SkillClouds

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SkillClouds
SkillClouds
Design challenges and techniques
A brief overview of the project
Next steps
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Why was it necessary?

• We dont say were learning this skill .. we
  say were writing an essay
• They put it in our course documents .. but I
  dont think anyone ever reads that because they
  all say the same thing
• They all seem to see it just as a formality
• Its hard to think of yourself in terms of your
  skills .. I dont know - like Im friendly, and
  I can write an essay ..

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Bridging the skills information gap
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Bridging the skills information gap
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Bridging the skills information gap
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SkillClouds interaction design

• Do students use tag clouds or search box on a
  search task?
• 116 students in a search experiment based on
  Yell.com
• 65 used tag cloud on all 3 trials
• 89 used tag cloud at least once
• General consensus for using tag cloud - its
  easier
• A-Z ?
• View as a list?

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SkillClouds information architecture
What information do students need on skills? How
should it be structured to make sense to them?
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User needs
Interaction design
wireframing
Information Architecture
card sorting
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How we interact
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The ideal interaction
How would you like someone providing a service to
you to be ?
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Human Computer Interaction design
Build, then test with users and refine.
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Human Computer Interaction design
Let the users design their own system
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User needs
Interaction design
wireframing
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Wireframes
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Search
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Wireframes
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User needs
Information Architecture
card sorting
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Information Architecture
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Cardsorting
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Argos
http//icanhaz.com/skill_sort
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Skillclouds cardsort
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User needs
Interaction design
wireframing
Information Architecture
card sorting
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Getting you started
"understanding why they (skills) are good to
have "I'd like to know what a skill is, and do
i even have any?" ?"Understanding what exactly
is a skill - it's the start of your development"
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Your skills
"I'd like to review my degree skills, and see
what skills i have "Would help with a
confidence thing.... just to show people what
they are getting in their degree and how it's
useful"
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Information you need
"oooH - not a separate screen but small window -
which I think is good so you don't have to click
back and you can enlarge it if you like"? "Makes
it more visible, starts as a window rather than
another window, which makes it easier "it's
quite nice, you still have the homepage, and this
is a window so you don't get too lost."
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Content style
Separated, clear information "About self
awareness Varied suggestive examples Clear
bullet points "When you get application forms
and they say 'Give us an example of how you
demonstrated this skill' - and you kind of think
'I have NO idea! I'm sure I can do this job but
..'
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Personalisation
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Next steps
SkillClouds for academic advisors
Completing JISC deliverables
Relevance for other projects
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SkillClouds
SkillClouds
http//www.sussex.ac.uk/skillclouds