Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/13
Outputs
Target Audience: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers administrators and park rangers, Corps lakes visitors, outdoor recreation researchers and students, user experience professionals Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Reports, paper and conference presentatation submissions What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Outputs (2012-2013 grant): The objective of this grant was to continue and expand our prior research on the role of mobile technologies in outdoor recreation and tourism. We focused our mobile technology research efforts on two dimensions, 1) usability of mobile devices that deliver Corps of Engineers outdoor recreation content to visitors (Tasks 1 and 2), and 2) electronic forms of public participation, focusing specifically on web-based and mobile applications that collect public comments and efficiently deliver those comments to managers and planners (Tasks 3 and 4). Task 1 involved developing a conceptual mobile prototype of the Corps Lakes Gateway for visitors based on the findings from competitive analysis, usability focus group, and online survey research done under the prior grant (Outdoor Recreation Online: Knowledge Management, Public Participation and the Internet: Continuation No. 1 – Revision, 2009-2013). Then for Task 2 we conducted a mobile usability evaluation with visitors at Nolin River Lake and Green River Lake in Kentucky. Usability refers to how easily a specific task can be accomplished with a specific tool. The final report documented the results and recommendations for revising the mobile application prototype. Task 3 built on our prior research to integrate public participation into the NRM Gateway by including functionality in the mobile prototype (described in Task 1 above) to collect public feedback from Corps lake visitors for comments for natural resource planning or management purposes, e.g., gauging public sentiment for a shoreline management plan. Task 4 involved field testing the public comment component of the mobile application with visitors at Nolin River Lake and Green River Lake in Kentucky. We also interviewed with the two park managers to gather feedback on the mobile prototype and using mobile/social media technology to gather public feedback. We completed a final report that includes the findings and recommendations for enabling Corps planners and managers to respond more effectively to community and regional development issues. Outcomes (2012-2013 grant): The popularity of mobile devices and applications has continued to explode, and the number of U.S. adults who own smartphones has increased from 35% in May of 2011 to 56% in May of 2013 (Smith, 2013)[1].Outdoor recreation participation has been increasing steadily since The Outdoor Foundation began documenting participation in 2006, with 141.9 million participants in the United States getting outdoors in 2012 and "an average of 87.4 outings per participant for a total of 12.4 billion outings overall" (Outdoor Foundation, 2013)[2]. The most popular activities included running, bicycling, fishing, camping, and hiking. With the ever-climbing popularity of mobile devices and applications and the widespread and steady interest in outdoor recreation, comes the need to provide recreation and tourism information via mobile devices. However, currently there is a lack of mobile guidelines or standards based on research, especially for applications or websites that need to provide a large amount of information to a broad audience. Since Corps visitors will increasingly use mobile and website technology to make travel decisions, such technology becomes a vital component of the overall experience that visitors expect the Corps to provide. Meeting visitor expectations for usable communications technology also supports local economic growth by delivering relevant and timely content about area events, services and businesses. This research identified usability issues with the Corps Lake Gateway mobile prototype and highlighted best practices for designing mobile user interfaces for Corps lake visitors. Usability testing of the mobile application prototype, with our observations and feedback from outdoor recreation users in the field, provided results consistent with other mobile studies, such as providing clear navigation at the bottom of the screen, minimizing scrolling, having large buttons/clickable areas, creating a ‘flat’ information hierarchy (small number of clicks needed to reach information), informative page titles and link descriptions, providing offline access to the content, and considering environmental conditions (e.g., high and low lighting) in the visual design. As for the public participation study that explored using mobile/social media technology to enhance citizen participation in public sector natural resource management, the findings (documented in the final report) indicate that it is necessary to 1) determine and make a commitment to the resources (training, time allocation, etc.) required in maintaining and updating the mobile app, website, or social media page, 2) design with the intended audience from the beginning; user experience evaluations and accessibility features are critical components of the design process, 3) provide opportunities for information sharing, dialogue and deliberation among citizens, 4) provide acknowledgment by the agency that comments were received; include how the comments will be used in the decision making process, and 5) design for small screen and accessibility from the beginning. The results offer a deeper understanding of the advantages and limitations of online public participation will enable Corps planners and managers to respond more effectively to community and regional development issues, and provide guidance for web developers to create engaging and resource efficient online public participation websites (and mobile applications) for natural resource planning or management initiatives. In summary, this research offers opportunities for the Corps to take a lead in the critical and growing areas of mobile recreation applications and electronic public participation and their role in economic development. [1] Smith, A. (2013). Smartphone Ownership – 2013 Update. Retrieved Sep 9, 2013, from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Smartphone-Ownership-2013.aspx. [2] Outdoor Foundation. (2013). Outdoor Recreation Participation Report Topline 2013. Retrieved from http://www.outdoorfoundation.org/research.participation.2013.topline.html.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Propst, D. L., and Swierenga, S. J. (2013, August 30). Democracy in Hand: Citizen Participation and the Uses of Internet and Mobile Technology in Public Sector Natural Resource Management Final Report. USDA/CSREES, Grant # 2012-39573-20165. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University, Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Swierenga, S. J., Propst, D. B., Ismirle, J., Rushlow, J., Figlan, C., and Coursaris, C. (2013, August 30). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Corps Lakes Gateway Mobile Prototype: Usability Evaluation Report. USDA/CSREES, Grant # 2012-39573-20165. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University, Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Swierenga, S. J. (2013, January 18). Corps Lakes Visitors Website Accessibility Ismirle, J., Swierenga, S. J., Propst, D. B., and Coursaris, C. K. (2014). Evaluating mobile usability using multiple methods. Submitted for paper and presentation at the Society for Technical Communication 2014 Conference, Phoenix, AZ, May 18-21, 2014.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Swierenga, S. J., Ismirle, J., Propst, D. B., and Coursaris, C. K. (2014). Multiple methods approach to mobile designs for outdoor recreation and tourism. Submitted for paper and presentation at the CHI 2014 Conference, Toronto, Canada, Apr 26-May 1, 2014.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Pierce, G. L., Swierenga, S. J., Propst, D. B., and Coursaris, C. K. (2013, January 24). Corps Lakes Visitors Mobile Application/Website: Mobile Survey Report, V1.1. USDA/CSREES, Grant # 2012-39573-20165. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University, Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting.
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