uPortal Content Management Scenarios

User scenarios are descriptions of user activities, performed within a defined context, in pursuit of a particular objective. In our walkthroughs, we will focus more on the task, and how the user goes about it, than the achievement of the objective. Our purpose to to capture details of the experience of the task and find commonalities. See also the Sakai team's Content Management Scenarios page.
Question: Do we need detailed scenarios or just scenario "titles"? We just used "Titles" in the Sakai CM scenarios, as we wanted to discover what option a user chose to solve a particular problem and not prescribe explicit tasks. It may be that the tasks are more "black & white" in uPortal, but it may help to think about whether we want to answer the following research questions:

  • Can users even begin to figure out how to solve a particular problem without giving them specific steps to follow?
  • Are there situations where users can choose from multiple options to achieve a goal? If so, are we interested to see which choice the user makes (e.g. is there a "better" way to do something users just didn't know about)

Student Scenarios

The student persona is Ed McClellan, Undergraduate.

  1. Ed has just completed his first-time student registration process and is now going to the portal to check his institution email for the first time. Ed is also curious about what online services are offered and what the university portal is like. (portal, login, webmail)
    myUBC or MyUW or Yale Info (demo login) - Gary Thompson, Paul Zablosky, Unknown user, Kathy Moore, Daphne Ogle (tick)
  2. Ed is finishing registering for spring semester classes for his freshman year and needs to clarify and verify the registration deadlines. (calendar and/or announcements)
    myUBC - Kathy Moore (tick)
  3. Ed wants to complete registration for spring semester classes for his freshman year. (SIS, course browsing, course registration, e-commerce)
  4. Ed wants to find and purchase used textbooks for his classes (LMS, web content, e-commerce)
  5. Ed needs to find the location of his class on the campus map.
    Yale Info or DukePass - Gary Thompson (tick)
  6. Ed needs to check his course for current assignment details. (LMS)
  7. Ed is searching for his instructor's contact information to email a question regarding the assignment (LMS, faculty directory)
    MyUW - Gary Thompson (tick)
  8. Ed wants to IM/chat with his classmates regarding the assignment (LMS, chat)
  9. Ed needs to submit his assignment. (LMS, dropbox)
  10. Ed wants to check his grade for his assignement (LMS, SIS)
  11. Ed needs to see when the next bus/shuttle will be coming and if he has enough time to finish watching his TV program before heading to the bus stop.
  12. Ed missed the college football game last weekend and wants to check the scores, coverage, news, and/or highlights from the game. (news, athletics content)
  13. Ed desires to find out about community/cultural events for the upcoming weekend when his family is coming to visit. (calendar, message boards)
    MyUW or myUBC - Gary Thompson (error)
  14. Ed would like to find out if anyone is selling a cheap couch that he can put in his dorm room. (classifieds)
    myUBC - Kathy Moore (tick)
  15. Ed wants to know when his library books are due - alternatively, he wants to see if the books he wants are available for check out. (library)
    MyUW
  16. Ed wants to know what is on the menu for dinner at the cafeteria. (web content)
    Yale Info (demo login) - Gary Thompson (tick)
  17. Ed would like to find out the hours the recreation center is open and what time the box-aerobics class is scheduled. (web content)
  18. Ed is curious to see what part-time employment opportunities are available (web content, career services)
    MyUW - Gary Thompson (tick)
  19. Ed has finally acquired a set of wheels and wants to know what the availability and costs are for parking on campus.
    MyUW
  20. Ed needs to pay for parking tickets. (e-commerce)

Faculty Scenarios

The faculty persona is Sarah Windsor, Overwhelmed Faculty.

  1. Sarah needs to set up her course information (time/date, location, office hours, contact info, syllabus, etc.) for the upcoming semester.
  2. Sarah needs to post the latest assignment.
  3. Sarah needs to respond to a student inquiry regarding the latest assignment.
  4. Sarah desires to sit in on student collaboration sessions for the latest assignment.
  5. Sarah needs to post grades for the latest assignment.
  6. Sarah needs to send an announcement to her class that the next class meeting will be canceled.
  7. Sarah wants to find an academic calendar, then add important dates to the calendar in her LMS.
  8. Sarah needs to know the time and date of her next scheduled department meeting.
  9. Sarah does not want to have to remember or bookmark the URL for (institution application) but uses the list of aggregated links in the portal.
    SNAP or MyUW or Yale Info
  10. Sarah needs to locate the HR document to add optical insurance for her family.
    myUBC - Kathy Moore (tick) - This scenario plays out identically to one of Brads: Brad wants to check his vacation days balance and see if he has enough time join his buddy for a fishing trip - KM
    (internal anchor not working...)

Administrator Scenarios

The admin/staff persona is Brad Dieger, Faculty training and support.

  1. Brad needs to make an announcement about the next session for faculty training.
    MyUW or Yale Info or SNAP - Kathy Moore (tick)
  2. Brad needs to add and remove members from the group that receives his faculty training announcements.
  3. Brad wants to check his vacation days balance and see if he has enough time join his buddy for a fishing trip.
    SNAP - Kathy Moore (tick)

General Content Manangement Ideas

Viewing Content

  • Calendar
  • Courses
    • Assignments
    • Classmates
    • Curriculum
    • Grades
    • Instructor
  • Email
  • Links/Bookmarks
  • News
    • Announcements
    • Events/Calendar
    • News/Newspaper/Press
    • Notifications
  • Notes/To-Dos
  • RSS/Blogs/Syndication

Adding Content

Managing Content

  • Currency
  • Filtering
  • Search
  • Sharing

Organizing Content

  • Grouping
  • Labeling
  • Hierarchy
  • Tagging/Categorizing
Related Links