President's Report - FY10 Q4
Accessibility and Usability is seeing a transition from straight project reviews to early engagement and more involved consultative and educational work. Consulting projects have increased, both in numbers and scope to include involvement throughout the lifecycle of a project, from discovery through implementation.
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- Kuali Coeus: OSP/Kuali invited and funded the travel of 2 usability consultants to attend a day-long research study at the University of Maryland. The study will directly impact the future UI and hopefully increase adoption of Kuali Coeus in 2011.
- RAFT (Reporting and Forecasting Tool): Usability remains integrally involved in RAFT, participating in steering committee meetings, focus groups, and initial design / workflow reviews.
- IS&T Communication Team: Accessibility actively consulted with IS&T Communication on accessible social networking components and bringing the IS&T website up to accessibility compliance standards.
- External Outreach: Accessibility staff conducted an accessibility best practices presentation for the Boston Educational Technology Group at WGBH. Teaching and IT professionals from 11 local colleges and universities attended.
- ATIC (Adaptive Technology) customer support expanded to include participants with disabilities enrolled at summer research programs RSI (Research Science Institute) and Saxelab (Social Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory).
- Fall Readiness: ATIC began reviewing its readiness to handle an announced increase in undergraduate students requiring alternative media to access their course materials. Exploring new service to create DAISY electronic books.
- AUX Issues and Trends
FY10 Q3
- ATIC hosted Adaptive Technology Open House on January 27, 2010, demonstrating technologies for persons with disabilities to 35 attendees who represented 10 different MIT DLCs.
- Collaborated with Terrascope Radio faculty to designate and successfully implement an alternative accessible sound editing software as part of the course curriculum. (Sony SoundForge was selected as the accessible alternative to Adobe Audition).
- Started development of Accessible PDF Curriculum to provide guidelines and training in creating PDF files that are accessible to users with disabilities.
- Engaged MIT Home Page Redesign to implement accessibility recommendations which positively impacted users with disabilities on campus.
- RAFT2 engagement of usability consulting resulted in an acceptance of more end user requests: e.g., a decision was reversed to include a feature set that could drastically improve efficiencies of PI's to manage their own finances.
- IAP Redesign Project early engagement of usability: 4 initial interviews discovered 3 unique means by which departments prepare, enter, and manage IAP offerings. This will serve as the basis to our recommendations as the IAP office considers doing an incremental improvement or an overall system rewrite to address actual usage needs.
- Implementation of IS&T web site accessibility recommendations have started.
- Accessibility/Usability combined reporting now being implemented on 90% of design reviews.
The Training Team conducted 75 training events attended by 563 members of the MIT Community. Highlights include:
RAFT Phase 1 – the project’s business sponsors deemed training a prerequisite for access to the system. An online RAFT training video augments class learning.
- Request for Payment (RFP) training delivered to pilot users responsible for acceptance testing. Implementation training scheduled for summer 2010
- Exchange rollout training to staff from VPF, Libraries, PSB, and Institute VIP staff.
- Developing curriculum for the Appointment Redesign (APR) project’s Appointment Change functionality, with training to be delivered in Q4. Also provided to training to SHASS pilot group
- Reached out to the community to understand training needs by providing a presentation to the Support Staff Working Group (SSWG) and by conducting a focus group on Web Publishing Training attended by DLC webmasters.
- Working with TAT to identify requirements – community wide and IS&T specific - for the Enterprise Learning SAP web portal
The Documentation Team updated 615 pages of documentation with the IS&T website and Hermes Knowledgebase. Highlights include
- Support for major software releases, including APR, RFP, TEM, VPN, Exchange, Xerox Printing, Adobe Keyserver, Windows 7, the updated MSCA, VMware, TSM (for Windows and Mac), and others.
- Continued implementation of information wizards that guide users to the right documentation.
- Improved the usability of the IS&T Network pages by archiving old pages, updating and clarifying current content, and implementing a knowledge wizard to streamline navigation.
- Extended authoring capabilities into IS&T areas to insure the development and publication of quality documentation for IS&T supported software releases and service updates.
FY10 Q2
Steve Winig's email to Patricia Sheppard and CSS Managers, cc: E. Aufiero and R. Smyser (dated 1/25/2010)
RE: CSS FY2010 Q2 Report Final Draft
Pat,
Thanks for the including the DLC-based training line. However, it’s not entirely accurate to say that Exchange was 22% of our training volume. What the data showed is that 22% of our training was done at the client’s on-campus location (and this is the point that we’d like to highlight). Of that 22%, a majority is Exchange, but not all. Does this make sense?
I’m off to a set of meetings, but will be back in N42 this afternoon if you want to talk.
Thanks
-Steve
_______________________________________________________
Steven Winig
Information Services and Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
617-253-4558
swinig@mit.edu
From: Patricia Sheppard pshepp@MIT.EDU
Sent: Friday, January 22, 2010 5:38 PM
To: css-managers@mit.edu
Cc: Elaine Elizabeth Aufiero; Robert W Smyser
Subject: CSS FY2010 Q2 Report Final Draft
For review. Let me know if you have any additional feedback by Tuesday. I would like to send to David by the end of day.
Thanks!
–
Patricia Sheppard
Business Manager
Client Support Services
Infrastructure Software Development and Architecture
MIT Information Services & Technology
617-253-3179http://ist.mit.edu
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Steve Winig’s email to Elaine Aufiero and cc: Patricia Sheppard and css-managers@mit.edu (dated 1/7/2010)
SUBJECT: AUX 2010 Q2 Report - DRAFT
Elaine:
Here is the AUX Q2 report. We have asked Kathleen Monagle, the assistant dean of the Disabilities Services Office, to review the final Accessibility and ATIC related items to ensure that we don't inadvertently breach student confidentiality (she requested that we remove or rephrase one item from the earlier draft). So, there may be some additional updates tomorrow...
Application User Experience (AUX) Q2 Accomplishments:
• Continuing our focus to seamlessly integrate into the IS&T service delivery process, AUX remained engaged in the early engagement pilots -- including, but not limited to, MIT Business Intelligence (MITBI/RAFT), the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (a collaboration with OSP), Next Generation Learning Management Systems, and the Appointment Process Redesign. The results of these pilots have begun to quantifiably demonstrate the value of early engagement from traditional usability measures to improved planning frameworks.
• Implemented Google Analytics on the IS&T website to allow for the analysis and subsequent improvement of one of IS&T’s primary communication channels
• To further the goal of helping individuals find relevant information in a faster and more efficient manner, we gathered requirements from the Service Desk and users across MIT to introduce the newest information search wizard, focused on certificates.
• In support of MIT’s energy initiative, IS&T retired print newsletters and brochures in FY2009. Since this was a major source of marketing for the training organization, the team completed the development of a more comprehensive marketing and communications strategy focused on emails and web based communications.
• Delivered rich training and documentation in support of new Windows 7 and Microsoft Office releases, in addition to updating documentation related to the Microsoft Campus Agreement.
• Supported the Exchange Email & Calendaring roll-out through the delivery of 25 training events and the publication of 80 pages of on-line policy, educational, and procedural documentation.
Key Goals for Q3 (e.g., items outside of our ongoing operational responsibilities):
• Partner with the Office of the President to develop and implement a process to ensure future Institute wide publications (e.g., Task Force Report) are accessible to the entire MIT population
• Partner with IS&T’s Mobile Devices team to create and publish the accessible features for MIT recommended Mobile Devices
• Analyze data on Institute usage of the information search wizards
• Enhance and market the online class catalog by introducing the new training topic pages and providing self-paced learning tools
• Early engagement with IS&T Communications on the creation of the IS&T News Page to ensure adequate usability, accessibility, and educational materials
• Requested to co-lead an initiative to define a framework (aka menu of options) for Institute certifications. Partnering with RACC to leverage our framework to develop and implement a certification program around Sponsored Research Administration.
Depending on how we write the introductory section, some of the accomplishments could be lumped into a more generic CSS or IS&T set of successes (e.g., rollout of Windows 7, Exchange rollout, etc).
Please let me know if you have any questions
Thanks
-Steve
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
FY10 Q1
From: Steven R Winig <swinig@MIT.EDU>
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:25:28 -0400
To: "css-managers@mit.edu" <css-managers@mit.edu>
Subject: AUX Q1 Report Redux
In an attempt to shorten the AUX section (though it still may be a little long), I kept coming back to a general question:
- Does it make sense to represent operational metrics (e.g., # of training classes, # of accessibility reviews, cost per training hour, etc.) in the supporting metrics and leave the textual section for items that require explanation? One risk of this approach is that some areas will feel underrepresented in the report (but perhaps they will have to learn to live with that - maybe it will lead to further innovation!)...
Interested to hear others opinions...
-Steve
====================-=
Application User Experience (AUX)
In an effort to seamlessly integrate into the IS&T service delivery process, AUX participated in a number of early engagement pilots – including, but not limited to, MIT Business Intelligence (MITBI/RAFT), the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Next Generation Learning Management Systems, and the Appointment Process Redesign. These pilots, in collaboration with both IS&T and the community, are producing metrics to begin quantifiably measuring the value of early engagement.
Additionally, the team has spent some time redefining our core services. In some scenarios, this has led to an expansion of our services (e.g., the usability team is now performing reviews on documentation). In other scenarios, this has led to a refinement of our services (e.g., pushing out authoring on IS&T’s new website to non-publications personnel).
CSS has improved access to information by unveiling the new IS&T website with the Communication Team and introducing the concept of information search wizards (e.g., Email Configuration and Exchange calendaring) to help individuals find relevant information in a faster and more efficient manner.
In support of MIT’s energy initiative, IS&T retired print newsletters and brochures in FY2009. Since this was a major source of marketing for the training organization, the team is in the process of developing a more comprehensive marketing and communications strategy.
I THINK THE FOLLOWING OPERATIONAL INFORMATION SHOULD BE REPRESENTED IN OUR METRICS
In this quarter, the Training Team led 89 classes and had over 450 participants.
With the return of the student community, Accessibility and Usability Services saw an 8% increase in Accessibility Reviews and over 190% increase in Usability Services. The ATIC Lab ( Adaptive Technology Information Center) saw an increase of 15% in student users, a 62% increase in Adaptive Technology Requests, and over 330% increase in Alternate Media Requests (production of alternative formats of standard/inaccessible course materials for MIT students).
______________________________________________________________________________________
From: Mary J Ziegler <maryz@MIT.EDU>
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2009 15:53:13 -0400
To: Patricia Sheppard <pshepp@mit.edu>
Cc: Steven R Winig <swinig@mit.edu>
Subject: FY10Q1 Accessibility and Usability Team Metrics
Hi Pat,
Steve asked me to forward the attached Q1 metrics for my team to you.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Mary
-------
Mary J. Ziegler, Team Leader
IS&T Accessibility and Usability
MIT ATIC Lab, Room 7-143
617-258-9328
Here is the document that was attached to this email:
https://wikis.mit.edu/confluence/download/attachments/58241442/Accessibility+Usability+FY10Q1+Report.docx
_____________________________________________________________________________________
From: Steven R Winig <swinig@MIT.EDU>
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 16:06:34 -0400
To: Patricia Sheppard <pshepp@mit.edu>
Cc: CSS Managers <css-managers@mit.edu>, Mark A Wiklund <mwiklund@mit.edu>, Mary J Ziegler <maryz@mit.edu>
Subject: Application User Experience Q1 Report Text
Pat,
Here is the AUX Q1 2010 summary text. We envision that we’ll also include the historical metrics that Rob has collected (unless we find issues with their validity). Upon reading the report, we realized that we didn’t talk about our Q2 plans. We could either omit, add a separate futures paragraph, or add a sentence at the end of each existing paragraph that highlights our plans moving forward.
Please let us know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.
Thanks and have a great evening
-Steve
============
During the first quarter of 2010, in addition to standard operations activities (e.g., providing training courses, adaptive technology services, usability and accessibility reviews, and general publication services), the Application User Experience group was focused on:
• Further integrating into IS&T service delivery process,
• Redefining our core services, and
• Analyzing and improving our metrics
In an effort to seamlessly integrate into the IS&T service delivery process by becoming part of the project team, AUX participated in a number of early engagement pilots – including, but not limited to, MIT Business Intelligence (MITBI/RAFT), the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Next Generation Learning Management Systems, and the Appointment Process Redesign. These pilots, in collaboration with both IS&T and the community, are producing metrics to begin quantifiably measuring the value of early engagement.
Additionally, the team has spent some time redefining our core services. In some scenarios, this has led to an expansion of our services (e.g., the usability team is now performing reviews on documentation). In other scenarios, this has led to a refinement of our services (e.g., pushing out authoring on IS&T’s new website to non-publications personnel).
We have improved access to information by unveiling the new IS&T website and introducing the concept of information search wizards to help individuals find relevant information in a faster and more efficient manner. Today, there are two wizards in production, one for email configuration and one for Exchange calendaring.
In support of the energy initiative, IS&T retired print newsletters and brochures in 2008. Since this was a major source of marketing for our training organization, we are in the process of developing a more comprehensive marketing and communications strategy. The new strategy will leverage not only the tradition avenues (e.g., email blasts, revamped websites, etc.), but also some newer ideas (e.g., ensuring all client facing personnel are aware of the training options, partnering with the IS&T roadshow, leveraging cross institutional groups such as TAT, etc.).
Finally, to tie it all together and enable continuous improvement, we are working on understanding, refining, and publishing both our unit costs and our metrics.
-Steve
_______________________________________________________
Steven Winig
Information Services and Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
617-253-4558
swinig@mit.edu <swinig@mit.edu>