sability testing with match that which the child uses
children is similar in many at home/school (phone up their
respects to usability parents/teachers beforehand to
testing with adults. In order to check).
get the most out of the sessions,
and ensure the child is - Try to be as comforting and
comfortable and happy, there are reassuring as possible. It's
a few differences that you need especially important to make it
to be aware of. clear to the child that you want
their views on the site and that
Stress of new people and you're not testing them.
surroundings
- Plan for the fact that younger
Children are far more likely than children may prefer their parents
adults to find encountering new to remain in the testing room
places and people stressful. You with them. Make sure that parents
should always remember this, so know that they should stay out of
try to find as many ways as the child's line-of-sight and not
possible to relax the child. Some help or distract them.
things you could do are:
Asking for help
- Allow a significant period of
time - at least 10 minutes - to Children are far more used to
meet the child. This is critical asking for - and receiving - help
in putting them at ease before than adults, so it's very
beginning the session. Some easy important for the moderator to:
things to talk about might be
computer games, cartoons, sports - Clearly explain at the
or school. Trying to make all the beginning of the test that you
equipment used during the session want the child to use the site on
their own
- Make a sustained effort to - Taking short breaks during
deflect any such questioning sessions if the child becomes
during the session itself tired or irritable.
Good ways of deflecting questions - Ensuring that sessions cover
can include: the intended tasks/scenarios in a
different order - this will make
- Answering a question with a sure that the same scenarios are
question (e.g. What do you think not always tested by tired
[you should do now]?) children, who are less likely to
- Re-stating that you want the succeed/persevere.
child to use the site ‘on their
own' - Asking the child for help so as
- Asking the child to have ‘one to provide them with motivation
last go' before you move on to (e.g. asking ‘Could you please
something else find out for me how to...', or by
actually pretending to not be
Children get tired, bored and able find/do something on the
discouraged more easily site).
Children (especially of younger - Keeping up a steady stream of
ages) are less inclined - and/or encouragement and positive
able - to apply themselves to a feedback ("You're doing really
single task for a prolonged well and telling us lots of
period. Some ways to work around useful things - it will really
this are: help make the site better. Keep
it up!").
- Limiting sessions to 1 hour or
less. The importance of non-verbal cues
easily forgotten - differences
Children can't always be relied which need to be taken into
upon to verbally articulate their account are:
thoughts/feelings, either due to
their: - Chair and table settings - Make
sure you have a chair/table
- Not being articulate enough setting that allows the child to
- Being too shy comfortably use the equipment
- Not wanting to say the wrong during the session.
thing and displease an adult
- Saying things they don't - Microphone positioning -
believe just to please the adult Children tend to have quieter
voices than adults, so
This makes it particularly microphones should be placed
important that the usability slightly nearer to the
expert be sensitive to children's participant than normal.
non-verbal cues, such as:
Levels of literacy and
- Sighs understanding
- Smiles
- Frowns It is critical to ensure that a
- Yawns session's participant has an
- Fidgeting accurate understanding of the
- Laughing scenario being presented to them.
- Swaying Some ways to do this include:
- Body angle and posture
- Asking participants to
Physical differences re-phrase scenarios/goals in
their own words.
A couple of very obvious - but - Asking participants to repeat a
scenario (i.e. what they are suspect they may have forgotten
trying to achieve) if the task it.
has gone on for some time and you
About the Author:
This article was written by Tim Fidgeon. Tim's crazy about usability - so crazy that he now works for Webcredible ( http://www.webcredible.co.uk ), an industry leading web usability and accessibility consultancy.
Read more articles by:
Tim Fidgeon
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
