Sources of information You can gather data from people, documents, performance data, observation of events or any other empirical method such as experiments and benchmarking. Basic feedback gathering methods The ideal form of feedback gathering is to use a combination of the following methods depending on time and organisational factors. Observations, walkthroughs and site visits These are conducted to get first-hand information on performance and usability features of the system. The internal or external evaluators will observe all stakeholders using the technology and observe usability and performance indicators of the system. Walkthroughs are conducted where an evaluator walks through a certain feature to assess how the system performs that feature with respect to usability and performance indicators. Interviews Here are some tips for conducting interviews: Choose stakeholders who would have greater or unique involvement with the new system. Communicate the purpose of the interview to the interviewee. Ask brief questions relevant to performance and usability of the system. Don’t interrupt. Be a good listener. Take notes. Focus groups These are group interview situations where discussions can take place about the usability and the performance of the hardware and software. Here are some tips for conducting focus groups: Reward the attendees by providing refreshments as this could be a good motivator. Start and finish on time. Be prepared to hear positive and negative comments. Be prepared with prompting questions to start the discussions about usability and performance of the system. Let the participants communicate and listen carefully. Avoid being defensive. Listen to all comments. Engage a note-taker. Surveys and questionnaires These are used to gather quantifiable data about the system from a large number of people. You should make allowances for the low response rate and the slow response time. Here are some tips for conducting surveys: State the objective of the survey as evaluating the performance and usability of the new technology. Keep the survey to a manageable length. Use both open-ended and closed questions.
Sources of information You can gather data from people, documents, performance data, observation of events or any other empirical method such as experiments and benchmarking. Basic feedback gathering methods The ideal form of feedback gathering is to use a combination of the following methods depending on time and organisational factors. Observations, walkthroughs and site visits These are conducted to get first-hand information on performance and usability features of the system. The internal or external evaluators will observe all stakeholders using the technology and observe usability and performance indicators of the system. Walkthroughs are conducted where an evaluator walks through a certain feature to assess how the system performs that feature with respect to usability and performance indicators. Interviews Here are some tips for conducting interviews: Choose stakeholders who would have greater or unique involvement with the new system. Communicate the purpose of the interview to the interviewee. Ask brief questions relevant to performance and usability of the system. Don’t interrupt. Be a good listener. Take notes. Focus groups These are group interview situations where discussions can take place about the usability and the performance of the hardware and software. Here are some tips for conducting focus groups: Reward the attendees by providing refreshments as this could be a good motivator. Start and finish on time. Be prepared to hear positive and negative comments. Be prepared with prompting questions to start the discussions about usability and performance of the system. Let the participants communicate and listen carefully. Avoid being defensive. Listen to all comments. Engage a note-taker. Surveys and questionnaires These are used to gather quantifiable data about the system from a large number of people. You should make allowances for the low response rate and the slow response time. Here are some tips for conducting surveys: State the objective of the survey as evaluating the performance and usability of the new technology. Keep the survey to a manageable length. Use both open-ended and closed questions.
icaict302a_notes_topic4.docx