Final group proposal(slideshare)

Usability Testing Laboratory ProposalPresented by Graduate Students of the Technical Communication Program

Submitted to:

Dr. Kathryn NorthcutAssociate ProfessorDepartment of English and Technical CommunicationMissouri University of Science and Technology236 Humanities & Social SciencesRolla, MO 65409

Submitted by:

Mariah ThomasYeonKyung LeeAmruta A. RanadeShanthi P. Dontula

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction................................................................................................................................................................. 1

Current Situation....................................................................................................................................................... 1

Benefits.......................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Benefits to Students: Provide Experiential Learning Environment..............................................3

Benefits to the TC Program: Attract More Students and Promote Department Growth......4

Benefits to Missouri S&T and Local Businesses: Provide Usability Testing Services............4

Qualifications............................................................................................................................................................... 5

Future Directions....................................................................................................................................................... 7

Proposed Budget........................................................................................................................................................ 9

Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................................. 10

References.................................................................................................................................................................. 12

Appendix A: Detailed Budget Worksheet.....................................................................................................14

Appendix B: Examples of on-campus IT facility and MU’s IEL facility............................................17

Usability Lab (Mariah, YeonKyung, Amruta, Shanthi) 1

INTRODUCTION

Usability testing is an important skill for technical communicators which enable

them to evaluate an information product for effectiveness so that it can be optimized.

Instructions, manuals, websites, mobile applications, and many other types of information

products can be improved if qualified personnel worked in a suitable space with the right

tools perform the usability testing. Usability testing increases the effectiveness and

efficiency of a product in order to help provide better user experience. We thereby propose

that a fully-equipped usability testing laboratory be set up on the campus of Missouri S&T

in order to better train students, provide teaching opportunities, provide experiential

learning to the students, and to reach out to area businesses as well as national companies

to provide usability testing services. This proposal will cover the current situations, an

overview of benefits of the project, a proposed layout and implementation plan, and an

estimation of potential budget.

CURRENT SITUATION

Currently, there is no usability laboratory at Missouri University of Science and

Technology (Missouri S&T). There is an opportunity to further the education of many

students by providing a usability laboratory. The Technical Communication (TC) program

as well as Missouri S&T itself have grown in recent years, and this growth will prompt

changes that we need to keep our program competitive and on the cutting edge.

The TC program at Missouri S&T began offering graduate degrees, undergraduate

degrees, and certificate programs in 2005 (Department Profile, n. d.). In 2007, the

department began teaching a class focusing exclusively on usability. As of Fall 2015, there


are approximately 30 undergraduate and graduate students in the department (K.

Northcut, personal communication, September 8, 2015). In addition to training these

students to be technical communicators, nearly 200 undergraduate students from various

departments take a technical writing course (K. Northcut, personal communication,

September 8, 2015). Each of these 200 students is taught usability and is required to

perform usability testing as an experiential learning exercise. The students of the TC

program as well as undergraduate students who take technical writing course would

greatly benefit from a usability lab.

The growing and ever-changing technologies that are present today provide new

formats that will require user testing to ensure effective information exchange. There are

over 900 million websites today as opposed to over 64 million in 2005 (Total Number of

Websites, n.d.). As of July 2015, there are 1.6 million apps in the Google Play store (Apps, n.

d.) and 1.5 million apps in the Apple App store (iTunes Charts, n.d.). This explosion in

online and mobile formats the past decade underscores the need for Missouri S&T to have a

usability lab in order to provide top-notch facilities that are available at other universities.

Texas Tech University, Michigan State University, and Carnegie Mellon University all offer a

usability testing laboratory on their campus. Missouri S&T is a high-caliber university with

well-trained students, faculty, and staff that can provide the services and knowledge to run

a successful usability laboratory here in Rolla, Missouri.

BENEFITS

Not all schools that offer a technical communication program expose their students

to usability testing. A usability lab helps students understand how documents and


information products are designed. It also facilitates student's understanding of users' need

which is essential in a technical writer’s career. A proposed usability lab can not only

benefit students but also the TC program, academic departments at Missouri S&T, design

teams on campus, and local businesses in Rolla.

Benefits to Students: Provide Experiential Learning Environment

The Department of English and Technical Communication at Missouri S&T currently

offers three courses that teach usability studies: Usability Studies (TCH COM 5530),

Introduction to Technical Communication (TCH COM 1600), and Technical Writing (English

3560). There are approximately 200 students who are taking those courses. A proposed

usability lab could be used as a classroom for three courses or used as a research facility

where students can work on usability testing assignment. A usability lab would provide a

great experiential learning environment to the students, which fits in the university’s

strategic plan. The strategic plan of Missouri S&T envisions every undergraduate student

be involved in experiential learning by 2020 (Experiential Learning, 2014). In current

English 3560 course, students perform usability administration in the classroom. A scope

of the test is limited by a lack of facility and software. Despite the limited condition,

students enjoy experiencing usability testing on a website or Smartphone application. A

proposed usability lab will allow students to experience how usability testing is performed,

how to set test environment, and how to communicate with testers professionally. It would

stimulate the students’ learning experience and facilitate an active classroom environment.

Moreover, a usability lab would provide a unique learning environment where

students can take an initiative and develop a project management skill. Unlike a design

team which is focused on the rules and constraints of a certain competition, a project in a


usability lab would be self-directed to students. Students can decide which project they

want to work on, which companies or organizations to reach out, and develop the project in

a way they want. The scope of students’ projects will not be limited and thus projects could

not only benefit the TC program but also help solve real-world problems.

Benefits to the TC Program: Attract Prospective Students and Promote Department

Growth

A usability lab at Missouri S&T would attract more students to the TC program

because it assures real-world experience with great research facilities. Students come to

Missouri S&T because of its reputation for providing excellent research facilities. Thus, the

proposed usability lab would reinforce Missouri S&T’s reputation with great research

facilities. Also, a usability lab could provide funding for graduate research assistants, which

could be an attractive factor for prospective students. Especially, international students

consider funding opportunity importantly when they select a program.

Moreover, interaction with companies could bring possible partnership

opportunities to the TC program which would promote department growth. Active

interaction with academic departments and outside organizations would help in gaining

external recognition for the TC program. A usability lab also opens doors for a variety of

research opportunities for faculty which would eventually lead to more funded projects

and recognition for the TC program and Missouri S&T.

Benefits to Missouri S&T and Local Businesses: Provide Usability Testing Services

A proposed usability lab could possibly provide services to academic departments,

design teams, and local businesses. For example, University of Missouri-Columbia (MU)’s IE

(Information Experience) lab provides service to MU’s academic departments and outside


organizations like MU Health Care, Cerner Corporation, UM Research & Economic

Development (N. Current, personal communication, September 4, 2015). A usability lab at

Missouri S&T could outreach academic departments on their laboratory projects, website

development, or student recruitment material design. Also, it would help design teams to

strengthen their projects for competitions. For example, Solar House design team

mentioned that they’d like to test user’s point of view on different designs of the solar

house to reflect an outsider’s view. A usability lab also could outreach local business such

as Phelps County Regional Bank and Phelps County Regional Medical Center. Usability

testing is performed in various academic fields and all types of companies from Symantec

and AT&T to Boeing and the United States government employ usability testing techniques

to assess documents and other information products. A possible usability testing service to

academic departments, design teams, and local businesses can enhance user-focused

feature on their projects or works. It would also help enhance competiveness by reflecting

a user’s point of view.

QUALIFICATIONS

The Department of English and Technical Communication at Missouri S&T would be

an ideal department to implement the plan of establishing a usability laboratory. The TC

program recognizes the importance of usability testing in industry. The TC program offers

various courses that are related to industry to improve students' real-world skills. The

demand for usability testing is increasing with developing technology and the program

recognizes its importance. The program offers TCH COM 5530 and two undergraduate

courses (TCH COM 1600 and English 3560) that incorporate usability testing. English 3560


course is currently taught by graduate teaching assistants of the TC program as well as

faculty from the department. Faculty and graduate teaching assistants’ teaching experience

and knowledge of usability testing will qualify them to run and operate a usability lab.

Below are qualified faculty members in the TC program with years of teaching and

research experience who have an interest in a usability lab.

Dr. David Wright has received his Ph. D. in Technical Communication in 2007 at

Oklahoma University. He currently teaches Usability Studies at Missouri S&T. He

also has an industry experience from OSU, Oklahoma Department of Career and

Technology Education, and Paradalis, Inc (Dr. David Wright, n. d.).

Dr. Kathryn Northcut has received her Ph.D. in Technical Communication and

Rhetoric from in 2004 at Texas Tech University. She currently teaches Visual

Communication Theory and Practice, Pedagogy, and Proposal Writing at Missouri

S&T. She has an industry experience as an assistant director of a biological

laboratory and a technical writer (Dr. Kathryn M. Northcut, n. d.).

Dr. Ed Malone has received his Ph. D. in English at Southern Illinois University-

Carbondale. He currently teaches History in Technical Communication, International

Technical Communication, and Technical Editing (Dr. Ed Malone, n. d.).

Especially, Dr. David Wright has had a vision of a usability lab (D. Wright, personal

communication, September 8, 2015). His experience in industry and teaching would

reinforce feasibility of implementing a plan.


FUTURE DIRECTIONS

We researched the existing usability labs at other universities as well as in the

software industry. From our research, we recommend that two rooms be dedicated for a

usability lab. The bigger room can be used as the testing room and the smaller room can be

used as an office or observation room. If the two rooms share a common wall, it can be

fitted with a two-way mirror. Otherwise, the rooms can be connected virtually via video

cameras and an audio broadcast system.

We recommend the testing room located in a quiet, interruption-free location with

minimal traffic. The testing room can be equipped with testing stations with computers,

monitors, and keyboards. Different operating systems on computers would help reflect

diverse aspects to the usability testing result. Also, computers that are equipped with

microphone and web cameras would enable the testing team to record the expressions and

comments of the users during the usability testing. Screen recording software can be

installed on the computers to capture the product screens when the users test the

products. Camtasia and Morae are the widely used software for screen recording and

usability testing in the industry. Camtasia has simple features with a low annual license fee

while Morae has advanced features with a high annual license fee. Also, Camtasia is

available for both PC and Mac while Morae is not available on Mac. A couple of handheld

devices can be provided for testing products on mobile devices. A few adjustable chairs can

also be placed in the testing room for the comfort of the participants. Below is our

recommendation on the equipment and the furniture in testing room:

10 computers with monitors, keyboards, mouse, and web cams: 8 computers

from Dell and 2 computers from Apple


10 usability testing software: 3 Morae, 5 Camtasia Studio for PC, 2 Camtasia

Studio for Mac

Furniture: Desk and chairs

For the observation room, we recommend a computer station with software

installed that lets the testing team observe the participants through the video cameras.

Also, a conference room set up would be recommended for meeting area or focus-group

studies. Below is our recommendation on the equipment and the furniture in observation

room:

Conference room set-up: A projector, a screen, and a desktop computer

Furniture: A table, a meeting table, chairs, and a storage cabinet

A multi functional printer

The observation room as well as the testing room would need internet and campus

Wi-Fi connectivity. See Appendix B for examples of on-campus IT facilities and the

University of Missouri’s Information Experience Laboratory (IEL). We envision a usability

lab could look similar to the following layout:


Figure 1. Suggested layout of a usability lab

PROPOSED BUDGET

To estimate a budget for setting up a usability lab, we defined the cost in three

terms: one-time, on-going, and future. One-time cost includes any cost that is associated

with the equipment and interior of a usability lab. The on-going cost includes usability

testing software licensing fees and labor fees for the faculty members and graduate

research assistants. The future cost is related to any upgrade in facility or expansion of the

lab.

The estimation of the one-time cost for campus usability lab is $21,563.85. The one-

time cost includes computer equipment, a multifunctional printer, the budget for handheld

devices, and usability testing software. IT facilities could be purchased from Missouri S&T’s

Information Technology department. Costs are retrieved from a current pricing list on

Information Technology website (http://it.mst.edu). A request for furniture and space


could be made to the Department of Design and Construction Management at Missouri S&T.

(http://designconstruction.mst.edu/spaceform/). If funding is not granted, individual

purchases from contractor companies or university surplus would be required.

Table 1Estimated one-time cost for establishing a usability lab

Item Cost($)

Computer equipment 10,623.00

Multifunctional Printer 1,305.00

Budget for hand devices 2,000.00

Usability testing software(1 year license) 5,377.85

Conference room set up 2,258.00

Total Cost $21,563.85

Also, our estimations for on-going and future costs that are associated with a

usability lab are listed below:

On-going cost: Annual software license fee, labor fee for the faculty and graduate

research assistants

Future cost: Upgrade in facility and equipment

This list shows the overview of estimated budget for setting up a usability lab. In terms

of the future cost, it is possible that the university could secure funding or a partnership

with companies such as AT&T and Adobe.

See Appendix A for a more detailed proposed budget.

CONCLUSION

This proposal proposed a usability lab on Missouri S&T campus. Missouri S&T’s TC

program is well suited to operate a usability lab which would benefit the TC program, the


university, the community, and most importantly the students. With approval, a fully

detailed implementation plan for a usability laboratory at Missouri S&T can begin.


REFERENCES

Total Number of Websites. (n. d.). In Internet Lives Stats. Retrieved September 15, 2015,

from http://www.internetlivestats.com/total-number-of-websites/

iTunes Charts. (n. d.). In Apple. Retrieved September 15, 2015, from

http://www.apple.com/itunes/charts/free-apps/

Apps. (n. d.). In Google Play Store. Retrieved September 15, 2015, from

https://play.google.com/store/apps?hl=en

Department Profile. (n. d). In Missouri University of Science and Technology. Retrieved

September 9, 2015, from http://english.mst.edu/department/deptprofile/

Dr. Kathryn M. Northcut. (n. d.). In Missouri University of Science and Technology. Retrieved

September 17, 2015, from

http://english.mst.edu/facultystaffandfacilities/northcut/

Dr. David Wright. (n. d.). In Missouri University of Science and Technology. Retrieved

September 17, 2015, from http://english.mst.edu/facultystaffandfacilities/wright/

Dr. Ed Malone. (n. d.). In Missouri University of Science and Technology. Retrieved

September 17, 2015, from http://english.mst.edu/facultystaffandfacilities/malone/

G. Gaffney. (2004). In Information & Design. Retrieved September 11, 2015, from

http://infodesign.com.au/usabilityresources/articles/technicalcommunicators/

Usability Research Lab. (n. d.). In Texas Tech University Department of English. Retrieved

from https://www.depts.ttu.edu/english/usability/

ASU Usability Testing Lab. (n. d.). In Angelo State University Department of English and

Modern Languages. Retrieved from

https://www.depts.ttu.edu/english/usability/

http://infodesign.com.au/usabilityresources/articles/technicalcommunicators/

http://english.mst.edu/facultystaffandfacilities/malone/

http://english.mst.edu/facultystaffandfacilities/wright/

http://english.mst.edu/facultystaffandfacilities/northcut/

http://english.mst.edu/department/deptprofile/

http://www.apple.com/itunes/charts/free-apps/

http://www.internetlivestats.com/total-number-of-websites/


http://www.angelo.edu/dept/english_modern_languages/usability.php

Usability.gov Staff Writer. (2014). Constructing and Equipping a Lab – Part 3. Retrieved

September 20, 2015, from

http://www.usability.gov/get-involved/blog/2014/12/building-a-lab-series-

constructing-and-equipping-a-lab.html

Experiential Learning (EL). (2014). In Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Retrieved September 25, 2015, from http://ugs.mst.edu/experientiallearning/

http://ugs.mst.edu/experientiallearning/

http://www.usability.gov/get-involved/blog/2014/12/building-a-lab-series-constructing-and-equipping-a-lab.html

http://www.usability.gov/get-involved/blog/2014/12/building-a-lab-series-constructing-and-equipping-a-lab.html

http://www.angelo.edu/dept/english_modern_languages/usability.php


APPENDIX A: DETAILED BUDGET WORKSHEET

Equipment - Computer Devices (computer, monitor, webcam, keyboard, mouse,

microphone)

Table 2Cost estimation for computer devices

Device Price($) Quantity Total Cost ($)

Dell Optiplex 7020 664.00 95,976.0

0Dell 20" P2014H Wide Screen 114.00 9 1,026.00

Dell USB 6 Button Optical Mouse with Scroll 9.00 9 81.00

Microsoft 4000 Ergonomic Keyboard 40.00 9 360.00

Internal Dell Business Audio Speaker 6.00 9 54.00Webcam(Logitech C920 HD Pro WebCam with Microphone)

79.00 10 790.00

*Apple iMac 21.5” 1,168.00 2 2,336.00


*Includes 21.5" LED Backlit IPS (1920x1080) w/ FaceTime HD camera, Apple Magic Mouse, and Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad (english) – wirelessNote. Information from Information Technology of Missouri University of Science and Technology, n. d., Retrieved September 18, 2015 from https://it.mst.edu/secure/standard-hardware.

Equipment - Printer

Table 3Cost estimation for a printer device

Device Price ($) Quantity Total Cost ($)

Multifunctional Printers (HP M525dn MFP) 1,305.00 1 1,305.00

Total Cost $1,305.00Note. Information from Information Technology of Missouri University of Science and Technology, n. d., Retrieved September 18, 2015 from https://it.mst.edu/secure/standard-hardware.

Equipment – Conference room

Conference room equipment includes projector with desktop computer, Access

campus account/storage on desktop, or use USB drive, and projector controlled by remote.

http://www.hpipgproducts.com/media/datasheet/4AA4-1614ENUC.pdf


Table 4Cost estimation for conference room equipment

Device Price ($) QuantityTotal

Cost ($)Epson 1940W 1,180.00 1 1,180.00

Chief RPAU Ceiling Mount 110.00 1 110.00

Chief 12" Pole Mount 25.00 1 250.00

Dell desktop with a monitor 833.00 1 8330.00

IT Installation Time - 2 hours (fees apply) 110.00 1 110.00

Total Cost $2,258.00Note. Information from Information Technology of Missouri University of Science and Technology, n. d., Retrieved September 18, 2015 from https://it.mst.edu/secure/standard-hardware.

Budget for hand devices: $2,000

Since handheld device market is changing rapidly, we don’t suggest purchasing a

certain device at this time. Appropriate devices may be purchased in need. The budget of

$2,000 derived from market prices of current handheld devices. With a budget of $2,000,

four to five handheld devices could be purchased with current market prices. All prices are

education pricing of the products.

Table 5Current market price for handheld devices

Product Price ($)

iPad Air 2 479.00

iPad Air 379.00

iPad mini 4 379.00

iPad mini 2 259.00

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Education 370.00

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1” Education 550.00

Note. Information from Apple, n. d., Retrieved September 18, 2015 from www.apple.comNote. Information from SamSung, n. d., Retrieved September 18, 2015 from www.samsung.com/us


Software

Table 6Cost estimation for software pricing

Software(education pricing)

Fee per year ($) Quantity

Total cost ($)

Morae 1,495.00 3 4,485.00

*Camtasia Studio for PC 179.00 5 *742.85

**Camtasia Studio for Mac 75.00 2 150.00


*Volume discount: $148.57 each for purchase from 5 to 9**Volume discount: $72 each for purchase from 5 to 9Note. Information from TechSmith, n. d., Retrieved September 18, 2015 from http://shop.techsmith.com/store/techsm/en_US/pd/productID.289742300 and http://shop.techsmith.com/store/techsm/en_US/buy/productID.289738300.


APPENDIX B: EXAMPLES OF ON-CAMPUS IT FACILITY AND MU’S IEL FACILITY

Figure 2. On-campus IT facility (CSF 114)

Figure 3. On-campus IT facility (CSF 114)


Figure 4. Example of computer equipment set up

Figure 5. MU IEL’s usability testing station


Figure 6. MU IEL’s group working station