Improving Jeliot user Interface and Workflows
Project 9
Update: Jeliot was posted mid of May as an alternative for the TV Browser project which did not receive enough student applications.
Jeliot 3 is an Open Source Java Program Visualization application. Teachers and students can use the tool when learning the basics of programming in Java. Jeliot 3 visualizes how a Java program is executed and interpreted step-by-step. Method calls, variables, operation are displayed on the screen as the animation goes on, allowing a programming student to follow step by step the execution of a program.
The Project: Improving Jeliot user Interface and Workflows
Studies have shown that overall user-interface of Jeliot is hard to comprehend by a novice user. The system is not self-explanatory and requires a careful assistance from an experienced user to the beginner. Motivation of the users is not well maintained. In addition, when users work with longer programs, the Theater easily becomes crowded so that new objects do not fit to the current working space. It becomes hard for users to maintain the match between the currently animated code and the ongoing animation.
The project will perform one of the following tasks:
Task 1: User Interface Redesign
There are several options of how to redesign the workspace of Jeliot. In this task we will concentrate on alternative designs of the user interface.
- Analyze the current situation in interaction and user interface of Jeliot 3
- Propose solutions to some of the problems, e.g. by an alternative style of UI or complete alternative
- Create and Implement alternative design solutions
- Evaluate the usability of the solution
Task 2: Workflow analysis and improvement
In this task we take the current UI and focus on the interaction patterns.
- Describe interaction scenarios and workflow of users. Focus on first time and novice users.
- Analyze how user characteristics (new to computers, new to programming, new to Java, new to Jeliot, ...) may affect their interaction scenarios.
- Design scaffolding features for Jeliot that will ease adoption of the tool for new users according to the previous results.
- Implement and evaluate the prioritized features.
Task 3: Crosscultural usability issues
Jeliot is used all around the world, however, we know little about its usability from an international point of view. Some interface elements are presented using metaphors but these are often rooted in cultural practices.
- Identify possible crosscultural issues involved in interaction with Jeliot 3
- Design creative solutions that leverage the possible problems - e.g. by skinnable UI
- Evaluate the solution
The Mentors:
Your usability mentor will be Roman Bednarik from United Users, Finland. Your technical mentors will be Andres Moreno and Niko Myller from the Educational technology research group, University of Joensuu, Finland.
Student Intern:
From May till August 2008, Sharad Baliyan, student of Interaction Design, will support Jeliot usability-wise.
