Quite simply, in the site visits I wish to demo some educational software on the students, watching how they interact, and discuss with them some of the things they like, want, and have troubles with distance-learning at their centres. As an aid, I have several questionaires and computer-screen mockups for them to fill out and discuss. I would also like to meet with staff at the centre to discuss distance learning and technology at the centres. If time permits, I would like to do the same with other organisations, on a more ad-hoc basis.
Below is the site visit plan in more detail
I would like to run some educational software programs (one on Math, one on Engineering Drawing, one on Pacific History) on the computers at the centres, observing how the students interact with the software. This is meant to help us refine how we design our educational software so that it is easier to use by students at the centres.
In addition to the general usability tests, I would like to administer several paper mockups of screenshots from educational software to look at some specific features in more depth. In particular, I would like to examine preference between different ways of displaying content (as text, image, flowchart, table, and timeline) as well as preference for navigation methods (inline vs menu navigation).
I would also like to run some more in-depth interviews with students, focusing on their approach to learning and technology. Major themes include:
I would like to interview staff who work with students and/or technology on the following issues related to learning and technology at the centres:
I would also like to discuss the application of these themes to educational multimedia development outlined here:
If time permits, it would be good to visit other organizations giving students access to technology.