TEST: introduction VR-methods (lesson 5)

Setup for Testing my experience

Main objective for research: what do I want to find out?
Main research question
Subquestions

Taxonomy of usability characteristics

Methods for testing in Virtual Environments

# Exercise 1: VR versus GUI

  1. Define virtual reality and briefly review the major types of VR technology:

  • VR-desktops

  • Head mounted displays (HMDs)

  • Cave Automatic Virtual Environments (CAVEs)

2. Categorise some of the major differences between VR and traditional user interfaces such as GUIs – and how these differences lead to specific types of usability evaluation issues.

# Exercise 2: expert evaluation methods (without users)

Usability Evaluation in Virtual Environments: Classification and Comparison of Methods

Read source: http://people.cs.vt.edu/~bowman/papers/usability_presence.pdf

Figure 1: Evaluation Methods with and without users Have a look at - Context of Evaluation & Type of Results - Generic & Application Specific - Qualitative & Quantitative

Figure 2: Evaluation Methods: how the different methods are related

  • User Task Analysis

  • Cognitive Walkthrough

  • Heuristic Evaluation

  • Formative Evaluation

  • Summative Evaluation

Figure 3: Take assessments (on task analysis, sensory performance and behavioral performance)

# Exercise 3: create my first testplan

Main objective for research: what do I want to find out?
- Main research question
- Subquestions

Preparation
- What are my assumptions about the users? What do I expect to happen?

Test methods
- What methods will I use to test my VR-experience? Show an overview.
- What are the goals of these methods?
- When should the methods be used?
- What are the benefits of using this methods?
- How are the method's evaluation results applied?

Context & User
- Physical testing environment: degrees of freedom, props or obstacles, 
ergonomic challenges
- Virtual testing environment: degrees of freedom, cognitive load, 
limitations & challenges (like puzzles or overcoming fear of heights)
- Explain the characteristics of test participants (height, hands, 
visual abilities, cognitive abilities) 

Instructions during test
- Specific instructions that I will provide the user.
- Explain how these instructions are related to the research questions
and objective of your test.

Interview questions (qualitative) after test
- Explain how you are going to interview the test participants after
the test
- Write down all questions or topics that you are going to discuss.

Handy information about testing VR hardware & software

User-centered VE design approach example

Modified user-centered approach to the head-mounted display design cycle adapted from R.G. Eggelston (1997).

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