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Running head: REQUIREMENTS AND MODELING 1

Project3: Requirements and Modeling

Team B

Maimoona Al Abri, Tracey Alcendor Robinson, Aaron Black, Vera Gilbert,

Hossein Kord, & Kari Padilla

EDIT 732

Fall 2016

REGUIREMENTS AND MODELING 2

Concept Statement

The Enrollment Central Application (EC App) is intended to serve as a user-friendly mobile

application supporting and facilitating a number of enrollment-related processes at George

Mason University. The primary features of this mobile platform concept include a searchable

Enrollment Central process guide, mapping capabilities and the presence of a forms repository.

This application will provide pertinent information and guidance related to accomplishing

specific tasks relevant to the offices of Transfers/Admissions, Financial Aid, Student Accounts

and Registrars. The EC App will appear as a module within the existing Mobile Mason

applications suite.

Project Background

Client Information

Enrollment Central Mission: Mason Enrollment Central (EC) provides comprehensive,

coordinated, and efficient enrollment services delivery (and related financial) to prospective and

enrolling students.

Locations & Hours: Currently, EC has two locations. The main campus location can be found

on the ground floor of the Student Union Building I (SUB I) building with an office that faces

the hallway. A second location began operations in 2015, at the Prince William campus. Regular

office hours for both locations are from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. There are

currently only three staff members servicing both locations. Although staff members rotate site

assignments, two staff members operate the Fairfax campus together, while the third staff

member operates the Prince William campus.

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Staff Members: There are currently three EC staff members. The design team decided to

interview all three of them at various times. Their names, job title, and site coverage are as

follows:

Todd Diamond: Enrollment Central staff, responsible for manning the EC desk and helping

students with their enrollment-related issues. He has been with EC since the beginning in 2003.

He spends four days a week at the Fairfax campus and goes to Prince William campus one day a

week.

Chris Reed: Enrollment Central staff, responsible for manning the EC desk and helping students

with their enrollment-related issues. He has been with EC since the beginning in 2003. He is the

main EC contact person and remains at the Fairfax campus location only.

Geetie Ansari: Enrollment Central staff, responsible for manning the EC desk and helping

students with their enrollment-related issues. She has been with EC since mid 2014. She is the

main EC staff member at the Prince William campus and comes to Fairfax campus one day a

week.

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Current Practices

Current and future students are referred to EC by various offices around both campuses for

enrollment-related tasks. Anything involving student admissions, transfers, financial aid, or the

adding and dropping of classes could trigger a referral to EC. The staff members are also

expected to assist any students with various tasks unrelated to enrollment. Students can also seek

assistance by calling or emailing EC to obtain guidance or answers to their questions. There are

approximately fifty enrollment-related processes that can prompt students to visit EC for help.

These processes are explained on various websites, but most students do not know where to find

them. EC staff members know exactly what to do and where to find these forms.

Unfortunately, resources such as an employee manual, handbook, or new employee job aid do

not exist. When a new staff member is hired, training is accomplished by shadowing other EC

staff members for several weeks. During this time, the new employee learns how to both assess

student needs and execute these processes.

The EC staff typically assists an average of fifty students a day. The first and last two weeks of

each semester are the busiest times of the year for EC. There is also a great deal of foot traffic

during the period of time in between semesters. Staff can be observed at the counter assisting up

to thirty students in an hour. A ticketing system called Q-Nomy was purchased three years ago to

assist with the management of this period of high volume (http://www.qnomy.com/). Here are a

few pictures of the Q-Nomy ticketing system in action:

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INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN MODEL/FRAMEWORK

Human computer interaction (HCI) is the heart of instructional design. The three paradigms are

identified with HCI include cognitivism, human factor, and phenomenology.

● Cognition has many connections to the design for a quality user experience. Cognition

studying human behavior in the natural setting to understand the everyday activities. It

focuses on conceptualizing the learner’s learning processes in terms of how they receive,

process and retrieve the information they received from the environment. In cognition,

knowledge acquisition is an internal mental process and the learner is an active

participant. By understanding how people work and interact in the setting or how they

proceed certain process, the designer can create digital technologies to improve the work

or to design a learning task or a system to improving practices. Finally, The interaction is

reciprocal and the design process is iterative which goes through systematic methods of

understanding the real needs.

● Human factors based on the modeling of the information and requirements to touch user

senses, access, and understanding of how they can execute desired tasks.

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● Phenomenology is the method of observing users in a natural setting and evaluating how

the product becomes a personally meaningful part of users’ life.

Connections to Instructional Design Models / Strategies

The EC App will align with the Performance Support (PS) learning strategy. This instructional

approach provides information, and access to information, at the moment it is needed.

Performance Support can be categorized through the following points:

● End-user support embedded within the user’s workflow

● Contextual to the user by process, roles, and circumstances as they relate to Enrollment

Central

● Tools which deliver necessary information at the moment of need

● Electronic Job Aids

● Fingertip Knowledge (eg. search feature, forms repository)

● Rapid Authoring Systems from Subject Matter Experts

Through this approach, the EC Application will provide end users with the necessary

information, at the moment of need, which is required for them to complete Enrollment Central

related tasks, processes or goals.

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Project Scope

Design Requirement Statement

The following requirement statements have been drafted based on several user needs which have

been identified by the use of the Work Affinity Diagram (WAAD) developed in Trello.com by

the design team.

1. Requirement category: Knowledge management

1.1 Users can access forms from a central repository.

Rationale: Empowering users with the ability to obtain and manage key forms is a key one of

the most logical and necessary features of the multipurpose application. This feature closely

aligns with the tasks that are performed at Enrollment Central.

Note: When surveyed, 100% of users* admitted that this was important to them. WAAD notes

A-2, A-18, A-23, B-3, C-5, C-8, D-1.

1.2 Users can submit forms to the proper department.

Rationale: Five departments are served via Enrollment Central. Upon completion, these forms

are checked by the staff and either collected by Enrollment Central (depending on the process) or

students are provided with directions of where they should be taken. This would be a

tremendous aid to the efficiency of processes.

Note: When surveyed, 100% of users* admitted that form delivery to designated office location

was highly desired. WAAD notes A-2, A-18, A-23, B-3, C-5, C-8, D-1.

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1.3 Users can access FAQ’s about processes to alleviate unnecessary trips/calls/emails to

EC.

Rationale: Another beneficial requirement of the multipurpose mobile application, is in the

access to FAQ’s regarding processes. Users typically have the assistance of Enrollment Central

staff members but, will be further empowered by the ability to access the steps involved in the

accomplishing processes that they typically seek assistance from others with.

Note: FAQ’s are currently accessible in certain areas online. However, the majority of users are

not aware of where and how to do this. WAAD notes A-3, A-6, A-7, A-12, A-17, B-3, and C-6.

2. Requirement category: Performance support

2.1 Users can map out their process needs on the navigational feature.

Rationale: The design team initially presented this need as their original design problem. Upon

further investigation, it was discovered that the need for a navigational feature was parallel to the

need to have the ability to complete processes. They go hand-in-hand. Remember, when

Enrollment Central staff members give instructions for process management, they are often

provided with a map pointing to additional locations.

Note: 100% of surveyed users* indicated a strong desire to have a detailed, effective,

navigational map feature. WAAD Notes A-8, A-16, C-7, and D-2.

2.2 Users can save and then print their completed forms.

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Rationale: Form management is another value-added benefit of the multipurpose mobile

application because having physical forms is a key need in the processes. A number of tasks are

performed by George Mason offices manually. Users can either save documentation or print it to

be taken to the associated offices.

Note: When surveyed, 100% students* expressed a desire to be able to access forms. WAAD

notes A-2, A-18, A-23, B-3, C-5, C-8, and D-1.

3. Requirement category: Communication

3.1 The EC App will be advertised on the Enrollment Central website.

Rationale: A current issue with previous available George Mason applications, is the lack of

knowledge regarding them. A number of students and staff have reported that they never knew

that three mobile applications geared toward student use existed. It is apparent that in order to be

an effective tool, appropriate marketing and advertising of this mobile application is essential.

This especially means advertising on a campus wide effort to all classifications. It needs to be

one of the primary tools marketed to new students and existing students online and in

orientations.

Note: The design team consists of a number of students who have seen little, if any

advertisement of mobile applications on George Mason University and have a number of ideas as

to how advertising needs to be approached. About 90% of launching efforts need to go to

spreading the word about this multipurpose application. WAAD note A-4, A-21.

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3.2 Users can chat easily with EC staff using this app.

Rationale: Enrollment Central staff members provide daily, assistance to users at Enrollment

Central. Students and staff members discuss personal issues in an open area. Communication as

at the heart of the service that they provide. A key problem lies with the inability of students to

ask personalized questions regarding the many processes which exist. On-demand assistance via

the chat feature of the mobile application would filter a great amount of the confusion which

often accompanies process completion. Users can match their questions with the other available

application features to create a user experience that is private, personal and efficient.

Note: 100% of surveyed users* expressed the strong desire for on-demand assistance. WAAD

notes A-15, A-16, D-4.

3.3 Users can send emails quickly and easily to EC staff.

Rationale: There seems to be a sense of ‘untouchable access’ when it comes to a number of the

George Mason offices. Enrollment Central is valuable because it bridges that gap. Some

students have been emailing and phoning Enrollment Centeral as an optional manner of

contacting staff members with questions. We anticipate that the availability of FAQs in the

application will lessen the need for a great deal of communication even in the busiest of times.

Users appear to value the efficiency and time saving that independence provides. Should they

still have questions, the option to contact staff directly via email is available.

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Note: 100% of users* appreciate the ability to email Enrollment Central according to the survey.

WAAD notes A-15, A-16, D-4.

4. Requirement category: Accessibility

4.1 The Enrollment Central multipurpose mobile Application will be available as a

module within the existing Mobile Mason suite.

Rationale: Proper advertisement of the Mobile Mason suite will promote its use and this feature

needs to be part of the option. Thehas noticed missed opportunities for advertisement and

accessibility. The application needs to be provided online as well as directly to potential students,

visiting students, new students, all other students and helpers and their parents. All of the

corresponding five offices as well strategic advertising will make the application more visible for

use.

Note: WAAD note C-9, D-2

5. Requirement category: Responsive design

5.1 Users can zoom in on any building to see what offices / stores / departments are

inside it.

Rationale: A pervasive problem is the lack of detailed information in the navigational

application. In short, this ineffective design does not provide users with details on offices, stores

and departments. The proposed application will function in a similar manner to the detailed

paper map which is often handed to students.

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Note: 100% of users* have indicated the desire to have an application with a map which is

descriptive. WAAD notes A-8, A-16, C-7, D-2.

5.2 Users can complete and then review their forms.

Rationale: An important part of the majority of processes includes form completion. Enrollment

Central staff members often assist students in the review of these forms for accuracy. The ability

to complete and review their forms for errors works well with the chat component. It is another

area which solidifies a positive, emotional user experience.

Note: Proper form completion can have a strong emotional impact. If students can complete their

processes correctly, then the successful completion of tasks will follow. The stress levels of

users will be minimized. WAAD notes A-2, A-18, A-23, B-3, C-5, C-8, D-1.

5.3 Users can search common activities (transfer credits, add/drop class, etc.) and find

key information to start process.

Rationale: When students first approach Enrollment Central, their interaction begins with the

student’s explanations of their needs. This is followed by the staff member’s communication of

their commonly used protocols. Of course this depends on the process that the student needs to

complete. Having the option for students to digitally select the desired process from the mobile

application is at the core of user needs.

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Note: 100% of surveyed users* indicated that they require the ability to select processes for

completion. Based on their selection, the navigational component will adjust. Furthermore, the

necessary forms will become accessible and directions will appear.

WAAD notes C-4.

* table1: represents the survey results:

Requirements Extraction Process

The design team compiled their work activity notes or (WAN) from their completed

interviews and surveys. The work activity affinity diagram (WAAD) resulted from this. The

team grouped the information under several sections. Common themes and topics emerged as

primary areas of focus leading to the extraction of the current extractions.

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Design Informing Models

User Models

User Role: Multipurpose Mobile Application users

This role includes anyone interested in using the mobile application to complete processes and

tasks relative to the Enrollment Central duties.

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Sub roles: Anyone interested in locating buildings, offices, forms, processes and information

relative to all of these:

● Students (all classifications and statuses)-New students and existing students are

included in this role. They tend to become regular patrons of Enrollment Central during

the busiest times of the student calendar. They will download the application and access

the processes regularly.

○ Graduate

■ Degreed

■ Non-degreed

○ Undergraduate

○ Visiting Scholars/Professors

● Student Helpers-Special needs students are an integral part of the George Mason

community and benefit greatly from the assistance which it provides.

● Parents-The parents of all of the student and student helper groups frequently interact

with all five of the servicing offices. Access to the processes and map will assist them in

efficiently completing many tasks on behalf of their student.

● Visitors-George Mason receives a multitude of visitors from all over the world.

Exchange students and visitors from sister campuses are often in need of assistance from

those five offices. Assistance will be at their fingertips before they even arrive at campus.

They can use the application to complete many processes from afar.

● Enrollment Central Staff Members-Staff members will need to become users of the

application for familiarity purposes. In order to provide the best level of customer

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service, they might use this form. In order to provide excellent assistance when chatting

online, they will need to become knowledgeable with how the application works.

● Enrollment Management Employees-Nearly two-hundred employees from this group

of users are expected to use this application in a manner consistent with forms

management.

○ Financial Aid Employees-About forty employees assist with the financial aid

process. They receive documentation on a regular basis as part of the financial aid

process.

○ Registrars-The management of transcripts, grades and other activities associated

with the registration of courses and credit acquisition are performed by this group

of users.

○ Student Advising-This broad area includes student advising on a number of

levels. Some examples include academic, mental health, student retention and

drug and alcohol use.

○ Transfer/Admissions-Students with existing credits from other schools are

processed through this office.

○ Student Accounts-Financial payments and the management of financial balances

are managed through this office.

● Faculty-Some forms require faculty signatures. As a result of this, it should be noted that

they will have to sign a number of forms. Electronic signatures will be possible with this

application.

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Table2: User Class

User Role: Characteristics:

Student Background: Undergraduate or graduate students who may or

may not be familiar with where things are and how things are

done at Mason.

Experience: Inexperienced or experienced students who may

have never used EC or may have used EC many times in the

past.

Knowledge & Skills: May be or may not be familiar with how

to use a computer or an app to search for what they need.

Student Helper Background: Many students come to EC desk with a helper

person. They may have language issues or some kind of

accessibility issue. These helpers help students with various

tasks.

Experience: Helpers may have little to no experience with EC

processes.

Knowledge & Skills: Helpers may or may not have any

knowledge or skills for completing the process they need to do

for their student.

Parent Background: Many students come to EC desk with one or more

parents. They may have language issues or some kind of

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accessibility issue. These parents help students with various

tasks.

Experience: Parents may have little to no experience with EC

processes.

Knowledge & Skills: Parents may or may not have any

knowledge or skills for completing the process they need to do

for their student.

Visitor Background: Visitors may or may not have any background

knowledge about Mason. They may not know where they need

to go or what they need to do.

Experience: Visitors may or may not have any previous

experience with Mason and how things are done at Mason.

Knowledge & Skills: Visitors may or may not have any need

knowledge or skills to do what they need to do at Mason.

EC Staff Member Background: EC staff members have been at Mason for over 10

years and have worked at various offices around the campus. All

EC staff members are currently master level students themselves.

Experience: Two of EC staff members have over 13 years of

experience at their current position. The third member, Geeti, has

about 3 years of experience as EC staff.

Knowledge & Skills: All EC staff members are very

knowledgeable about how things are done at Mason. Their

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knowledge is not limited to just enrollment related processes.

They know about all offices around the campus and what each

office does. They all have all the skills needed to perform their

daily duties.

Enrollment

Management (EM)

Employees

Background: EM employees have various backgrounds. Some

have been at Mason for over 20 years and some are part time

students.

Experience: EM employees have various level of experience.

Some of them are familiar with everything that is done in their

department and others are part time students going through their

trainings.

Knowledge & Skills: EM employees come with various levels

of knowledge and skills. Most of them are tech savvy enough to

accomplish their tasks.

Faculty Background: Mason faculty may have various background.

They may be very experienced in their field and have been a

faculty at a major university or they may be a new hire, fresh out

of school. Due to the physical location of Mason being so close

to Washington DC, it is common to see professors who are or

have been involved with federal government.

Experience: Mason faculty may have various levels of

experience. They may be a seasoned faculty with over 30 years

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of experience or they may be a graduate student hired as an

adjunct faculty.

Knowledge & Skills: Faculty in general are very knowledgeable

in their field, but that does not mean that they possess skills in

other fields. As an example an experienced professor may not be

familiar with how various apps work on his phone.

SOCIAL MODEL

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Emotional Model: Students

● Confusion: Does not know what to do and how to even start a process.

● Lost: Does not know where to go.

● Stressed: Lack of parking spaces and time limitation on available spaces causes a feeling

of stress and urgency.

● Frustration: Many students have experienced what is known as “Mason Shuffle”, which

students are sent from one office to the next only to realize they need to go to another

office.

● Anger: Many students become angry when they experience any difficulty with what they

need to accomplish.

● Mislead: Many students feel they were misled about various processes at Mason.

Emotional Model: EC Staff

● Unappreciated: EC staff feel unappreciated at times when they see enough recognition

from upper management. For years one of enrollment management directors was trying

to dissolve EC because she thought EC is not needed.

● Stressed: At times EC staff deals with unhappy, frustrated, even angry students. These

interactions takes an emotional toll of EC staff members.

This social model was selected by the design team because it encompasses the motivations

behind the usage of a multipurpose mobile application. Underneath an umbrella of needs, seems

to exist a host of frustrations, attitudes and frustrations regarding so many manual processes. The

existing relationship and need for seamless collaborations between the five key offices and

Enrollment Central is paramount. However, this need for efficient process management is one

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that must not continue to frustrate users or Enrollment Central staff members due to the lack of

available, shared knowledge at George Mason University.

Initial Concept Relative to Social Model

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Usage Models

Flow Model

Flow Model 1: Re-evaluation appeal

Current process of the Re-evaluation appeal, based on the observed process

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Proposed design for the Re-evaluation appeal

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Flow Model 2: Missing credits

Current process of the Missing credits return, based on the observed process:

Proposed design for the Missing credits return

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Model 3: Registrar Usage Scenario

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Model4: Admissions Usage Scenario

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Model 5: The Mason Shuffle

The “Mason Shuffle” is a term used to describe a student who is wandering aimlessly about

campus from one building/office/department to the next in the attempt to complete some process

or task related to Admissions/Transfers, Student Accounts, Registrar or Financial aid. Students

are sometimes misdirected by well-intentioned staff and too often end up alone in the wilderness

without food or water and only luck or coincidence as a source of hope.

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Task Structure Models

Task Structure Models: Hierarchical Task Inventory

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Task Interaction Model

The Task Interaction Model illustrates the benefit of the Mason App as an additional student aid,

which enhances the user experience and contributes to the student awareness of different

resources available to the students at GMU. Based on the following observed and documented

student request for paperwork assistance:

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Table3: The team modeled the following task interaction between a student and an EC member:

Student's request The EC member's response

Information inquiry (e.g., application

status)

The student G# or a photo ID

Request for details Shows the student G# and explains its

function (in those cases when the request

is made based on a photo ID)

Shows on the screen of the EC computer

where to look for a confirmation of the

receipt of the course by course evaluation

Points out that the e-transcript from

another college is absent on the EC screen

Gives an example of what an e-transcript

would look like

Advises to request another college to

resend the e-transcript once again

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Intent to visit the EC again Welcomes the student’s desire and asks

whether the student is willing to view the

Mason App as an additional aid for a

student

Demonstrates the Mason App and

provides guidance on its application

Assists the student in search and download

of the App

Out- of- State transfer student frustration

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Enrollment Central Functionalities

The Multipurpose mobile application in action: Task Interaction Model - Proposed New EC App

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Working Environment Model

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Barriers Summary

Table 4: The barriers identified in the various models are summarized in the table below:

Barrier Explanation

Limited Staff Availability There are only 1-2 staff members

available at a time. This can present issues

in the case of lunches or absences.

Physical Location Students must physically visit Enrollment

Central

Limited Parking Space There are approximately only 10 parking

spaces available. They are frequently

occupied.

Controlled or Limited access to student

information

Limited Access to Financial Aid, Student

Accounts and certain sensitive files

Restricted Office Access Transfer/Admissions has controlled access

limited to employees only

Student Awareness Issues Students are not aware that they have to

start processes at Enrollment Central.

Poor Signage for Building People do not know where to find

Enrollment Central because the building is

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not marked properly.

The “Mason Shuffle” Students find themselves in a web of

directional confusion trying to complete

the tasks associated with complete

processes. Students are misdirected for a

lack of knowledge.

Enrollment Central Staff Member

Dissatisfaction

Enrollment Central has been

underappreciated due to a lack of

recognition.

Q-NOMY Ticketing Software

Inefficient

The ticketing software is not functioning

as intended upon implementation.

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References

Hartson, R. & Pyla, P. (2012). The ux book: Process and guidelines for ensuring a quality user

experience. Waltham, MA: Morgan Kaufmann.

Xin, C. H. (2014, May 13). Performance support: More than just training. elearning Industry.

Retrieved from:

https://elearningindustry.com/performance-support-more-than-just-training

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ttps://elearningindustry.com/performance-support-more-than-just-t

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