DeLaveaga Elementary School Beta Test Summary Report Author: Denise K. Henry Date: 12/1/07
Brief Profile of Users
Three individuals participated in the usability test: one web developer, one visually impaired user relying on assistive devices and software to access Internet resources, and one teacher who is also a Multimedia Design course classmate. Each tester provided feedback from a unique point of view and increased awareness of areas requiring improvement from his or her unique perspective.
Think Aloud task
This test session was not guided by a finite set of tasks. This session focused on impressions and experiences that parallel the audience who will visit the live site, e.g. a user who scans pages for information that is personally relevant. My role in the session centered on recording thoughts from individuals as each moved through the site then asking probing questions to gain specific information from each user’s point of view. For example, the visually impaired tester explored the site using a screen reader and zoom text software. Her comments differed greatly that those garnered from the web developer whose visual ability is not compromised.
Summary of Think Aloud
The classmate suggested formatting changes and noticed inconsistency with the spelling of the school’s name. The index page appeared differently in two tester's web browser than the development computer's browser, even though the same operating system and browser are used to display the page. The visually impaired user was pleased with the sit's use of color and clean design. All of the users liked the navigation and did not report feeling “lost in cyberspace” at any time. The web developer indicated that the site is on the right track conceptually and developmentally. He also liked the “psychedelic” texture of the page’s textured background and the alignment of the page in the browser.
Summary of Post-test
Minor fixes surfaced through the beta test. A few images will need alternative tags and the descriptions of events on the RSS calendar should be bolded or presented in a larger font size to increase readability for visually impaired users. The web developer suggested converting all Microsoft Word documents to a portable document format or design as HTML pages. He also noted slow loading of the RSS calendar but commented favorably on the design and placement of the resource. Two testers recommend adding photos of students and staff to increase user engagement.
Findings to be implemented
The following action items resulted from the beta test: Ensure consistent spelling of school name Add alternative tags to all images
Findings that will not be implemented
A few pages will continue to present information in word document form until there is time to reach the goal of creating HTML versions. The RSS calendar’s features may be limited. It is necessary to contact the help desk to find out if an option is available to modify the font size and style when listing event descriptions. Finally, more research is required to learn methods for consistent display in different browsers.