Masters Project - Context of Use

EXTERNAL

Physical Environment
The system may be accessed from either a personal or office computer.
Lighting: Room lighting may range from a very dim level provided by the screen itself (10 mL) to a fully lit level provided by overhead lighting (104 ML). Lighting will be both reflective and emitted and will be controlled by the users.

Noise: The system may be used in an environment that ranges from very quiet (30 dBA) if used in a home office or bedroom to moderately noisy (80 dBA) if used in a busy area. The users will most likely have control over the level of noise or be able to adjust it in some way.

Temperature: The system will likely be used indoors in temperatures that hover around the typical 72°. However, the temperature may fluctuate five degrees above or below this mark at any time. The users may be able to control the temperature.

Inputs & Outputs
The system requires users to know the current module they are on with the performer. Knowing this information may require the users to have outside documentation or reference material.

The users may want to input a description of an experience, post a question, or post an answer to a question (Community of Practice).

System outputs consist of documents and forms requested by the users for downloading or printing.

System outputs will also exist in the form of feedback, which should be stable and rapid in order to give the users confidence that their inputs were successful.

Constraints
The users may be under time constraints. Time constraints could vary from light to severe and may place little to heavy stress on the users while interacting with the system.

The users may be constrained by technical difficulties such as an inability to communicate with a printer or connect to a network.

Tools in Use
The computer may be a laptop or a desktop with screen size ranging from 12 to 21 inches and resolution ranging from 800x600 to 1600x1200.

The system requires use of a printer to print job aids and other module-related documents. The users may access the system at an unfamiliar site, which may require them to use a computer not previously encountered or to configure their laptop with the printers and modems at the site.

The system may require use of an internet browser or email client.

The system may require the availability of third party software such as Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat.

The system may be accessed while users are attending to other tasks that may or may not include the computer. Such tasks that could be performed simultaneously on the computer are checking email, word processing, or browsing the internet. Such tasks that could be performed outside of the computer could be using a phone, reading a document, or conversing with a colleague who is present at the time.

INTERNAL

Goals
The users access the system with one or two main goals in mind, to download and print modules for an upcoming coaching session or to get help on a particular coaching issue. To achieve the first goal, users will know which module they are looking for because it will either be the first coaching module or the next module in a series. To achieve the second goal, users may not know exactly what they are searching for. They may engage in a browsing activity such as looking through all of the help topics or may search the help topics for certain key words.

Users may want to provide help by sharing an experience in which they came up with a solution not mentioned on the site. (COP)

Users may want to post a question about an issue not seen addressed on the site. (COP)

Users may want to contact another coach in the program directly. (COP)

The users may want to learn about the other coaches involved in the program such as their backgrounds, experience, the performers they are working with or have worked with, and their experiences with the program. (COP)

Process
The users may have an internal model of how the EPSS system should assist the coaching task. Since the coaching program is arranged in step-by-step modules, users will look for the EPSS to reflect this organizational style.

Experience
The users may have coached in various capacities before, either in informal roles such as offering advice or in organized coaching instructional sessions. These experiences, whether positive or negative, may affect the users’ interaction with the system. None of the users have coached the particular performers with whom they will be interacting, however, they will have been introduced to the modules the system is presenting to them. Because of their experience with the modules, users may have an idea of how the system should assist them through the coaching process.

The users have all had some level of success as a school leader. The impact of their experiences as a leader may affect their coaching experience and their interaction with the system.

Most of all of the users have experience using computers and the internet for personal or business purposes.

Constraints
The users may feel constrained by their skill level with computers and the internet.

They users may also feel professional stress and personal anxiety about their ability to coach in general and specific difficult interactions such as delivering critical feedback or bad news.

Relationships
The users may be working with anywhere from one to five performers at a time. The relationship between the users and the performers should be pleasant and instructive, but it may be strained at times during difficult lessons.

The majority of time the users spends coaching will be with the performer, not the system.