Masters Project - User Analysis
User Personas
Scenario of Use
The users
The users of the system were homogenous in educational and career backgrounds. They were widely varied in terms of experience and comfort with technology. The coaches were actually selected by the Leadership Institute. A unique aspect of this project is that the proposed design and goals of the system are used as part of the criteria upon which the selection of coaches was based.
List of Characteristics
These personas are longer and more detailed than what is typically recommended. The reasoning behind including more detail is that past experiences with mentoring and school leadership are important for gaining understanding of the range of levels of motivation and enthusiasm with GLISI’s coaching program in general as well as the web tool specifically. There was no formal process used in compiling these personas. I formed them through talks with GLISI personnel about the type of individuals who are candidates for the coaching program, interactions with potential coaches, and review of the bios available online for some of the candidates.
Marlene, technology avoider
Age: 48
Marlene is a newly retired principal just finishing up her last year a few months ago. She began her career in education in 1975 at the age of 22 teaching math and science. After twelve years in the classroom and three different principals ranging from wonderful to barely tolerable, Marlene decided she would like to move into school administration. After five years of earning credits and awaiting a good opportunity, she accepted a position as vice principal at an elementary school in her county. She was very happy as a vice principal and learned a lot from her principal who, seeing that Marlene would make an excellent principal, took time to expose her to situations and challenges regularly faced by principals. He believed in Marlene, so when a principalship came open at a nearby school three years later, he eagerly gave her a sparkling recommendation despite regretting to lose her. Marlene kept in regular touch with her mentor until he retired several years ago and moved to Florida.
Though computer and internet use in education has risen sharply in recent years, Marlene has not been quick to follow. Though innovative in many ways in her career, Marlene is not comfortable using computers. She has never taken the time to build a basic skill level because she has never identified any real value in using them. In short, Marlene thinks she is much more efficient when she doesn’t waste time fiddling with the computer. One application, Microsoft Word, Marlene does use for typing up documents she wants to disseminate to her staff. Typically, after she enters the content, she sends it to one of her secretaries to format it so that it looks nice, she also calls on her secretary to help her view attachments and send email with Microsoft Outlook. She doesn’t attempt to use the calendar or contact features in Outlook as she prefers to keep her schedule and contacts in a date book she always carries with her. Marlene does not use email to correspond with friends, but does use it to respond to her daughter who lives out of state. Luckily, her husband, becoming quite savvy over the years with the computer, helps her when she runs into a problem. Nevertheless, if Marlene needs to ask her daughter a question, she always uses the telephone. In her free time, she prefers gardening, teaching her dog new tricks, and helping out at church.
Marlene is excited to be a part of the Rising Stars program as a Performance Coach. She firmly believes in the power of the principal to inspire change in school. The opportunity was perfectly timed, just when she was facing retirement and the wonderment of how she would fill all her newfound free time. Marlene feels she has gained useful insight over the years as both a teacher and a principal about what makes an effective school leader. Also, since she was mentored so effectively early in her career as an administrator, Marlene sees this as an opportunity for reciprocity that never presented itself during her years as a principal.
Frank, technology adopter
Age: 60
Frank has been in education for 33 years. Originally, he decided not to go to college opting instead to work in his father’s electronics store after graduation. Along with encouragement from his girlfriend Pamela and extra savings, he enrolled in a college in southern Georgia. He earned a degree in education and English and begin teaching ninth grade English at the age of 27, just shortly after marrying Pamela. Frank really enjoyed teaching, but figured if he was going to do it for the rest of his life, he may as well earn the most he could. Frank was therefore motivated to go back to school to earn a Masters and EDd. Never intending to go into administration, Frank continued teaching. However, less than two years later, with the encouragement of his colleagues who felt he displayed effective leadership qualities, Frank applied for and received an assistant principal position. He enjoyed his new position and stayed there for six years until another opportunity opened up in a school located closer to his home. Three years later, the principal retired and the teachers rallied around Frank to replace him. Frank took on the head role at the school. He implemented new policies that both teachers and parents agreed positively impacted the school for change. Among these new policies were new computers in all classrooms and online grade submission and parental notification by students. Franks’ school was among the first to adopt technology as a means of closing the gap between teachers and parents. Five years ago, Frank decided to move onto the district office to become the superintendent. Due to the success of his programs as a principal, Frank believes technology can help improve students’ academic experience. He believes it is up to school leaders to promote this type of positive change at the school level and he wants to support those leaders.
Although Frank is aware that something must be done to improve student achievement in Georgia to meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act and believes better preparation of school leaders may be part of the answer, he is afraid this initiative will fall by the waste side as he has seen so many others do over the years. Frank fears that the money granted to GLISI to get the Rising Stars initiative off and running will be wasted on non-essentials, which will cause a removal of funding a couple years down the road. He doesn’t want to be cynical, but he’s seen it all happen before.
Pamela, a veteran school secretary, shares Frank’s apprehension of getting totally behind this latest initiative. She has lent an ear many times in the office while teachers and administrators have complained about the fleeting nature of school improvement initiatives. However, she thinks Frank would make a wonderful coach and mentor to an up and coming school principal because he too has benefited from the support of others over the years. Kind words of encouragement and helpful critique have been the starter ingredients Frank used to make a wonderful career in school leadership. She knows Frank would find an opportunity to shape the next generation to be thrilling.
User Goals
Marlene, technology avoider
Frank, technology adopter
Use Cases
The scenario of use uses the Marlene persona because hers is a skill and interest level that requires the special consideration of designers.
It’s 9:30 p.m. and Marlene thinks to herself how the time has really gotten away from her today. She is a little irritated that she has waited this late to review and download her materials for tomorrow’s initial meeting with her performer. The principal who recommended the performer, Vanessa, for the Rising Stars program noted that she has many assets when it comes to leadership, but occasionally she can be a little headstrong. Although the principal has recommended Vanessa be allowed to exempt several of the modules, he still believes she needs to practice about 70% of them. Marlene suspects Vanessa may believe she should be allowed to exempt even more of the modules and may push back on the decision. Marlene has never met Vanessa, but has handled personalities such as hers during her long career in education. She isn’t worried, but Marlene wants to have time to think about the most tactful way to approach Vanessa and wants to review the helpful tips she knows are on the EPSS for situations such as these. Afterall, she has had good relationships with her other two performers and wants to establish a good one with Vanessa tomorrow.
Marlene’s husband has given up the computer chair to her, so she plops down. She goes to her Favorites list and selects LPPC Support Tool from the list. The page opens up with “Welcome Back, Marlene!” Since Marlene is in the Pre-Coaching with Vanessa, she selects Pre-Coaching and sees her checklist for this stage. She has previously reviewed all of the information provided to her about Vanessa and agrees with her principal’s recommendations. Marlene finds the link to the “Review Performance Plan with Performer” job aid with “Word” beside it and clicks it. This one indicates she will be opening a Word document as opposed to a PDF. She thinks Word documents are easier to deal with. When the file opens she prints it.
Then, Marlene wants to find suggestions on how to deliver news that a performer may not want to hear. In this case, the news is that Vanessa will have to practice and pass modules for areas in which she believes she has already proven competency. Vanessa may feel embarrassed, annoyed, or even somewhat betrayed by her principal for his recommendation. Marlene wants to keep the entire situation very professional and ends-focused. She finds suggestions on the website such as how to point out differences in the ways Vanessa has practiced a role before and how she will need to be able to fulfill it as a principal. She also finds that it may be worthwhile to point out that Vanessa’s work in that role occurred several years ago and a time statute exists for the assessments. She also finds ways in which she can depersonalize the situation by taking the spotlight off Vanessa and her principal and focusing it on the requirements of the Rising Stars program. Last but not least, she should let Vanessa know that if she feels competent in that skill, she can go right on through to the assessment.
Marlene is satisfied that she has armed herself with several soft tools she can use tomorrow in her meeting with Vanessa. She selects the suggestions she feels best work for her and prints them off in a customized job aid for review before tomorrow’s meeting.
Marlene closes the browser and goes to let her husband know the computer is all his again.
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