Presented by NSF Project Team

May 14, 2003

…Building Empowered Communities

Building Empowered Communities

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0210928. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author (s) and do not

necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Presentation Outline

• Overview of Fall 2002 semester work• Vision, Mission, and Goals• Research• Design• Development

Overview of Fall 2002

• Data collection

• Needs assessment

• Use cases and role models

• Flowcharts

• Wire frames

ADDIE Model

Vision, Mission, Goals

Vision:

Building empowered communities

Mission:

Create a foundation for a self-sustaining, self-directed learning community that fosters capacity building in underserved communities

Vision, Mission, Goals (cont.)

Goals:• Prioritize functions of Self Directed Learning

Community• Implement functions of Self Directed Learning

Community• Document the process of system design (i.e.

design document)• Produce a scalable high-fidelity prototype of an

online system

Vision, Mission, Goals (cont.)

Approach:• Open communication• Research a Community of Practice• Participatory Design• Performance Centered Design

Research

Views of Culture

Traditional definition• Stable practices that capture daily life• Passed down through generations• Dynamic & improvisational• Participation in multiple communities• Self-identity in relation to others

Views of Culture

Modern Definition • Discourse Community

– People, ways of thinking, acting, valuing

• Funds of Knowledge– Strategic knowledge

Implications

Implications on Instructional Systems Design• Framework based on majority• Participatory design• Funds of knowledge

Capacity Building

Characteristics of:• Sense of Community• Commitment from community members• Members participate as stakeholders• Ability to solve problems• Access resources – economic, physical, human,

and political (Chaskin)

Communities of Practice

“Communities of Practice are groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis.”

(Wenger, McDermott, & Snyder, 2002, p. 4)

Why Communities of Practice

• Practical knowledge management

• Not limited by physical, geographical boundaries

• Creates value to members

• “Offers possibilities for weaving the organization around knowledge, connecting people, solving problems, and creating opportunities.”

(Wenger et al., 2002)

Virtual Communities

• Language and artifacts reflect culture• Identity and norms from shared history and

behavioral rules• Develop processes that spur participation• Support new organizational roles• Give community members “space” to participate• Flexible ways for communities to describe and

find resources• Flexible support to manage growth

Participatory Design

What is it?• “Participatory design is a set of theories,

practices, and studies related to end-users as full participants in activities leading to software and hardware computer products and computer-based activities.”

(Schuler & Namioka, 1993)

Level of participation• How involved do we want them?

Participatory Design (cont.)

• Settings• Workshops• Stories• Photographs • Drama• Games

• Language• Descriptive Artifacts• Low Tech Prototypes• Evolutional Prototyping

and Cooperative Prototyping

Participatory Design (cont.)

Implications:• Improved communication and understanding• Incorporation of new and emergent ideas• Shared ownership• Committed working relations • Achieving consequential goals

Usage-Centered Design

“What really counts is not the number of clicks it takes me to get to what I want, but rather how hard each click is - the amount of thought required, and the amount of uncertainty about whether I’m making the right choice.”

(Krug, 2000, p.41)

Visual Design

• Look and Feel• Functionality

“Creating consistent and functional systems for navigation, graphics, page layout, and title languages so that the user knows where to go, what to do, and it encourages them to return.” (Goto & Cotler, p. 88)

Design Process

Function Flow

Vision, Mission, GoalsNeeds Assessment

Participatory DesignResearch

Flow Charts

Categories

Pages

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eference Research

The Pyramid Process of Design

Vision, Mission, GoalsNeeds AssessmentResearch

Flow Charts

Categories

Pages

Reference R

esearchSoci

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The Pyramid Process of Design

Vision, Mission, GoalsNeeds AssessmentResearchParticipatory Design

Functions Revision

Learn

Practice

Play

Communication

Create Resources

Resource Storage

Track

Access Resources

Interact

Communication

Create Resources

Store

Track

Access

Functions Flow

Interact

Communication

Create resources

Store

Track

Access

Log In

InteractEmailChatDiscussion Board Add Delete Edit TrackSearch Log In

Prioritization

• What is critical to the system?• What do we have the time to do?• What do we have the resources to do?• What does the client want/need?

Vision, Mission, GoalsNeeds Assessment

Participatory DesignResearch

Flow Charts

Categories

Pages

Soci

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egot

iatio

nR

eference Research

The Pyramid Process of Design

Flow Charts

Vision, Mission, GoalsNeeds Assessment

Participatory DesignResearch

Flow Charts

Pages

Pages

Soci

al N

egot

iatio

nR

eference Research

The Pyramid Process of Design

Categories

Vision, Mission, GoalsNeeds Assessment

Participatory DesignResearch

Flow Charts

Categories

Content

Soci

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The Pyramid Process of Design

Pages

From the Abstract into the Concrete

• Take the functions and make them real

• Take the categories and make them real

Functions

What are users going to do?• Communicate = email, chat, discussion board, email

administrator, (email this page), (listserve) • Add/Delete/Modify content• Login to the system• (Interact - learn, practice, play)• (Search)

Site Structure

• Communicate• Information• Events• Classes

Participatory Design

• Four client design meetings• Three usability rounds with user role models at

the community centerNomenclatureStructureContentColors and Fonts

• One round with the Buckingham Neighborhood Committee

Participatory Design

Client design meetings– Functions– Prioritization– Structure and nomenclature– Test wireframes

Usability Testing - Round OneNomenclature and Structure

• Meeting Place = Communicate (email/chat)• Discussion Board = Communicate (discussion

board)• Email Administrator = Communicate (email)• Life Skills = Information• What’s Happening = Events• Education = Classes• Lost? = Site Map

Usability Testing – Round TwoNomenclature and Structure

• Email or Chat = Meeting Place• Information, My World, Keepin’ It Real = Life

Skills• Things to Do, Fun, Style = What’s Happening• Classes and School House = Education• Send Suggestion = Email Administrator• Site Map = Site Map

Usability Testing - Round Three Visual Design/Colors and Fonts

• Color palette for adults, kids and teens

• Font selection for kids and teens

Visual Design - The Logo

• Adults

• Kids

• Teens

Taking the Show on the Road

• Demonstration/Test at the Buckingham Neighborhood Committee

• Advisor/Provider role models

What About BOB?

http://itdev.gmu.edu/nsf/index.asp

References

Goto, K. & Cotler, E. (2002). Web redesign: Workflow that works. Indianapolis: New Riders Publishing.

Krug, S. (2000). Don’t make me think! A common sense approach to web usability. Indianapolis: New Riders Publishing.

Schuler, D. & Namioka, A. (1993). Participatory design: Principles and practices. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Wenger, E., McDermott, R., & Snyder, W. (2002). Cultivating communities of practice. Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press.