Usability Report For Stephen F. Austin State University’s Online

Calendar

Prepared for Dr. Megan Condis, Assistant ProfessorStephen F. Austin University

Prepared by Kira Mort

March 21, 2016

Table of ContentsSummary 3The Current State of SFA’s Online Calendar 3Methods 3Collective Demographics 4Individual Results 7

Participant 01 7Participant 02 8Participant 03 8Participant 04 8Participant 05 9Participant 06 9Participant 07 10Participant 08 10Participant 09 10Participant 10 11

Evaluation 11Recommendation 12

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Summary

The Online Calendar at Stephen F. Austin (SFA) University is frustrating to many students who use it. Tiny links, repetitive layout, and a labor-intensive setup deter the un-invested, and frustrate those in need of swift information. For this usability report, I have collected the demographics, opinions, and recommendations of ten users who used the website as normal and then self-reported their experience. Several key themes appeared very consistently, including a need for more color, more distinguishing day and month markers, and a more traditional calendar layout. I have drawn from each participant’s statements to create a collective recommendation of improvements, which I believe would make the SFA Calendar easier and more appealing to use.

The Current State of SFA’s Online Calendar

SFA University’s website is difficult to navigate. It is enough so to be joked about by the students who try to reference it. When it comes to the academic calendar, the problem is just as severe. However, the website’s issues would not be difficult to fix. I have initiated this usability report to pinpoint issues as reported by actual users, and help the SFA University Marketing Communications Department (UMC) improve its Online Calendar system.

The Online Calendar system is simply laid out, with the purple SFA banner at the top of the mostly white screen, and small columns on either side of the page, with small links the size of the text that labels them. The main page for the Online Calendar is, interestingly enough, not the actual calendar. The main page is, rather, is a list of the types of calendars, with information on who can contribute entries. This is all right in the center of the webpage. The links for the calendars themselves are tucked in a small grey box to the left, along with contact information for comments or submissions to the calendar.

The Online Calendar itself is fairly simply laid out, with the same purple banner at the top of the page, a small list of the different types of calendars to the right, and a large list of dates in boxes that go down the center of the page. This list is very long, and requires a lot of scrolling. Months are not sectioned off; rather, specific dates alone are given in each box, with information about the events, times, locations, etc., and added links for extra information. There is no way to shrink entries, though there is a small search bar on the right side. Using this gives dates in a slightly more traditional calendar format, allowing users to search specific months or departments at will.

Methods

For this usability survey, participants took part in three separate segments: a pre-questionnaire to gather their demographics, a series of tasks to test the usability of the website, and a pro-questionnaire to record their reactions, issues, and suggestions regarding the usability of the site.

For the pre-questionnaire, each participant was asked to give basic demographic information, including name, age, level of education, and degree major, where relevant. Participants were also asked about their background with technology and SFA University specifically. Specifically, participants were asked if they had any physical ailments that could affect their ability to use the internet, like glasses or hand injuries; individual confidence in computer and internet skills;

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familiarity with the SFA Website generally, and the Online Calendar specifically; preferred mediums of access such as laptops and tablets; and an interest in school events, which would justify needing to actually use the Online Calendar.

To gauge the usability of the SFA Online Calendar, participants were asked to perform four tasks. These tasks were as follows;

1. Your friends have told you there’s a school event happening on April 9, but you don’t know what it is. You’re trying to find out more about it using the main calendar.

2. You’re interested in attending SFA events during this semester, but currently live out of town. You’re trying to figure out which month has the most school events, so you can go during that month.

3. Find out what events take place in the Twilight Ballroom this semester.

4. Find out when Spring Break and/or Easter Break take place.

For the four tasks, participants had the option of commenting during the actual test, or save all comments for the pro-questionnaire. Each of these questions allows the participant to use the Online Calendar as it was intended to be used, to look up dates and school events.

After each of these four tasks were completed, each participant was asked to fill out a pro-questionnaire, in which they could comment on their interaction with the website, and offer critical feedback or recommendations. Questions included where the participants’ eyes first went on the webpage; whether or not they were able to find the information they needed, and what the Online Calendar did or did not help them find; whether or not they felt their search was easy; what they liked and disliked about the Online Calendar; and, any suggestions to improve the Online Calendar.

Collective Demographics

Prior to taking part in this report, participants were asked to give basic demographical information, as well as customized information regarding their computer and internet usage, involvement with SFA University, etcetera. This information was compiled before the participants were surveyed.

Age

As age can be relevant to one’s level of involvement with modern technology, participants were asked to give their ages. Those are as follows on the next page:

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Because most of the participants are currently students at SFA University, an overwhelming majority were in their early twenties. The three outliers included Participant 03, who was just shy of twenty, and Participants 09 and 10, who were both 53 years old.

Level of Education and Major

Many of the survey participants are or were students at SFA University, so a few specifics regarding their education were requested. The specifics are given below, as reported by each participant.

Once again, most of the participants who took part in this survey were, or are currently, students at SFA University. Six of the ten people surveyed have gone to SFA, and five are still attending the university.

This is the most diverse category for all of the participants surveyed. With the exception of the two English Majors, every participant was in a completely different degree plan, ranging from math to art, and history to nutrition. Participant 10 even had a degree relevant to computer use and programming: Computer Information Systems.

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Participant Age01 2102 2003 1904 2005 2106 2307 2108 2409 5310 53

Participant

Level of Education

01 College Junior, SFA02 College Senior, SFA03 College Freshman 04 College Junior05 College Junior, SFA06 Bachelors, SFA07 College Junior, SFA08 College Senior, SFA09 Bachelors10 Bachelors

Participant

Degree Major

01 English02 English03 Art04 Math05 Music Education06 Sociology07 Nutrition08 History09 French10 Computer Information

Physical Ailments

In the same way that age can be relevant to one’s involvement with modern technology, physical ailments such as arthritis, or the need for corrective lenses or contacts, can greatly affect how one interacts with technology.

A high majority of participants in this survey – seven out of ten, specifically – need glasses or contacts to correct their eyesight. None reported having arthritis, hand injuries, or other ailments that could affect their ability to use technology or the internet.

Familiarity with the SFA Website

Naturally, internet users who regularly visit the SFA website will likely have a better understanding of the current format. This type of unique digital background proved noteworthy for the usability survey.

As can be seen here, most of the participants had little to no familiarity with SFA’s website at all. One participant was fairly familiar with SFA’s website, and two were very familiar with it, referencing it regularly.

Medium of Internet Access

A participant’s chosen medium of access for the internet can greatly change his experience. Participants were asked to note whether they used desktop systems, tablets, smart phones, and others to access the internet. These are as follows on the next page:

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Participant

Physical Ailments

01 None/NA02 None/NA03 Glasses04 Glasses05 Glasses06 Glasses, Contacts07 Contacts08 Glasses09 Nearsightedness10 Glasses

Participant

Website Familiarity

01 None02 Little/Rarely Use03 None04 None05 Little/Rarely Use06 Very familiar/High Use07 Fairly familiar/Some Use08 Very familiar/High Use09 Little/Rarely Use10 Little/Rarely Use

An overwhelming majority of the survey participants regularly use, or are comfortable with, accessing the internet via laptop or smartphone. Seven of the ten participants reported used laptops, eight of the ten used smart phones, and of those, six use both.

Individual Results

In the following sections, each participant’s individual results are listed, specifically those traits and remarks that were unique or noteworthy. It’s worth noting that Participants 01 and 02 had a slightly different test than the others; they were given the SFA Calendars page as their starting point, not the actual Online Calendar they needed to find. This proved so difficult and frustrating to them both that little information could be compiled about the Online Calendar itself. The test was adjusted accordingly. Later participants were given the link straight to the Online Calendar itself.

Participant 01

The first participant in this survey was one of the two people who was not given the Online Calendar directly, and instead was given the SFA Calendar site, to see if he could find the information he still needed. He reported an average level of computer and internet skill in the pre-questionnaire. He reported having some familiarity with SFA University’s website, but none with the online calendar specifically. He also reported being “somewhat interested” in school events.

For the four tasks, the first participant chose to comment during each. His remarks were as follows for each: For the first task, he noted “It took me a while to find how to get to the main calendar, but from there it was fine.” For which month has the most events this semester, he answered, “I suppose March.” When asked to find school events in the Twilight Ballroom, he stated, “I found three by using the search bar.” In finding the dates for Spring Break and Easter Break, he stated, “Both were easy to find.”

For the pro-questionnaire, while this participant acknowledged the calendar did help him find the information he needed, still had difficulty with the site. He noted that it took time for him to

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Participant

Medium of Access

01 Desktop/PC02 Laptop, Smart Phone03 Desktop, Laptop, Smart

Phone, Game Console04 Laptop, Smart Phone05 Laptop, Smart Phone06 Laptop07 Desktop, Smart Phone08 Desktop, Smart Phone09 Laptop, Smart Phone10 Laptop, Smart Phone

identify the correct links because of the calendar’s “obscure” link placements. This participant had few problems with the main calendar, only how difficult it was to find. His eye was first drawn to the list of calendars on the SFA Calendar page.Participant 02

The second participant in this survey was one of the two people who was not given the Online Calendar directly, and instead was given the SFA Calendar site, to see if she could find the information she still needed. She reported a high level confidence in her computer and internet skill in the pre-questionnaire. She reported having little familiarity with SFA University’s website, and even less with the online calendar specifically. She also reported lacking interest in school events, and normally using “just the academic calendar.”

For the four tasks, the second participant commented regularly during each. She was able to find the information needed, but not without complaining how much easier it was to find with Google. She became progressively frustrated as she performed the first three tasks, and finally refused to do the fourth task at all. “Forget it, I’m just googling it,” she remarked.

For the pro-questionnaire, this participant stated that her eye wasn’t drawn to any key points on the calendar webpage; nothing in particular drew her attention about it. She wasn’t able to give a positive regarding the calendar itself, remarking that it was “too involved,” “too wordy,” wasn’t “straightforward,” and “needs to be easier to access.”

Participant 03

The third participant was the first to be given the Online Calendar link directly, to get specific results on that specific webpage. Regarding her confidence in computer and internet skills, the third participant merely remarked that she used her computer often. She reported that her only familiarity with SFA, much less the site, was through her sister, who is attending the university. She lacked an interest in the school’s events and had no experience with the school website at all.

This participant only made very brief comments while performing the four tasks. She remarked that the first task only took her “ten seconds,” but unlike the first participant, she believed that May was the month with the most school events. She had no difficulty finding the remainder of the information requested.

For the pro-questionnaire, this participant remarked that the webpage design was “so simple, nothing caught my eye.” She remarked that everything was so uniform, it was “difficult to differentiate what was what.” Still, she found the search relatively simple. She remarked the website did its job, but using it was “not fun,” and that it needed “something more eye-catching so it’s easier to tell what is what, because [every event] looks the same.”

Participant 04

The fourth participant did not comment on her interest in SFA, the website, or her experience with either. She is not a student, so she did not believe the questions applied to her. It can be easily inferred, however, that she likely has little to no experience with any of these, and

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therefore came into this survey completely fresh.

While performing the four tasks, this participant made brief responses. The first and third task were “easy enough” for her, but she became overwhelmed with the second task, finding it “too much trouble!” She managed to find the rest of the information, however, with little trouble.

This participant’s responses in the pro-questionnaire were similarly brief. She noted that she’s more familiar with “old-fashioned calendars,” and would’ve preferred if there were separate monthly calendars, instead of having all the dates in a line. Still, she did comment that it was good to have “all the dates lined in an order.” Regarding the difficulty of her search, she merely commented that it was “a little bit easy,” and that the calendar site “helped [her search] a little bit.”

Participant 05

The fifth participant was a new student to SFA, so she remarked her interest in school events as being lower, likely because she was focused more on her classes. Her confidence in her internet skills was very high, as well as her computer skills, as she was also an administrative assistant for three years prior. She had notable experience with SFA’s website, having referenced it heavily before joining the university.

While performing the four tasks, she noted that the first task led her to a “very convenient” link with all the information she needed. She had no trouble finding the information necessary for the other three tasks, though she stated April to be the month with the most school events, not March or May like the previous participants.

This participant had a more positive reaction to the Online Calendar than most of the previous participants did. She felt the site was “fairly easy” to use, “very helpful,” and “clearly labeled.” She didn’t have any negative comments on the site itself, though she did suggest adding a fully-interactive monthly calendar alongside the scrolling list.

Participant 06

The sixth participant attended SFA University in the past year, but has since graduated. She declared herself “fairly confident” in her computer and internet skills, very familiar with the SFA website itself, and less familiar with the SFA Calendar, noting that she “doesn’t like it much.” Regarding her interest in school events, she mentioned taking occasional interest when she returns to visit old friends.

For the four tasks, this participant had no trouble finding the information she needed. However, like the previous participants, she couldn’t decide which month had the most school events, stating April and May were both tied at three each. Aside from this, she only made passing remarks on where she found the information.

In the pro-questionnaire, the sixth participant stated that she found her search “very easy,” noting that she “only had to scroll through the calendar or use the search bar.” Ironically, this was also

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her complaint with it, how much scrolling was involved, and that “there was no clear mark of when the months changed.” She recommended a monthly grid calendar, and also remarked that she’d “like to see all the calendar events on one calendar too.”

Participant 07

The seventh participant was very brief and to-the-point in her answers on the pre-questionnaire. She reported being “reasonably familiar” with the SFA website and calendar alike, “confident” in her computer skills, and having a “low” interest in school events.

While performing the four tasks, this participant withheld any remarks until she was given the pro-questionnaire.

In similarly brisk fashion, the seventh participant’s remarks on the pro-questionnaire were short and concise. She remarked that the calendar was effective, though she mostly searched it with the search bar, not by hand. She commented that she liked the color scheme and simplicity of the Online Calendar, but also complained that it was “almost too blank.” Her recommendation was, in similar fashion to many of the participants, to organize the dates in a traditional, monthly-calendar style.

Participant 08

The eighth participant was similarly brief and concise as the seventh in her remarks. In the pre-questionnaire, she cited her familiarity with programs such as Microsoft Word in regards to her computer experience, and stated that she visits the SFA website several times weekly. She had less familiarity with the Online Calendar specifically, however, and “some interest” in school events.

Similar to the seventh participant, she made no comment on the four tasks themselves, saving her opinions for the pro-questionnaire.

The eighth participant’s comments on the pro-questionnaire were brief but mixed. Although she called the website easy, “a 2 on a scale of 1 to 4,” she also stated that she only found what she needed by scrolling through every event. While she liked that “everything is listed on the same page,” She wanted there to be “more separation between events of different months.” Her suggestion was to add “more color,” and a “clear distinction of events according to month.”

Participant 09

The ninth participant was one of the few people surveyed who was never involved with SFA University, and as a result, had no interest in SFA’s school events outside of those involving his daughter. Although he “rarely” used the SFA website, he had an extensive computer background, including graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems, and formerly spent twenty years as a Systems Engineer.

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This participant chose to withhold any remarks until he’d completed the four tasks, adding them to his answers on the pro-questionnaire.

The ninth participant’s remarks were more detailed than most of the prior entries. He noted that he was only able to find the information he needed by “scrolling through each entry in the calendar.” Although he found his search relatively easy, he said this was only because “there weren’t a lot of entries, but with more entries it would be a real pain.” He was frustrated that there was “no way to look at the calendar by month, location, or year at a glance,” but still said “It was better than nothing.” His recommendation was to have a traditional calendar system – a twelve-month main calendar, and “individual calendars for each facility.”

Participant 10

The tenth participant was one of the few people surveyed who was never involved with SFA University, meaning she came in completely fresh. She had little to no interest in SFA’s school events, but had some confidence in her computer skills, having worked as an admin assistant in both Word and OS systems.

While performing the four tasks, this participant commented actively, partially because she regularly ran into glitches and errors, and had to switch systems until she found one that worked. These errors included certain buttons and columns overlapping sections of text and images, sabotaging the function of both. Ironically, this error only appeared on an iPhone, which was the only medium she was able to access the site through; it wouldn’t work on a Windows laptop.

The tenth participant in this report, out of all participants, had the most to say about the website overall. She noted that text was very uniform, and this forced the viewer to read everything to find what they needed. She recommended bold and enlarged fonts to help this. She did comment, however, that “with some effort, I found good information.” Still, a lot of that information was presented in a jumbled manner. She remarked that “some information that is geared towards the students was mixed in with events information. It made it difficult for someone who is not a student” to find what they need. She recommended separate headers for students and non-students, maybe with clickable tabs. Ultimately, using the calendar took “a little work,” and once again, a traditional calendar would have worked much better.

Evaluation

Collectively, the participants surveyed for this usability report were diverse and mixed. Though over half were or are currently SFA students, the remainder were not. Participants did not share educational backgrounds or majors, though several used glasses and were well-acquainted with laptops and smartphones. They all varied as well in their familiarity with the SFA website and Online Calendar, allowing for a full mix of opinions and a more balanced survey.

Reactions to the SFA Online Calendar were similarly mixed. About a third each were overall positive, negative, or indifferent. However, several key points were raised by nearly every participant: Many noted, or outright complained, that the site involved a lot of scrolling and thorough reading. Both of these are deadly to the modern website. Several also complained about

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the simplicity of the design, noting that it was boring to look at; many felt their eyes were first drawn to the purple banner at the top of the page, not the calendar itself. It should also be noted that when the participants listed the months with the most school events, there was no common consensus. Some said it was March, others April, and still others May. The information was not clear enough to readily and accurately recognize which month had the most events. On this same note, a few complained that the webpage didn’t clearly split up individual months, which likely added to the above confusion.

Recommendation

In light of the recommendations posted by the participants themselves, I would advocate for, at the very least, a traditional calendar system. A layout like a traditional calendar will solve all the problems regarding the date and month confusion that was regularly complained about. It will eliminate the need for scrolling; the calendar could easily be adapted to fit a browser screen without any scrolling. Labels between months would be easy to spot, dates would be easy to spot, and to show how many events are in a single month, a simple number or label could be placed next to the month title itself. This would also help draw attention to events that might otherwise go ignored, as viewers would be more likely to count each event, and notice each one for a little longer.

Another problem with the site was immediately apparent after just two candidates. The calendar itself was so difficult to locate, the first two participants became very frustrated, and likely would not have stayed if they were surfing the site normally. The SFA Online Calendar is linked to SFA’s main calendar page by a tiny, text-sized, tucked-in-the-corner link. So, instead of putting the links to the different calendars in the corner, I recommend they be front and center. Place them in the center of the browser, with large, easy-to-see links. I’d also recommend these links be pictures of calendars, or even miniature copies of the calendars in question.

Problems were also cited with the nature of the calendars. Not were they only difficult to find, but the labels were not clear, meaning that once a person found the link, there was a good chance they’d clicked on the wrong calendar entirely. Two suggestions were posed by the participants to fix this: One was to place all school events on a single calendar, and another was to have separate calendars for each department. Either would work well, but I’d recommend keeping each month to the size of a browser screen.

For the sake of simplicity, however, and to avoid issues with mobile devices, I’d recommend the latter. Have large, inconspicuous, clearly-labeled links to each calendar, with titles such as “English Department Calendar,” or “Athletic Calendar,” etcetera. I’d also recommend having each calendar date be expandable: In normal format, the calendar would only show the names of events on each day. However, clicking on the date would expand that day, and give information on each. This would also be useful for catching a viewer’s attention for same-day events they might not have heard about otherwise. And, clear colored labels would prevent a viewer getting frustrating, since he wouldn’t have to read each topic to find the one he wanted.

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