The web-based portfolio is the major individual learning task in the course, and consists of 3 major elements due at different times throughout the semester: (i) portfolio design / rationale, (ii) critique of readings, and (iii) course project. The overall task is to design and publish an electronic, World Wide Web-based portfolio that employs design principles learned throughout the course. The minimum technical requirements for your web-based portfolio are that it includes text, graphics and hyperlinks.

The Web-Based Portfolio will include:

I. Portfolio Design Rationale - Weight 5%

a) Develop a Mission Statement for the Electronic Portfolio (Due Sept 30)
In a few paragraphs describe the target audience, intended purpose, design goals and long range plans for your web-based portfolio.

b) Justification For Web-Page Design Decisions (Due November 25)
Publish a 500 - 750 word essay in which you reflect upon and discuss the design decisions you have made in publishing your web-based portfolio. In this essay, you will draw upon literature used in the course and found on the web. 

II. Scholarly Critique of Course Readings  Weight 35%

Individual Responses To Assigned Readings
Due each week from Sept 23 to Nov 25 - Weight 25%

What did you learn from this reading?  Critical reading and the scholarly analysis of information is a vital research skill.  To serve as preparation for seminar discussion, publish short responses (250 - 500 words) to the assigned readings on a personal web site or wiki prior to each class meeting (9 responses in total). The word count is a guideline. Responses should include one’s impressions about the reading, focus on key issues and ideas, selected “juicy” quotes plus your interpretation, your own questions, ideas you agree/disagree with, and so on. Students are strongly encouraged to explore visual methods, such as concept mapping and graphics, for expressing their responses to the key ideas and concepts presented in the readings.

Team Facilitation of Discussion During One Seminar (various presentation dates) Weight 10%

With a partner, you will have the opportunity to plan and lead a 35 - 45 minute discussion of key topics and assigned readings during the course. This task will include using key ideas from required readings to pose inquiry questions and to facilitate discussion and debate.

III. The First Three Phases of the Course Project (Due at various times during the course)

The web posting of collaborative group-generated course project documents can be done one of two ways. Each team member publishes the documents. Or, one team member publishes course project documents on the web and other members of the team link to this site. Either way, each team member should retain a copy of all course project documents for their records.

User-centered design involves studying users and their tasks, understanding learner characteristics, behaviors, emotions and the learning problems to be solved. Designers use information from user and task analysis to inform the design and development of learning materials, processes, products and assessment. The best design solutions for identified learning problems often arise from the meeting of minds and sharing of diverse perspectives rather than from solitary contemplation. Therefore, the major course project is collaborative and will be completed in teams of two or three rather than serving as an individual project.

The major course project is:

1. To design and develop a working prototype of a learning application or system about which you are willing to make explicit claims about the intended learner audience, the needs of that audience, how the learning application meets those needs (including choice of media, structure, and interface), what should be learned from the project, and how that learning will be assessed
2. To describe the group’s experience of an iterative, user-centered design process in a final comprehensive paper.

The four major components of the major course project consisting of several steps (outlined below). Each component includes a product and a presentation, each due at different times:

1. Information Design – Due Oct 7
2. Interaction Design – Due Oct 28
3. Presentation Design (Prototype) – Due Dec 2
4. Comprehensive Report – Due Dec 9

I.             Information design, or “What is the product?” - Due October 7 (Weight 15%)
Publish on web prior to class & ideas presented during seminar

Kristof and Satran (1995) define information design as “the process of clarifying your communication goals and arranging your content into a design that serves those goals” (p. 7). In this phase of the design process, you are investigating a learning problem that users have, determining whether a solution already exists, designing a learning application that aims to solve the problem, and pitching your idea to others – in the most effective way you can -- to assess whether you are on the right track. Feedback from your intended users and your peers in seminar will inform your design.

User requirements are specific statements about the intended product that specify what it should do or how it should perform. Draw upon Preece, Rogers & Sharp's (2002) usability goals (i.e., effective to use, efficient to use, safe to use, has good utility, easy to learn, easy to remember, usability) and user experience goals (satisfying, enjoyable, fun, entertaining, helpful, motivating, aesthetically pleasing, supportive of creativity, rewarding, emotionally fulfilling) in deciding what user requirements to focus on in your design.   For example, a user requirement for a website may be that the download time for any single page is 4 seconds or less (usability goal). A user experience goal may be that middle school learners find the web site appealing. Some form of field research will be necessary to explore exactly what users would / should / could find appealing about your web site (i.e., their learner characteristics).

Instructions: Publish a written and visual description of your group’s proposed learning application on your web site. Provide a written description of the problem that your learning application proposes to solve. Develop a visual flowchart / concept map that makes your design ideas explicit to others by mapping out required content and structure (scope & sequence). Conduct field-based research with end users as part of your design process to establish user requirements. Describe the target audience and specific learning goals / user requirements. Document feedback from user-testing.

Checklist

• Define the specific learning problem to be solved with your learning application
• Establish goals / user requirements for the learning application.
• Describe conditions of use, including audience, usage and environment.
• Investigate what targeted users want from the application and report on research methodology and results.
• Select medium of delivery and authoring tool, and describe implications.
• Indicate and inventory media and information needs.
• Generate a flowchart showing content and structure of learning application. Consider RBWD&UGChapter 6 – Page layout
• Reflect upon the design process using a task or survey log.

Kristof and Satran (1995) describe interactivity as user control over sequence, pace, what to attend to, and what to ignore. The interaction design phase involves figuring out where and how to give control to users as they experience and interact with the learning application. In the process of interaction design you are turning the flowchart, which shows content and structure (scope & sequence), into a storyboard that shows pathways and user controls as well.

Preece, Rogers & Sharp (2002) define interaction design as “designing interactive products to support people in their everyday and working lives; it is about creating user experiences that enhance and extend the way people work, communicate and interact” (p. 6). Winograd (1997) explains how interaction design “draws on elements of graphic design, information design, and concepts of human-computer interaction as a basis for designing interaction with (and habitation within) computer-based systems” (p. 157-158). A goal for the interaction stage of the design process is to articulate and communicate the intended user experience. What are the events, tasks, explorations and activities that the user will experience or create as they interact with the learning application? In what ways will you evaluate when and how well the learners have accomplished the learning goal(s)?

Instructions: Submit a written and graphical interaction design document about your learning application. This will include creating a storyboard that shows navigational pathways and user controls. The storyboard will integrate content with controls and convey decisions about functionality (Kristof & Satran, 1995, p. 60), user experience and pleasure. Research and incorporate learning theory into design goals (i.e., is this an information resource or a learning experience?). Conduct field based research with end users as part of the verification of your design. Document feedback from user-testing.

Checklist

• Create a visual / textual guidance system to orient users.
• Design the navigation and access routes. Consider RBDG&UG Chapters 7 & 8
• Define what happens in every screen, and what the user will do.
• Articulate the specific events, tasks, explorations and activities that the user will experience or create as they interact with the learning application.
• Design controls for navigation (i.e., visual and/or textual elements).
• Create a storyboard that communicates elements of navigation, usability, functionality and timing. 30 day trial: Check out:  http://www.mockupscreens.com/
• Reflect upon the design process using a task or survey log.

For users / clients to effectively evaluate the design of an interactive product, designers must produce an interactive version of their ideas (Preece, Rogers & Sharp, 2002). A prototype is a working model of the intended user experience. Prototypes are useful for discussing ideas with potential clients, communicating with design team members, and conducting early user testing prior to launching into full development of a product.

Instructions: Develop a working prototype (i.e., executable, functional) of the learning application to be used for user testing (early to mid-November). Conduct user testing with the working prototype. Collect and analyze real data from users about learner achievement, performance, usability and or user satisfaction. This step may require ethical clearance, which we will discuss in seminar. An opportunity for user testing will be provided during the Dec 2 seminar with peers. Design the method by which you want peers to evaluate and provide feedback on your learning application prototype.

Checklist

• Develop a working prototype of your learning application:
• Define the visual theme and style.
• Design a system of screen layouts.
• Create the structural elements of each screen (backgrounds, windows, etc.)
• Create the control elements.
• Integrate sample media elements or representations (graphics, animation, audio, video).
• Conduct user testing with the prototype and gather data for analysis.
• Analyze and report on the results of user testing.
• Design an evaluation and feedback method for peer review.
• Incorporate feedback from peer review into iterative design recommendations.
• Reflect upon the design process using a task or survey log.

This is an academic paper that will report on all stages of the user-centered design process that resulted in your group’s working prototype. In support of your group’s decisions, findings and recommendations, cite appropriate references (at least 10) from course readings or other research literature using APA style.

Instructions: Include a relevant summary from Information design, Interaction design, and Presentation design stages in this report. Using elegant and concise prose:

• explain the design principles employed
• describe the user-centered design process and how usability was an ongoing part of this process
• outline user-testing methodology at each of the three stages
• summarize field results from each design stage as to how they informed the next stage of design
• summarize feedback from peer review process
• explain how user-centered design contributed to the resulting prototype of a learning application
• include a working (&labeled) copy of the resulting prototype of a learning application.