Click-n-Go
Research Writing Prototype Interface
ITEC 4130 HCI Final Paper: Fall 2012
Samuel Hutchins & Franklin Anosike
Abstract
Click-n-GO is a research writing prototype interface. It is a simple and inexpensive
prototype designed to aid college students for academic online writing and research work.
This user interface features some scholarly websites such as EBSCO host, Google
scholar, Jstor, and other online writing tutorial tailored to create awareness among college
freshmen who are approaching online writing with difficulties. A prototype is required to
meet specific standards to maximize effectiveness of the techniques required to build it
and to minimize cost. This user interface allows user input and provides responses. The
prototype should then be tested for functionality, accuracy, and reliability. The number of
testers is crucial for data analysis. A minimum number of 10 testers should be okay to
reduce cost. However, testing this prototype does not involve risks, compensation, or the
payment of benefits. Testing may take the form of interviews, questionnaires, and filling
of pre and post survey forms, videos etc. As a class room environment project, this
prototype interface should benefit IT students and college instructors who will use this
prototype as a model for teaching and learning purposes.
Introduction
The research writing prototype interface known as Click-n-GO attempts to create
awareness and the advancement of online research writing. College students face research
papers with anxiety, fear, and confusion. The reason is because most students are
unfamiliar with research writing formats and therefore inexperienced to handle online
research writing. To help students overcome these obstacles, we decided to build a
prototype interface that connects students to online writing web sites and tutorials.
To accomplish this task, we introduced a graphical user interface that responds to real
time situation. The following are software used to build the Prototype:
 Adobe Photoshop: This software provided the art for designing the initial colorful
low fidelity prototype, with icons specification, shapes and image outlines, and
nice colors for beautification of this interface.
 Microsoft power point: For a high fidelity prototype, this software provided the
technology that impacts real time responses to user inputs.
It also enables the functionality of web links for intended web sites, pdf. files, and
Microsoft power point illustrations.
 Microsoft words. This software produced 3D images, design background styles,
and data creation tools for testing the prototype.
 Let’s take a look at the images of these tools in the next page.
Adobe Photoshop
Microsoft PowerPoint
& Microsoft Words Software
Signing the consent form was the first step to conducting a prototype testing. Our
subjects signed the consent form as volunteers to test the prototype in a research study.
They agreed to take part in a research study titled “Click-n-Go” for a research writing
prototype interface being conducted by Samuel Hutchins and Franklin Anosike - IT
students of Georgia Gwinnett College. Our subjects also Understood that they do not have to
take part in this study; can stop taking part at any time without giving any reason, and
without penalty for any reason. There was no compensation or extra-credit for participants.
There was no immediate gratification to volunteers; however, this project will create a long
time benefit for our student who will be using Click-n-Go for online research writing. We
also informed our subjects that there were no risks involved in the process, and finally, all
information concerning them was kept confidential.
The testing plan
After successfully building our prototype, it was tested for functionality, efficiency, and
reliability. Testing was done on campus by 2 GGC faculty members and 8 students
totaling 10 testers as a whole. All test were conducted using Laptop computers.
We collected data from interviews and manually filling out pre and post survey forms.
List of Tasks for the Testers:
1. Click to open the application
2. Survey the prototype interface and notice the text clickable icons.
3. Can you find face book and twitter web sites on this interface?
4. Can you find Merriam Webster’s Dictionary Icon on the interface?
5. Can you link Jstor web site on this interface using the pass word?
Error Task:
1. You intended to link the web stars online dictionary, but unfortunately, you clicked
Google icon to link unintended website; How do you recover from it?
2. After you connected to a web site, how do you get back to the interface?
Lessons learned
The testers loved the prototype interface.
The performance of the tested prototype was 100% accurate.
The test proved that 90% confirmed they would use it.
The test also showed that 80% of the subjects would recommend the prototype to others.
The test showed 10% Less of navigation difficulties.
Challenges or surprises: We were initially challenged to think of the project we were
going to research on; however, we overcame it and succeeded in what we did. Surprise!
Future Work: We are thinking of a project that will help autistic children succeed.