technical communication lab projects

Graduation Thesis Projects

Debopriyo Roy

Senior Associate Professor

CLR Technical Communication Laboratory RQ # 267

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Designing Websites (e.g., make a specific website and explain the design)

Usability Testing Methods (e.g., test whether the design works)

Technical Writing Projects (e.g., explain how text and graphics should be designed in websites - focus on content organization, formatting etc)

Statistical Analysis of Design (e.g., run statistical experiments to test web design)

Issues in Web-based Training (e.,g explain how training websites should be designed) 2

Design and Analysis

Website Design & Analysis

Students design a website.

Analyze the functioning of the website.

Review literature on how technical websites are designed.

Reflect on website features that are currently non-existent or non-usable.

Test efficacy of design features, perform statistical analysis and make recommendations for improvement.

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Statistical Techniques for Website Analysis

Run experiments on how websites are used by end users.

Data analysis using statistics -

Record how users click on various icons on the website. (Camtasia, SnagIt)

Time they spend on specific pages.

Content complexity in design.

How users switch /scroll down within and between pages.

Errors during clicking.

Study of eye-tracking techniques 4

Example: Usability Testing for Training Videos & Websites

Using screen capture software like Morae, Camtasia, SnagIt work for testing training videos and websites (e.g., flight simulation, surgical animations for patient education modules)

How to design surveys for testing user interaction with training animations, videos like Flight Pro Sim, FlightGear X?

Usability testing of learning management systems (e.g., moodle) 5

Example: Usability Testing of Moodle

Explore Usability Testing methods like:

Morae Software

Survey Design

Think-aloud Protocols

Heuristic Evaluation Techniques

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Information Design TopicsHi-Fidelity Prototype Design Projects-

Toko Subway System

Aircraft Design

Design of Narita / Haneda Airport

Lego Projects

Aircraft Assembly and Design

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Example: Poser Figure Artist Software - Screenshot

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How do technical illustrators

design body positions for procedures?

Example: Patient Education Modules - 1

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How should the users access text, videos, audio

and graphics in the website?

(Focus on cognitive overload, dual coding

theories etc)

What are the visual perspectives (route,

survey, gaze etc) used in the animations?

Example: Patient Education Modules - 2 How would you

test the ability for users to understand the content in the training website?

Video Access

Audio Access

Text Access

Interaction sequences

Navigation patterns

Information recall

Retention

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Software in Lab

Morae

Camtasia

Snag IT

Google Drawing

Poser Figure Artist

Google SketchUp

Google Drive

IHMC Software

Hot Potatoes

Framemaker

Macromedia Captivate

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Contact

You can contact me through e-mail:

droy@u-aizu.ac.jp

droyjapan@gmail.com

Lab Website:

https://sites.google.com/site/techcommlabroy/

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