Moderating Usability Tests
Principles and Practices for Interacting
Published on 9. April 2008
208 pages
978-0-08-055827-1 (ISBN)
Description
Moderating Usability Tests provides insight and guidance for usability testing. To a large extent, successful usability testing depends on the skills of the person facilitating the test. However, most usability specialists still learn how to conduct tests through an apprentice system with little formal training.
This book is the resource for new and experienced moderators to learn about the rules and practices for interacting. Authors Dumas and Loring draw on their combined 40 years of usability testing experience to develop and present the most effective principles and practices - both practical and ethical - for moderating successful usability tests. The videos are available from the publisher's companion web site.
- Presents the ten "golden rules that maximize every session's value
- Offers targeted advice on how to maintain objectivity
- Discusses the ethical considerations that apply in all usability testing
- Explains how to reduce the stress that participants often feel
- Considers the special requirements of remote usability testing
- Demonstrates good and bad moderating techniques with laboratory videos accessible from the publisher's companion web site
More details
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
04/2008
Morgan Kaufmann
€49.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
Persons
Joe Dumas is a recognized expert in usability evaluation. He has 25 years experience as a usability professional. He as moderated or observed others moderate thousands of usability testing sessions and taught numerous students and usability professionals how to moderate. He is the author of A practical guide to usability testing (with Ginny Redish), Designing user interfaces for software, and numerous articles, both for researchers and practitioners. He is currently a Usability Consultant for Oracle Corporation. He was a Senior Human Factors Specialist at Bentley College's Design and Usability Center and taught graduate courses in the college's Human Factors in Information Design Master's Degree program. He has a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology.
Content
Chapter 1: Introduction Introduction to the problemGoals of the book and videosA brief history of usability testing practicePart I: The rules of interactionChapter 2: Your roles as administratorThe gracious hostThe objective observerThe tradeoffs between themChapter 3: The Golden Rules - Part 1: the Five Core Rules1.The goals of the test and your relationship with developers determine why and when to interact2.Respect the participants? rights3.You have a responsibility to future users4.The participants are the experts; you are in charge5.Being ?real? is being professionalChapter 4: The Golden Rules - Part 2: Five Additional Rules6.Let the participants speak7.Your intuition can hurt and help you8.Be unbiased9.Don't give away information inadvertently10.Watch yourself to keep sharpPart II: Moderating the test sessionChapter 5: First contact ? Setting the tone Pre-test instructionsInformed consentChapter 6: Interacting During the SessionKeeping the participant talking How much to interactProviding encouragement Dealing with stressDeciding when to give assistanceHow to move the participant alongChapter 7: Post-task activities What to do firstTaking advantage of their knowledgePresenting ratings and questionnaires Making a good last impressionPart III: Special topicsChapter 8: Interacting in a remote testing sessionPreparing for the sessionGetting the session startedInteracting when you can't see the participantChapter 9: In the Room vs. Out of the RoomAdvantages and disadvantages of being in the roomAdvantages and disadvantages of being out of the roomChapter 10: Summing UpWhere do we go from here?Advice for novice administrators
