Ten Audience Analysis Exercises - EFL Classroom 2.0

available (and where is it missing)? Is the program ADA-compliant*? Write a
paper that analyzes the computer designer's vision of the users with attention not
only to who the designer is thinking of but also to the users that the designer
leaves out.
**ADA-compliant means compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
You can find information on ADA compliance with a simple Internet search, but
at its most basic it means that a piece of software can be used by someone who
visually impaired or hearing impaired. Think about the way that the program is
used--if the only indication of something is a change in color, will someone who
is color blind understand? if the only indication of an error is that the computer
beeps, will a hearing-impaired user know what is going on? Consider such issues
as you examine your software.
7. Examine a program that claims to show a realistic vision of its topic (or a vision
based on reality). Consider a simulation program such as SimCity or Microsoft
Flight Simulator; or take a look at the way that people, places, and events are
portrayed in the Carmen SanDiego series. Think about the way that humans are
portrayed in medical education software like Adam. Choose a particular program
and analyze the way that the designers think about their topic--just how realistic is
their vision? what is included and what is left out? What can you tell about the
designers biases? How does the designer's vision affect the value of the program?
[Based on an assignment described by Anne Wysocki of Michigan Technological
University, at the Computers and Writing Conference in Gainesville, Florida.]
8. Examine a program designed to help you complete a task such as write a paper,
draw a picture, or calculate data in a spreadsheet. You might choose any program
in Microsoft Office, PhotoShop, Word Perfect, Illustrator, Freehand, or Quicken.
Take a close look at the program that you've chosen--what does it do? what
abilities does it leave out? Once you've thought about the program and the things
that it does, analyze the designer's vision of the task that the program is meant to
help the user complete. How does Microsoft define 'writing' if you consider
Microsoft Word as a writing tool? How does Adobe define 'art' if you base their
definition on what you see in PhotoShop? What do the designers think is
important, and what do they leave out? Look at the activities that the program
supports, the ease of using the tool, and the way that the features are named. Your
paper should analyze the task that the tool supports and the ways that it supports it.
9. Take a critical look at something that most people never consider--Look at the
fonts that are available on a computer that you have access to. You'll see font such
as Arial, Courier, Monaco, Chicago, Schoolbook, Wingding, Verdana, and
Colonna. Create a system of classification that makes sense of the naming