In the beginning...
The design of ClassChat began with examinations of both the existing dataset and the data's relationship to the classroom. Online chat is a complex, human-centered process; drawing out these complexities and applying them to the classroom was an exciting challenge. We utilized existing data visualization tools such as Spotfire and Tableau to thoroughly examine the data drawn from the chat logs of the SIMS IRC channel. We designed an initial prototype, and conducted limited user testing with faculty and teaching assistants.
The big picture
Our plans for the design of the visualization tool are:
- Utilize user centered design process to assess the needs of educators and students.
(began Fall 2005, see user study results for details) - Develop an initial prototype tool.
(began Fall 2005, see initial screenshot) - Refine the visual design and UI components.
(ongoing development, see the link to the current prototype below) - Perform user evaluation, preferably in a real classroom setting.
- Iterate on the prototype, as time permits
The prototype
View our current prototype here. Bear in mind that this our development environment and it is under ongoing development - "under construction".
Design Goals and Concepts
Goal
Rationale
Metrics
Pseudocode and Prototype
Collaboration
Enable knowledge sharing
Resources
URLsView
Topical Summary
What are students talking about?
Semantic analysis
Word frequency analyzerView
Participations Trends
Who is participating and how often?
Display number of lines each student contributes to the discussion
View
Social Dynamics
Analysis of social networking trends among classmates
Which students are at center of discussions?
Who has interacted with whom and how frequently?View
Scaffolding
Help students learn through structural support from TA, Professors, or other interactions
Coming soon...
Coming soon...