CO4754 User-Centred System Design & Evaluation

2019 – 20 Assignment 2 – Evaluation

This is the second assignment for this module and it is worth 50% of the total module mark. It is to be given out on Thursday 5th December 2019. The assignment is due in on Friday 10th January 2020.

Learning Outcomes:

This assignment addresses the Learning Outcomes from the module syllabus:

2. Evaluate an interactive product and report findings in an appropriate way

3. Select and defend appropriate evaluation methods for a particular situation

Overview:

Your task will be to carry out an evaluation of an interactive product. This can be any interactive product or a feature of an interactive product, e.g.: a serious game, a mobile app, workplace system, a website / app, that is likely to be stable throughout the lifetime of the assignment, or, the interface of a handheld device or other physical digital product.

Decide on the focus of your evaluation study. Note that your work will need to demonstrate coverage of the module learning outcomes listed above.

You will define the scope of the evaluation, select suitable evaluation methods, perform a risk assessment and reflect on the ethical issues, design and execute the evaluation, and write a report describing and justifying the processes used, and setting out the results of the evaluation.

Tasks and Submissions:

Task 1

Write up your studies into an academic paper. The paper should be 4 to 8 pages long according to the old CHI Proceedings Format (provided for you on Blackboard). The paper should review the relevant literature, set out what product(s) was/were evaluated, what evaluations were done, what results were obtained, and should specify any recommendations for any changes to the product(s) that you feel are necessary as a result of your findings (see the examples available on the Blackboard site for guidance).

Task 2

Provide a second appendices document (zip file) containing further information, important forms used in your study, and evidence of study data captured.

This MUST include:

· Risk assessment form

· Consent form(s)

· Data gathering forms

· Instructions to participants

· Full raw result data

You MUST ensure the full result data is provided in this document. Failure to provide the full data will result in a failure for this assignment. Whether you are using an expert evaluation method or observational method with survey it is expected these results will have been collected by hand (NOT TYPED/WORD PROCESSED) by either the evaluator or participant depending on the method.

You need to ensure that the marker can look at the raw data and see how it corresponds to the results.

Submissions of project report should be submitted online using Turnitin which will be available on the module Blackboard space.

Grading Criteria

Marks will be awarded based on the learning outcomes highlighted above.

To obtain 50% (Pass), you must:

Submit a serious attempt at both tasks by the relevant deadlines. You must have taken part in, and reported on an evaluation of the product(s) that is at least partly valid. The work should be in a format that is of some value and they should include some critical discussion of relevant issues at an appropriate level for a postgraduate course.

To obtain 60% (Merit), in addition to the above, you must have:

In addition to the above, the work should be well presented and clearly expressed so that the reader can be confident as to what was done. Any serious flaws in the evaluation methods used should be acknowledged and explained.

To obtain 70% (Distinction), in addition to the above, you must have:

In addition to the above, the paper should be professionally presented with the academic paper following the ACM template correctly. The work should show a good understanding of a range of methods, their advantages and their limitations. Appendices document should provide extensive evidence of materials used to conduct the evaluation.

To obtain 80% (High Distinction), in addition to the above, you must have:

In addition to the above, the assignment should have been completed in an organised and professional manner, with an appropriate and well-justified choice of evaluation methods, well executed and reported. The results will have been carefully analysed, and conclusions should be well justified.

Important Dates

Release date: 5th December 2019

Report hand in date: 10th January 2020

Guidance

Submission of assignment work

An electronic copy of your assignment should be handed in, submitted via the appropriate link on Blackboard.

Late work

If you submit work late and unauthorised, a universal penalty will be applied in relation to your work:

· If you submit work within 5 working days following the published submission date you will obtain the minimum pass mark for that element of assessment.

· Work submitted later than 5 working days after the published submission date will be awarded a mark of 0% for that element of assessment.

· Unauthorised late submission at resubmission will automatically be awarded a mark of 0% for that element of assessment.

Late Submission of Work

Authorisation of the late submission of work requires written permission. Your School is authorised to give permission for one extension period of between 1 and 10 working days where appropriate evidence of good reason has been accepted and where submission within this timescale would be reasonable taking into account your circumstances (Academic Regulations).

You should complete and submit an extension request form, with any supporting evidence, to the C&T Hub. Further information is available on the Student Portal at: http://www.uclan.ac.uk/students/support/extensions.php

We aim to let you know if the extension has been granted within 1 working day of the receipt of the request.

If you are unable to submit work within 10 working days after the submission date due to verifiable extenuating circumstances, you may submit a case for consideration in accordance with the University’s Policies and Procedures on Extenuating Circumstances (Academic Regulations and Assessment Handbook).

Extenuating Circumstances

Some students face significant events in their personal life that occur after their course has started, which have a greater impact on their students than can be solved by the use of an extension. If this applies to you, the University is ready to support you both with regard to your course and your personal wellbeing through a process called Extenuating Circumstances (see Academic Regulations and Assessment Handbook).

Normally extenuating circumstances will relate to a change in your circumstances since you commenced your course, which have had a significant, adverse effect on your studies. Everyday occurrences such as colds or known conditions such as hayfever will not qualify unless the effects are unusually severe and this is corroborated by a medical note. The University does not look sympathetically on absences or delays caused by holiday commitments or by work commitments in the case of full-time students. The normal work commitments of part-time students would not constitute an extenuating circumstance. A disability or learning difficulty does not constitute an extenuating circumstance (see Academic Regulations).

Further information is available on the Student Portal at: http://www.uclan.ac.uk/students/support/extenuating_circumstances.php

You can apply for extenuating circumstances online via myUCLan. You must apply no later than 3 days after any examination or assessment submission date. Do not wait until you receive your assessment results to submit a claim. It is in your own interests to submit the claim as soon as possible.

You will be expected to re-submit claims for extenuating circumstances for each semester. All evidence that is provided relating to extenuating circumstances will be treated in a sensitive and confidential manner. Supporting evidence will not be kept for longer than is necessary and will be destroyed shortly after the end of the current academic year.

Further information about the submission process is available at: http://www.uclan.ac.uk/students/support/extenuating_circumstance_submission.php

Feedback

Feedback (which may be generic or oral) will be given to the class within 15 working days of the assignment hand-in date. This may be done in the first 15 minutes of a lecture. This will be followed by individual written feedback tying to the Learning Outcomes listed in the assignment brief, together with any additional helpful feedback such as areas of strength and areas for improvement.

Plagiarism

During the induction and via your student handbook, you were informed of the serious consequences of using or attempting to use unfair means to enhance performance. This includes plagiarism. The assignment submission sheet used for each assignment requires you to sign to confirm that the work submitted is your own work and that any information and material used has been properly identified and acknowledged.

The University operates an electronic plagiarism detection service where your work may be uploaded, stored and cross-referenced against other material. The software searches the World Wide Web and extensive databases of reference material to identify duplication

For detailed information on the procedures relating to plagiarism, please see the current version of the University Academic Regulations.

Reassessment and Revision

Reassessment in written examinations and coursework is at the discretion of the Course Assessment Board and is dealt with strictly in accordance with University policy and procedures. Revision classes for referrals will take place during ‘reassessment revision, appeals and guidance week’ as marked on the academic calendar.

The mark for the reassessed module is subject to a maximum of 50%.