PROJECT 2 - Interface Experiment

EVALUATION SCHEME


*** This project is worth 20% of total grade

               Graded out of 100% and adjusted later. 
               Late - remember the penalty.

               5% Overall report quality
                     ie. writing/layout/etc
               90% Report: 
                     Describe & Justify all the steps listed.
               5% Data gathered is included, and clear, with consent forms.

Note: Make sure you provide all the parts requested and justify all the answers.

Task:

         ** Do _this_ experiment, don't invent one!

     ** you should explain what speed you are measuring.
        e.g. what are the units? miles per hour??

      ** You'll need two graphs at least to show results

You'll need to do and describe *all* of these steps:

Develop an hypothesis about a user's performance with respect to the variable; 6pts

** You need to have an initial hypothesis (be honest!)
   Give the rationale for your hypothesis.
   Did you try some estimated data points to produce it?

Describe/graph that hypothesis; 6pts

** Make it clear exactly what your hypothesis is.
   Graphs are probably best.

Identify the type of users you'll test and why; 3pts

Determine the design of your experiment; 6pts

** i.e., what was the process used to carry out the experiment? 
         how was consistency maintained?

Determine the tool(s) that you'll use for data analysis & its presentation; 2pts

** i.e., what's the stats package and graphing tool.

Develop the reading tasks that your users will perform during each experiment; 6pts

** how many reading tasks per subject?
   how was consistency maintained?
   how was text selected?
   was user kept in mind?
   how did you attempt to avoid learning?

Specify the test situation (i.e., the variations in the pages); 6pts

** what variations to actually make.
   We MUST see rationale.

Determine how many users you'll need to test; 3pts

Select the actual users you'll test; 3pts

** how controlled?
   who was eliminated and why?

Prepare the test situation; 6pts

** the web pages.
   design decisions?

Do a trial run on 1-2 people to check your test situation & procedure, and make modifications if necessary; 3pts

** how did that go? any problems & corrections needed?

For the real experiment, administer a short pre-test questionnaire for each user to gather relevant data; 3pts

** what was found out and why?

Have each user sign & date a consent form agreeing to take part in the experiment, and provide an email address at which they can be contacted; 3pts

** This must be done.
   I'll accept "reasonable" electronic evidence.

Describe the experimental procedure to each user in a consistent way; 3pts

** how was consistency maintained?

Run each user through the tasks and collect data; 6pts

** how controlled? 
   how was speed determined? 
   how was comprehension determined?

Do an initial analysis of your data by providing descriptive statistics; 3pts

** do stats look right? interesting?

Using all your data, produce graphs for your performance metrics; 3pts

** graphed properly?

Calculate the Correlation between each metric and your variable, and determine whether it is "significant" at the .05 level (alpha=.05); 6pts

** done properly?
   significance?

Do a Simple Linear Regression Analysis for your data and plot the results; 3pts

** graphed properly?
   include evidence for calculation

Evaluate all the results, producing a conclusion; 6pts

** was it meaningful? 
   good? strange?
   enough data? 
   was hypothesis confirmed?

Assess the possible causes of errors in the data from your experiment; 4pts

** If anyone claims that there aren't any errors, then they're wrong!
   But what errors and why?

Sum of all 21 sections = 90pts
Data gathered is included with consent forms = 5pts
Overall report quality = 5pts
Total = 100%

dcb at cs wpi edu / Tue Mar 29 19:56:33 EDT 2011