yorkuuserreserach

Research questions for user study:
toc

Plan:
In order to collect information from York University students, we will be conducting interviews on campus. The first step in conducting these interviews is first to form a questionnaire that will isolate some of the needs that are not being met within the campus community. From these questions we will go out in to the campus at various locations, in hopes of gaining different perspective on the York University community and invite students to take part in our interview. After completing the interview together we will assess the answers given my students and hope to find some insights into what kind of a system will be beneficial to the students.

Procedure:
In the first set of interviews we set our to ask three people to take part in our interviews after assessing the results we descided that the questions we asked did not get deeper into understanding what students like and dislike about the current university atmosphere. In order to get better results we put together a second interview with questions we had selected in hopes of gaining more insight.

__First set of questions:__

 * Where do you feel most comfortable sitting?
 * Where do you spend most of your free time on campus?
 * What do you spend your free time at York doing?
 * Where do you feel most comfortable on campus?
 * Where do you feel least comfortable on campus?
 * Is there anything about the public spaces at York that could be improved?
 * Do you commute to York? How far?
 * Is having a community setting on campus important to you?
 * How do you feel when some stranger is sitting beside you? Welcoming? awkward?
 * Are you willing to meet new people on campus? If so, in what approach you might take?
 * Are you usually by yourself or with friends on campus?

=Interview results:=

//First attempt//


 * **Questions(1st set)/ interviewee** || **interviewee #1** || **interviewee #2** || **interviewee #3** ||
 * 1. Where do you feel most comfortable sitting? || Scott Library || T.E.L Building || T.E.L Building ||
 * 2. Where do you spend most of your free time on campus? || Scott Library || T.E.L Building || T.E.L Building ||
 * 3. What do you spend your free time at York doing? || Research and readings for classes || Sleeping and studying || Sleeping, studying and meeting friends ||
 * 4. Where do you feel most comfortable on campus? || T.E.L Building || No where || No where ||
 * 5. Where do you feel least comfortable on campus? || Vari Hall, too many people || Yorklanes, too crowded || Yorklanes, too crowded, no where to sit ||
 * 6. Is there anything about the public space at York that could be improved? || Parking is too expensive for students || More study areas, private space. The library is too crowded and loud || More study areas and more seating ||
 * 7. Do you commute to York? How far? || 45 minute drive || 45 minute or 1 hour drive || 30 minute drive ||
 * 8. Is having a community setting on campus important to you? || Yes || Yes || Yes ||
 * 9. How do you feel when some stranger is sitting beside you? Welcoming? awkward? || Awkward || Ok, doesn't matter, ignoring other people, "don't bother me" || Awkward ||
 * 10. Are you willing to meet new people on campus? If so, in what approach you might take? || Not Really || Yes, meet them in school clubs or in class || Not really interested ||
 * 11. Are you usually by yourself or with friends on campus? || By myself, finish class and go home || Both, mostly be myself || With friends ||

Since the results from the 1st interview is not sufficient, the only conclude we can make here is that students usually come to York only for school and prefer personal time more than social time. One of them points out the "requirement" of the learning space such as being quite, not crowded

__Second set of questions:__

 * Do you commute to York?
 * Which building(s) do you go for your classes?
 * What do you do if you arrive early? and where ?
 * What do you do after class?where?
 * How do you feel of being at York?(alienated? welcoming?)
 * Do you feel like staying at York after class or besides school work?
 * How do you make new friends at York most of the time? (through classes? projects?)
 * How do you learn about others and their background, culture and personality (i.e. your peers)? (through school work? party?)
 * Do you prefer learning individually or collectively? why?
 * Is having a community based-learning setting important to you and your life in University?
 * Do you think York has enough facility or space for collective learning? (such as group projects..learning groups)
 * Where would you choose at York to do a group meeting? Why ? How do you feel about the seats there? What is the arrangement of the chairs ad table?(facing each other? lining up? round table?)

During free time,
 * Who would you hang out with? (alone? friends? classmates?)
 * Where do you sit?
 * What do you do?
 * Why you choose that area?
 * If a stranger come sit with you/ your friends, how do you feel? (awkward? welcoming?)


 * Where is the least comfortable place on campus? What makes you feel uncomfortable?
 * Where is the least comfortable sitting place on campus? why?
 * Where is the most comfortable place on campus? why?
 * where is the most comfortable sitting place on campus? why?

=Second interview results=

Curtis Lecture Hall || CFA, Accolade West & East || TEL, Vari Hall, CFA || SFA, Ross Building || (alienated? welcomed?) || Welcome, have friends here, I like it || I feel alright, visual arts is a smaller program, so I know people || huge school, multi-cultural, but lack of school spirit || welcoming || Rectangle seating || CFA or Scott, I didn't really pay attention to the seating there || Steacie Library, their seating are comfortable, but Sccot is too loud sometimes || Winter's college or Steacie Library, Scott library has ackward seating especially in group studying areas ||
 * **Questions(1st set)/ interviewee** || **interviewee #1** || **interviewee #2** || **interviewee #3** || **interviewee #4** ||
 * Do you commute to York? || Yes || Yes || Yes || Yes ||
 * Which building(s) do you go to for your classes || T.E.l. H.N.E.S
 * What do you do if you arrive early? Where? || Vari Hall, Studying and Reading || I don't, if I do I go to do Studio Work || Stay in the office (Atkinson Student Association, Vice-president) || Sitting outside on benches and reading ||
 * What do you do after class? Where? || Head Home || Do work either in studio (CFA) or go to Scott Library or hang out with Friends || Go back home directly || Go to my studio and do homework ||
 * How do you feel about being at York?
 * Do you feel like staying a York after class or besides school work? || Sometimes, most times I head home || Sometimes || If pub night, sure || Not really, usually go home ||
 * How do you make new friends at York most of the time? (through classes? projects?) || Through classes, I have multiple classes with people in my program || Through smaller classes and projects || Classes, talking to people randomly || Classes ||
 * How do you learn about others and their background, culture and personality (ie. your peers)? (through school? work? parties?) || By talking to them, through school || Socializing in class, doing studio work || Through talking, chilling || communication or school work ||
 * Do you prefer learning individually or collectively? why? || Collectively, you get to hear peoples input, helps with your own understanding, I like group work || Both is good || Collectively, improve learning in group works, it helps to learn how to socialize in life || collectively, it is nicer and less stressful ||
 * Is having a community based-learning setting important to you and your life in University? || Yes || Having support from peers is very important even when work is individual, begin able to get help || YES || Yes ||
 * Do you think York has enough facility or space for collective learning ( such as group projects..learning groups) || Yes, being the third largest campus, its more put together than U of T || I think so, there is a lot of space at Scott Library, but the problem is that there is not usable space for people to be able to communicate || I think York has enough space, but has not been used properly. || NO ||
 * Where would you choose at York to do a group meeting? Why? How do you feel about the seats there? What is the arrangement of chairs and tables? (facing each other? lining up? round table?) || I like Scott Library, individual rooms. I have a laptop and like to plus it in, its good for that,
 * During free time, who would you hang out with (alone? friends? classmates?) || Friends || Usually with friends or classmates || Friends || Classmates ||
 * Where do you sit? || Vari Hall or Student Centre || CFA or York Lanes or Studio || Vari Hall, Tel, Central Square || Fine Arts building Food Court ||
 * What do you do? || Studying, reading, talking with friends || Eat and do school work || Talking to friends || Eat and talk ||
 * Why do you choose this area? || It's not comfortable but it is a private space || Its close to my classes || Close to my office || close to classes and studios ||
 * If a stranger comes to sit with you/your friends, how do you feel? (awkward? welcoming?) || Awkward, maybe at first, wouldn't start conversation, but wouldn't ignore them, don't mind them being there || I feel welcoming, or just ignore || I dont care, just ignore them. || It depends though,usually i dont really mind ||

=Results:= At this point in our interview research it would seem that the York University campus is mostly precieved to be a place in transit. As most of the students attending York University compute to campus, very few of these students spend time outside of class socializing or studying on campus. All of the students we interviewed on campus enjoyed learning collectively and also felt that having a campus community was important to them. This would lead us to believe that there is a need for students to feel part of a bigger campus community, something they feel is currently lacking on campus. Another interesting part of the interviews was that when students were asked about how they felt about sitting with strangers, they all had similar answers. They revealed that they didn't mind siting with strangers, and they would be willing to interact with these new people if they were to make the first attempt at communication, this points to the possibility that York could devlop a greater community setting if this barrier could be broken down, to allow for communication.

Opportunities
To foster a community: -Increase events and activities on campus for attracting more students and encourage them spending more time on campus. Eg, collaboration within clubs on campus, local museums, or other institutions. -Provide multi-services, including job posting, free training and tutorials, etc. -Hold annual festivals, competitions, celebrations which will enrich school spirit and establish a representation of local culture. -Enhance school facilities, such as an embedded theatre, museum or community center. -Online connection of students, using messaging systems, chat rooms and etc.

To provide easy access -Intelligently build a comfortable environment for study, leisure and socialization -Ubiquitous information system by using human-computer interactive machines. Eg, Interactive campus map system which allows easy access to locations and transportation. -Provide convenient transit, which have a wide range or routes that will spread from the central destination of campus.