INTERNET USER EXPERIENCE 2008
April 1-3, 2008
Morris Lawrence Building, Ann Arbor, MI
A conference spotlighting methods for dramatically improving today's web site user experience
Presentations
User Research/Usability Testing with Children
Wednesday, April 2nd, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Carol Smith
Principal Consultant
Midwest Research
Abstract
Conducting research and usability testing with school-age children can be very exciting and interesting work and it can also be frustrating at times. Children's abilities change drastically between Kindergarten and 5th grade. Children gain literacy skills, cognitive and emotional maturity, and they change physically in both size and coordination during these years.
During this session we will discuss basic characteristics of this younger set of children including their emotional, physical and learning ranges and their school environments. We will also set expectations for working with them both at home and in the classroom. Additionally, we'll discuss ways to deal with situations that can arise during research and testing with these age groups. There will be time for discussing and and sharing of attendees experiences.
About the Speaker
Carol Smith has seven years of experience researching user needs and conducting usability studies. She is the Principal Consultant at Midwest Research (www.mw-research.com), a research and usability testing consultancy in Ohio.
Ms. Smith has researched people ranging from Kindergarten students to retirees in their homes, schools, factories, and offices. She has used her methods to improve web sites and applications, intranet portals, and consumer products. Ms. Smith has worked with government, non-profit, and private sector clients in industries such as: automotive; education (classroom and e-learning); financial; fine art; health care/medical; human resources; insurance; manufacturing; real-estate; and retail. She has project management expertise and has managed a User Experience department.
Ms. Smith is the Director of Global Outreach on the Board of Directors of the Usability Professionals' Association (UPA) and is also is a member of the international committee defining the Body of Knowledge for usability (www.usabilitybok.org). She has presented on accessibility and usability topics at the Usability Professionals' Association (UPA) International Conference.
Ms. Smith earned her Masters of Computer Science in Human-Computer Interaction from DePaul University in Chicago, IL in 2002. Ms. Smith also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalistic Photography and Videography from Denison University in Granville, OH.