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INP 203: Usability Test Grading Criteria

Basic Requirements Met (10 points)

• The website has been approved by the instructor.
• A total of 5 users (8 users, if you are in a 3-person team) are tested using a think-aloud protocol.
• The number of tasks is appropriate to a 1 hour test.
• All documents and supporting materials are submitted correctly and contain the required information.
• Usability test grade sheet (PDF, 7k) is filled out and stapled to the usability test report as the first page.
• See the Usability Test Description for more details.

Quality of Work (25 points)

• Pertinent issues are identified, based on the data from the testing.
• Issues are appropriately prioritized (high, medium, low).
• Recommendations effectively resolve the issues identified and are realistic for the client to implement.
• Recommendations are phrased as actions and directly reference the change(s) to be made.
• Specific examples are given of the issues identified.
• Specific examples are given of the recommended changes.
• The typed transcript or videos (depending on which approach your team chose) of the usability testing sessions should be complete (not have gaps or breaks).
• If the typed transcript approach was chosen, the transcript should (as closely as possible) follow what was said by the user and reflect what the user did during the testing session. Transcripts should also be clearly written so that the reader could re-create what occurred in the session.
• The executive summary effectively introduces the usability testing report and includes the major issues / recommended changes.
• As appropriate, interface wireframes and/or a revised site architecture are included in the usability testing report to directly show how recommendations should be implemented.

Presentation (15 points)

• The usability test report follows the proper sequence:
  1. Grade sheet
  2. Cover page
  3. Table of contents
  4. Executive summary (one page)
  5. Summary of the testing process / test design
  6. Explanation of the priority levels
  7. Findings / recommendations
• For the teams preparing a transcript, the usability testing transcript contains (and is sequenced as):
  1. Cover page
  2. Table of contents
  3. Summary of the testing process / test design
  4. Session transcripts (be sure to include a key for interpreting the transcript notations); after each task is its task questionnaire data and after the last task is the overall evaluation data
• For the teams using Camtasia, the document that cross-references recommendations with video segments needs to have:
  • Their names on it
  • The name and URL of the website
  • A table with the data for all the recommendations
• Font sizes are within a normal reading range, are consistent, and naturally progress from larger to smaller sizes in headings and subheadings, respectively.
• Single-spaced lines are used.
• Paragraph content is flush left.
• Content is free of typos and grammatical issues.
• The report is written in the third person.
• First person ("I", "We", "Our") and second person ("You", "Your") phrasing is avoided.
• Sentences flow well; awkward phrasing is avoided.
• Slang terms are avoided.
• The tone of the writing is professional and not conversational.
• Margins are acceptable and consistent.
• No other visual inconsistencies are present (such as inconsistent line spacing, inconsistent indentation, inconsistent text sizes for headings at a given level, inconsistent usage of fonts, etc.).
• Include a header that indicates the type of deliverable and the website analyzed / current project.
• Provide the page number in either the header or the footer.
• Make sure that the pages are stapled together, with a single staple in the upper left corner.
• Print the documents single-sided.
• Include your names on the cover page.
• Do not submit your deliverable in a binder or slip-cover.

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