Evaluation of Technologies for Collaborative Interaction

Summary

The students are introduced to relevant factors for performing user research when designing technology for collaborative interaction (distinctions from dyads to communities), three types of methods to achieve it (etnographic, artefact ecology, and network analysis), then practice these methods, present it to others while reflecting on the consequences of the methods, and revise their approach in the light of feedback..

The students learn how to evaluate user experiences with technologies for collaborative interaction. Methods of evaluating user experience are introduced, and students practice by applying an evaluation framework to a new or existing technology for collaborative interaction.

Learning Outcomes

On completing this module will be able to:

• identify the general user experiences with technologies for collaborative interaction
• formulate proposed improvements to technologies for collaborative interaction based on its user experience
• analyse the relation between elements in the design of technologies for collaborative interaction and their user experience
• create recommendations for technologies for collaborative interaction based on user experiences

Teacher Guidance

This teaching activity consists of two main components, a lecture and an accompanying exercise. The expected length of the lecture is 45-60 minutes. The exercise can be given varying amount of time, but a couple of hours is recommended giving a total duration of about 3 hours.

1.  In the lecture, the teacher introduces students to relevant factors for evaluating technologies for collaborative interaction, ranging from formative to summative evaluation and from analytical evaluation to user testing.  
2. For the exercise, the students apply an evaluation framework to a new or existing technology for collaborative interaction.
3. The teacher checks what the students are doing and advises on aspects to consider. 
4. The students share their output with peers (20 minutes), and gain access to peers’ outputs as a model for their practice. 
5. The teacher chairs a class discussion (30 minutes), asking for reflections on experiences, and consolidating the lessons learned.

It is recommended that students read the recommended literature before the teaching.

Recommended Readings

• Ramage, Magnus (2010). Evaluating collaborative technologies: a simple method. In: Donelan, Helen; Kear, Karen and Ramage, Magnus eds. Online Communication and Collaboration: A Reader. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 73–77.
• Sharp, Preece, & Rogers. 2019. Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction. Chapter 14. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN: 111954730X, 9781119547303