Usability Report – Group 4
At a previous Brownville-Glen Park PTO meeting, it was mentioned that a website was being developed for the organization as a means of keeping the school community informed. Since this has been something that had been talked about for quite some time, many parents and teachers were excited to see the development of the site. Recently, the group was asked for volunteers to participate in a forum to review the site, test its usability, and provide feedback. Several parents and teachers came forward, but students were also being sought since all three stakeholders have a vested interest. Ultimately, a group of ten people – four parents, three teachers, and three students – sat in the elementary school’s library one evening to navigate the site.
All participants were asked to explore the website to be found at: http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~wsveyvod/lis506/finalproject/homepage.html. Because there are three different types of patrons, they were asked to investigate some of the areas that were specific to their needs. For example, the parents reviewed the “Parent Center” and “Helpful Links,” while the students focused more on the “Student Center.” The teachers were curious about the “Tutoring Tips & Tricks” and “Upcoming Events.” The three different groups looked over many of the other components of the website as well using both Internet Explorer and Chrome.
Students
The first comment the students made were about the colors and images that they saw as soon as the website loaded. The site was “bright,” “welcoming,” and “looked like something a kid would be interested in.” They navigated to the “Student Center” and were happy to see that the same color scheme and types of pictured followed them. They didn’t really care about the information in the first block (Student School Resources); although they felt it was handy to have access to the lunch menu – “I am always losing mine!” All of the students then looked at the second block and liked that there were two ways to access the study sites – links and icons. One student did call attention to the fact that the Sumdog link was not lined up with the others. They happily played games for a while before moving on to other components of the website. They liked the “Photo Gallery” but wanted to see more pictures of their work, other students, and their school. It was mentioned that this is a work-in-progress and more will definitely be added at a later date. One last comment mentioned by the students was “What does FAQ mean?” This could definitely be a concern to adjust on the website, but for the majority of viewers it wouldn’t have been a question.
Parents
Just like the students, the parents’ first comment dealt with the aesthetics of the website. They loved the colors, font, and pictures. They felt it was “very welcoming” and “had an elementary feel to it.” They also enjoyed seeing the mission statement as soon as they opened the page. Parents then navigated to the “Parent Center” where they enjoyed reading the tips and tricks. Specifically, they liked that it linked to the “Helpful Links” page directly from the “Parent Center;” although, they wondered if it was necessary to have it in both spots – on this page as well as in the main menu. One parent pointed out she liked having it in the main menu because once she has read the tips once or twice, she may not need to advance to the parent page all the time. “It was easier to have the link right at [her] fingertips.” On the links page, the parents were happy to find pertinent forms that the school requires and websites that took them directly to places of importance. One parent wondered if there was a place they could submit articles they found that could be helpful for others to read as well. He mentioned that maybe having a comment section or develop blog-type format might be helpful for parents to provide their own offerings. This could get tricky trying to make sure that postings were appropriate. The thought was to maybe have the parents submit an article or other offering directly to one of the PTO officers via the “Contact Us” page so it could be reviewed before being placed on the site. A comment could be added somewhere on the website stating “If you have something you would like to share, please submit it to a PTO officer…”
Teachers
The teachers liked the page “Tutoring Tips & Tricks.” As with the parents, they wondered if there could be a way to add resources to this page. They liked to know what the PTO was up to, what the agenda is, and what the upcoming events are. They stated that they liked to help out at several events as long as they knew when and where they were. The teachers thought the visitor counter being in the image of apples was a “cute touch.” As with the other constituents, they felt the site provided a “positive feeling” and “invited people in” with its school colors, “kid-like pictures,” and “easy-to-read, child-like font.”
Overall the response to the website was very positive. A few suggestions could be looked at for revamping the page. For example, adding a statement that informs viewers how to contribute articles, pictures, links, etc. would make them feel like they are truly part of the organization. The main structure of the website and the ease of transitioning from one page to another is not something to change since it seems to work for all stakeholders. There is definitely concern as to how this site will be maintained. Most felt that only one person should make changes and additions so as not to complicate matters, but it is quite a responsibility. With the construction already being solid, it may not be too much to make one person accountable. Others thought that an ad-hoc committee (Website Committee) would be helpful as well.