accidental deletion of the user's data. Users will use this feature on completion of a class or they made a mistake in the adding class process. This will happen most often at the end of a semester or after a drop course or withdraw. Dividing a class into its requisite grading areas is also a task. Upon first accessing an added class, the interface should prompt for a single area, and its respective weight and how many assignments in this area to calculate. There isn't any need to add any grades as the area is assigned. This as well includes removing a grading area from the class, however this will also require a prompt so as to discourage an accidental deletion. Exceptions will occur if the weight is below 0 or above 100 and it will take into account other assigned weights to ensure they add to 100%. This will occur often at the beginning of the semester and occasionally after that depending on the syllabus. The deletion will occur mostly after a mistake has been entered because they will be automatically removed with the class at the end of the semester. Adding grades is the most atomic of all tasks to be considered. It should be obvious which area you are adding your grade to, and to which class. For this task however, the deletion of grades does not come with a prompt or confirmation window. The amount of information deleted is
minimal and does not contribute to a significant loss of information on the part of the user. It is worth considering to simply implement a small window for the filling in of numerical grades. Depending on the number of assignments per class it could happen frequently to less often. Exceptions are limited to adding a grade out of bounds or trying to enter an empty field. Computation of known grade thus far is a mandatory task for the gradebook. It is the one task that will be most often used and thus should be very easy to use but also easy to manipulate. This deigns that the methods used to provoke this computing of the grade should be easy to spot, preferably be a single button to use, and the ability to be invoked anywhere. Depending on the person (question 3) this will happen at a wide variety of frequencies. The typical person might calculate their final grade two to three times a semester, the slacker: once or twice depending on their perceived progress, the obsessive: very often to the point of obsession. The counselor is a corner case where she may never need it or may need it weekly depending on her schedule. The last of our use tasks is the calculation of needed grades to achieve a certain grade. Given an incomplete list of grades among a stretch of different grading areas, the program is to compute what the needed minimum grades that the user would need to achieve to attain the grade they have input into the program. While this seems to be one of the more robust features of the gradebook, it may be delegated to the background when it comes to saving interface space. Since it is possibly a feature for a power user, it should possibly be invoked via a menu. Again this could happen very frequently or not depending on the personas described above.
5. Mitch: Designer, Web development assistant, web content creator
Dennis: Web development assistant, note taker, business analyst, web content editor
Rich: Web developer, business analyst, web content creator
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