Forum .LRN Q&A: Making routine inputting of data in the simple survey more user friendly.

I’ve just entered 100 questions in the simple survey and feel like I will suffer carpel tunnel syndrome to my dying day.  Here’s what I suggest would make my life easier.

1. Substitute or add functionality for simple keyboard returns for all “enter” buttons.  Make it possible for users to readily tab through fields.
2. Allow values such as “small” text to be set once so you don’t have to keep clicking radio buttons.
3. Specify how many characters dotlrn means by “small” “medium” or “large” text boxes.
4. Upon hitting submit to commit a question, have the next question open immediately, saving that extra stroke for “add new question”.
5. When the next question opens, have the cursor automatically appear in the text box.
6. Allow for more than one box for multiple gap-filling sentences.
7. Arrange the interface so it makes some sense to the uninitiated.

Before I add this to a bug report, I'm wondering if others might contribute their advice so we might collate the advice.  Thanks!

Bruce

HI Dave!  I had no idea who might be the "owner" of this portlet, so I'm simply delighted someone is looking after it!  I am looking to simply dumb, repetitive tasks for this most useful portlet.  I am also trying to learn how to describe such things in a way that will be welcome!

1.    Basically, I want to be typing text 99% of the time, hitting “return” or “tab” through controls, and NEVER having to do complicated tasks like moving the mouse.  Most questions, as I see it, come in groups where the basic settings remain the same and I want simply to be switching from Dotlrn to the prepared text in Word: I want only to cut and paste and hit “return” and go back to the copy in word.  Having to move the cursor means my hand has to leave the keyboard, I  have to squeeze the mouse and move it, and doing that 100 times repetitively is a killer.  So, the routine is: set everything up, then simply go back and forth with select, ctrl-c, alt-tab, ctrl-v, return, alt-tab: that’s all of six simple activities for each entry.  Even better, combine ctrl-v with return so I’m brought back to Word.  Even better, ctrl-c in Word switchs me back to the input box in Dotlrn, making four actions per entry.

2.    Right, set defaults once, then do #1 for a while, then maybe change defaults  and do #1 or a while.

3.    Number is precise: 36, 72, 144 characters. As we are speaking here of filling in German words for a language text, the length is one word, 2-4 words, or a couple of sentences.  “Small-Medium-Large” is relevant for buying boxer shorts: characters is more relevant to text.

4.    Glad you agree: same issue as detailed at end of #1.

5.    OK, good, let’s keep it.

6.    This is specific.  For gap-filling questions where more than one word is left out and these words are spread over sentences or paragraphs, as in: “The ___ brown fox ___ over the ___ dog.”

7.    I’m fascinated by metaphor.  I look at this interface and see a data model.  What I’d rather see (most of my users have not taken IT courses, though I think it might do them some good) is an interface be as “intuitive” as sitting in a car and somehow automatically knowing to put your hands on the steering wheel, shift with the right hand, etc..  My favorite example this week is: http://www.basecamphq.com/tour-files.php, where buttons rise up and are begging to be pushed, text fields are begging to be written in to, there is confirmation for what you are doing, and steps are as easy as 1-2-3.

MANY thanks for replying so warmly!  Whenever I suggest improvements I fear I’m criticizing someone’s baby, but you’ve made it easy for me to imagine the killer ap!

All the best,

Bruce