Introduction
UniSA STEM
INFS 1026 – Systems Requirements and User Experience (SRUX)
Assignment 2: User Experience Design for a
online PASS system
Weighting: 40%, Due Date: See submission area
Group Assignment (2–3 members)
Version Date Notes
1.0 11 May 23 Initial release
Introduction
The second assignment continues the scenario presented in the first assignment. In this
assignment, you will undertake a UX design for an online PASS system.
The intention of this assignment is to identify the relevant users and build an interface for
those users. All assignment 1 submission material for group members can be used for
assignment 2 (but only where it makes sense). However, only include elements that directly
contribute to the user experience design. Submitting a piece of work that includes content
that does not contribute to the quality of the user experience will be penalized.
Note: while the scenario is taken from the real-world, you may need to roleplay users in their
roles.
In this assignment you will create a selection of artefacts from the user experience process
for the scenario presented in Appendix 1. Specifically, you will create:
1. An updated set of categorised stakeholders.
2. An interview plan.
3. A project and system stakeholder interview transcript.
4. An updated set of user stories from the point of view of the user experience.
5. A matrix of user stories to personas.
6. A set of reasonable personas/user profiles.
7. A set of storyboards illustrating the context of user stories.
8. Two Information Architectures (one for the student-facing aspect of the system, one
for the tutor-facing aspect of the system).
9. A priority list of user stories.
10. A prototype of both aspects of the system.
Note: some of these artefacts are the same as assignment 1. But remember, the focus of
this assignment is specifically on the user experience, so your outputs for each step may be
different. You will be marked on this.
This assignment will develop your skills by allowing you to put into practice what has been
taught during the entire 9 weeks of the course. If any aspect of the assignment specification
is unclear, please seek clarification.
Learning outcomes
After completing this assignment, you will have learnt to:
• Identify (user and non-user) stakeholders for a given problem statement;
• Design a user interface for the users who are going to use it;
• Describe the design to level that the implementers of the system can build as
intended.
Assignment and submission requirements
1. The assignment must be submitted via Learn-Online.
2. The assignment must be submitted in PDF format.
3. The assignment must be referenced where applicable using consistent citations and
footnotes.
4. The assignment must document and justify any decisions and assumptions made.
5. The assignment submission must not include the scenario or question text from the
specification.
Marking criteria
The marking rubric for this assignment will be available on the course website. Use the
rubric to ensure you adequately address all aspects of the marking criteria. The assignment
will be assessed on the following criteria:
1. Applicability to the User Experience;
2. Completeness of solutions;
3. Clarity of expression;
4. Consistency within and between tasks;
5. Technical correctness of the methods used; and
6. Presentation, spelling, and grammar.
Task 1 – Identifying User Experience Stakeholders
1.1. Given the provided scenario, identify the non-user stakeholders and user
stakeholders.
1.2. Profile each of the stakeholders. Get some basic information them that will help you
generate personas later.
Hint: non-user stakeholders correspond to project stakeholders, and user stakeholders
correspond to system stakeholders.
Task 2 – Interview Plan
2.1. Given the provided scenario, design an interview outline for an interview with a
PASS tutor to learn what the information requirements are for the new information
system.
2.2. Repeat this with a student.
Hint: Make sure the questions help inform you of the needs of the user. You should
also have questions that help you understand the users so that you can generate your
personas later.
Like assignment 1 ensure your interview outline follows the template presented in
textbook (Figure 6– 2). Ensure to address the Interviewee, Location/Medium,
Objectives, and Agenda elements of the template.
Task 3 – Project and System Stakeholder Interview Transcript
Next, we will conduct a mock interview for our two primary end-users:
3.1. Conduct a mock interview with a student. To do this, have one group member
roleplay the user for the interview (be the user, think like the user). The user should
map to one of your potential personas (see Task 4).
3.2. Record the interview as an audio recording and upload as supplemental material.
3.3. Write up a transcript of the interview.
3.4. Repeat steps 3.1 to 3.4 for a PASS Tutor.
Task 4 – Personas
4.1. Develop three personas:
• Two for the student role, and
• One for the PASS Tutor role.
These personas should represent the different groups of people who would be using
the user interfaces of the system: what education, how do they solve problems,
what irritates them, what do they like. Again, make sure you that you include aspects
relevant to understanding the user experience.
Task 5 –User stories relevant to the user experience
5.1. Write a set of user stories for the following roles:
• Student, and
• PASS Tutor.
Write the set of user stories in the form:
As a [role], I want to [goal] so that [benefit]
Ensure that your stories focus on the user experience of using the system and that
your stories meet the INVEST criteria. Aim for at least 6–8 user stories per role.
Task 6 – Prioritised matrix of user stories
6.1. Create a table of mapping all the user stories you have identified to all the personas.
These will allow you to see natural groupings for your designs later.
Note: ensure your table represents specific personas, not just general roles.
6.2. Determine a method for calculating the priority then provide a list of the user stories
with their priority in order of most to least important. Your submission should
include at least:
1. A description of the criteria for determining importance.
2. Ordered list of user stories.
Note: prioritised your stories for each role, so that you have a prioritised list for the
student and a prioritised list for PASS Tutors.
6.3. Present your priority in the table you create by sorting the rows accordingly.
Task 7 – Storyboards
7.1. For each role, sketch up the three most important user stories for the application.
These must be contextual storyboards representative of the situation in which the
user is interacting the system.
Note: You should end up with six storyboards in total, three for each role.
Task 8 – Information Architecture/Look and Feel
8.1. Create a structure chart of the user stories in the user interface.
8.2. Create a short document describing the look of the final interfaces. This look and feel
document should at least include:
1. Typography (font, size, etc);
2. Colour Palette;
3. Iconography; and,
4. Dialog/screen patterns.
Task 9 – Prototype
9.1. Build two prototypes addressing the user stories for each role (student and PASS
Tutor). Implement these using wireframing software and include the screenshots
into your submission document. The wireframes need to cover all aspects of the
information architecture and therefore all identified user stories. There is no
prescribed number of screens or elements as everyone’s user stories and
information architecture will differ. But as a guide, one screen will not produce a
good user experience!
Note: you may include any wireframing files as supplemental material to your
assignment.
Workplan
The assignment covers topics from weeks 1–13 of the course. A suggested workplan is:
1) Read the scenario text in Appendix 1 again;
2) Read the additional material in Appendix 2;
3) Work through each task in order;
a. As you complete a task, assess the results as a team and improve any
identified issues.
4) Finally, ensure the output of each task is consistent with previous tasks.
As you attempt a task, refer to the relevant week’s material. To achieve an HD, you should
be revising all your artefacts (i.e. stakeholders, user stories, etc) as you progress and gain a
better understanding of the domain; this will ensure your assignment is complete and
consistent. An HD assignment will be clear how each task is built on the previous step.
Assignments that appear you started with the interface and worked backward (which is
obvious to markers) will be awarded a low mark.
To achieve an HD, work collaboratively, not cooperatively. Collaborate closely with each
other to address all tasks. Do not allocate individual tasks to individual group members and
design in isolation; this will result in a submission that is not consistent between tasks and
will be penalised.
Extensions
Late submissions will not be accepted for this course unless an extension has been approved
by the course coordinator. Late submissions that have not been approved will receive a
mark of zero. Refer to the course outline for further information regarding extensions.
Academic Misconduct
This is a group assignment. You may only use work from assignment 1 that your team
members produced. Your submitted files will be checked against other student group
submissions, and other sources, for instances of plagiarism. Students are reminded that they
should be aware of the academic misconduct guidelines available from the University of
South Australia website.
Deliberate academic misconduct such as plagiarism is subject to penalties. Information
about Academic integrity can be found in Section 9 of the Assessment policies and
procedures manual at: http://www.unisa.edu.au/policies/manual/
Appendix 1 — Assignment Scenario
Background
When the COVID-19 restrictions impacted the students and teaching staff, ABC College (a
college affiliated with UniSA) reviewed their online resources for new and existing students
to enable the variations in teaching and learning. The provision of hybrid classes enables
the students that are unable to attend face to face lectures means the cohort remains as
integrated as possible regardless of the students’ location.
Additional resources were discussed related to the provision of student directed assistance
through Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS). This was available to students at ABC College
but was not readily available to students in the online environment.
PASS enables students to call upon peers who have previously excelled in courses to be
involved as mentors to current students. The PASS “tutors” consist of a mixture of current
students and those who have already progressed to their degree studies at UniSA.
In the past, students just turn up to PASS, but management at ABC College would like to
formalise the service to students, tracking the success of the support facilities
UniSA have had a similar system in use for several years. Students can sign up to attend
PASS face to face and online via Zoom, which is especially beneficial for external students
who must cope with variations in time zones or are studying and working full time.
Schedules for all PASS sessions run at UniSA are advertised through a dedicated webpage,
with the details of UniSA STEM student PASS sessions – IT and engineering students –
available via this website:
https://i.unisa.edu.au/students/student-support-services/study-support/peer-assistedstudy-sessions-pass/stem/
They also have a Facebook page where weekly updates can be posted and communication is
enabled between PASS tutors and students using, for some, a more familiar communication
medium than the Moodle discussion boards.
ABC College have tasked IT students to determine the requirements for this system.
The Proposed System
The system will be accessible via any web enabled device and link through the Learning
Management System (LMS) within ABC College - Moodle. It is proposed that a tile will be
created on the Student’s ABC College Portal page to enable access to the PASS program
details. From here, the student can view details about the courses offering sessions, the
timetable for the sessions and be able to book an appointment within a group session or
even a one-on-one session with one of the PASS tutors. Each course which offers the PASS
program will also have a link to book a session from their course web page.
PASS tutors will also be able to access course websites for which they are providing the
sessions so they can view all resources available to students. Only the student’s ID, name
and email address will be available to PASS tutors with personal information about the
student and their studies being the student’s responsibility to share with the session
tutor(s).
PASS Schedule
At the beginning of each semester, course coordinators will use the number of students
enrolled in their courses to determine how many PASS tutors may be needed for the
semester. There may need to be multiple tutors for some courses.
Timetabling of the sessions will be determined by the Academic Coordinator for the
diploma. They will use the timetable set up for their diploma to determine appropriate
times to schedule two PASS sessions per week based on the current timetable. One session
will be timetabled for during the day and one in the evening to enable those who work or
are in a different time zone to take advantage of the service. An additional time is set in
reserve in case of increased need – around assignment time or exam time for example.
Because of the fullness of the timetable each semester, this will usually be scheduled on an
evening.
It is possible that the PASS sessions offered could include hands-on study help, perhaps set
up in conjunction with the Tertiary Skills Development.
Pass Tutors
As previously mentioned, PASS tutors are either current or past students who have excellent
study skills and understanding of the specific course. Some tutors are able to take sessions
for multiple courses across the diplomas. In fact, some past students who have graduated
from UniSA have registered interest in providing further assistance of an evening now they
have entered the workforce.
It is foreseen that tutors would be able to submit their interest either for each semester or
even each year. In putting forward this expression of interest, they provide:
• their name, email address and at least one contact phone number – mobile and/or
landline
• past or current ABC College ID to enable a unique identifier for each PASS tutor
• current address if different to the address currently in the system
• current studying status
o ABC College, UniSA, other institution or not currently studying / working
o Stage of study or year of graduation if no longer studying
• a selection of courses they can assist with identified from the courses scheduled for
the semester / year accompanied by a number representing the level of preference
• their availability recorded on notes associated with the person.
o days
o times
o face to face / Zoom / both
Staff verify the details of these students and determine their suitability to assist with their
elected courses. Some tutors may give more than one course a “1” level of preference. By
law, students also need to have a police check and current “Working with children”
certification as some students at ABC College are minors. Once verified as a suitable tutor,
the status associated with them is updated from “Expressed Interest” to “Awaiting
Allocation”.
PASS Scheduling
It is proposed that the scheduling of PASS sessions be completed at the same time as
scheduling of courses / timetabling. Discipline leads for each of the diplomas are asked to
match the courses offered in the PASS schedule to appropriate tutors. They are asked to
include a comment to explain their selection. They then schedule the PASS sessions for
their courses. It is preferred that one session occurs on the same day as the class(es)
offered for the course so students can attend the sessions with theory fresh in their minds.
Tutors are then contacted to ensure they are available to offer their assistance at these
times. Once they accept, they are associated with the specific session(s) and their status is
updated to “Allocated”.
On Monday of week two each semester, the PASS schedule is made available to students
with the sessions starting at the beginning of week three. By this time, many students will
have identified areas where they are struggling.
PASS Bookings
Bookings can be made or cancelled up to one hour before a PASS session. Students can
select to book sessions for one or more courses and for multiple weeks at one time.
PASS Registration
When they first book, their Student ID is used to link their PASS bookings to their student
record. This is to avoid duplication of student details. However, additional information
identified as necessary for storage on the PASS system specific to the student includes:
• their preferred name
• an optional alternative contact method, for example WhatsApp or Facebook user
details
• authorisation / request to communicate with the course coordinator or learning
support about their progress
Once these details are entered, the student then selects the courses with which they need
assistance. For each course, they enter a short description of the difficulties they are facing.
Within this description, the student may identify how many times they have studied the
course.
Booking PASS Sessions
To create a booking, the student selects the course they want from the list of available
courses in which the student is enrolled. The system will then display the schedule of PASS
sessions for this course. The student then selects the date / time combination of the session
they want to attend. To make this more efficient, students have identified that it may be
useful to book a block of sessions for the same course to ensure they have continued
support. The system will show them a calendar showing the selected dates and ask the
student to confirm their choices or change their selections. Once the student confirms their
choices, the system asks if they want to book sessions for any other courses. The student
can repeat the process for other courses they are having trouble with. When they select
“Done” the system shows the compiled calendar and asks if they want to add the
appointments to their ABC College calendar. If the student selects “yes”, the system
downloads an “ics” file which, when the student opens, updates their calendar in Outlook
for their ABC college account. They can also select to save the information or have the list
of sessions emailed to them as a reminder.
Lecturers and course coordinators, reflecting on progressive student performance, may
request a student to enlist in a PASS, however they cannot insist they do so. A “referral”
system may be set up to enable communication between the course coordinator or learning
advisor to the PASS tutors for a specific group of courses to provide assistance to students
who have been struggling with the transition to tertiary studies.
PASS Attendance
PASS tutors will record who attends each session, cross referencing student bookings and
adding additional details of “drop ins” when they occur. Students may attend a session
without a booking, but the tutor will ensure those who have booked are attended to before
moving on to the drop-in students. If the session time expires before these students have
had answers to their questions, they will be encouraged to email the questions to the tutor
and to book a subsequent time for the next PASS.
PASS System Access
PASS tutors need to have access to the course websites to be able to see readings,
assessment requirements and weekly task details to ensure they are providing the correct
help to students. With permission from the student, they may commence communication
to the course coordinator related to the individual’s progress or the need for additional
detail in areas where many students are reporting the same issues with understanding a
concept. There are questions about how this communication may be facilitated – by email,
through teaching staff accessing tutor comments in the PASS system, message generation
via chat or discussion board specific to the staff within the PASS system have been some
suggestions thus far.
Management and course coordinators want to view several reports from, and related to,
the PASS system. Reports would include:
• the use of the system
• variations to grades related to students attending PASS, especially if they are
repeating a course
• compilation of PASS tutor comments based on individual student performance
• attendance at sessions for each course
Appendix 2 — Additional Material
The assignment focuses on two aspects of the system: a student facing aspect and a PASS
Tutor facing aspect.
Students
• You need to determine the context where the system is used.
• These aspects will require further research beyond the provided scenario in order to
have a realistic UX and design.
• You may propose the device or medium that the UX takes for the student facing
component.
PASS Tutor
• You can presume that a PASS Tutor has access to a desktop computer and web
browser.