Project 1: Making class registration simple
For project 1 my objective was to find out how class registration at JMU could be improved for students. I went about this through interviews with current students, staff at the Office of Registrar, and a student at another university I used to see how others registration was. The first thing I needed to do was find out some background information about the registration process JMU currently uses. After talking with a staff member at the Office of Registrar I found that the system is very outdated, being put in effect in the Fall semester of 1999. Next I wanted to know how students felt about the process so I interviewed two students in person and then sent a google form survey to some people. All but one of the students I talked to had major problems with the class registration process JMU uses. I asked students about what some of the bigger problems they had with it and I learned that many students had similar issues. Many students said that they could not get into the classes required of them to graduate which set them back. Another big problem students talked about was how difficult it is to navigate around and find everything they need. The next thing I did was interview a friend at ODU to talk about how his registration process was, which I found out was very simple. After gathering all this research and information I came up with what I think to be an option JMU should do about the registration system. There needs to be a completely new system created that has everything students need to know on one page. It should show what classes they need to take to graduate and show their progress towards graduation. All and all JMU needs a more user-friendly registration system that tailors to students needs and wants.
Project 2: User Experience
The objective of this project was to further explain the features of a potential website using a user story grid, value propositons, user stories, and narratives. By building off components previously established such as user research and personas I explained how the website would help various kinds of people. The goal was to show that the designers of this site have considered a wide range of users and their needs.
The first thing I did to achieve these objectives was make a user story grid. This grid helps to find out the needs of different kinds of users. I chose to show the needs of users based on their level of organization and how frustrated they are with the current system.
| Confident/Content | Frustrated | ||
| Organized | -When can I enroll in my classes for next semester?-Can I make my schedule now and save it until registration time? | -Why is everything I need to enroll in on separate pages?-Can I just schedule a time to enroll in my classes? | -Why can’t I get into the classes I need to take on time? -Why are general ed and major course sign ups not separate?- |
| -Why can’t I have more time to pick my classes?-Why is there not more classes available for my major? | -How is there seats available but I can’t join the class?-How do I know I will be able to get into the classes I need? | -Why are the class number and class label not the same thing? -Why can’t I get the professor I want/need? | |
| Unorganized | -Can there be a way to generate my schedule? -How can I see all the classes I should take? | – Where do I find my graduation requirements?- Why is there so many steps to registration? | -Why did it cancel the class I enrolled in?-Why can’t I get into the classes I need? -Where can I find what classes I need to take? |
The second thing I did was add value propositions, these are used to show the values this site will bring to users. The four values the site will have for users are: separation of general ed sign up and major course sign up, having all information students need on the same page, a schedule generation system, and a feature enabling students to make and save a schedule before registration.
Next, I added user stories to describe the features that users need the site to have. The user stories I decided on are: As a user, I want to have everything I need on the same page so that I don’t have to search for anything. As a user, I want to have the courses for general ed’s separate from the courses for my major so that I can focus on one at a time. As a user, I want to have an option to generate schedules automatically so that I can see the choices I have. As a user, I want to be able to make a schedule and save it until I need to enroll, so that I am ready when registration begins.
Finally, I wrote two in depth narratives of the personas I established in the previous assignment. Explaining the struggles of two different types of users helps show the need for an updated website/system. After explaining the struggles/frustrations these “individuals” have I then explained how those problems can be solved. The solution to their problems being the new website.
Overall, this project helped show me how important it is to consider the needs of a variety of different users. I used the information from project one as a guideline for most aspects of this project as well as coming up with some new things. This definently taught me more about usability and the user experience.
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