Comments on: User testing in Second Life

By: Jack

Jack — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:11:06 +0000

Regular focus groups are run in Second Life at the iAsk Center. For more info go to http://www.iAskCenter.com
Many of the comments in this article ring true for the many groups we have run. 4 or 5 participants are the most for a Second Life group. Proper moderation however can make these groups very productive. We have many clients who are amazed and enlightened by these groups.

By: Sheila Webber

Sheila Webber — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:12:38 +0000

Hi, thanks for the post (which I just came across). You can log typed chat automatically in SL, so no transcription needed! In that respect, using Voice can be more problematic (even more difficult than usual to tell who is talking because of low quality) and you have to transcribe. A mix of people using Voice (which not everyone can/wants to do) and chat is not a good idea in a focus group as it’s difficult to keep a balance - people in Voice mode forging ahead and not seeing text comments/questions etc.

I haven’t conducted focus groups, but I have facilitated discussions, and it definitely is useful to have a person dealing with the sort of practicalities you don’t have in RL (people suddenly disappearing, IMing you for teleport coordinates, newbies unsure how to perform certain movement/positioning/communication activities)

I think the investment is in learning about how to function in SL yourself, plus learning how to facilitate this kind of event - not really in the “space” issues since there are now all sorts of spaces and venues that could be used for small scale discussions.

By: Lisa Herrod

Lisa Herrod — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:18:48 +0000

hi Octal,

yes you’re right, it does support voice now. But apparently it still isn’t that great for groups of people. A bit like Skype. It’s ok for a few but once you hit 6 or more it gets a bit patchy. Also, because there were participants from both the UK and Australia, I think that reduced the audio quality as well.

By: Octal

Octal — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 11:23:50 +0000

I believe Second Life now supports voice chat. Not sure if that’s of any use but it might save the poor facilitators from having to type so fast!

By: Lisa Herrod

Lisa Herrod — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 01:18:46 +0000

Oh thanks cranial-bore, that occurred to me as I was writing it and I wasn’t sure… Corrected ;)

By: cranial-bore

cranial-bore — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 01:16:40 +0000

Online sessions took about one and a half times longer

One and a half times longer, or one and a half time as long?
The former would be two and a half times as long.

By: Andrew Boyd

Andrew Boyd — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 22:11:47 +0000

Hi Lisa,

I loved the presentation and love the concept. I wish that they’d had the cash for a larger trial .’. a more representative sample - but the concept and their presentation of it was world class.

Cheers, Andrew