Posted: September 5th, 2015

Computer science

Computer science

DOMAIN 438 – TECHNICAL WRITING<br /> <br /> Competency 438.1.5: Clarity – The graduate presents technical data according to appropriate principles of clarity and conciseness.<br /> Competency 438.1.8: Grammar and Usage – The graduate applies appropriate grammar and usage principles in technical communication documents.<br /> Competency 438.1.9: Usability testing – The graduate modifies technical communications based on usability testing to ensure that the needs of a variety of specified audiences are met.<br /> <br /> Introduction:<br /> <br /> When we are familiar with a technology we are documenting, we can lose touch with how foreign the technology can be to those who lack our experience with it. Testing our documentation gives us insight into our users’ experiences and can inform us about the instructions we need to provide.<br /> <br /> For this task you will need a novice user—someone with little experience creating spreadsheets and using Google Docs. Assume the novice user is organizing a walkathon. Several local organizations’ members are participating. The novice user wants to create a spreadsheet that lists how much each walker raised, as well as the organization each walker is affiliated with. The attached “How to Create a Spreadsheet in Google Docs” gives instructions for creating this spreadsheet. You are to create a usability test for your novice user to complete, and then revise the instructions in accordance with what you learned from the experience.<br /> <br /> Before running the usability test, make sure you understand the instructions. During the test, encourage the novice user to voice thoughts. Pay attention to the novice user’s actions and thought process. Take detailed notes that you can reflect on when the usability test has ended. After the test, talk with the novice user about what worked well and what did not.<br /> <br /> Conducting the test once can provide valuable insight. Conducting the test with a second novice user may confirm the results of the first test, may provide additional insight, and may even result in contradictions; while this is not a requirement, you may choose to run a second test. If you do, you will need to make sense of the results, whether they confirm the results of the first test or contradict them.<br /> <br /> Task:<br /> <br /> <br /> A. Create a usability test plan for testing the attached “How to Create a Spreadsheet in Google Docs.”<br /> <br /> B. Discuss the findings of your usability test after administering it to a novice user.<br /> <br /> C. Revise the attached “How to Create a Spreadsheet in Google Docs” based on your findings from your usability test.<br /> <br /> 1. Justify how your revisions improve the instructions based on your findings from the usability test.<br /> <br /> 2. Use appropriate principles of clarity in your revisions.<br /> <br /> 3. Use appropriate principles of grammar in your revisions.<br /> <br /> D. When you use sources, include all in-text citations and references in APA format.<br /> <br /> <br /> Note: When bulleted points are present in the task prompt, the level of detail or support called for in the rubric refers to those bulleted points.<br /> <br /> Note: For definitions of terms commonly used in the rubric, see the Rubric Terms web link included in the Evaluation Procedures section.<br /> <br /> Note: When using sources to support ideas and elements in a paper or project, the submission MUST include APA formatted in-text citations with a corresponding reference list for any direct quotes or paraphrasing. It is not necessary to list sources that were consulted if they have not been quoted or paraphrased in the text of the paper or project.<br /> <br /> Note: No more than a combined total of 30% of a submission can be directly quoted or closely paraphrased from sources, even if cited correctly. For tips on using APA style, please refer to the APA Handout web link included in the General Instructions section.

MCT Task 2
value: 0.00     value: 1.00     value: 2.00     Score/Level
Articulation of Response (clarity, organization, mechanics)    The candidate provides unsatisfactory articulation of response.     The candidate provides weak articulation of response.     The candidate provides adequate articulation of response.
A. Usability Test Plan    The candidate does not provide an appropriate usability test plan for testing the attached “How to Create a Spreadsheet in Google Docs.”     The candidate provides an appropriate usability test plan, with insufficient detail, for testing the attached “How to Create a Spreadsheet in Google Docs.”     The candidate provides an appropriate usability test plan, with sufficient detail, for testing the attached “How to Create a Spreadsheet in Google Docs.”
B. Findings of Usability Test    The candidate does not provide a logical discussion of the findings of the usability test after administering it to a novice user.     The candidate provides a logical discussion, with insufficient detail, of the findings of the usability test after administering it to a novice user.     The candidate provides a logical discussion, with sufficient detail, of the findings of the usability test after administering it to a novice user.
C. Revisions    The candidate does not provide an appropriate revision of the attached “How to Create a Spreadsheet in Google Docs” based on the findings from the usability test.     Not applicable.     The candidate provides an appropriate revision of the attached “How to Create a Spreadsheet in Google Docs” based on the findings from the usability test.
C1. Justification    The candidate does not provide a logical justification of how the revisions improve the instructions based on the findings from the usability test.     The candidate provides a logical justification, with insufficient support, of how the revisions improve the instructions based on the findings from the usability test.     The candidate provides a logical justification, with sufficient support, of how the revisions improve the instructions based on the findings from the usability test.
C2. Clarity    The candidate does not use appropriate principles of clarity in the revisions.     Not applicable.     The candidate uses appropriate principles of clarity in the revisions.
C3. Grammar    The candidate does not use appropriate principles of grammar in the revisions.     Not applicable.     The candidate uses appropriate principles of grammar in the revisions.
D. Sources    When the candidate uses sources, the candidate does not provide in-text citations and references for each source used.     When the candidate uses sources, the candidate provides appropriate in-text citations and references with major deviations from APA style.     When the candidate uses sources, the candidate provides appropriate in-text citations and references accurately or with only minor deviations from APA style, OR the candidate does not use sources.