In this chapter, we concentrate on how design practice addresses the critical feature of an interactive system – usability from the human perspective. The chapters in this part promote the purposeful design of more usable interactive systems. | Lecture 13 Evaluation techniques Part 1 Today’s Lecture Introduction to Evaluation Definition, concepts, needs Goals of evaluation Evaluation Designs Cognitive Walkthrough Heuristic Evaluation Model based Evaluation Review-based evaluation What is “evaluation”? The simple answer, dictionary definition: e + valuer = to establish the worth or value of. Evaluation can be described as the systematic investigation of the merit, worth, or significance of any “object” What is Evaluation? “Program evaluation is the systematic collection of information about the activities, characteristics, and outcomes of programs to make judgments about the program, improve program effectiveness, and/or inform decisions about future program development What is Evaluation? Program evaluation does not occur in a vacuum and is influenced by real-world constraints. Evaluation should be practical and feasible and must be conducted within the confines of resources, time, and political context What is Evaluation? Moreover, evaluation should serve a useful purpose, be conducted in an ethical manner, and produce accurate findings. Evaluation findings should be used to make decisions about program implementation and to improve program effectiveness.” (Centers for Disease Control, 2001, p. 6) We need Evaluation In order to assess our designs and test our systems to ensure that they actually behave as we expect and meet user requirements. This is the role of evaluation. It is not a single phase process. When to evaluate? Ideally, evaluation should occur throughout the design life cycle, with the results of the evaluation feeding back into modifications to the design. When to Evaluate? Clearly, it is not usually possible to perform extensive experimental testing continuously throughout the design, but analytic and informal techniques can and should be used. Evaluation It is much easier to change a design in the early stages of development than | Lecture 13 Evaluation techniques Part 1 Today’s Lecture Introduction to Evaluation Definition, concepts, needs Goals of evaluation Evaluation Designs Cognitive Walkthrough Heuristic Evaluation Model based Evaluation Review-based evaluation What is “evaluation”? The simple answer, dictionary definition: e + valuer = to establish the worth or value of. Evaluation can be described as the systematic investigation of the merit, worth, or significance of any “object” What is Evaluation? “Program evaluation is the systematic collection of information about the activities, characteristics, and outcomes of programs to make judgments about the program, improve program effectiveness, and/or inform decisions about future program development What is Evaluation? Program evaluation does not occur in a vacuum and is influenced by real-world constraints. Evaluation should be practical and feasible and must be conducted within the confines of resources, time, and political context .
