A Genetic Algorithm-Based Support Vector Machine Approach for Intelligent Usability Assessment of m-Learning Applications

Abstract

In the field of human computer interaction (HCI), the usability assessment of m-learning (mobile-learning) applications is a real challenge. Such assessment typically involves extraction of best features of an application like efficiency, effectiveness, learnability, cognition, memorability, etc., and further ranking of those features for overall assessment of the quality of the mobile application. In the previous literature, it is found that there is neither any theory nor any tool available to measure or assess a user’s perception and assessment of usability features of a m-learning application for the sake of ranking of the graphical user interface of a mobile application in terms of a user’s acceptance and satisfaction. In this paper, a novel approach is presented by performing a mobile application’s quantitative and qualitative analysis. Based on the user’s requirements and perception, a criterion is defined based on a set of important features. Afterwards, for the qualitative analysis, genetic algorithm (GA) is used to score prescribed features for usability assessment of a mobile application. The used approach assigns a score to each usability feature according to the user’s requirement and weight of each feature. GA performs the rank assessment process initially by performing feature selection and scoring the best features of the application. A comparison of assessment analysis of GA and various machine learning models, i.e., K-nearest neigbors, Naïve Bayes, and Random Forests is performed. It was found that GA-based support vector machine (SVM) provides more accuracy in the extraction of best features of a mobile application and further ranking of those features.