ID 2009
Summary of problems observed in each of the various protocols and the corresponding sources of these problems for this participant.
The participant did not experience any major problems (requiring either step by step instructions or physical intervention) using the two modules: Top Class and Mallard.
Course Info
Item # 6 (Read the Syllabus found on the Course Information Page)
This participant had trouble with this item for a number of reasons:
1.Did not realize that a new page had opened up when we were accessing the Student Help Page in the previous question. As a result he had significant difficulties and confusion when attempting to exit and return to the Course Home page.
2.Hints were given by the researcher to suggest that a new window had been opened up but these were not understood or did not register in the participant’s mind. Instructions were given to prompt the participant "You are looking for?"...Suggestions were also made "check to see how it might be possible to move back"...
3.Participant did not seem to grasp the meaning of what being in a new window meant. He tried to access Home by tabbing on the home button in the Help and Utilities window but this took him to the Blackboard home page instead of the Course home page. This only presented further confusion to the participant.
4.Detailed Instructions were needed and further clarification about where the window that we wanted was and how to close this current window off so that the window that was needed can be accessed.
Summary:
This was more or less a problem due to subject’s inexperience in a web-based environment that involves the use of multiply active windows. The participant failed to notice and understand that a new window had been opened and that it needed to be closed. He seemed to experience some difficulty with comprehending and applying what was being said.
The participant’s difficulties with this item could be due to a combination of the factors described below:
Web-CT
Item # 14 (Submit a file, any small file will do, using the assignment drop box, which is linked from the Tools page).
The participant has trouble with this item for the following reasons:
1.The participant is not familiar with email system and exercises such as attaching files. He was also unclear about what this might actually mean, that is, he did not understand what it might mean to submit an assignment or a file ("that means nothing to me"). Again, here we have a situation where the participant will be learning something new and has to apply it almost immediately.
2.To aid in his understanding of the exercise the researcher presented the participant with a scenario that might help to explain and clarify what he was being asked to do.
3.After the participant had understood what he was required to do, further problems presented itself with the unclarity of the steps required for submitting an assignment. The subject went to the assignment drop-box found on the Tools page. This step was not problematic. Upon reaching the page however, the subject became confused since the next step to the whole process was not obvious to him. He was looking for a button that said something close to "upload" a file since this is what he understood the exercise to be but instead found "access exercise". The other steps that followed were clearer and not problematic for the participant.
Summary:
The use of the concept "access exercise" was somewhat confusing because it is not clearly understood in this context (we are not trying to access an exercise per say) and also because it is a concept that was previously used to denote the list of items to be completed by each student for each of the modules. Once the participant got into the Access Exercise, he was once again confused. He wanted to select "submit an assignment" before actually uploading the assignment to be submitted simply because this was the first choice on the screen. Hence the problems described here are also due to a synthesis between both the participant’s lack of experience and the ambiguity of the format used for submitting an assignment.
Recommendation for future improvements: The steps to uploading a file should be more obvious and should follow from each other in a logical manner so that the option to submit does not come before the option to upload file. This may be very confusing for the novice user. A few lines explaining what the following icon might allow you to do would be an asset and would make the process more understandable by those who are not as familiar with the entire process. Access exercise should be clarified to something that is more self-explanatory and that more clearly explains its purpose such as "access the file to be uploaded", "access your assignment to be submitted".
Web Course in a Box
Item 22 (Post a message to the discussion board and add an attachment).
The problem experienced by the subject on this particular item is a result of difficulties uploading the file as an attachment. Participant was also not certain about what an attachment was so the researcher had to explain this to him for a second time.
Problem experienced uploading the file:
Went to Miscellaneous where the file to be uploaded was located. Usually double clicking on the file uploads it into the box but this did not work this time. Screen was refreshed a number of times but to no avail. Instead participant had to be instructed and lead through an alternative and very cumbersome route of uploading the file.
Summary:
The main problem with this item was the difficulties uploading the file, which was solely a problem with the software. But the participant was initially confused about the task itself and what adding an attachments might entail although it was previously explained when a similar item was encountered in the first module (completed 3 days apart). This might be illustrative of the participant’s difficulties with the generalization of new learning. It may also simply show that this participant requires more than just a one time exposure for learning something new, a occurrence that would not be particularly unusual. This item was hence problematic because of the participant’s lack of knowledge about various web terminologies and also because of problems with the software.
Virtual U
Item 6 (Send an email to the instructor)
Problems experienced with this item were a direct result of problems with the software. Participant has no difficulties finding and selecting the appropriate icons for sending an email but error message alert (saying that the return address is not recognizable) consequently prevented the completion of this task.
Summary of problems encountered by this subject
Some of the problems encountered could be attributable to problems with the courseware and include: Unclarity of the steps; use of confusing and ambiguous terminology; illogical presentation of steps which confused the participant (e.g. having submit assignment button before upload file); difficulties uploading files; difficulty sending email because of absent connection.
Other problems could be attributed to characteristics of the participant: some problems were due to the subject’s lack of experience in a web-based environment; ‘newness’ of many of the exercises (some tasks never done before); difficulties comprehending and the application of new knowledge which is a result of his learning disability; participant was very anxious and withdrawn which affected his attention and efforts to focus; participant also experienced some difficulty with the transfer of learning (WCB) and required repeated exposure and practice for understanding a newly learnt concept.