This is the last post in our co-op student series. Dave Dumaresq, a Technical Analyst here at BCcampus, is also a playwright, and he has written a short dialogue illustrating his experience working with co-op students this past term:
At BCcampus, we ask our co-op students to jump into the deep end of the pool.
[Enter Gracie Messina]
With Gracie, who started a four month stint with us in January of this year, it went something like this:
Dave: Welcome, Gracie. Btw, we need to do a user study of our ApplyBC.ca web application in three weeks. We need to recruit five students that have never used it before, and come up with recommendations for a complete redesign before March.
Gracie: No problem, Dave.
Dave: Video?
Gracie: NP.
Dave: Report in Confluence?
Gracie: NP.
[Four weeks later] Voila! The ApplyBC 2012 User Test Report is born.
In Victoria, work begins on the ApplyBC re-design, and usability recommendations from the report prove to be quite useful.
[Later]
Dave: Hey Gracie, can we do heuristic evaluations of our other web apps? CoursesBC.ca? MyCreditsBC.ca?
Gracie: NP, Dave.
Dave: Accessibility?
Gracie: NP.
Dave: Report in Confluence?
Gracie: NP. … Do you want interactive mockups with that?
[Later] Voila! The CoursesBC Heuristic Report, The MyCreditsBC Heuristic Report, and The Expert Review Checkpoints with Accessibility Sheet are born.
Zoom!, four months pass and, sadly, Gracie must leave us and begin a summer term in Designing SFU Mobile, but before she goes…
Dave: Hey Gracie, can you help us find another amazing co-op student to fill your boots?
Gracie: NP, Dave.
[a flurry of interviews follow]
Voila! Patrick Clarke is hired.
Dave: Gracie, before you leave, could you show Patrick the ropes?
Gracie: NP, Dave.
[Enter Patrick Clarke]
Gracie: Welcome Patrick! Here’s a Learner Services Research Assistant Survival Kit I built for you.
[BCcampus waves a fond farewell to Gracie — read her blog post about her experience with us — and extends a warm welcome to Patrick]
[Monday Morning]
Dave: Welcome, Patrick. At 9 AM we have a major design meeting telephone/web conference with four people from Vancouver/Victoria offices. Can you take notes?
Patrick: No problem, Dave.
And so it begins again…
Posted by Dave Dumaresq