In order to test accuracy and accessibility, documentation generally is user-tested before being distributed. As a class, we will conduct such testing in order to help each team revise its documentation.

Use the following instructions to guide your critically constructive comments addressed to your assigned exchange team. For your comments to be critically constructive, they must be well-developed and provide concrete suggestions for improvements.

Your team will need to record its user-testing comments in the downloadable User-testing Grid form. Once your team has completed this form, save it with your team name as the file name, and email it as an attachment to both your assigned exchange team members and me.

After each team member reads your assigned exchange team’s completed first draft, work through the following procedures in order to user-test your peers’ documentation. Be certain to move through these procedures slowly, allowing enough time for each team member to complete fully his/her task.

1. Determine how your team will divide the user-testing roles.

The Reader: Reads each step, including any notes and tips, in the process for the user to follow.

The User: Executes each step exactly as it is provided by the Reader.

The Notetaker(s): Records on the User-testing Grid any discrepancies between the instructions and what the User needs to know, do, and/or see in order to complete each step.

Note: As your team moves through each step, be certain that the Reader and User follow the steps precisely as described and illustrated in the documentation. Also, if a step is unclear or unsuccessful, the Notetaker(s) should type which step was documented incorrectly and what needs to be done to revise it into the User-testing grid.

2. After the User logs into the computer with his/her Career Account, the Reader provides verbatim the step in the process and any notes or tips corresponding to the step.


3.The User executes the step relying solely on the information provided by the Reader.


4. Using the User-testing grid provided, the Notetaker(s) records any questions, concerns, or problems that the User has while executing the step.


5. The team repeats procedures 2 through 4 for each of the steps in the documentation.


6. Once your team has completed the user-testing procedures, collaboratively review the grid for any possible revisions, deletions, or additions that will make your comments about the steps and notes and tips even more critically constructive.


7. Then, as a team, comment on effectiveness and usefulness of the visuals corresponding to the steps and/or notes and tips.


8. Email your team's completed user-testing grid as an attachment to both your assigned exchange team and me.