Creating Student-focused Instructions for TechSmith Morae
Tags: UX Research, UX Design
Timeline: January 2019 — May 2019
Background
The Department of Rhetoric and Professional Writing at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) has many technologies that students are unfamiliar with. To overcome the learning curve of these technologies, the Department of Rhetoric and Professional Writing sought a team to develop student-focused print and video instructions.
Role
In winter of 2019, I was part of a five-person team tasked with designing instructions for TechSmith Morae for the Department of Rhetoric and Professional Writing at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU). The instructions were intended for students as they conducted usability tests for their classes. With this in mind, we conducted research and developed instructions for both print and video. Beyond research, my main tasks were developing video instructions and leading usability tests.
Process
An Analysis of TechSmith Morae
My team did not know how to use TechSmith Morae before the start of the project, so we spent time learning about the program and the basic functions a student might need to use it. TechSmith Morae has three subprograms: Recorder, Observer, and Manger. These programs work together to record, observe, and analyze usability tests.
Stakeholder and Audience Analysis
Once we developed an understanding of TechSmith Morae, we analyzed our stakeholder and user groups. Our stakeholders were department faculty and students. A few faculty members had experience with TechSmith Morae, but not all faculty members could explain how to use the program if they asked students to use it. Therefore, we needed the instructions to bridge the gap between what was asked of students and what students could learn to do.
Our project goal was to develop instructions for students, most of whom had never used the program. The student user group consisted of people 18 – 24 years old with some variance. The Department of Rhetoric and Professional Writing also required students to use technology on a consistent basis. With these two factors in mind, we made the educated guess that our user group was experienced with technology.
Personas
Identifying our user group led us to create a persona. Our persona was based on a new Rhetoric and Professional Writing student, familiar with technology but completely new to the type of technology the department used. This student might be intimidated by TechSmith Morae’s complexity and would benefit from clear and concise instructions. The student worked best as a visual learner and favored print instructions; however, the student would appreciate video instructions for additional context.
Task Analysis
Developing the persona focused our instructions on the basic functions of TechSmith Morae. Team members each looked at a subprogram to identify basic tasks. I focused on Recorder, two people focused on Observer, and two people focused on Manager. We documented the tasks, structuring the basic tasks as “Milestones” and pairing them with “Obstacles” users might face when completing the tasks. We made sure to structure our language in a consistent, understandable manner that would make sense to the user.
Print Instructions
The task analysis served as the foundation of the print instructions. We took screen captures of each step to provide visual context, labeled each step by number, and chose a readable font.
Video Instructions
I was tasked with recording instructions for TechSmith Morae. I drafted a partial script with all of the necessary steps. Then, I created visual cues that would highlight a particular step in the process. I recorded my voice and computer screen in 5 – 10 minute increments with TechSmith Camtasia. After uploading the visual cues and editing the footage. The first draft of the videos was complete.
Usability Testing
The first drafts of the print and video instructions were tested using think-aloud protocols. We videotaped individuals using the print and video instructions, running two to three people through each instruction set we developed. In total, we led 15 usability tests. Our testers were Rhetoric and Professional Writing students with varying experience in the department.
Through these usability tests, we gathered valuable feedback. Feedback for the print instructions centered around language clarity. Feedback for the video instructions centered around feature descriptions and pacing. After my team made edits to the print and video instructions, we ran three more usability tests on both versions of the instructions. We received positive feedback from our testers.
Outcome
This project required the instructions to be accessible to students. My team addressed this in a couple of ways. First, the instructions were printed and shared throughout the department. Several copies were distributed in the department’s usability lab. The videos were published to an intranet space and were also shared via multiple flash drives. These mediums allowed for different types of access depending on users’ needs.
Through these instructions, students were able to engage with usability testing software and learn new skills to support their user experience research and design opportunities.