The usability lab of The Hague University (“Haagse Hogeschool”) is mainly used for teaching purposes in Communication & Multimedia Design and other informatics courses. The lab exists of a portable and stationary part. The portable part offers the possibility to do the tests on site, while the stationary part allows students to observe users in a controlled environment.

Students evaluate the usability of software applications and websites. During a session the user is observed while completing a number of predefined tasks. The user is asked to “think aloud”, i.e. speak out intentions, confusion, doubt, excitement, frustration, etc. The video camera films the overview of the user and the computer screen is recorded with the Screen Capture Module. The behavior of the user is logged ‘live’ and afterwards in more detail from video with The Observer Video-Pro. Test reports contain event logs and sometimes video highlights are included.

Also various other observational techniques are applied in these tests, based on the educational setting. Due to the one-way screen, even groups can be observed in the lab.  

 

 

The observation room. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The test room. 

Haagse Hogeschool
Department of Communication & Multimedia Design
P.O. Box 19070
2500 CB The Hague
The Netherlands
URL: www.haagsehogeschool.nl/English/