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TUTORIAL
Usability studies: getting the most from The Observer
Tobias Heffelaar
(Noldus Information Technology bv, Wageningen, The Netherlands)
Benefits
When performing usability studies you are always under time pressure.
In this tutorial you will learn how to speed up the acquisition of data
and how to analyze this data easily, using The Observer. We will be looking
into different coding levels (from logging key presses to scoring anxiety).
We will optimize the data acquisition, discuss easy ways to analyze the
data, learn how generate video highlights based on your observations and
speed up the reporting of results. The tutorial will end with a discussion
of hardware and software developments that could facilitate your usability
tests.
Features
- Different levels of event logging.
- Configuration design: pre-defining behavior in such a way that unexpected
behavior can be coded.
- Optimized data collection; efficient logging of behavior.
- Create a series of video highlights and store them on tape or as
media files, to communicate the usability issues you discovered to
team members or clients, incorporate video clips in presentations
and/or make them available on your web site.
- Immediate analysis, using The Observer's data filters.
- How to set up a general project, which can serve as a template.
- Hardware solutions to speed up your usability tests.
Audience
This tutorial is aimed at those who have started using The Observer
for usability tests or human factors studies, or who will be starting
to use the program soon. A background in the field of human factors
and/or usability is advisable.
Presentation
Lecture segments interspersed with exercises and discussions.
Instructor's resume
Tobias Heffelaar holds a M.Sc. degree in Social Science Information
Technology. He has been working for Noldus Information Technology bv
for 6 years. He has given many Observer training courses in laboratories
all over Europe and is Noldus' usability specialist. Besides usability
testing the Noldus products, he also runs the new Noldus Usability Consultancy
Service.
Sign up
To sign up for this tutorial, please send an email to Tobias Heffelaar
(t.heffelaar@noldus.nl).
Feel free to ask questions in advance, thus allowing the instructor
to tailor the content of the tutorial to the interest of the participants.
Last updated: 20 October
2005
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