System Ease Of Use Research Articles

A Hybrid Soft Computing Approach for Prediction of Cloud-Based Learning Management Systems Determinants

A robust, accurate and reliable approach is essential for not only examining people’s acceptance of cloud-based learning management systems in developing nations but also for accurate prediction of factors affecting its implementation and progress. Therefore, in this study, three different soft computing models; Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), Support vector regression (SVR), and Emotional artificial neural network (EANN), were employed for predictions of factors affecting cloud-based learning management systems take-up and progress using data gotten from six Nigerian colleges. The performance of the models was assessed using five arithmetic metrics; MAPE, NSE, RMSE, rRMSE, and RM. All the proposed models forecast the effects of the study inputs on LMS with higher accuracy (NSE > 0.98). However, the SVR model outshone the other models as it increased the performance of the study-reported model by 2% and 4% respectively. Based on the study results, instructors’ quality, motivation, and resource availability were found to be the key factors that affect cloud-based learning technologies take-up and progress in the study area. Interestingly, unlike prior studies, this study found system ease of use and usefulness to have insignificant effects on LMS take-up. Finally, the practical implications and limitations of the study were discussed based on the study findings.

Investigating allied health professionals' attitudes, perceptions and acceptance of an electronic medical record using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology.

Objective This study aimed to investigate allied health professionals' (AHPs') perspectives pre- and post-implementation of an electronic medical record (EMR) in a tertiary health service in Australia and examine factors influencing user acceptance. Methods Data were collected pre- and post-EMR implementation via cross-sectional online surveys based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Usage of Technology (UTAUT). All AHPs at a large tertiary hospital were invited to complete the surveys. Data analysis included descriptive analysis, Mann-Whitney U tests for pre-post item- and construct-level comparison and content analysis of free-text responses. The theoretical model was empirically tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Results AHPs had positive attitudes toward EMR use both pre- and post-implementation. Compared to pre-implementation, AHPs felt more positive post-implementation about system ease of use and demonstrated decreased anxiety and apprehension regarding EMR use. AHPs felt they had adequate resources and knowledge to use EMR and reported real-time data accessibility as a main advantage. Disadvantages of EMR included an unfriendly user interface, system outages and decreased efficiency. Conclusions As AHPs increase EMR system familiarity, their positivity towards its use increases. An understanding of what influences AHPs when implementing new compulsory technology can inform change management strategies to improve adoption.

Penerapan Sistem Pakar Forward Chaining Dalam Menentukan Bakat Minat Siswa

Education plays a crucial role in students' development, particularly in understanding their talents and interests. SDN 037 Kota Bangun faces challenges in efficiently and accurately determining the talents and interests of its students. In this community service initiative, an expert system using the Forward Chaining method is employed to address this issue. The service methodology includes problem identification, the design of a Visual Basic-based expert system, student training, and result evaluation. The expert system utilizes identified criteria through Forward Chaining to provide recommendations for students' talents and interests. Evaluation indicates positive feedback regarding understanding and ease of system use. The results of the community service show the positive contribution of the expert system in expediting the determination of students' talents and interests. However, further development is needed to enhance the system's accuracy, especially in handling students with more than one talent. This implementation is considered a positive initial step with potential for further advancement.

Modelling distance education students’ satisfaction and continuous use intention of students’ portal: An importance-performance map analysis

Many higher educational institutions offering distance education provide their students with electronic portals to manage their academic information and activities, as well as obtain feedback from students to management for decision-making towards improvement. However, satisfaction with the use of students’ portals remains a challenge to distance education students especially in mandatory environments where students are obliged to use the portal. However, there is also a lack of empirical evidence on the effects of portal functionality and portal information display on the easiness of use of students’ portal and portal system performance leading to satisfaction, in the literature. Accordingly, this study aims to unravel the determinants of students’ satisfaction and their continuous use intentions of portal systems. In view of this, a quantitative approach based on an exploratory sequential mixed-method design was adopted. Questionnaires were used to collect the main data from 1409 students selected through a cluster sampling technique after an initial interview guide was used for focus group discussions. Data collected were analysed using both the descriptive and Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) techniques. Findings from the analysis revealed that portal functionality and portal information display were antecedents of portal ease of use: and portal system performance. Additionally, portal system ease of use, portal system functionality, portal system information display and portal system performance determined portal system use satisfaction. Furthermore, portal use satisfaction is a prelude to students’ continuous use intentions. Finally, the most important antecedent to student portal use satisfaction was portal system performance. These findings provide valuable insights for institutions seeking to enhance the performance of portal systems for their students. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for policy and practice towards the provision and management of student portals in distance education delivery.

Design and validation of a new Healthcare Systems Usability Scale (HSUS) for clinical decision support systems: a mixed-methods approach

ObjectiveTo develop and validate a questionnaire to assess the usability of clinical decision support systems (CDSS) and to assist in the early identification of usability issues that may impact patient...

Design of Education Information Platform on Education Big Data Visualization

Big data visualization in education plays an essential role in understanding and uncovering complex educational laws and is increasingly becoming an essential topic in the current research fields of educational information science and educational management. In the context of China’s new curriculum reform, research on big data in education is in the process of deepening. A series of high-tech information technologies represented by big data technology is widely used in education, thus promoting intelligent campus construction. Based on this, the researcher combed through the relevant literature and found that there is still much room for improvement in the current research on the visualization of education big data, especially the research on the design of education informatization platforms based on the visualization of education big data. This study first summarizes the current and practical use of educational visualization research and finds that big educational data generated in the educational process plays an essential role for students, teachers, and teaching administrators. Visualizing big educational data provides an optimized way for students, teachers, and teaching administrators. Therefore, this paper designs the framework design process, platform selection, related technology introduction, platform implementation, and functional analysis of the educational information platform visualized by big data and conducts system testing. Through the research of 250 customers, it is concluded that the platform satisfaction of educational information visualized by big data is 92.4%, the satisfaction of individual function is 95.6%, system ease of use is 93.2%, and the satisfaction of system compatibility is 93.6%.

Predictors of engagement with remote sensing technologies for symptom measurement in Major Depressive Disorder

BackgroundRemote sensing for the measurement and management of long-term conditions such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is becoming more prevalent. User-engagement is essential to yield any benefits. We tested three hypotheses examining associations between clinical characteristics, perceptions of remote sensing, and objective user engagement metrics. MethodsThe Remote Assessment of Disease and Relapse – Major Depressive Disorder (RADAR-MDD) study is a multicentre longitudinal observational cohort study in people with recurrent MDD. Participants wore a FitBit and completed app-based assessments every two weeks for a median of 18 months. Multivariable random effects regression models pooling data across timepoints were used to examine associations between variables. ResultsA total of 547 participants (87.8% of the total sample) were included in the current analysis. Higher levels of anxiety were associated with lower levels of perceived technology ease of use; increased functional disability was associated with small differences in perceptions of technology usefulness and usability. Participants who reported higher system ease of use, usefulness, and acceptability subsequently completed more app-based questionnaires and tended to wear their FitBit activity tracker for longer. All effect sizes were small and unlikely to be of practical significance. LimitationsSymptoms of depression, anxiety, functional disability, and perceptions of system usability are measured at the same time. These therefore represent cross-sectional associations rather than predictions of future perceptions. ConclusionsThese findings suggest that perceived usability and actual use of remote measurement technologies in people with MDD are robust across differences in severity of depression, anxiety, and functional impairment.

Mobile Application for Promoting Gluten-Free Diet Self-Management in Adolescents with Celiac Disease: Proof-of-Concept Study.

Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic disease treated by maintaining and managing a lifelong restrictive gluten-free diet. The purpose of this study was to develop a mobile application, Plan My C-Day, to promote self-management skills among youth with CD during adolescence—a time when decreased adherence often occurs—and examine its usability among adolescents with CD. Plan My C-Day contains three simulations of activities involving eating out and actions to take when preparing for these events. It was developed and pilot tested by 13 adolescents with CD. Application use and user perception data were collected and analyzed. Participants chose 160 actions within the simulations. For over 75% of participants, the time to complete the simulation decreased from the first to the third (last) simulation by an average of 50%. The average reported usability perception was 3.71 on a scale of 1 to 5, with system ease of use and ease of learning obtaining the highest scores. This study demonstrated that the Plan My C-Day mobile application’s self-management content, features, and functions operated well and that the simulations were easy to understand and complete. Further development will include the option to add self-created activities and adaptation to different languages and cultures.

Virtual Agents for Real Teachers: Applying AI to Support Professional Development of Proportional Reasoning

Despite the critical role of teachers in the educational process, few advanced learning technologies have been developed to support teacher-instruction or professional development. This lack of support is particularly acute for middle school math teachers, where only 37% felt well prepared to scaffold instruction to address the needs of diverse students in a national sample. To address this gap, the Advancing Middle School Teachers’ Understanding of Proportional Reasoning project is researching techniques to apply pedagogical virtual agents and dialog-based tutoring to enhance teachers' content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. This paper describes the design of a conversational, agent-based intelligent tutoring system to support teachers' professional development. Pedagogical strategies are presented that leverage a virtual human facilitator to tutor pedagogical content knowledge (how to teach proportions to students), as opposed to content knowledge (understanding proportions). The roles for different virtual facilitator capabilities are presented, including embedding actions into virtual agent dialog, open-response versus choice-based tutoring, ungraded pop-up sub-activities (e.g. whiteboard, calculator, note-taking). Usability feedback for a small cohort of instructors pursuing graduate studies was collected. In this feedback, teachers rated the system ease of use and perceived usefulness moderately well, but also reported confusion about what to expect from the system in terms of flow between lessons and support by the facilitator.

Factors Influencing Students’ Decision to Drop Out of Online Courses in Brazil

In recent years, e-learning has been the fastest growing educational form in students' numbers, and this industry's market revenue (Lee, Choi, &Kim, 2013). 
 
 Despite this growth, concern about the significantly higher student dropout rate of students in online courses as compared with conventional learning environments has increased. Brazil has also registered a significant increase in the number of students interested in this type of education, but the dropout rate is a considerable concern to institutions. 
 
 This study’s objective was to identify the relevant variables behind online students’ dropout decision in Brazil. After a literature review that determined the ten most recurrent and relevant variables, we heard professional e-learning experts. They indicated, from their standpoint, what the most pertinent variables influencing dropout would be. Based on this, we conducted a quantitative survey with e-learning students, considering the factors indicated in the literature on this subject and educational professionals’ indications. 
 
 This study's contribution was to verify that the quality support is extraordinarily relevant and has a high correlation with students' perception of Usefulness, the quality of Course Content, and ease of System Use.

Health Information Technology and Diabetes Management: A Review of Motivational and Inhibitory Factors

Health information technology helps patients to take better care of themselves and improves health status of patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes. This study aimed to identify factors influencing the use of health information technology in diabetes management. This was a review study conducted in 2019. To obtain the related articles, databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, Proquest, and PubMed, were searched and the time frame was between 2010 and 2018. Initially, 1159 articles were retrieved and after screening, 28 articles were selected to be included in the study. Factors influencing the use of health information technology in diabetes management could be divided into the motivational and inhibitory factors, and each of them could be categorized into five groups of organizational, technical, economic, individual, and ethical/legal factors. The motivational factors included training, system ease of use, economic support, having computer literacy, and maintaining privacy and confidentiality. The inhibitory factors included a lack of long-term planning, technical problems, inadequate financial resources, old age, and concerns over confidentiality issues. Identifying motivational and inhibitory factors can help to make better use of technology for diabetes management. This approach, in turn, can improve the acceptability of the technology and save cost, reduce long-term complications of diabetes, and improve the quality of life in diabetic patients.

Comparison of a Three-Dimensional Heads-Up Display Surgical Platform with a Standard Operating Microscope for Macular Surgery

To assess safety, efficacy, and outcomes of vitreoretinal surgery for macular pathology using a 3-dimensional heads-up display (3D HUD) surgical platform compared with a standard operating microscope (SOM). Prospective, single-center, unmasked, randomized study. Patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for epiretinal membrane (ERM) or full-thickness macular hole (MH) at Wills Eye Hospital. Patients were randomized 1:1 to undergo surgery with a 3D HUD surgical platform or SOM. Patients who had previous PPV were excluded. Surgical choices, including PPV gauge, were based on surgeon preference. Standard surgical safety parameters, Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study visual acuity (VA), minimum required endoillumination levels, operative times, and surgeon "ease of use" of the viewing platform were recorded. Patients were followed up to postoperative month 3 (POM3). The main outcome measures were total operative time, macular peel time, surgeon rating of viewing system ease of use, minimum required endoillumination, intraoperative complication rate, and postoperative VA. Thirty-nine eyes of 39 patients with a mean age of 67.60±8.21 SD years were enrolled. Indications included ERM (n = 26 [3D HUD = 14, SOM = 12]) and MH (n = 13 [3D HUD = 9, SOM = 4]). Minimum required endoillumination was significantly lower with 3D HUD (mean 22.70%±15.10% SD) compared with SOM (mean 39.06%±2.72%; P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in overall operative time, but macular peel time was significantly longer using 3D HUD (mean 14.76±4.79 minutes) than SOM (11.87±8.07 minutes; P= 0.004). Surgeon-reported ease of use was significantly higher (easier) using SOM compared with 3D HUD (P= 0.004). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in POM3 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) VA or change in logMAR VA from baseline (all P > 0.681). There were no clinically significant intraoperative complications in either group. Three-dimensional heads-up display surgical visualization is an evolving technology demonstrating comparable efficacy to the SOM for macular surgery. Although overall surgical times were similar, 3D HUD macular peel times were longer and associated with less ease of use in this study, which may partly be due to a learning curve with new technology.

Development of a Medical Tele-Management System for Post-Discharge Patients of Chronic Diseases in Resource-Constrained Settings

Medical tele-management is an emerging field of study in telemedicine that proposes an interactive and proactive disease management approach which combines tele-monitoring and tele-consultation services through an information and communications technology (ICT) supported partnership. On one hand, chronic diseases require frequent and continuous monitoring to avoid complications; on the other hand is the need for a platform where health workers in rural settlements can consult or interact with their counterparts in urban areas to reduce isolation. However, telemedicine systems exist singly either as tele-monitoring or tele-consultation systems or majorly in developed countries with dedicated and adequate ICT resources and infrastructure. This work developed a combined tele-monitoring and tele-consultation system for the management of chronic diseases within an information and communication technology resource-constrained setting. This is achieved through the development of a multi-tiered framework and model deployed to provide medical tele-management services for rural African communities. The developed system achieved reliability score, availability, uptime and downtime of 0.9, 99.65%, 99.65% and 0.21% respectively. The evaluation results of the post-implementation task revealed that response means of 4.20 and 4.22 were achieved for the system degree of relevance (SDR) and system ease of use (SEU), respectively on a rating scale of 1 to 5.

Explaining and Predicting Continuance Usage intention of E-learning Recommender Systems: An Empirical Evidence from Saudi Arabia

This paper examines the factors that may influence students' acceptance and the continuance usage intention of e-learning recommender systems in higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire was developed based on an extended technology acceptance model (TAM). A total sample of 353 university students from various universities in Saudi Arabia participated in this study. The findings of this study revealed that perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) are significant determinants of e-learning recommenders' system initial acceptance. The results also showed that the service quality, a newly added external construct, has significant impact on perceived recommender system ease of use. User experience of recommender system, the second newly added construct, was found to have a significant effect on perceived recommender system usefulness. Finally we found that students' acceptance of e-learning recommender systems positively and directly influences their continuance usage intention.

Electronic Prescribing Usability: Reduction of Mental Workload and Prescribing Errors Among Community Physicians.

Medical errors are common in hospitals, and research is always needed to find ways of reducing these. This study attempts to address three gaps in this field. First, the factors leading to the reduction of mental workload and its relationship with the reduction of prescribing errors by improving electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) usability have not been empirically examined before. Second, the past research in the field of e-prescribing usability lacks robust theoretical models. Third, there are no existing studies to examine the direct influences of user interface consistency and error prevention with the reduction of mental workload and prescribing errors. A quantitative survey method was used to collect data from 188 community physicians. The partial least squares path modeling technique was applied to analyze the data. Prescribing errors were reduced by improving the information quality, user interface consistency, system ease of use, and mental workload reduction. Mental workload is reduced by ease of use, error prevention, and consistency. No significant relationships between prescribing error reduction with error prevention and also between information quality with mental workload reduction were found. The designers of e-prescribing should improve the error prevention and consistency of the system and make it easy to use if they wish for the system to reduce users' mental workload. They should also improve the system information quality, ease of use, and consistency if they claim that their system reduces physicians' prescribing errors. The system should also reduce users' mental workload to meet this objective.

Improving performance in medical practices through the extended use of electronic medical record systems: a survey of Canadian family physicians.

BackgroundNumerous calls have been made for greater assimilation of information technology in healthcare organizations in general, and in primary care settings in particular. Considering the levels of IT investment and adoption in primary care medical practices, a deeper understanding is needed of the factors leading to greater performance outcomes from EMR systems in primary care. To address this issue, we developed and tested a research model centered on the concept of Extended EMR Use.MethodsAn online survey was conducted of 331 family physicians in Canadian private medical practices to empirically test seven research hypotheses using a component-based structural equation modeling approach.ResultsFive hypotheses were partially or fully supported by our data. Family physicians in our sample used 67% of the clinical and 41% of the communicational functionalities available in their EMR systems, compared to 90% of the administrative features. As expected, extended use was associated with significant improvements in perceived performance benefits. Interestingly, the benefits derived from system use were mainly tied to the clinical support provided by an EMR system. The extent to which physicians were using their EMR systems was influenced by two system design characteristics: functional coverage and ease of use. The more functionalities that are available in an EMR system and the easier they are to use, the greater the potential for exploration, assimilation and appropriation by family physicians.ConclusionsOur study has contributed to the extant literature by proposing a new concept: Extended EMR Use. In terms of its practical implications, our study reveals that family physicians must use as many of the capabilities supported by their EMR system as possible, especially those which support clinical tasks, if they are to maximize its performance benefits. To ensure extended use of their software, vendors must develop EMR systems that satisfy two important design characteristics: functional coverage and system ease of use.

A case study evaluation of a Critical Care Information System adoption using the socio-technical and fit approach

BackgroundClinical information systems have long been used in intensive care units but reports on their adoption and benefits are limited. This study evaluated a Critical Care Information System implementation. MethodsA case study summative evaluation was conducted, employing observation, interview, and document analysis in operating theatres and 16-bed adult intensive care units in a 400-bed Malaysian tertiary referral centre from the perspectives of users (nurses and physicians), management, and information technology staff. System implementation, factors influencing adoption, fit between these factors, and the impact of the Critical Care Information System were evaluated after eight months of operation. ResultsPositive influences on system adoption were associated with technical factors, including system ease of use, usefulness, and information relevancy; human factors, particularly user attitude; and organisational factors, namely clinical process-technology alignment and champions. Organisational factors such as planning, project management, training, technology support, turnover rate, clinical workload, and communication were barriers to system implementation and use. Recommendations to improve the current system problems were discussed. Most nursing staff positively perceived the system's reduction of documentation and data access time, giving them more time with patients. System acceptance varied among doctors. System use also had positive impacts on timesaving, data quality, and clinical workflow. ConclusionsCritical Care Information Systems is crucial and has great potentials in enhancing and delivering critical care. However, the case study findings showed that the system faced complex challenges and was underutilised despite its potential. The role of socio-technical factors and their fit in realizing the potential of Critical Care Information Systems requires continuous, in-depth evaluation and stakeholder understanding and acknowledgement. The comprehensive and specific evaluation measures of the Human–Organisation–Technology Fit framework can flexibly evaluate Critical Care Information Systems.

Exploring information interactions in the context of Google

The study sets out to explore the factors that influence the evaluation of information and the judgments made in the process of finding useful information in web search contexts. Based on a diary study of 2 assigned tasks to search on Google and Google Scholar, factor analysis identified the core constructs of content, relevance, scope, and style, as well as informational and system “ease of use” as influencing the judgment that useful information had been found. Differences were found in the participants' evaluation of information across the search tasks on Google and on Google Scholar when identified by the factors related to both content and ease of use. The findings from this study suggest how searchers might critically evaluate information, and the study identifies a relation between the user's involvement in the information interaction and the influences of the perceived system ease of use and information design.

Why computer-mediated communication improves the effectiveness of fraud brainstorming

Current auditing standards require auditors to conduct a fraud brainstorming session aimed at considering ways in which the audit client's financial statements might be fraudulently misstated. Lynch et al. (2009) document that computer-mediated fraud brainstorming is significantly more effective than face-to-face brainstorming for generating relevant fraud risks. In this study, we code and analyze process-level data from the Lynch et al. (2009) study to understand the factors contributing to the greater effectiveness of electronic fraud brainstorming. Specifically, we conduct mediation analysis to discern the degree to which equality of participation and two measures of task focus contribute to greater fraud brainstorming effectiveness when using a computer-mediated communication system compared to traditional face-to-face brainstorming. We also examine participants' perceptions of ease of system use, satisfaction with the process, and satisfaction with the outcome. Overall, the results indicate that the primary reason for the greater effectiveness of electronic fraud brainstorming is the greater degree of task focus as revealed through the length of comments made when using computer-mediated fraud brainstorming. In an absolute sense, participants using electronic brainstorming felt that their brainstorming mode was easy to use and they were satisfied with the process and outcome. The primary contribution of this study is in enhancing our understanding of precisely why computer-mediated fraud brainstorming outperforms face-to-face fraud brainstorming.

A Comparison of Physician Pre-Adoption and Adoption Views on Electronic Health Records in Canadian Medical Practices

Background There is a major campaign involving large expenditures of public money to increase the adoption rate of electronic health record (EHR) systems in Canada. To maximize the chances of success in this effort, physician views on EHRs must be addressed, since user perceptions are key to successful implementation of technology innovations.Objective We propose a theoretical model comprising behavioral factors either favoring or against EHR adoption and use in Canadian medical practices, from the physicians’ point of view. EHR perceptions of physicians already using EHR systems are compared with those not using one, through the lens of this model.Methods We conducted an online cross-sectional survey in both English and French among medical practitioners across Canada. Data were collected both from physicians using EHRs and those not using EHRs, and analyzed with structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques.Results We collected 119 responses from EHR users and 100 from nonusers, resulting in 2 valid samples of 102 and 83 participants, respectively. The theoretical adoption model explained 55.8% of the variance in behavioral intention to continue using EHRs for physicians already using them, and 66.8% of the variance in nonuser intention to adopt such systems. Perception of ease of use was found to be the strongest motivator for EHR users (total effect .525), while perceptions of usefulness and of ease of use were the key determinants for nonusers (total effect .538 and .519, respectively) to adopt the system. Users see perceived overall risk associated with EHR adoption as a major obstacle (total effect –.371), while nonusers perceive risk only as a weak indirect demotivator. Of the 13 paths of the SEM model, 5 showed significant differences between the 2 samples (at the .05 level): general doubts about using the system (P = .02), the necessity for the system to be relevant for their job (P < .001), and the necessity for the system to be useful (P = .049) are more important for EHR nonusers than for users, while perceptions of overall obstacles to adoption (P = .03) and system ease of use (P = .042) count more for EHR users than for nonusers.Conclusions Relatively few differences in perceptions about EHR system adoption and use exist between physicians already using such systems and those not yet using the systems. To maximize the chances of success for new EHR implementations from a behavioral point of view, general doubts about the rationale for such systems must be mitigated through improving design, stressing how EHRs are relevant to physician jobs, and providing substantiating evidence that EHRs are easier to use and more effective than nonusers might expect.