Lessons Learned on Developing Educational Systems Using a Hybrid User Centered Methodology - New Contributions in Information Systems and Technologies - page 203

In Table 2 some of the methods identified in Figure 1 are reported, which can be
applied in new projects.

Table 2. Proposal of new methods of user centered design (adapted from Maguire [29])

Method Description

Identify all user groups (end users, experts,
responsible for installation and maintenance)
and other stakeholders (those who can
influence or are affected by software)
including support teams, sales and marketing
teams and different customers who may
purchase the resource. This survey can be
complemented with an analysis of the
market. This stage are assigned roles and
responsibilities.
Approach to the method: meeting with the
project manager and user representatives to
discuss roles in more detail.

Identification and analysis of
stakeholders

Characterization of the user group (skills and
experience, task knowledge, training,
qualifications, language skills, physical and
cognitive abilities and attitudes and
motivations), the (list of tasks, objectives,
output, distance, frequency, extent, duration
and task dependencies) and the technical,
physical and organizational environment
(hardware, software, internet network,
characteristics of rooms, organizational
goals, policies, ICT, technical support).
Approach to the method: meeting with
representatives from each user group and
representatives of the project team.

Analysis of the use context (Bevan
& Macleod 1994; Kirakowski &
Cierlik 1999; M. C. Maguire 1998;
Thomas & Bevan 1995)

Group discussion of potential users about
what they intend to be designed into the
software.
Approach to the method: in person or
through distance communication platform,
users discuss the requirements.

Focus groups

The selection of methods for "Identification and analysis of stakeholders" and
"Analysis of context of use", proposed in Table 2, is based on the analysis of the
development of Courseware Sere process and identification of the main factors of
motivation of the professionals software development. Thus, being associated to the
time and budget allotted for the project, demotivating factors [30] and knowing
restrictions, the most relevant methods, "Field studies" and "Interviews with users"
require a long time for its implementation and commonly greater investment [31], we
opted to choose methods to balance these two factors.