UX Research
Contextual Inquiry
For my Advanced User Research and Design course, I conducted a contextual inquiry to understand how students complete assignments on Waterloo LEARN.
Individual
July 2024 (1 week)
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Project Background
As part of the GBDA 310–Advanced User Research and Design course at the University of Waterloo, I conducted a contextual inquiry to explore how students complete assignments using Waterloo LEARN powered by D2L Brightspace. Through a contextual interview, work models, and an affinity diagram, I analyzed their workflow, challenges, and interactions with digital tools to gain insights into improving the user experience.
Cognitive Walkthrough
I conducted a contextual interview, observing a student in their natural study environment. By taking observable notes on their actions, tools, and decision-making processes, I gained insights into their workflow, challenges, and strategies. This method provided real-world context, helping me identify pain points and opportunities for improving the user experience.
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Models
1. Flow Model
Illustrates how the student coordinates and communicates with various resources, including instructors, classmates, and digital tools, while completing an assignment.
It highlights key interactions, dependencies, and potential breakdowns in their workflow.
I learned that students rely on email and Waterloo LEARN but struggle with finding assignment instructions and managing distractions.
2. Flow Model
The Sequence Model captures each small step a student takes to complete an assignment, from scheduling tasks to submission.
It highlights inefficiencies, such as difficulty finding instructions, navigating multiple platforms, and dealing with distractions.
By mapping these steps, I identified areas where the workflow could be streamlined, improving efficiency and reducing frustration.
3. Artifact Model
The Artifact Model illustrates the various tools a student uses to complete an assignment and their purpose. It reveals how platforms like Waterloo LEARN, Notion, Outlook, and Grammarly interact throughout the workflow.
By mapping these tools, I identified dependencies and potential friction points, such as difficulty locating assignment instructions and managing deadlines.
This insight helps improve tool integration and streamline the assignment process.
4. Cultural Model
The Cultural Model highlights how the course organization and external influences impact a student's assignment process.
It reveals how interactions with instructors, TAs, deadlines, and digital tools shape their workflow. Stress points, such as distracting notifications from these devices where the student completes their work, affect productivity and efficiency.
Understanding these distractions helps identify ways to reduce friction and support student success.
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5. Physical Model
The Physical Model illustrates the student's work environment, showing where they complete assignments and keep their tools.
It highlights factors like workspace organization, device usage, and potential constraints such as distractions.
Understanding these physical aspects helps identify barriers to productivity and opportunities for a more efficient setup.
Affinity Diagram
Affinity diagramming is a method I used to organize my qualitative data by grouping similar observations, insights, and ideas into meaningful categories. This helps identify patterns, relationships, and key themes in research findings.
In this project, I used affinity diagramming to analyze the contextual interview data and the five models created. I identified recurring pain points, such as difficulty locating assignment instructions, distractions from notifications, and inefficiencies in navigating online resources.
