BSU 510 Assignment |
A Usability Assessment Test for the The Fireworks MX interactive teaching tool |
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| Introduction
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Purpose | Participants | Location |
| Procedures | Results | Recommendations | References |
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Instructor based tutorials, particularly in a technology based course, have the potential to be effective and flexible teaching and learning tools which are necessary for technology based, multi-leveled classrooms. Because most software programs are designed with many layers of complicated built-in tutorials, students often ignore these tools as a resource. The Fireworks MX masking tutorial is
an example of an interactive teaching tool designed by Thomas Fischer,
a technology education teacher at Hopedale JR./SR. High School in Hopedale,
MA. This web-based tutorial was designed using a Windows XP environment,
as well as "Fireworks MX……" Dreamweaver MX was used
as the web authoring software and Fireworks MX as the The intended purpose
of this web based tool is to simplify the learning process as well as
allow the student to learn in a self-paced, hands-on setting in which
the teacher may not be present. Masking was chosen as the learning goal
for two reasons. The technique of masking is an often misunderstood yet
critical application as it relates to effective graphic and web design.
In addition, masking involves subsets within the tools menu that are relevant
in other design techniques. |
| Participants
Six participants were chosen from three separate graphic design courses.
The courses were Communications 1, Communications 2 and Independent Study
Communications. Two students from each course level were chosen. This
sampling method was used in order to assure various skill levels were
represented in the sampling group. |
| Participant | Background |
| 1 | Communications 1 |
| 2 | Communications 1 |
| 3 | Communications 2 |
| 4 | Communications 2 |
| 5 | Independent Study Communications |
| 6 | Independent Study Communications |
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The testing took place in a 16 station computer lab. The lab was chosen
because this particular lab is used as a communications classroom and
is representative of the environment in which the student tutorial would
be used. Students not involved in the testing were present in the room
during the testing as part of a normal communications class. Again, the
reason for this was to simulate, as accurately as possible, the environment
in which the student tutorial would be used. |
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Participants were given a verbal explanation by the evaluator as to
the purpose of the test. They were then told to follow the instruction
on the tutorial to the best of their abilities and that all necessary
materials were on a designated desk in the center of the room. Each
test was applied separately and the evaluator observed each participant
as they navigated through the learning tool and completed the assignment.
A pre-test questionnaire was filled out by each participant prior to
the test. Each participant was told that there was no time limit, however,
each participant was timed by the evaluator. At the completion of the
test, each participant was asked to fill out a post-test questionnaire.
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| 1.Circle one: I am currently enrolled in: Communications 1 Communications 2 Independent Study Communications |
| 2. Circle one: I am: not familiar with somewhat familiar with very familiar with the concept of digital masking. |
| 3. Circle one: I am: not familiar with somewhat familiar with very familiar with Macromedia Fireworks MX |
| 4. Circle one: I am: not familiar with somewhat familiar with very familiar with Web based, self-paced tutorials |
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1.Circle one: 2. Circle one: 3. I thought the hands on masking exercise was: 4. I thought the directions in the first masking section were: 5. I thought the directions in the second masking section were: 6. Circle one: 7. Circle one: 8. What suggestions would you make that would make the masking tutorial easier to use? 9. Would you prefer to team with a classmate when doing an on-line tutorial? Four of the six participants understood all the tasks that they were expected to accomplish and two understood some of the tasks. The most confusing task was the mask layering technique. Three of the participants were able to navigate the tutorial with minimal or no problems while three encountered some problems. The problems were centered around some confusing screenshots. Five of the six participants found the hands on cutting exercise useful. Four of the six participants found the directions in the first masking section to be clear and two said they needed some clarification. Three of the six participants found the directions in the second masking section to be clear, one said it needed some clarification and two participants said the directions in the second masking section were not clear at all.
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| I am currently enrolled in: | Communications 1 (2) | Communications 2 (2) | Independent Study Communications (2) |
| I am: | not familiar with the concept of digital masking. (3) |
somewhat familiar with the concept of digital masking. (2) |
very familiar with the concept of digital masking. (1) |
| I am: | not familiar with Macromedia Fireworks MX (1) |
somewhat familiar with Macromedia Fireworks MX (3) |
very familiar with Macromedia Fireworks MX (2) |
| I am: | not familiar with Web based, self-paced tutorials (0) |
somewhat familiar with Web based, self-paced tutorials (3) |
very familiar with Web based, self-paced tutorials (3) |
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The results made from observations as well as post-test questionnaire responses suggest that all participants found the hands on cutting activity a very effective means of describing the concept of masking. Also, the screen shots provided in the tutorial were seen as effective but could have been a bit clearer in a few instances. For example, the screen shot which asks the user to choose the mask tool does not point specifically to the mask icon. Suggestions for fixing this ranged from circling the icon to moving the text over the icon.
In addition, a technical glitch was found in the lesson 3 anchor link. The second line of the anchor does not bring the user to the lesson 3 portion of the tutorial. An additional recommendation included adding the lesson number to the heading of each section. Five of the six participants would have preferred to work with a partner during the tutorial.
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Schulze, Patti Macromedia Fireworks MX Training From the Source.Macromedia Press, 2003
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