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Browsing by Author "Andruchow, Robert"

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
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    The content audit: who should conduct it?
    (2019) Sperano, Isabelle; Andruchow, Robert
    A content audit is an assessment method widely used in content strategy to identify, describe, quantify, and evaluate the content quality of a website or of a larger information space. The use of content audits has grown in the last several years, mainly due to the increasing complexity of digital information ecosystems (websites, social media, wearables, etc.). To this day, very little research has been conducted on this method. However, the content audit is widely described and discussed in a large body of literature, mostly written by content strategy, information architecture (IA), and user experience (UX) professionals. These publications can constitute a rich ground for initiating a more formalized reflection about this method. This realization led us to a further examination of a corpus of 200 publications (books, Web pages, blog articles, journal articles) about content audits. These results are part of a larger study about content audits that aimed to present an in-depth examination of them as a digital information assessment method. Many dimensions of the method were analyzed (audit definitions and types, audit activities, audit criteria, etc.).
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    Creative, interdisciplinary undergraduate research: an educational cell biology video game designed by students for students
    (2020) Sperano, Isabelle; Shaw, Ross; Andruchow, Robert; Cobzas, Dana; Efird, Cory; Brookwell, Brian; Deng, William
    In a three-year, practice-based, creative research project, the team designed a video game for undergraduate biology students that aimed to find the right balance between educational content and entertainment. The project involved 7 faculty members and 14 undergraduate students from biological science, design, computer science, and music. This nontraditional approach to research was attractive to students. Working on an interdisciplinary practice-based research project required strategies related to timeline, recruitment, funding, team management, and mentoring. Although this project was time-consuming and full of challenges, it created meaningful learning experiences not only for students but also for faculty members.
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    Exploring new usages of journey maps: introducing the pedagogical and the project planning journey maps
    (2019) Sperano, Isabelle; Roberge, Jacynthe; Bénech, Pierre; Trgalova, Jana; Andruchow, Robert
    Journey maps are graphical and textual representations that intend to outline an experience over time with a product, a system or a service (Kalbach 2016). In this article, we first describe how this visualization tool is used in interaction design. Secondly, through two case studies, we describe two innovative ways of using this tool. In the first case study, we present the pedagogical journey map, a journey mapping approach meant to be used by teachers as a collaborative design tool to support the creation of pedagogical activities. In the second case study, we introduce the project planning journey map, used as both a prospective and retrospective project planning tool to help student designers plan and reflect on their design process. This paper is meant to support the use of the journey map as a prospective design method by academics and practitioners (from fields such as interaction design, user experience design, prospective ergonomics, education, and engineering) addressing issues related to the design of innovative products and services.
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    Interaction design and educational video games: motivating undergraduate students to explore new territories
    (2019) Sperano, Isabelle; Andruchow, Robert; Shaw, Ross
    Can interaction design students design a game that is educational and fun to play? In which areas could undergraduate interaction design students be involved when designing an educational video game? What unique learning experiences could be acquired by designing an educational video game? What are some challenges for the integration of educational game design in design education? To answer these questions, we partnered with a Biological Sciences professor interested in developing a video game for undergraduate biology students. We thought this could be both an interesting interaction design problem to tackle and an engaging pedagogical experiment. To do so, we hired undergraduate interaction design and computing science students to work with us on the concept and then on the development of a video game prototype.
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    Life on the edge: supporting students’ learning of cell biology
    (2023) Sperano, Isabelle; Byrne, Liam; Bong, Ji Yae; Shaw, Ross; Andruchow, Robert
    The video game "Life on the Edge" is an educational game that aims to instruct and engage undergraduate biology students on the intricacies of cell biology. Developed by a collaborative team comprising researchers and students from biology, design, computer science, educational technology, and music at MacEwan and Concordia University, the game aims to provide an interactive and visually stimulating environment to help undergraduate biology students learn and understand cell biology concepts effectively. The development process is also complemented by research to evaluate the game’s effectiveness in enhancing students' game-based learning experiences. In this session, participants will be afforded the opportunity to engage with the game and provide feedback to the game's creators on new game features currently under development.
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    Research recast(ed): Following up with Dr. Isabelle Sperano and Robert Andruchow
    (2022) Ekelund, Brittany; Cave, Dylan; Sperano, Isabelle; Andruchow, Robert
    Today we recap episode 2 with Dr. Isabelle Sperano and Robert Andruchow, where we catch up on the educational video game, Life on the Edge, and follow up on how things have been going with the City of Edmonton. You can learn more about the design program at Macewan.ca/dxd. You can get a refresher on this project by listening to episode 2 of Research Recast(ed).
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    Research recast(ed): S1E2 - A conversation with Dr. Isabelle Sperano and Robert Andruchow
    (2021-09) Ekelund, Brittany; Cave, Dylan; Sperano, Isabelle; Andruchow, Robert
    Today we learn about a video game that predicted COVID-19, how acting techniques can build a better digital experience, and how empathy is everything when it comes to design. Joining us in the studio are Dr. Isabelle Sperano, an Assistant professor of Digital Experience Design at MacEwan University, and Robert Andruchow, Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor for MacEwan’s Design Studies program. The two have previously worked together on Life on the Edge, a biology video game in partnership with Ross Shaw, which will launch this fall. Currently, they are teamed up with the City of Edmonton on a new project, Digital Experience Design in large Organizations and Digital Transformation, mapping the City’s digital ecosystem.
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    User experience and digital government: exploring a practice-based participatory approach to identify research opportunities
    (2022) Sperano, Isabelle; Andruchow, Robert; Petryshyn, Luca; Chu, Vik
    In this case study, the research team (RT) explores user experience design in relation to digital practices adopted by governments. The goal of this first phase was to identify research opportunities. To do so, the RT adopted a practice-centered participatory research approach (Holkup, 2004). The RT began a partnership with a municipal government (City of Edmonton). Regular meetings were held with the partner organization to discuss—among other things—the organization’s structure, current and future projects, the digital editorial strategies implemented by the organization, and the organization's issues and constraints when designing digital services. This allowed the teams to identify not only interesting research questions but also potential teaching collaborations related to work-integrated learning. In this paper, the practice-based participatory research approach is explained, the timeline and the outcome of the partnership are presented, and the lessons learned through that process are shared.
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    User testing for serious game design: improving the player experience
    (2022) Shaw, Ross; Sperano, Isabelle; Andruchow, Robert; Cobzas, Dana
    This case study reflects on our use of user testing during a research project in which we designed a serious video game, “Life on the Edge.” The target audience of the game is first-year post-secondary biology students. As we designed the game, user testing was a critical component that allowed us to identify issues. Any issues that interfere with the flow or enjoyment of a video game can be distracting to players. In what follows, we will describe the research design and discuss the processes for testing a serious video game that will allow you to identify game issues successfully. How you recruit participants, test players, and prioritize player feedback is a component of effective user testing and improving your game. With user testing, we were able to identify problems in the game, prioritize them, and address them. By using variable user testing methods, you can adapt to the changing needs of your game project and develop a successful serious video game.