Scope Statement
Project Name: The Open Virtual Usability Laboratory (VULab)
Prepared by: Ron Owston
Date: October 20, 2008
...
Project justification/background:
...
Project goal:
...
To develop and field test version 1.0 of VULab.
...
Project description:
...
Usability studies in VULab are organized by project. A project consists of a URL to be tested and optional pre- and post-session survey questions. The application consists of two modules: a researcher module and a tester module. In the researcher module all of the parameters of a project are set (e.g., the url to be tested, the pre- and post-survey questions, user directions, the activation and end date of the project); users are managed; and project results viewed. In the tester module users are presented with the pre-session survey, provided with task instructions, and re-directed to the website being tested. As the tester navigates the site being tested, all screen interactions are recorded; and if the user has a microphone and a 'talk-aloud' protocol to follow [PeterR: where would they get this protocol to follow?], all audio is captured. Once the website testing is completed, the tester is re-directed back to VULab where post-session questions are completed. The research is able to video the recordings and survey responses for each tester and export the data for detailed analysis.
...
Project deliverables:
...
VULab 1.0
VULab 1.0 will consist of the following components:
Researcher Module:
...
Schedule objective:
...
Release of web interface for testing by the community - Oct 15, 2008
Release of mock up of RASCAL recording - Oct 17, 2008
Completion of APIs for phpESP survey tool - Oct 31, 2008
Integration of RASCAL into web component - Oct 31, 2008
Full alpha version of VULab - Nov 20, 2008
Testing and bug fixes completed - Dec 31, 2008
User management component completed - Jan 15, 2009
VULab 0.9 released - Jan 31, 2009
Additional testing and bug fixes completed - Feb 28, 2009
Version 1.0 released March 31, 2009
...
Project constraints:
...
The deadline for completion of version 1.0 is March 31, 2009. However, since no tool with the features of VULab has been developed before, considerable research and trial-and-error testing will have to be done and and this makes it hard to accurately predict the time required to accomplish this.
...
Project assumptions:
...
The project assumes that remote recording and uploading of the recorded screens can be accomplished with reasonable efficiency so as not to impair the user's interaction with the website being tested.
...