Google Wave Usability HCI Testing

I have been looking for an excuse to get more into using Google Wave, but since I generally do not collaborate on most projects with other people, I have not found a good use for Google Wave.  That was true until now.  For the final project in the CSCI-685 class, I am working on testing the usability of Google Wave to collaborate on a document in real time and also asynchronously.

Google Wave (http://wave.google.com) allows multiple user collaboration on document editing (and many other tasks) in a combined real-time and also off-line mode.  The changes are tracked, recorded and can be replayed or removed by members of the wave.  For some documentation on using wave see The Complete Guide to Google Wave (http://completewaveguide.com/) by Gina Trapani.

Right now, I am working on the set of tasks for the users to try.  Here is the first list of items I am thinking of:

• Create a new wave (each participant creates one from the list below)


• Invite the other participants to the wave


• Edit the document in real-time


• Edit the document async


• Revert changes

I was thinking of creating waves with the following topics:

• Birthday party invitation


• Grocery shopping list


• Simple results report


• Application feature list

I will be working on formalizing the list and working through the process of recruiting volunteers (I need at least three or four) from my group of friends.  For the real time vs. async changes, I was planning on having the users all at the same location, but have them leave the room (or otherwise disconnect from the wave) for the async portion of the tests.