MyUOC is the new open-source online learning environment from the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) that has been designed to allow users to build their own learning environment according to their needs. Its innovative framework, based on Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI), turns MyUOC into the first truly interoperable learning platform. Indeed, MyUOC frees institutions and users from a limited set of tools or a concrete environment, providing instead a customized and "closer to the user" learning platform. This innovative open-source environment, based in standards, aims to promote and establish flexibility and interoperability in the educational community. * Caroline Copestake, Project Manager, Office of Learning Technology, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya * Alicia Valls Saez, User Centered Design, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

1. A New Solution for Creating Versatile Learning Environments: MyUOC (Learning Technology) ) Speakers: Caroline Copestake Christy Alicia Valls Senior Project Manager User Experience Designer

2. Who are we?… The Office of Learning Technologies (OLT): We are a multidisciplinary team whose mission is to create a virtual campus environment that goes beyond functionality and usability. A campus where students can enjoy their learning process, and also, contributes to their life-work balance, enriching them as students as well as people. The latest version, known as MyUOC , follows a User Centered Design (UCD) approach. This approach consists of implementing design processes in which end users influence how a design takes shape. It is both a broad philosophy and a variety of methods. There is a spectrum of ways in which users are involved in UCD and the key issue is that users are involved in the definition, design and evaluation of UOC’s applications and online environment.

3. A three piece puzzle 3 pieces with their different REQUIREMENTS

10. User centered design

11. User-centered design is used by UOC because it offers the most effective path to useful and usable products. UOCs solution to Functional aspects

12. Short definition User-centered design is a product development methodology based on actual user needs , behaviors , abilities and perceptions . Is a design philosophy and a process in which the needs, wants, and limitations of the end user of an interface or document are given extensive attention at each stage of the design process. “ The user is not like me” “ The user is not like the client” “ The user is not the boss”

13. Short definition

14. Short definition

15. What was the process we follow for MyUOC? Specify organizational and user requirements Produce design solutions Specify context of use Plan UCD process Evaluate designs against user requirements The system satisfies the requirements ISO 13407 Model (Human centred design processes for interactive systems)

16. What was the process we followed for MyUOC? The system satisfies the requirements Specify context of use Plan UCD process Specify organizational and user requirements Produce design solutions Evaluate designs against user requirements Interviews Focus groups Contextual inquiry Observation/Ethnography Surveys Log analysis Benchmarking Competitive and comparative analysis

17. Some examples of the methods we used… Competitive analysis : (also called comparative analysis or benchmarking) is the process of analyzing products which are similar to, or compete with, the product we are designing in order to generate ideas.

18. What was the process we follow for MyUOC? The system satisfies the requirements Specify context of use Plan UCD process Specify organizational and user requirements Produce design solutions Evaluate designs against user requirements User Profiles / Personas Brainstorming Scenarios Tasks analysis Flowcharts / Storyboards

19. Some examples of the methods we used… Personas : Personas are a fictional characters that represent actual groups of users and their needs, which can be a general description of person, context, or usage scenario. UOC personas: Martina Jordi

20. What was the process we follow for MyUOC? The system satisfies the requirements Specify context of use Plan UCD process Specify organizational and user requirements Produce design solutions Evaluate designs against user requirements Wireframes LoFi / HiFi Prototyping Cardsorting Participatory Design

21. Some examples of the methods we used… Wireframes : is a visual illustration of a Web page, product, site... It is meant to show all of the items that are included on a particular page, without defining the look and feel (or graphic design). It's simply meant to illustrate the features, content and links that need to appear on a page so that the design team can mock up a visual interface and the programmers understand the page features and how they are supposed to work.

22. What was the process we follow for MyUOC? The system satisfies the requirements Specify context of use Plan UCD process Specify organizational and user requirements Produce design solutions Evaluate designs against user requirements User testing Cognitive walkthrough Heuristic Evaluation

23. Some examples of the methods we used… Heuristic : is a method for finding usability problems in a user interface by reviewing it for compliance with a checklist of recognized usability principles called heuristics. It is conventionally performed by a group of trained evaluators who individually evaluate a system and then combine their results to come up with a prioritized list of problems to be fixed.

24. What was the process we follow for MyUOC? The system satisfies the requirements Specify context of use Plan UCD process Specify organizational and user requirements Produce design solutions Evaluate designs against user requirements

25. What was the process we follow for MyUOC? Specify organizational and user requirements Produce design solutions Specify context of use Plan UCD process Evaluate designs against user requirements ISO 13407 Model (Human centred design processes for interactive systems) The system satisfies the requirements

26. The system satisfies the requirements New home page; My UOC video

27. Emotional aspects

28. Emotional Aspects Motivate – engage – community

30. Emotional

33. Emotional Aspects Engaging elements

35. Emotional Aspects Engaging elements

37. Emotional Aspects Engaging elements

39. Emotional Aspects Engaging elements

41. Emotional Aspects Engaging elements

43. Technical aspects

45. e-learning tools OKI Bus Services Gateway Common LMS Technical aspects

46. MyUOC at present

48. Questions?

49. Thank you for your attention!! Learning Technologies: [email_address] Alícia Valls : [email_address] Caroline Copestake : copestake@uoc.edu Want to try MyUOC? http://www.uoc.edu/portal/english/ Username: educause Pasword: eli