README First

Usability Testing Module

Version: 5 August 2005

To begin to go through this module, you should have the following components organized within a directory:

• this readme file ( README-FIRST.html )
• the teaching notes file ( teaching-notes.html ); read this next after the readme file
• the file with the table that proposes a schedule for structuring the lectures, quizzes, and homeworks in this module ( schedule-long.html ); this will make sense once you understand the general context of the module
• the directory with the powerpoint lecture notes ( lecture-notes/ ) (created from the zipped file lecture-notes.zip)
• the directory with the quiz files ( quizzes/ ) (created from the zipped file quizzes.zip)
• the directory with the homework files ( homework/ ) (created from the zipped file homework.zip)
• the directory with the extra materials ( extras/ ) (created from the zipped file extras.zip)

We have adapted all materials to remove specific reference to issues unique to the original format at Rose Hulman. For example:

• We have removed cartoons used in the lectures due to concerns about copyright issues but have left blank pages to indicate where cartoons appeared in the original presentation.
• We have adjusted instructions in the quizzes and homeworks to remove specific reference to RoseyCalendar, the project used during the original offering of the module.
• We have removed instructions in the quizzes and homeworks about turning in time estimates or actual time reports. In the original offering at Rose Hulman, the instructor asked this information of students for all out-of-class activities. This is discussed further in the teaching notes ( teaching-notes.html ).
• We have added several files at the top level that we hope will assist you in deciding how to adapt this module for use in your setting.

We are also in the process of creating additional modules related to this material for inclusion in SWENET:

• One module will describe the RoseyCalendar, the project that was used for the team-run usability testing in the original format.
• Two other modules will adapt the materials in this full-length module to suggest how to include usability testing as a single lecture or as a few lectures.

We plan to update the information in this module as additional materials become available on SWENET, but suggest you look in the index to determine whether these have been uploaded.