Plan: New students (round 2 research)

Page in progress: editing this page to work for new students instead of future students. 

Testing outcomes

1. Understand what different navigation labels 'say' to new students
2. Understand what information school leavers need and what they need to see first. 
3. Understand the relevance of faculties and schools to school leavers.
4. Learn how school leavers deal with the terminology we use: which terms are understood by them and which are unclear.
5. Test how well our subject groupings work.

And while we are seeking these outcomes I hope that we can identify the main gaols for our personas

Notes for facilitators

• Is more 'research' than 'testing'.
• Conversational - discussion evolves naturally. Not an interview.
• But make sure key areas are covered.
• Recommend that one person facilitates the discussion and the other makes observations.
• Note taking should be unobtrusive. Leave time for discussing and recording findings after the session.

Participants

• Two interviews
• $30 Prezzie card per participant

Equipment and set up

• Victoria laptop with the following:
  • Vic site open in Chrome
  • Vic site open in IE
  • Screen recording software
  • Treejack test in a new window
• Printed copies of ethics form: Participant Information Sheet.
• Printed copies of IA tasks (tasks 2 and 3)
• Printed copy of test script.

 Document

Introduction

The introduction is very important.  

1. Put the student at ease and explain the purpose

Key messages:

• We're interested in learning about your information needs when you're thinking about tertiary study.
• There will be a bit a chatting and we'll also get you to do a few things online.
• We're not testing you or your website skills! Every answer you give us is helpful and RIGHT!
• Your participation is highly valued - you're helping make a difference - thank you.

2. Explain privacy - but in a low-key non-scary way

1. The testing is confidential

"You won't be identified in any notes - at the most we'll use your first name."

2. We'll use screen recording software. 

"We'll use software that records the screen in case we need to go back over anything after the session. You won't notice that it's running. It will record your voice, but not a photo of you."

3. Please sign the ethics form.

Conversation guide

1. Interests/scene setting

Talk about them as a person - their interests, leading to their study interests now. Leading to tertiary study - goals, hidden aims - worries, challenges.

Find out their level of understanding of how university works - stage of preparedness.

2. Exploring and talking

Let's have a look at the information that's on the Victoria website now to do with (student interest area). Have a go.

Victoria site is open.

Student will either browse or use the site search (or a mix).

Talk to the student about what they are looking for - get them to talk out loud.

What's important here is what they are interested in - what they need to know (and in which order) rather than how well the current site works for them.

Explore:

• What are their personal priorities? (eg, career info, specific field, degree info)
• What's useful, and what's less useful?
• Did they find out what they were looking for? Was it enough? What's missing?
• What do they need to find or know for the topic they're interested in?

Is there anything else you need to know when thinking about enrolling at a university?

(Student may mention costs, student life, who are the lecturers, faculties and schools)

3. High-level navigation options

(a) Where would you look on the Victoria website to find information to help you make decisions about university study? Why?

(If they pick search, ask them to pick a second option too.)

(b) Which area would you select next? Why?

(c) Going back to the first list, which would you pick if you wanted to enrol? Why?

4. Treejack

We're looking at new options for how we provide information about areas of study. We'd like you to use an online tool to help with this.

Bring up the treejack test. (URL will be: https://victoria.optimalworkshop.com/treejack/july-subjects We should have this opened in a different window or tag). 

The participant just needs to put in their name (so we can match their results to other notes later). 

They will see some visual instructions on how to do the task. 

The questions have been loaded into the tool, so the interviewer can read them as they come up. 

• Task 1: They see the list of 15 top-level areas and work though the navigation to find the thing they want. When they find it, they hit a button called "I'd find it here".
• Task 2: Same action and visuals as above. Task can be skipped if you're short of time.

5. Faculty and school

Would you be looking for info from a faculty or school?

What's your understanding of the role of a faculty or school at a university? (Compare with school departments)

Where on the Victoria Uni website would you look to find a faculty or school page?

Close out

• Pressie card
• Copy of GUS 
•  Tell them how to find out about open days