Usability Evaluation - Non Technical User

The non-technical user

The non-technical user we have chosen for the paper prototype evaluation is a grade 12 student of Ashoka College, Colombo. He is currently sitting for the G.C.E A/L examination this year. The user we selected is not having a technical background but has average skills in using a computer and a website.

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Non-Technical User - Keerthi

1)      I asked from non-technical user to download php course materials

2)      Then he clicked the course category from the main menu bar

3)      After that he clicked the information technology category from dropdown list

4)      Then he clicked the php for beginners sub category from dropdown list

5)      I asked him to select Directory Functions from result

6)      Then he press the Directory Functions link  from result

7)      Then he clicked the download link to download php course materials

8)      Then user click the registration button and create a new account. He did it successfully

9)      After registration PHP download link is disappeared. So user have to find download link again. He said “I don’t have my php download link. So I want to user course category”

 (Technical user use the search function to get download link but Non-technical user use the same previous steps to get download link)

10)   After that he did the download successfully

11)   I asked him to become a student of this web site

12)   Then he clicked Registration button and look confused

13)   I said that “you are already use the registration function previously and in the registration it’s not given “

14)   Then I showed the link to become a student

15)   He clicked the link and filled the form then finished the function correctly

16)   I asked him to contact administrator of the website.

17)   He filled out the form correctly

18)   I asked him to add some feedback

19)   He click the About Us and looked for feedback but feedback isn’t in that page.

Then after taking little bit of time he found the feedback button

20)   I asked him to find latest events

21)   He did it successfully without any doubt

22)   Then I told that you can find latest events from calendar 

23)   I asked user to find online users

24)   He found the online users list without any problem

25)   I asked him to find upcoming events

26)   He did that without any hesitation

27)   I asked user to find News Feeds

28)   He did it without any hesitation

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Usability Evaluation

#	Prototype Screen	Name of Heuristic	Reason for negative feedback / breakdown	Scope	Severity (High/ Medium/ Low) and Justification for giving it that rating	Way(s) to rectify and any Tradeoffs (i.e., why the fix might not work)
1	See Picture 1 See Picture 2 See Picture 3	Consistency and standards	After registering as a new member the download path is lost and the user had to start downloading the content from the beginning.	Three pages	High Because the user has to find the downloadable contents again by following the previous lengthy path.  It’s a waste of time.	The activity session should be stored on the page and the user should not be redirected to the main page after the registration. The user should be remained in the downloadable contents session.
2	See Picture 1	Recognition rather than recall	User couldn’t identify the students and teachers corner at once in order to proceed either as a student or a teacher.	This specific pages	Low Not quite necessary to become a student or a teacher to follow the courses.	Adding teachers and student categories to the registration form so that the user will not be confused.
3	See Picture 1	Recognition rather than recall Match between system and the real world	User couldn’t identify the feedback button on the main page.	This specific page	Medium The user should have the facility to complain or share thoughts with the administrators.	Feedback button should be specifically larger than the current button and should be quite visible.
4	See Picture 1	Flexibility and efficiency of usage	Upcoming events are displayed more than once at the front page .	This specific page	Low Not necessarily need to remove them because the tasks can be completed even they exists	Remove unnecessary  elements from the front page
5	See Picture 4 See Picture 5 See Picture 6	User control and freedom Consistency and standards	Had to press back several times in order to go back to the home page.	Throughout the website	High User has to go back over and over again to go to the home page	A consistent ‘Home’ button should be provided throughout the website so that the user can go back to home page easily.