Findings
Our learner studies, consisting of three individuals in their mid-twenties, resulted in the following answers to our questions:
Answers to Questions:
1. What do users sense they have learned after using VizAbility for the first time?
Conclusion: small changes detected
All users expressed little change in their visual thinking skills after using VizAbililty for the first time. Only small changes were evident in the users' self-assessment form.
Evidence:
Interestingly, the one category of positive change from the data received of user #1 was in the area he enjoyed the most. He thought this area was the most "fun", though not directly applicable to his job. [move clip]
User #2 indicated no change in any of the areas of visual thinking specified on the form.
User #3 rated positive change in areas of visual thinking that she did not explicitly cover in the software, which might suggest that she perceived herself to be able to transferred some of the skills she learned to new areas of visual thinking.[movie clip]
2. How receptive are individuals in corporate America to the ideas of visual thinking?
Conclusion: very receptive to importance of visual thinking
All three users gave support and praise to visual thinking related skills. They all felt that having the ability to visually represent an idea or concept was an important trait that allowed them to execute their jobs effectively.
Evidence:
User #2 said in her interview, "The drawing negative space section was really neat. I think it would be a good technique to use for drawing more abstractly. In the process of drawing negative space, you actually end up seeing other images rather than just drawing what you see. It helps you to become more creative."
User #3 talks about the importance of visual thinking in her interview. [movie clip]
3. How applicable are the skills/lessons/scenarios taught by Vizability to their personal and professional life?Conclusion: not very applicable
All users felt that the content used by VizAbility was not directly applicable to their jobs and situations.
Evidence:
User #1 spoke aloud during his session and said, "I spend hours a day trying to come up with some slide to visually display business concepts. There's a kind of a 'war chest' of representations that become convention in business. If they went through that 'war chest' or those conventions it would help-ways to represent cash flow for instance-everyone else knows those conventions too." He went on in his interview to say that if the context had been changed he would have found the software much more interesting. [movie clip] He later went on to say in his interview that if the content was more applicable he would have been able to learn more from the software. [move clip]
User #3 has similar sentiments in her interview when she talks about how the scenarios presented in VizAbility didn't relate directly to her work. [movie clip]