Learner and instructor pilot record¶
Use a private copy for each volunteer. This is a blank protocol, not a completed pilot. Do not publish names, device identifiers, credentials, grades or raw logs.
Common record¶
- Participant role: novice learner or replacement instructor; no public identity.
- Date, exact commit, Ubuntu/Python/PostgreSQL versions and permitted access route.
- Starting preparation and accessibility needs, recorded only with permission.
- Start/end times, active work versus download/wait time, outcome and assistance.
- Each obstacle: page/step, expected action, observation, intervention, time lost, severity, proposed correction and retest result.
Novice route¶
Follow Student Start Here and Labs 1–3 without an initial live walkthrough. Record time to setup, first successful check and independent explanation. Ask the learner to find the submission requirements, distinguish a PASS from completion, and show which account controls which boundary. Provide help when needed; record it rather than withholding support to preserve a "clean" result.
Replacement-instructor route¶
Prepare one session from Instructor Start Here, diagnose a safe prepared failure, and assess the fictional capstone paragraph using the rubric. Record preparation time, missing context, discrepancies in interpretation and assessment rationale.
Private observation worksheet¶
Copy these fields into a private document for each pilot. Use a participant code, not a name. Participation and recording should follow institutional requirements; collect only information needed to improve the materials.
- Pilot type and exact repository revision:
- Selected lab/session and starting experience:
- Environment and access route (no device identifiers):
- Task attempted and page/step:
- What the participant expected:
- What they did or observed:
- Assistance requested and supplied:
- What they explained independently afterward:
- Outcome: completed independently / completed with help / stopped:
- Finding: blocking / workaround available / improvement:
- Proposed correction, owner and retest result:
For the novice, record whether they can find the next step and submission route, and distinguish technical success from the explanation they must submit. For the replacement instructor, record whether they can prepare a session, explain an expected denial, recover from a safe prepared failure, and justify feedback using the existing rubric. Use a disposable environment for failure rehearsal; do not introduce failures into a participant's only working checkout.
Workload record¶
Use one copy of this table per lab or session, with one row per activity category. Minutes are approximate, not a speed assessment. Record active work under only one category. Put download or other waiting time in the matching row’s Wait minutes column; exclude it from active minutes. Record breaks separately below the table. Leave unknown values blank rather than entering zero.
| Activity / phase | Active minutes | Wait minutes | Help or obstacle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup (record separately from lab work) | |||
| Guided practical work | |||
| Independent investigation or edits | |||
| Reading and interpretation | |||
| Writing and packaging evidence | |||
| Troubleshooting and recovery |
Lab/session identifier: _. Break minutes (excluded from work totals): _. For an instructor pilot, add rows for session preparation, failure rehearsal and submission calibration as needed; do not also count those minutes in another row.
Record unfinished work and assistance alongside totals. Keep lab time estimates as planning estimates until learner observations support a revision. When updating them, report the number of participants, their preparation, completion status and range of observed times; do not generalize a small pilot to every learner. Keep individual records private and publish only appropriately anonymized summaries.
Exit and follow-up¶
Classify each finding as blocking, workaround available or improvement. Retest blocking corrections with the participant when possible. Summarize only anonymous, consented observations in release notes. A documented workaround must be usable by a new learner. Two successful pilots provide initial usability evidence, not proof that every learner or institution will have the same experience.
Author: Isaac K. Nti.