Scenarios of Use in Project WHIRL

In scenario-based design, developers work with end-users to describe in detail the context in which they would use the software, what they would like to be able to do with it, and what (if any) new practices or activities the introduction of the software would require. In Project WHIRL, we have developed different scenarios of use for each team. The scenarios are designed to help software developers achieve better designs that match the needs of classroom teachers and to provide teachers with an opportunity to articulate how classroom practices might function and be transformed by the introduction of handheld-supported assessment activities. Thus far, each team has produced at least 2 scenarios that are now being refined and revised.

The process works iteratively. SRI developers and assessment researchers pose questions to teachers about their practice, and teachers address questions and reflect on practice as they refine their scenarios. An illustration from the Image Makers shows how the process worked for one of our design teachers. This fifth-grade teacher was already experienced in using handheld computers with students in her science class, but had had limited professional development in formative assessment. When she began, the scenario she articulated was relatively straightforward and limited in detail:

"I'd like the students to draw the life cycle of a frog; key point is getting understanding that it's a continual cycle…I want them to be able to name the parts of the cycle, name the sequence of the cycle, and see that it's a continual cycle."

In the context of a team meeting with other design team teachers and SRI staff, she elaborated on her learning goals and described in greater detail how she would use the software in her classroom. Based on that description, the SRI researchers asked her many questions to help her refine the scenario even more. These questions reflected an interest in deepening the team's understanding of both the learning goals and the assessment activity as it might play out in the classroom.

The Image Makers used this and other scenarios to develop a list of requirements for the software and set priorities for features that would become integral to accomplishing the activities outlined in the scenarios. After these requirements were developed, teams developed prototypes for classroom testing. Some prototypes were pencil-and-paper versions of the assessment activities, while others relied on existing software to approximate the activities. Teachers are now using these prototypes in class, and the team is revising the requirements based on what is being learned in the classroom. This spring, the new software will be tested, and final revisions will be made if necessary.