AskNoteUsabilityTestReport

DateofReport:
DateofTest:
LocationofTest:

Preparedfor:
Email:

Preparedby:
Email(s):

Dec6th,2015
Dec6th,2015
Boston,MA
Prof.TimothyBickmore
is430015@ccs.neu.edu
MahaAlkhairy,FarahAlshammari,TiffanyChao,KateHutchinson
alkhairy.m@husky.neu.edu
,
alshammari.f@husky.neu.edu
,

chao.ti@husky.neu.edu,

hutchinson.k@husky.neu.edu

ExecutiveSummary

The main goal ofthis study was to test the usability of a 12 personflashcardcreationand quizapplication called AskNote,
presented as a software prototype. Five participants were recruited and were each asked to completethree taskstothe
AskNote application.For every task,eachparticipantinteractedwith the software prototype by clickingthetheappropriate,
or what they thought were, buttons to complete the given tasks. After all of the taskswerecompleted, some participants
expresseddifficultynavigatingaroundthedeckspagebynotbeingabletojustviewadeck norseecardstheyjustcreatedin
anewdeck.

Methodology

WhoWeTested
Fiveparticipants,havingthefollowingcharacteristics,evaluatedtheAskNoteapplicationpresentedasasoftwareprototype:

Gender

Women

Men

TOTAL(participants) 5

Age
1825

TOTAL(participants) 5

WhatParticipantsDid
Each participant spent an average of about 510 minutes to listen to a briefing, complete the given tasks and provide
feedbackinapostactivityinterviewaswellasduringtheirwalkthroughofthetasks.

WhatDataWeCollected
We collectedbasic demographic informationfromparticipants such asgenderandage.Wegaveparticipantsallthree tasks
specific to the Asknote application to complete. While participants workedonthegiventasks,informationsuchas obstacles
that participants encountered and functionalitythat participantsoverlooked wererecorded in a notebook. Afterparticipants
completedthegiventasks,theywereaskedaseriesoffeedbackquestionsinapostactivityinterview.

The taskswerecompletedon average inless than5minutes.Themajorityoftheusersweremales.Theaverageageofthe

userswas21.Theaverageerrorrateoftheuserswas2.4%.

MajorFindingsandRecommendations

Issues
Not being able to just click the tab key to movefromonetextfield to the other.Another alsoexpressedbeingto
presscertainkeystocreateanewflashcardwithouthavingtogobacktothedeckviewerpage.
When creating a new deck feedback was not present all cardsthey createdhavebeensaved butdo not appear
unlesstheysaveandexitthedeckandreenterit.
Beingabletodoubleclickonthedeckandcardstoviewitwithouthavingtoeditit
Shortcut to the quiz page from decks viewerpage. Also, beingable to just begin a quiz with the already selected
deck
The loop through the deck in the self quiz without being able to keep track of right or wrong answers,meaning
keepingtrackofascore,aswellasnotknowingwhentheuserhasgonethroughallthecardsinthedeck
Somethought that the application depended on aperson havingusedasimilarprogrambefore.Anothersaidsome
helppointersshouldcomeupifauserhasnotdoneanythingforacertainamountoftime
Iconsrequirepreviousknowledgeofcomputerrunapplications
Theywantedtobeabletotestwithoutbeingabletoflipthecardtoavoidcuriouslookstothehiddenside
Theconstantlysaveprogressdialogboxeswhentheydidnotchangeanything.

PossibleSolutions
Fixingtheeditdeck viewerby autosaving a deckonceacardhasbeensavedintothedeck.As wellasshowingthe
mostupdatedandrecentversionofthedeckandcardswithouthavingtoexitandreenter
Addtooltipstobuttonsforpersontoknowwhatthebuttondoesexactly
Add a quiz completion pagethatallowsa user to restart the quizor goback to homepage. Also, this page should
alsogiveascoreofthenumberofcardstheusergotright.
Addakeyeventhandlerthatwouldenabletheuserstousekeyboardshortcuts

DetailedFindingsandRecommendations

Task1
CreateadeckofcardsforGREVocabulary

Steps:

1. Createadeck.
2. Namethedeck"GREvocabulary"
3. Add3cards:
Thefirstcard:
Firstside:"advocate"
Secondside:"supportacause"

Thesecondcard:
Firstside:"catalyst"
Secondside:"causeofaprocess"

Thethirdcard:
Firstside:"laborious"
Secondside:"demanding"

Numberofparticipants

Percentsuccessful

100%

Findings

Recommendations

5 participant completed the task with

somedifficulty

4 participants faced the same issues:

no real time feedback when adding
newcardstoanewdeck

1participantwasmildly confusedabout
editiconvsplusicon

4 wanted to press tab to move from

onetextfieldtotheother

5 wanted to be able to view deck

throughdoubleclickingit.

Not having to save the cards and the deck.

Onlyhavetosaveoneofthem.

Also, not having to ask to savechangeswhen

nochangehasbeenmadetothedeck.

Being abletoviewthedeckswithouthaving to
editthedeck.

Being able to go to the quizpagethroughthe

decksviewpagewhile alsobeingableto select
the deck before entering into the quiz from the
deckview

See cards once they are created without

havingtoexitandreenterthedeckeditor

Task2QuizyourselfusingthedecktitledEasyMath

Numberofparticipants

Percentsuccessful

100%

Findings

Recommendations

5completedthetaskswithoutdifficulty

3 were confused aboutwhenthedeck

ended

Havea quizcompletionpageinsteadoflooping
thecardsinthedeck

Have a way to score yourself while quizzing

yourselfusingthedeck

Have a way to force the usertocome upwith

the an answer to thefirstsidebeforelookingat
theothersideofthecard

Task3:ContinueaQuizwithDanusingthedecktitledNetworks

Numberofparticipants

Percentsuccessful

100%

Findings

Recommendations

5 partially completedthetasksincethe
backenddoesnotexist

Norecommendationssincewewerenotableto
complete the back end part of the application
beforeusertesting

ExitQuestions/UserImpressions

Questions

Responses

What was the most confusing partof the

application?

They couldnt tellif their cards werecreated

or not after pressing save in the cardeditor
view

IthoughttheXiconwasdeletenotcancel

Columns dont indicate what each one

represents for current ongoing quizzes with
friends.

What was the most intuitive part of the

application?

Theiconswereintuitive.Everythingthatwas
usedmadesense

Writing up the cards was the most intuitive

partoftheapplication.
What would you add to this application if
youcould?

Quizfromthedecksview

Adding feedback when initially creating a

deck

Gradingaswellasscoringforthequizzes

Forcingtheusertoanswerbytypingit