Sample ITECH3001 Evaluating a System Assignment

ITECH3001 Evaluating a System Assignment Sample

Assignment objectives

• Investigate the techniques for evaluating systems as described in the literature

• Design and conduct usability evaluation for a chosen system

• Analyse and interpret the data and results from the evaluation

• Report on the results and recommend for improvement of the evaluated system

Details of written components

Assignment

You will select one of the websites from the list of charities provided on Moodle. The assignment involves conducting a usability test on that website, interpreting the results and writing recommendations in the form of a report on any changes needed. Your report should be presented clearly enough so that it will be ready to be submitted to the charity.

Each of the charities listed have requested a usability evaluation of their website. The written component of the assignment must be based on your ACTUAL usability test on REAL users and should contain the following:

• A discussion, based on the literature, of the different approaches for assessing or testing usability with more detail on the use of usability testing for evaluating systems or websites.

• A brief description of the website selected for the usability evaluation. This should include the purpose of the website, the audience and the objectives of the organisation with respect to their website as determined by the charity.

• For the usability test you must:

o Describe how the usability testing was conducted, and rationale for the approach. You may use the usability instrument provided on Moodle or a similar version (but improved version). The description should include a justification of the number of users, selection of users, the instrument you used for your test (the survey questions), the task you designed for the test etc.

o Design one practical scenario and test its usability

• A critical discussion of the method (good or useful aspects, difficult or poor aspects).

• A page to summarize and list your recommendations for changes to the website with supporting evidence. Think about what you think key personnel in the charity will want to know about how well their website is performing.

Your report must be written for scanning rather than for reading. Use dot lists, numbered lists, tables and levelled headings to organize your ideas and content as demonstrated in this document.To support your arguments, use screenshots, graphs and actual data from your test and cite references across your document.

Solution

Introduction

Usability Test

It is the technique of analysing the use of the service in the market. The organization releases a few features in the market to gather information about the user experience and analysis. It is essential to test the service before launching it in the market. It also includes analysing the requirements of the consumers in terms of features and management systems (Barnum, 2020). Moreover, it is important to understand the effectiveness of the service in the market and how much it is user-friendly. The entire procedure includes an analysis of the features required to be developed in the system, the features that are used mostly, and the features that are not required. The testing relies on feedback analysis of the customer. It is a long-term process and after the completion of the process, the organization finally launches the features into the market. Is procedure followed in terms of an agile project management system that improves the organization in terms of development and improvement?

Benefits

The implementation process benefits the organization in several ways, they are as follows:

• Product Validity

In terms of a better understanding of the market analysis and demands, the organization is required to follow an agile project management system and its implementation procedures. It helps the organization to analyze the needs of features in the market by liberating a few features. The entire process supports the organization in understanding the problems, needs, and demands of the consumer regarding the service or product. As it follows an agile project management system, it prefers feedback analysis for better implementation of the system. The feedback from the consumers helps the organization better understand the requirements. The feedback analysis procedure is followed in every stage of the implementation procedure. A better understanding of the problems and requirements can be evaluated through the process. Moreover, it results in better organizational development.

• Meeting the demand

Meeting the demand is the main aim of the organization. Due to the feedback analysis system, the organization is capable to understand the demands of the consumer. Due to the purpose, the organization can improve the implementation process significantly. The organization can be able to meet the demand by understanding the requirements and problems in their service. Through the procedure, the organization analyzes the customers’ expectations regarding the service. After a complete analysis, the company finally launches the website without any errors. It results in the accuracy and appropriateness of the system launched.

• Trouble identification

The customer accessibility to the website must be smooth. The system must be developed with appropriate features and a loading system. It must be easily accessible in terms to check and analyze the user accessibility. The developing team within the organization should focus on the customer’s user interface. The system handling must not be complex and the website prefers multitasking such as purchasing and donating. In this case, observing is essential to identify the user story. If any issue is discovered by the following system, it must be revised and recovered immediately.

• Appropriate analysis

The internal design of the website attracts the customer in terms of the appropriate arrangement of the features updated into the system. The analysis is based on the user handling such as the features that the customer is using the most and the features the customer is not using. From this point of view, the user analyzes why the customer is not using the features? It results in a better understanding of the system.

• Minimum source of error

As the organization follows the agile project management system, the organization has the least chance of causing errors. According to the feedback analysis, after feedback collection, the stakeholders of the organization set meetings for selecting the relevant ideas or feedback provided by the consumers. By following the ideas, the developer updates the features based on the customer’s requirements. Better implementation procedures and management systems are required for error minimization.

• Better understanding and development

Through the feedback analysis, the organization understands the demands of the market, the techniques to develop the system, and business procedures. Through the process, the organization also understands the effectiveness of the project management system. The organization analyzes the needs of the customers in terms of system development. In this way, the organization results in effective development through usability testing.

• Changes for improvement

After releasing a few features, the organization promotes feedback analysis. The change completely relies on the customer’s feedback such as updating new features and removal of the features that are not necessary. The development team requires focusing on the feedback of the customer and working accordingly. It results in better development and improvement of the system and management system.

• Efficient user experience and satisfaction

User experience and satisfaction are essential in terms of a usability test. It supports the company during the launch of the website; it results in smooth functioning of the system and is user-friendly.

Literature Review

Breast Cancer Network Australia

The organization is associated to promote support for people suffering from Breast cancer. The founder of Breast Cancer Network Australia is Lyn Swinburne that believes in serving humanity. It is a group of fewer people that connects women facing breast cancer. They are already connected with 70 % of Australian women battling breast cancer (O’Brien et al., 2020). The organization provides hope to maximum Australian families in terms of managing funds for treatment and positivity. Today, BCNA is known as the largest consumer organization for the last 22 years in terms of providing support to women who are diagnosed with breast cancer. At present, the organization has taken the initiative in terms of providing maximum facilities to families suffering from breast cancer (Beatty et al., 2021). To reach the destination, the organization needs innovative ideas and progressive thinking to increase the maximum funds of the organization and promote help to them.

To increase the maximum fund, the organization has introduced a website for easy funding for women diagnosed with breast cancer. it also facilitates the implementation procedure by providing a better understanding of the steps that must be taken by the women suffering from breast cancer. It provides several information and updates that are essential for people to know about breast cancer (Riihiaho, 2018). It provides a better innovation for a better management system. BCNA also provides a better understanding of the treatments best for women battling breast cancer. Moreover, they provide support to the patients by supplying facilities such as

• Quick access to the website
• Providing better tests and treatments.
• By lower the budget.
• By providing the best nurse and care facilities.
• By providing public health service
• Provides effective treatment for lymphodema.
• Better clinical practices

Different Approaches of Usability Testing

Common and General Usability Testing
It is the most common and moderate usability testing that is required to collect data in-depth and provides better information for best assignment help .

Lab Testing

In this case, lab testing is important in terms of analyzing the stage, issues, and problems of cancer. The testing period is conducted through mobile or website (Lyles et al., 2014). The stakeholders and the moderators of the organizations focus on the movements of the patient to analyze ad detect the complications.

Advantages

- Provides full observation of the patient's behavior
- Assurance for providing efficient service

Disadvantages

- Requires high expenses
- Consumers time
- Fewer people agree to do the test.

Guerilla Testing

The test is generally conducted in public places. It supports the organization in collecting bulk data in a shorter period. In this case, the procedure is not efficient enough to meet the organizational demand as most peoples are not curious about the result (Kendler, & Strochlic, 2015). Mostly, the person participates due to the purpose of collecting gift coupons.

Advantages

- Provides appropriate and free testing period
- Provide gift coupons
- Do not consume time

Disadvantages

- People do not have the time to collect the result.

Common and most used usability tests

In this case, the entire procedure works digitally and significantly. Interaction with the patients is meant to be possible through questions and query solving approaches.

Interviews via phones

The women suffering from breast cancer require appropriate counseling. The counseling period is generally conducted through phones. The modulators analyze the movements of the patients and focus on identifying their thinking and problems by promoting an appropriate discussion session (Wagner et al., 2020). It results in better understanding and data collection in a shorter period.

There are more approaches such as unmodified and remote and immoderate-in-person. In this case, unmodified and remote focuses on the insight performance of the website such as session recording and online testing tools (Lifford et al., 2019). on the other hand, the immoderate and in-person approach testing session is conducted by the participant itself but does not allow the moderator to involve. These approaches are also very significant in terms of better support provided by providing usability testing sessions to the patients.

Usability Evaluation

The steps of usability testing are inspection, testing, and inquiry. In this scenario, we are performing usability testing. The testing period is conducted mainly to detect the movements and behavior of the patients. Moreover, to identify the thinking and problems of the patient the testing session is conducted to promote support to them (Ginossar et al., 2017). On the other hand, it is also analyzed that it requires improvements in terms of strategic planning, visual analysis, and remote testing system.

The performance of the website can be evaluated by providing multiple questions. In this case, the answer if the finding must be appropriate and informative in terms of better understanding and evaluation. It will support the participants in finding the answer that is not present on the website so that handles the system accurately. Better stakeholder analysis and engagement are required for better system understanding and evaluation.

Purpose

• To promote better website accessibility and performance to the patients.
• To promote help in terms of usability testing to breast cancer patients.
• Provides effective counseling sessions.
• To improve the management system.
• To promote a better engagement between the modulator and patients.
• Results in effective testing analysis and understanding.

Objectives

• Better implementation procedure in terms of usability testing.
• To promote support and facilities for the women battling breast cancer.

Methodology

In this report, the particular methodology or process steps are followed to conduct the overall research or usability testing. However, the methodology was started by motivating the participants to buy the BCNA merchandise from the online portal. After that, they will conduct in detail testing of the products. The management team will prepare an appropriate discussion or seminar that can derive proper analysis and evaluation of the personal experiences (Maramba et al., 2019). The participants will also share their issues and the reasons that make the product more useful in a practical scenario. However, this overall discussion or evaluation will be documented in the company database that can further be implemented in organizational strategy and sustainability.

Participants’ Responsibilities

• Buying Projects and different categories of merchandise and products.
• Conduct in detail testing by using the products.
• Discussion with critical thinking and a flexible approach.
• Personal experience evaluation.
• Active engagement in group discussion.

Training of the Participants

All the participants required appropriate training modules and program designing to conduct the overall testing effectively. It is the responsibility of the management team to design the overall training structure for the organization (Li et al., 2012). This will include engaging seminars, online conferences, team projects, etc. In this way, the participants will be more effective in the overall testing procedure and documentation. Moreover, the test results will be implemented efficiently in a real-life scenario.

Procedure

The testing is the most significant and essential process of the overall report. In this case, the overall evaluation leads to two different procedures of testing. There are differences in nature, specification, and implementation (Lin et al., 2021). In this section of the report, both of those usability testing procedures are explained with potential results.

Table 1: Different Procedures of Usability Testing
(Source: Developed by Author)

Questioner System

A questionnaire system is a part of a remote usability testing procedure. This can also be conducted in the usability Lab testing. Despite that, it is the most efficient remote procedure. All the participants will be able to share their opinion and different evaluation along with personal experiences through the online portal system. This will also efficiently categorize and document them into the system. Moreover, the valuation and testing results will be effectively implemented by considering all the opinions of the participants.

Figure 1: Participant 5

Usability Matrix

Usability metrics are an analytical procedure for evaluating the overall testing procedure and results. In every organization, usability testing requires appropriate criteria and metrics for constant evaluation of the project progress (Maramba et al., 2019). In this section of the report, different usability metrics components will be discussed in terms of description and significance.

Table 2: Description and Significance of Usability Matrix
(Source: Developed by the Author)

Usability Goals

Usability goals present different objectives of the overall usability testing procedure. This is conducted to collect data and feedback from different participants (Tiong et al., 2016). However, these usability goals must be specific and tested by the management team for further organizational implementation. This includes,

• Error-free testing method and usability results
• Appropriate and effective operations
• Effective time management
• Efficient usability testing and operations
• Effective management structure and planning

It is the responsibility of the management team and participants to meet all the usability goals with active contribution and analysis.

Classification

Problem Sensitivity

Problem sensitivity presents the significant impact of the particular problem in any usability scenario. Appropriate classification will help in the identification of the severity of the problems in the procedure and overall results implementation process as well (Lo et al., 2018). In this section of the report, some of the problem categories are explained in terms of effective solution strategies.

Table 3: Description and Problem Sensitivity
(Source: Developed by the Author)

Observation

In this section of the Report, the overall observation of the whole usability testing procedure is discussed in terms of impact and organizational significance. This observation will be effective for the management team to develop appropriate planning and strategy for further improvement and implementation. This will lead to effective recommendations as well. The report or whole testing procedure includes problem analysis, participant analysis, testing procedure, and different framework evaluations. In that case, the observations are,

• The most effective and efficient system for this usability project will be a remote testing model
• The management team has already implemented effective teamwork and management
• Problem analysis has shown the appropriate strategies that can resolve different problem categories
• The participants are the key stakeholder in the overall process and evaluation.

This is the responsibility of the management team to evaluate or analyze all the documented observations to list the most effective recommendations for the project.

Conclusion and Recommendation

The report concludes that the overall usability of the system is already efficient enough to conduct real-life business implementation. Despite that, some of the system and strategic changes will improve the usability experience and other beneficial features. This will also require active observation and engagement of the participants and managerial stakeholders. However, the strategic implementation will effectively conduct the whole process in the assigned time frame.

The final observations and whole analysis can also lead to the most effective and applicable recommendations that must be documented and analyzed for further requirements. It includes,

• The management must improve the remote usability testing system
• The appropriate and effective participant training program must be designed
• The process must include regular feedback analysis into the system
• The appropriate and efficient team must be prepared to moderate and manage the system regularly

This requires effective leadership and analytical skills to implement these recommendations, which can lead to further organizational growth and sustainability in the market.

References