Date: 2/22/2023

To: Bo Bramer, Head of Content Creation

From: Andrew Schmitt

Subject: Dimensional Analysis Instructions Usability Test

This is being written to you to discuss the results of the usability test of the instructions titled,
“How to Perform Basic Dimensional Analysis,” and recommendations that will help improve the
effectiveness of said instructions. The reason I am sending you the results is to improve these
sets of instructions based on usability to make sure they are as effective as possible. To test the
instructions, we used a specific set of questions of finding specific units of a substance using
dimensional analysis, with each subsequent question being more difficult than the last, to see the
strengths and weaknesses of the instructions.

The instructions included short, descriptive steps, along with examples of dimensional analysis
as a template to what the user should be doing. This memo will explain the summary of the test,
what the instructions did and did not do well, and recommendations.

Summary
The usability test of the instructions lasted approximately 45 minutes, where the test participant
answered four open-ended questions of ascending difficulty. Each question was provided with
the necessary “context” required to complete the problem (e.g., the molar mass of a specific
substance), as the instructions did not include how to find molar mass, only how to set up and
accomplish dimensional analysis. The only problem that the participant answered incorrectly was
the last question, as the introduction of Avogadro’s number confused the participant. The
participant showed a good deal of confusion when first introduced to the instructions; however,
the participant was able to understand the process and could solve the problems. The
participant’s responses to the follow-up questions were mostly positive, stating that most of the
instructions and examples were clear.
Instructions Effectiveness
After the usability test, the participant gave both written and verbal feedback about how effective
the instructions were. Her feedback is the main premise of the instruction’s strengths and
instruction’s weaknesses.

Instructions Strengths
The main strength of the instructions were the various examples that each step had. When
conducting the usability test, the participant seemed to reference the examples more than the
instructions themselves. The participant also said that, although short, the steps were clear and
useful. The examples that the participant seemed to reference the most were the examples that
specifically showed the setup of the equations. For example, the participant said aloud that the
steps she used the most were steps 2 and 3.

Instructions Weaknesses
While the steps of the instructions themselves were short and clear, the participant said that the
steps could’ve also explained more than they already did, as she wanted the steps to explain in
more detail. Although it would make each step slightly longer, the user would then be able to
reference both the steps themselves and the examples provided. The participant also said that a
conversion table of units (e.g., liters to milliliters) and/or a small explanation of molar mass
would greatly benefit the usability of the instructions. As a mock-up, I would create a small table
which shows common conversion factors – while most won’t be used during a live test, they
would be useful to know regardless. When writing the usability test, I’d incorrectly assumed that
the participant would be able to easily convert between SI units without the need of external
help. However, whether this is a fault of the usability test or a fault of the set of instructions is up
for debate.

Overall Effectiveness
Although there are obvious shortcomings of the instructions, I believe they were, overall,
successful. The inclusion of examples seemed to greatly boost the effectiveness of the
instructions, and should be included with future instructions similar to the one referenced here.
However, they should not be a substitute for actual steps.
Conclusion
Overall, based on the data of the usability test and the verbal and written feedback which the
participant gave, the set of instructions overall are effective in guiding users on how to do basic
dimensional analysis. Based on the usability test, the instructions are most effective when
supported by examples which relate to the step, although the steps themselves could be better.
Although the usability test increased in difficulty with each problem, the participant was able to
complete them in a reasonable time using the instructions, and gave feedback which premises the
instruction’s shortcomings and strengths. Although improvements are to be made, the
instructions are strong overall.

Recommendations
The inclusion of examples related to a specific step should still be included in future sets of
instructions, as they seem to be one of the main strengths of instructions. However, the steps
themselves should be revised to be more specific while maintaining conciseness and clearness.
While the examples were helpful, they should not be a replacement to actual specific steps.
Another suggestion that should be included is the inclusion of common unit conversions within
the instructions, as they are technical dimensional analysis as well. However, if the examples
were to change to include more than just grams and molar mass, then a unit conversion table
should be added.

To reiterate:

 Keep examples related to specific steps.

 The steps should be more concise and clear.
 Potential inclusion of common unit conversion.