My Portfolio

Here is the link to my portfolio.

http://mrschapa.pbworks.com/FrontPage

Analysis of Research

1. What did you find that your client can use to improve the tutorial?

• I would have to say that if there are any improvements that need to be made then I didn't catch the errors. From what I saw and read on the tutorial, it was pretty basic and understandable.

2. What categories does your information fit into? What were the types of issues, etc. which were revealed via your research?

• The categories that my info. will fit into will be written form. Basically what was revealed during my research while testing my client is that she had a little problem remembering the tutorial without looking at it again. I didn't choose memorability as one of my meels, however that seemed to be a bit of a problem with the person I tested. I mean not everyone can catch on quick. Everyone is different. I happened to choose learnability and satisfaction. The user did learn something new and was satisfied with the instructions provided.

References for Recommendation Report

Kaufman, J. (2006) "practical Usability Testing. "Digital Web Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.digitalweb.com/articles/practical_usability_testing/ on April 14, 2009

Maurere, R. (2002) "Usability Testing. " University of Colorodo System. Retrieved from https://www.cu.edu/irm/stds/usability/index.html on April 14,2009

Spool, J. (2005). "Stevens Common Usability Testing Mistakes. "User Interface Engineering. Retrieved from http://www.uie.com/articles/usability_testing_mistakes/ on April 14,2009

Main Sections of Recommendation Report

Broadly speaking, a recommendation report is when research has been done on delivered products and is often used to try and figure out which are the best options to go with.

The main sections of the recommendation report are:

• Introduction
• Background on the situation
• Requirements and criteria
• Discussion of the options
• Category-by-category comparisons
• Conclusions
• Recommendation or final opinion

Part 1: Notes; Part 2: Questions asked to the user

Part 1

Notes taken on user for the tutorial: Home Network Instructions

• User used almost all of the 15 minutes that was alloted for her to use.
• Looked confused while reading.
• When finished reading, it was time to look at the actual parts that were required for the task.
• Knew which one was the modem because she had seen it before.
• Had a hard time when it came to the connections.
• Thought for a while but got stuck. (had to view tutorial again very briefly)
• Inserted disk and followed instructions. Gave her the information she needed.
• Took a while but connection was a success.

Part 2

Questions asked after test:

1. Have you ever done this before?

• No

2. Was the task difficult to complete? Why or why not?

• Just a bit. the only reason why it was a bit difficult was because it was my very first time attempting to set this up.

3. Did you understand the instructions provided or was it confusing?

• The instructions that were given were explanatory just a bit confusing because like I mentioned it was my first time.

4. Was the tutorial helpful? Did you learn something new?

• Absolutely, to both questions.

5. Were you satisfied witht the product delivered? Why or why not?

• Overall, I'd have to say yes. I am satisfied with the instructions given. I normally depend on friends or family when it comes to not only computers but technology in general and it is actually nice to do something on yor own for once without any help. Even though it is people you know, you still feel like a burden to them because they are always being bugged.

6. If you had to do this again, do you think you can be able to perform it on your own without any help from any video tutorial?

• To be honest, no. I'd try to figure it out but more than likely I'd have to find this tutorial or another one similar to help refresh my memory. But It beats having to depend on someone elses help.

Tutorial Link

http://www.slideshare.net/mrschapa/finalized-project-3-1116016

Q. Who is your audience?
A. My audience would be students who have no clue about the available databases on the TSTC website.

Q. What visuals did you choose to include. Why? If you included a visual, why did you choose to include this particular visual?
A. I added a few images to familiarize the viewer for when they get on the site where they will be accessing the databases.

Q. What are the important or essential design elements of your set of instructions?
A. Basically, I explained the procedure one step at a time so the viewer would be able to comprehend how to be able to access and use the databases on TSTC website.

Q. In which medium do you anticipate these instructions would be used?
A. These instructions are helpful and can be usedwhen needing to retrieve information for a research or just information to know if curious.

Q. How would you change the presentation of your instructions if you had to physically present them to a user?
A. I would continue to use the same format but possibly add more information and examples to it.

Draft for Introduction & Conclusion

Introduction:

Two words: Research Paper! They always seem to be around and find us students when we least expect it. But it’s ok because I can help assist you find the information that you may be looking for on the TSTC online library databases. It is so simple that by the end of this tutorial you will have gotten the basics of researching completed. Not only will it be easy but your time will be cut in half with this simple method of researching or just finding general information for yourself.

All you will need is:
· A bit of spare time
· Access to a computer with internet
· The topic you have chosen for your research
· A printer or a jump drive to save information

Conclusion:

Now that you have taken the time to view this power point on how to access databases on the TSTC website, you shouldn’t have any problems finding valid information. The more you use this site, the more knowledgeable you will be with databases. So, feel free and start navigating the site!

Instructional/Tutorial

TSTC Library: Online Databases
1.) Explain when needed. (When assigned a research paper or just need to retrieve information for self.) Whether you need articles, books, or journals, you can find it on the TSTC databases.

2.) Show how to get there: Type in http://www.tstc.edu/ on the address bar at the top, select the campus that you are attending then click the link at the very bottom of the site that says “library”.

3.) Click Online Databases link to the left of the site at the top. It will prompt you to a page that requires you to enter your username and password. (This is the same information you use to log in at the actual campus library)

4.) The screen will prompt you to the databases that are available. Take a moment to read each database to see which one would suitable for your topic and you.

5.) Once you have figured out which database you will be using then click on the link. For example, I will be using Medline because I want to find out more information on child obesity. (Medline would be more about journal articles.) Go ahead and type in what you are looking for on the search bar and click search.

6.) A page with the search results will be shown. Click on the one you find appealing and it will give you the information on that topic including the date that is was created, loaded, by who, the source, database used etc.

7.) If you need to help citing where you got the information then this will come in handy. On the bottom right of the journal article there are some icons: printer, e-mail, save as, cite this article and etc. Click on the icon “cite this article” and a screen will pop up with several options with the proper citations in a different format. Choose whichever is best for you.

8.) At the top of the citation format it will provide: NOTE: Review the instructions at EBSCO Support Site and make any necessary corrections before using. Pay special attention to personal names, capitalization, and dates. Always consult your library resources for the exact formatting and punctuation guidelines. Just to be on the safe side, always go someone that is familiar with citing proper formats to make sure it is done correctly.

Audience Analysis

Describe your intended audience---who are these readers?

My audience would have to be students in general who are trying to find an easier way of doing research on a paper or just to retrieve information for themselves.


Describe your intended audience in terms of the organization they work for and their position or title.

My intended audience would be part or full time students.

Describe your intended audience in terms of their occupation, profession, or field.

My intended audience is for any student in whichever field that needs to complete a research paper or just retrieve information for themselves.


Describe your intended audience in terms of their needs for or interest in the information you plan to include in this writing project.

As it is, students already have more than enough tasks for school to complete, such as: homework, projects and not to mention research papers. Therefore, by introducing them on how to access the library database from TSTC, will allow writing papers be more easier. It will also come in handy because the databases contain much information on just about anything that a student needs to know for almost any class. For example, basic information that someone may not know, online books, articles, and so on.


Describe how your intended audience will use the information you include in this writing project.

This will be helpful to students when required to do some research.


Describe the technical background of your intended audience--what do they know and not know about your topic? What are their technical limitations in relation to this writing project?

Students may not even know that these databases exist on the TSTC website and are having to go through the inconvenience of searching on other websites.

White Paper Layout

I’ve decided to write my paper as the same form as white papers form owl. To be honest, it seems quick and to the point.

Images for white paper

This image is actually convenient in my opinion, because if the student is not sure about this site, they can just check out the demo. From there they can be the judge, and if interested then they can feel free to set up an account and access more information at no charge.

I have chosen the actual sites logo as one of my images so that the students can become familiar with it when accessing the site.

Interview Questions (Students in General)

1.) With such a busy schedule, do you ever forget what classes you have on certain days?

2.) Do you have a difficult time getting organized with all of your materials such as: books, notebooks, loose leaf papers with valid information, etc?

3.) Living the college life, there is a lot of reading and note taking that takes place, therefore do you ever have difficult times figuring out what notes to jot down and determining what information is relevant?

4.) When a project is assigned, do you ever have a difficult time meeting the deadline?

5.) Would you like to have something that would take the load off of you and help you remember all your tasks for the day and days to come?

3 questions of "Purpose, Audience,Genre"

1. What style is appropriate for addressing Professor Santoy as opposed to a style for students? Professor Santoy is like our boss therefore addressing her in a professional manner would be the proper style. When it comes to addressing the students, I’d have to say that you still speak to them in a professional manner however you can be more comfortable being yourself. After all, you are the one with the information therefore these students are looking forward to listening to what you have to say.

2. What are the style or form differences of a blog versus a micro-blog like Twitter?
A blog is a web service that anyone is able to setup and write whatever is on their mind without having to cut it short. On the other hand, a micro-blog like twitter is somewhat like text messaging. It allows you to only type in a certain amount of characters and then you have to cut it short. Maybe I’m wrong, but to me micro blogging is also similar to yahoo messenger (chatting).

3. What do you think of a genre such as memos? Are they easy or hard to write?
Writing memos are not that difficult, but then again I may have been taught a different way when I took Comp. 1. Well from what I was taught, I feel that there’s not much to writing a memo because all you are doing is getting to the point and not chit chatting. When writing memos, there can be many ways of writing them, of course that is depending on who you are writing it to.

White Paper Proposal Questionnaire

1.) What is the goal or purpose of the white paper?

The purpose of the white paper is to offer the students at TSTC a better strategy to achieve higher grades in their studies.

2.) Who is your audience for the white paper?

TSTC students

3.) What do you have to do before you can write the white paper?

a.) Find a tech tool
b.) Get it approved by the Boss (Prof. Santoy

4.) What is the goal of the proposal?

To get the go ahead from the Boss (Prof. Santoy)

5.) Who’s the audience for the proposal?

Boss (Prof. Santoy)

6.)What do you have to do before you can write the proposal?

Explain what the white paper is going to be about and why it is important to work with this tool for the proposal.

Purpose, Audience,Genre-Task #3-2nd part

I’ve chosen to follow NPR Politics which is located in Washington, D.C. It catches my attention since my major involves a bit about politics. It is also good to know how the government works and what it is planning to do. Since I started to do some research on the government and studied about it, it has become somewhat natural to me to understand the terms that are being used. It was all foreign to me for a very long time. I know that there are more people that are interested in the same field as I am however this is the first and only one I have came across. I am still trying to get caught up with everything that is going on but I know that soon it will all be a walk in the park.
I’ve accessed NPR Politics blog site and the purpose of their blog is to inform people about the current information that has happened and is currently happening. I mean, no one has to be a political junkie to be interested in these blogs. It can be anyone that just wants information on the latest political news. NPR Politics basically keeps people updated with old and recent news. Especially with how the economy and recession is right now everyone wants to know what our new president is going to do for us: Will he go forward and keep his word? Or will he do a 180 and do the unexpected?

Purpose, Audience,Genre-Task #3

Since you all know that I am a mother of 3 and soon to be of 4 little ones, I definitely like to maintain my health the proper way. Therefore, that is why I chose http://workoutmommy.com .
This site provides many other links to several experienced mothers that find ways to stay in shape. Being a mother can come naturally and be easy however very stressful that it is necessary to find some time for themselves. Exercise is extremely important for everyone in general. I was very active before I had my first child. I used to run 4-5 miles Mon- Thurs. Of course it took a lot of time and effort to get there, but what I’m trying to say is that now I don’t have the same drive in me like before.
Like many others, I make up excuses for not finding time to exercise, and on this blog site, there are other mothers that have experienced what I am now experiencing. So I look forward to reading there blogs as to how they manage to get a quick workout while managing their family and other situations. This site is useful to mothers like me that sometimes just don’t have that self-esteem and believe in themselves.

Purpose, Audience,Genre-Task #2

I chose www.momversation.com/blog because to me I feel that it is directed to mothers in general. The central focus of the blog is basically mothers letting out their daily experiences about their tasks on being a mother. Every mother has a different strategy that will eventually resolve the issue with their children or married life. The blogs on this site are pretty useful, can be a little strait forward however gets to the point. All the information posted on these blogs, are pretty informative that the authors express exactly what they are feeling. Most of the authors are based on the reality that they at first don’t think about having fake names for themselves or their families. Most of the time it comes naturally, I would have to say. I mean I used to do it a lot, and well….kind of still do it. Every mother has a different strategy that at the end may resolve that one problem a certain mom is having with their child that was unable to find a solution.

Introduction Essay

For the next 3-4 years after I complete my academic courses here at TSTC, I plan to continue my education at a university to accomplish my goal in earning my bachelors in criminal justice and teaching. Well…. since my husband is going to get stationed somewhere away from the valley, I’m not sure what is going to happen. I obviously will have to move, which will be extremely stressful because I will have to find a university that offers my major. I would love to work for U.S. Customs one day. I used to be interested in Border Patrol, until I had the opportunity to go on a ride along with an agent. It was an outside program called, Border Patrol Explorers, for the ages of 14-18, that I got trained for. It was very interesting, however like I mentioned before, I walked in the steps of an agent and found out that it really wasn’t something I wanted to do. Communication is extremely important not only in the profession I’m interested, however in any profession. As far as my profession, it is very significant because at the end of the day, reports have to be written as far as every scenario that has come across by that agent. These reports have to be written in a professional way to where it is specific and understandable. I am not much of a writer I guess because I could never think outside the box. I tried too hard to be creative that my writing became cheesy and not interesting. I believe and know that good writing consists of having good knowledge of vocabulary that is being used. After taking comp 1, I believe that I have improved in my writing skills however, not as much as I need and like to be. I’m hoping that by the end of this course I will have mastered the procedures to writing a professional paper that catches the reader’s attention.

Busy Bee

OK, well.... where do I start? I have been extremely busy but then again what is new, right? I mean I am a mother of 3, a military wife, student, Daisy Scout assistant leader, preparing for T-ball season, and on top of it all, I work! I of course am not the only one that is overwhelmed with all these kinds of thing however I feel exhausted. :( Sometimes I just don't know how I manage everything to fall in it's place!!! It is so frustrating! My daily tasks are waking up, getting my children up for school (which is the most difficult because they start crying!!), going to work if I'm needed, pick up the kids after school if there are no activities afterwards, clean up while I try to prepare a meal, at the same time speak to my children on how was there day at school, listen to their stories and take a look at their assignments, while my hungry husband arrives from work with a huge appetite. After dinner, it is clean up time, help my kids with homework while trying to separate them from fighting, bathe them and then try to find some time for my school work!! Which at this right moment am doing!! But at the end of the day I Thank God for letting us have our lives and health and always try to look at it in a different perspective way. I mean, it could be worse, right?