Method

Three learner study sessions were conducted.

• Learner #1 is a 26 year-old CEO at a Silicon Valley internet start-up company. He has both a BS and MS in computer science.
• Learner #2 is a 24 year-old technical writer at a Silicon Valley software company. She has a degree in economics.
• Learner #3 is a 27 year-old technical writer at a Silicon Valley software company. She has a degree in French.

The methods used in our learner studies can be organized into 3 temporal categories: pre-session, session, and post-session. The following describes the purpose and motive behind each event in the study.

1. Pre-Session

• Signed consent form: All users were given a consent form which asked for permission to use video and audio data collected during and after their session in this web report which would be view by graduate students at Stanford University School of Education and the creators Bill Hill and Kristina Woolsey.
• Asked to "think aloud": All users were asked to think aloud to facilitate our note taking during the session.
• Shown accompanying text book: All users saw that a textbook existed to accompany the CD-ROM but were not instructed to use it.
• Reminded that their visual ability would not be assessed: All users were assured that their individual visual abilities would not be assessed by the researchers during or after the session. The users' interactions with VizAbility was of interest, not their ability to think visually.

2. Session

• Engaged in a one hour interactive session with VizAbility: Users were asked to interact with VizAbility for approximately one hour, but were told that they could stop at any time.
• Computer screens were video taped: For the first learner study the computer screen was video taped to capture live interaction with VizAbility in addition to notes taken by the observer. For the other learner studies, the interaction was captured only through note-taking by the observer.
• Given paper and pencils for sketching: Some of the activities in VizAbility called for sketching, so each learner was given paper and pencils to carry out such activities if they chose.
• Assistance given by researcher: If the learner requested help or seemed to be exhibiting great difficulty navigating or interacting with the software, the observing researcher would intervene and give small hints.
• Researcher engaged in collaborative game-play: A few activities in VizAbility require two users. If the user wanted to engage in such activities, the observing researcher would play the role of the second user.

3. Post-Session

• Background information survey: Each user was asked to voluntarily fill out a survey, which asked information about their age, schooling, and occupation, while keeping the users' anonymity
• Self-Assessment Learning survey: The second part of the survey contained questions related to visual thinking abilities. They rated aspects of their perceived visual abilities before and after their interaction with VizAbility on a 1-5 scale.
• Debrief Interview: The questions asked in the debriefing were tailored for the sections of the CD that the learner visited during the session. Only the questions on the list that seemed relevant to the subject's interaction with the software were asked, and in many cases additional questions were asked to probe the subject's response more deeply.