Module 4: User Testing and Think-aloud Protocols
Readings for Module 4/Week 4 of Class
Required Readings
Reading 1: How to Conduct Usability Testing from Start to Finish
This entry, from UX Mastery, summarizes the usability testing process and the ideas and practices discussed in this Module’s introduction to the topic. As you review this entry, consider how the approaches it describes reflect a particular approach to and definition of what usability and user experience design are.
Reading 2: Usability Testing
This online resources from Usability.gov explains how a government agency approaches usability testing. Consider how these ideas might affect the usability testing one might (or could) do based on these ideas. Also consider how the ideas in this entry compare to the earlier entries for this Module (including the two readings by Nielsen on the number of users one should test when assessing usability). Also review the related links for "To run an effective usability test, you need to develop a solid test plan, recruit participants, and then analyze and report your findings." to get a more complete understanding of how to plan and conduct such research.
Reading 3: Usability Testing Basics: An Overview
This free online guide (a downloadable .pdf file) from TechSmith describes the usability testing process and expands more general ideas and approaches in the earlier readings for this Module. The entry also provides example rubrics and other materials for different user testing processes and provides approximate numbers of individuals to study when doing different user tests.
Additional Reading (Not required, but can provide additional insights on ideas covered in this Module)
Reading 4: An Introduction to Website Usability Testing
This entry, from the Usability Geek website, summarizes usability and usability testing for a particular product – websites. The entry also discusses different usability tests one can do and provides different materials one can use to do this testing. As you read the entry, consider how the approaches it describes compare to those in the earlier entries for this Module. Also try to determine if the approaches described in this entry can only apply to user testing websites or if they can be used to do user tests with different products.
Reading 1: How to Conduct Usability Testing from Start to Finish
This entry, from UX Mastery, summarizes the usability testing process and the ideas and practices discussed in this Module’s introduction to the topic. As you review this entry, consider how the approaches it describes reflect a particular approach to and definition of what usability and user experience design are.
Reading 2: Usability Testing
This online resources from Usability.gov explains how a government agency approaches usability testing. Consider how these ideas might affect the usability testing one might (or could) do based on these ideas. Also consider how the ideas in this entry compare to the earlier entries for this Module (including the two readings by Nielsen on the number of users one should test when assessing usability). Also review the related links for "To run an effective usability test, you need to develop a solid test plan, recruit participants, and then analyze and report your findings." to get a more complete understanding of how to plan and conduct such research.
Reading 3: Usability Testing Basics: An Overview
This free online guide (a downloadable .pdf file) from TechSmith describes the usability testing process and expands more general ideas and approaches in the earlier readings for this Module. The entry also provides example rubrics and other materials for different user testing processes and provides approximate numbers of individuals to study when doing different user tests.
Additional Reading (Not required, but can provide additional insights on ideas covered in this Module)
Reading 4: An Introduction to Website Usability Testing
This entry, from the Usability Geek website, summarizes usability and usability testing for a particular product – websites. The entry also discusses different usability tests one can do and provides different materials one can use to do this testing. As you read the entry, consider how the approaches it describes compare to those in the earlier entries for this Module. Also try to determine if the approaches described in this entry can only apply to user testing websites or if they can be used to do user tests with different products.
Other Module 4/Week 4 Materials
To access other materials for Module 4/Week 4, click on the related link below