Working title: Balboa
Elementary
Author: Lisa Hess
Date: May 9, 2010
Subjects:
Three subjects
took part: a colleague who is also a parent at the school, a student, and a
teacher that does not have any affiliation to the school. All three
participants have an interest in school websites for personal or professional reasons.
Think Aloud Task:
Comment on the
first impressions of the site and then explain the main idea of BalboaÕs Mission Statement.
Summary of Think Aloud
All three
subjects stated an interest in a school website and also commented that a
school website is essential for home and school communication. All three of the participants liked the
homepage but since all of the subjects used Firefox, all three were missing the
Balboa logo and title. One of the
main things that the parent participant said she uses a school website for is
the school calendar. She liked the
fact that the upcoming events are at the top of the page and readily available
for parents to see what is to come.
Unfortunately, while browsing she came across the school calendar page
that is still under construction.
The teacher and
the parent found the mission statement pretty easily under the Òabout usÓ
section. The student wasnÕt
completely sure what a mission statement is. Both adults enjoyed reading about Balboa and our
accomplishments.
Summary of Posttest Interview
Discussions
revealed that Parents and Teachers would like to see more pictures of students
throughout the website and things that students are doing posted throughout the
site. Possibly more information
about what is expected in each grade level could be added for parents that want
to get students prepared for their childÕs grade level. The student especially wanted to see a
page where web pages to educational sites can be accessed. All subjects expressed an interest in
having the website translated in Spanish as well.
Findings to be Implemented
As a result of the beta test, I will make the following
changes:
á I will add more
pictures to the website to brighten up the pages and for parents to see more
pictures of the happenings around the school.
á I will fix the Firefox
problem with some help.
á I will link student
friendly educational websites.
á
Findings that will not be Implemented
á I considered adding a
drop down menu for easier navigation, especially for students, but honestly
thought about how complicated it might be.
á Even though the
community in which Balboa is located is highly Spanish speaking, I will not at
this time have Spanish Translations.