You should have read over your notes from the task analysis and requirements capture workshops.
You should set the X library path for Open Windows.
Now ensure that you can run the phone by entering the following command:
~mark/public/pluto/pluto&
Do not play with the phone just now! Just make sure you can run it then quit.
You should allocate two members of the group to work with the phone - they will work with it individually for about 15 minutes each. The other member of the group is the reporter who will take notes on both users and will write the final report - remember to balance the load with other report writings.
You should think about how you are going to prompt the user, they have a fixed number of tasks to go through so will know what they have to do in their time. You have to be clear about why you are doing this evaluation and what help you are going to give if the user needs help. Think about these things for five minutes or so.
An instruction sheet lists the tasks you have to perform during the session and gives some extra information. You should follow the instructions carefully. The whole process will take around 15 minutes per person. You should work out who is going first and the other should leave the room - sounds like a good moment for a coffee. The second subject must be back in the room by half past when you swap - the first should then returns at quarter to. No talking between subjects at the change over.
15 minutes with the first subject and the reporter - second subject having coffee.
15 minutes with the second subject and the reporter - first subject having coffee.
All together again.
You should now formulate the common problems which you encountered while using the prototype. Your report should discuss
* What major interaction problems you encountered with the phone. For
each of these you should state what you think the problem is and how
you would correct the problem. If you think that your early analysis
would have prevented this problem, then you should say so.
* How the three functions chosen here differ from the ones you chose
- you should give reasons if you believe one is a better choice than
the other.
* The process of the think aloud - a brief description of what you
did and how useful you found it.
* The limitations of a prototype like the one used here.
Thank you for taking the time to experiment with the new Pluto Phone. We, the developers, are very keen to have as much feedback as possible from users on how easy the phone is to use.
Below are several small duties we would like you to perform with the system. While you are doing this, one of the developers will be noting down various comments about your use of the system - this is in an attempt to record how you used it and is not to evaluate you. We are looking at how easy the phone is to use and not examining how good you get on with it.
The phone is modelled on a computer system to give flexibility in use. It has the following design.
The special buttons have the following operation:
-> When the handset is down, pressing this button followed by an extension will redirect your phone to that extension. To cancel press again while handset is down.
<> After ringing a number, pressing this button will register that you wish to know when the line is next free - i.e. when the other person hands up. If the line is currently free it will wait until the other person is finished their next call.
Re Redials the last number you called.
Prototype note: this prototype assumes that all numbers are extensions and that all four digit combinations are valid - there are no special codes for the operator nor for an external line.
Each task is completely self contained and you should leave the phone down after each step. Please try to let the reporter know what you are thinking about while you are carrying out these tasks.
1) Phone a colleague on extension 4543 to ask about a query on marking an essay.
2) Try a tutor instead on extension 2082.
Ah well, never mind - you'll see them at coffee anyway.
3) Your finalising your notes for your 4pm lecture and realise that you think they might have missed some vital material because of a bank holiday. You must speak to Dr Hammond as soon as possible. Try contacting his office on extension 1969.
4) You now have to go to a long lab, pass your phone line on to your secretary (ext 1288).
5) Your back from the lab and want to phone a friend about a curling match tonight - try her on extension 4525.
Ah well, you can call her again after some marking.
6) Try your curling partner again.
Thank you very much for your time - we are confident that your experiences will help us to improve the interaction real users of the phone system will experience
We would appreciate if you could return at quarter to for a short discussion with another user. .
Try to encourage your subjects to talk as much as possible, remember prompts like "is that what you expected" and check they are satisfied before moving on a task. Do not however tell them how to do things. Remember you are trying to get their thoughts about the system and how they are thinking about using the phone to achieve their tasks (i.e. task planning comments).
Since you are not the developer this is pretty tricky to do, but don't worry you can always ask if really stuck.
Before each user sits down you should make sure the phone is running, the handset is down and the phone is not redirected. To be on the safe side it is worth quiting and re-running the prototype between the two users.
The following notes are hints as to what they should do in each question:
1) Phone a colleague on extension 4543 to ask about a query on marking an essay.
Purely for warm up - the extension will be engaged.
2) Try a tutor instead on extension 2082.
Ah well, never mind - you'll see them at coffee anyway.
Purely for warm up - the extension will ring out.
3) Your finalising your notes for your 4pm lecture and realise that you think they might have missed some vital material because of a bank holiday. You must speak to Dr Hammond as soon as possible. Try contacting his office on extension 1969.
Hopefully they will use <> here - watch how they get on interacting with it. If they didn't use the retry button ask why and then ask them to try using it.
4) You now have to go to a long lab, pass your phone line on to your secretary (ext 1288).
As above but for the redirect button ->
5) Your back from the lab and want to phone a friend about a curling match tonight - try her on extension 4525.
Ah well, you can call her again after some marking.
Just to set up for number 6 - the line should be engaged.
6) Try your curling partner again.
They should use Re - if they didn't use redial then ask why .
Remind the first subject not to talk to the second.
First hour groups: you should tell both subjects and yourself (!) not to talk to the second hour groups.