Information Experience Laboratory

IE Lab staff present research at AECT Conference 2009

currentn — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:43:06 +0000

During October 27-31, 2009, IE faculty Prof. Joi Moore, visiting scholar Prof. Xiaoqing Gu and research assistants Weichao Chen and Camille Dickson-Deane attended 2009 AECT (Association for Educational Communications and Technology) International Convention. The convention took place at Louisville, Kentucky. The main theme this year is “Integrative Approaches: Meeting Challenges”. The conversion provided IE lab members great opportunities to engage in interdisciplinary discussions with researchers and practitioners from all over the world. Three presentations related to usability evaluation were made by the IE lab members. Topics covered included respectively usability evaluation of online courses, training of usability evaluators, and instructional design of usability evaluation training.

Prof. Joi Moore and Camille Dickson-Deane, in the division of “Distance Learning”: Evaluating Online Boating Safety Courses: Are they Usable?

Camille Dickson-Deane, Prof. Joi Moore and Weichao Chen, in the division of “Training & Performance”: Building Competency for Usability Evaluation of E-learning courses.

Weichao Chen and Prof. Joi Moore, in the division of “Design and Development”: Formative Evaluation Training within a Technology Development Course

Focus on the End User: What do your “customers” really want?

currentn — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:04:34 +0000

IE Lab Research Assistant, Xin Wang, Lab Coordinator, Neeley Current and University of Missouri Registrar, Brenda Selman presented findings at the 2009 Missouri Association of Collegiate Registrars & Admission Officers Conference (MACRAO) at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. The presentation, “Focus on the End User: What do your “customers” really want?” examined end-user reactions to the new student information system at the University of Missouri. This usability study examining the myZou student information system was performed by the IE Lab in early 2009. The presentation highlighted the process, findings and next steps. It also focused on how the MU Registrar will use the usability results to enhance the campus community’s experience with the system.

Use of GIS heuristics in Expert Review of CIM

currentn — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:07:24 +0000

In August 2009, the Information Experience Lab presented the results from a heuristic analysis conducted for Community Issues Management. The goal of CIM is to aid community programs and organizations across the country by providing a library of information and datasets that can be manipulated through a suite of geographical information system (GIS) tools. The tools allow users to manipulate and combine datasets to reveal new trends that can help guide the decision making of organizations.

The evaluation of these tools by the IE Lab involved a heuristic walkthrough whereby three reviewers analyzed the site individually aided by a detailed heuristic checklist. Because very little research has been conducted about GIS heuristic analysis, the team conducted a literature review to develop a heuristic checklist specialized for the purposes of usability analysis for these unique GIS systems. The team later reconvened and discussed the issues and opportunities for further site development. The Information Experience lab researched involved with the project includes Andrew Tawfik, Anindita Paul, Xin Wang, and Jiazhen Wang.

Usability Work Results in Changes to MOBIUS Website

currentn — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:20:53 +0000

Usability studies were conducted by the IE Lab at the 2009 MOBIUS Library Conference. Based upon the usability report provided by the IE Lab, MOBIUS web developers have begun making changes to the website and are looking at long-term adjustments.

Special thanks to those who participated in the Focus Groups at the MOBIUS 2009 Conference, Beth Fisher, former director of MOBIUS for supporting our work and Justin Hopkins, MOBIUS web developer for working with us on this project.

For more information about this usability project visit the MOBIUS blog:

IE Lab partner in Mongolia

currentn — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:45:44 +0000

The IE Lab global partnership will reach Mongolia soon with the signing of the Memorandum Of Understanding between the IE Lab and the Mongolian e-Knowledge Campus, a non-profit educational institution dedicated to the development of e-learning in Mongolia. Ms.Tsetseg-Ulzii Yadamsuren, founder of the Mongolian e-Knowledge Campus visited the University of Missouri’s Allen Institute and the IE Lab during the week of July 20-25, 2009. Ms. Yadamsuren met with eLearning experts at the University of Missouri. Additionally, she and her colleague Uugangerel Bold attended the usability training at the IE Lab. Ms.Yadamsuren presented her e-learning needs assessment study in Mongolia at the Allen Institute. The Mongolia e-Knowledge Campus is planning to open a usability lab and conduct studies on evaluation of e-learning courses in Mongolian language.

IE Lab Researchers Attend Missouri Regional HighEdWeb Conference 2009

currentn — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:56:17 +0000

IE Lab researchers attended the Missouri Regional HighEdWeb Conference 2009 held at the University of Missouri on July 28, 2009. Sessions included: Findability: Helping Your Audience Find Your Website & Designing a New User-Centric College Public Website: Lessons Learned.

Usability Training for ‘No Tool Left Behind’ Researchers

currentn — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:16:50 +0000

IE Lab Staff, Borchuluun Yadamsuren and Said Al Ghenaimi provided usability training to Dr. Gail Fitzgerald’s research team. The usability training included sessions on introduction to usability, methods, and using Morae. Dr. Fitzgerald’s grant project, No Tool Left Behind, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, will develop PictureTools. PictureTools will assist children, ages 4-7, in self-management and problem solving in school. Usability studies will be conducted on the software in Fall 2009 in Pennsylvania.

IE Lab Team Attends MOBIUS 2009 Conference

currentn — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:06:56 +0000

The IE Lab team attended the 2009 MOBIUS Conference June 2-4, 2009. MOBIUS is a Missouri-based library consortium that shares information resources across Missouri high education institutions. “Practical Tips in Usability Evaluation” by Anindita Paul, Borchuluun Yadamsuren, and Jiazhen Wang was presented at the conference. Usability data was also collected about the new MOBIUS website which went live in spring 2009.

Usability evaluation of the University of Missouri’s Human Resource Services (HRS)

ntv25c — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:57:19 +0000

The IE Lab successfully completed a usability evaluation of the University of Missouri’s Human Resource Services (HRS) website in coordination with MU Web Communication Office. Web Communications is responsible for providing information, via the Web, to their many audiences quickly and easily. The HRS website project involved a series of usability evaluations of the prototype of the website using focus groups and think aloud methods. Focus groups were conducted with three different user groups following which modifications were made on the new HR website. The second Think-Aloud method was used to collect user feedback towards the final stages of the website development. IE lab researchers involved in the project were Borchuluun Yadamsuren, Anindita Paul, and Ngoc Vo under the guidance of IE Lab faculty Hsin-Liang Chen. The new HR website launched on April 16, 2009.

HRS website before usability

HR website after usability

Usability training for Thai visitors

ntv25c — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:56:20 +0000

Borchuluun Yadamsuren and Anindita Paul, senior researchers of the lab conducted two-day training sessions covering the basic concepts of usability evaluation and different testing methods. The trainees had opportunity to have hands-on experience of using the usability software Morae. On the second day of the workshop, the trainees participated in the usability evaluation of the MU Asian Affairs Center website. Wuttisak Pochanukul and Saruthipong Bhuwatvaranon, doctoral students from the Songrra University will be involved in data analysis of this project.

Borchuluun Yadamsuren provided usability training to Thai visitors

Thai visitors at Allen Institute