Usability Principles Research Articles

Assessing the Relative Importance of an E-learning system’s Usability Design Characteristics Based on Students' Preferences

<p style="text-align:justify">This study considers the interaction between an e-learning system, the Blackboard system, and the students who use it in Saudi Arabia. While previous work exists, there is limited consideration of the assessment of the preferences of e-learning system usability variables based on students’ perspectives, especially in developing countries such as Saudi Arabia. This paper attempts to fill the gap by investigating the relative importance of the design criteria developed for e-learning system usability evaluation from the students’ perspective in Saudi tertiary education. Based on reviewed literature, a set of usability principles was developed that have had an influence in the students’ learning process and use of the e-learning system. The list includes system navigation, system learnability, visual design, information quality, instructional assessment and system interactivity. An exploratory study was carried out to identify the most important usability design characteristics from a student’s perspective and then evaluate the overall usability of the current e-learning system, based on this subset. A quantitative approach was adopted to weigh usability design characteristics, based on 181 learners’ perceptions. The sample consists of undergraduates who are users of a web-based e-learning system in a university in Saudi Arabia. The research instrument was tested for construct validity and reliability. The analysed results have shown that information quality is the most important dimension followed by the navigation of the e-learning system. The study has also revealed that the system learnability and visual design came third and fourth in order of importance of e-learning system usability assessment. Finally, the least important design categories that influenced the e-learning system usability assessment were instructional assessment and system interactivity. The empirical results of this study may help to provide insights for designers and evaluators leading to a more effective approach to improve the usability and uptake of the e-learning system.</p>

Provisions of Indonesian Medical Discipline Sanctions to Protect The Rights of Patient be Reviewed From Theprinciple of The Establishment of Legislation

ABSTRACT : This study aims to determine, first: the effectiveness of the provisions of medical discipline sanctions for doctors and dentists to protect the rights of patients be reviewed from the principles of the establishment of legislation. Second: the mechanism of sanctioning Medical Discipline for doctors and dentists This research uses a normative juridical approach. The specification of this research is descriptive analytical. The type of data used is secondary data obtained through literature study and then analyzed qualitatively and drawn conclusions with deductive and inductive thought method. The results of this study show that first: the provisions of Indonesian medical discipline sanction based on the principle of Clarity of Purpose, medical discipline sanction is established with a clear purpose that is as a form of guidance and supervision of medical practice in Indonesia. Based on the principle of Implementation, medical discipline sanction is said to be implemented because it has been regulated in the Regulation of KKI (Perkonsil) Number 50 of 2017 on the Procedures for Handling Cases of Alleged Violations of Doctor and Dentist Discipline. Based on the principles of Usability and Useful, by looking at the background of the formation of medical disciplinary sanctions which, among others, the high number of disciplinary violations, then disciplinary sanctions are really needed and yet not beneficial to the community. The principle of Clarity Formulation, the formulation of medical discipline sanction is clear and not multitasker so it can be easily understood. From the results of this analysis can be said that the provisions of disciplinary sanctions are effective. Secondly, the mechanism of sanction is set in number 50 of 2017 on the Procedures for Handling the Case of Alleged Discipline of Doctor and Dentist, which regulates the procedure and also the authority in the imposition of sanctions and the implementation of sanctions. The mechanism is the process of imposition of sanctions is the authority of MKDKI while the implementation of the decision of sanctions unification is the authority of KKI.

The Usability of Augmented Reality in Open and Distance Learning Systems: A Qualitative Delphi Study

The main purpose of this research is to determine the usability of augmented reality in open and distance learning environments in accordance with universal design principles, and to make predictions for the future by gathering expert opinions on this subject using the Delphi technique. The Delphi technique was applied to 14 expert participants for 3 rounds as the primary data collection tool with open ended questions based on the theoretical framework. Structured interview questions were used as a secondary data collection tool and were applied during an academic exchange in China. In the Delphi technique used as the primary data collection tool, 92 themes were evaluated by experts and accepted as usability principles by end of this research. Therefore, 92 themes under 21 titles were presented for the use of augmented reality within the framework of universal design principles in open and distance learning. This research may be the first unique study on the usability of augmented reality not just as the convergence of this technology with open and distance learning environments but also incorporating the learning and communication dimensions of this convergence, thereby contributing to the literature of the field. It is imperative to determine the usability of augmented reality in open and distance learning, along with the “how” of this use in application. In this regard, the findings of this study are significant in shedding light to the enrichment, diversification and increased interaction of open and distance learning environments in accordance with universal design principles, bringing a new perspective to how a different technology convergence may be conducted, providing further accessibility.

A DINÂMICA DE USO DOS APLICATIVOS MÓVEIS BANCÁRIOS: UMA ANÁLISE SOB A PERSPECTIVA DA POPULAÇÃO IDOSA

This study analyzes the mobile applications of five largest Brazilian banking institutions on principles of usability proposed in literature and draws a parallel the results with these technologies use by elderly public. Such an approach is justified by increasing life expectancy around the world and the considerable increase in smartphones use by senior citizens. Study purpose is to understand the banking applications use dynamics of by the elderly population of southern Minas Gerais. This aim was achieved through documentary and quantitative analysis, with application of multivariate analysis, descriptive statistics techniques and cluster. The research population was segmented among the elderly, adults and adolescents, allowing identification different patterns of behavior among the age groups. The results demonstrated that main impeding factors for banking applications use by the elderly are smartphones incompatible and fear. It was perceived that younger population make use of and is satisfied with banking applications of main Brazilian banks.

DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF MOBILE APPLICATION FOR THE PREVENTION OF MUSCULOSKELETAL RISKS IN NURSING WORK

ABSTRACT Objective: to develop a multi-platform mobile application for the prevention of musculoskeletal risk factors related to nursing work in a hospital unit and to evaluate the usability criteria with nurses and computer professionals. Method: technological production study for the development of a mobile application, following the phases of software engineering: analysis of requirements, design and specification, construction, internal tests, maintenance and external evaluation. The product was evaluated for usability by nurses from public hospital units in the city of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). The System Usability Scale instrument was used for the evaluation of the nurses and the instrument of heuristics of compliance of digital interfaces was used with the informational technology professionals. The application development period lasted from November 2017 to March 2018 and the usability assessment from March to May 2018. Results: the evaluation data showed that the application shows agreement and compliance with the principles of usability in the criteria of effectiveness, efficiency and user satisfaction, however, the evaluators suggest that the application's functionalities should be simplified. Conclusion: the application was designed as a care strategy for the nursing professional, considering the musculoskeletal risks which they are exposed to in their professional activities. The development and evaluation methods were satisfactory and the proposed objectives were achieved.

A Review of Heuristics Evaluation Component for Mobile Educational Games

Mobile educational games research has gained a lot of attention among researchers. This is due to mobile games popularity and engagement among younger generation. However, developing an effective mobile educational game is always a challenge. Heuristics evaluation is one of the most popular and cost-effective usability inspection method. Numerous sets of heuristics (usability principles) have been proposed for various game products ranging from general to specific. However, the existing heuristics lack comprehensive components to evaluate the usability of mobile educational game. This study therefore aims to reviews previous studies that proposed heuristics for evaluation of games, educational games and mobile application in a bid to identify the relevant heuristics components for developing heuristics of mobile educational games.

Design tool based on Sensory Perception, Usability and Universal Design

The knowledge of the functioning of the human sensory system, by architects and designers, can contribute significantly to the development of more interactive design concepts and architectural solutions. However, the systematic availability of this information is still an incipient practice in both architecture and design fields. In this context, the objective of this work is to link the user’s sensory perception, through its perceptual systems, to the usability and the universal design, which are two other concepts that consider human beings at the center of their actions. The aim is to establish a conceptual basis for the development of a design tool dedicated to the creative stages of Assistive Technology projects, inserted in the built environment. A bibliographical survey discusses how the human sensory system organizes itself to collect information about the environment and how this information can be used by architects and designers during the design process. Usability principles are also addressed to better understand how it is possible to develop user-friendly environments, products and services that are easy to use, efficient, and enjoyable. Finally, we identify the principles of universal design that seek to ensure the concepts of inclusion and accessibility. The results of this research indicate the possibility of relating and synthesizing the principles of usability and universal design studied. Studies showed that they present aspects in common and they complement each other. After reduction of variables, it is possible to proceed to the formal structuring of the tool and its systematic use. With such a tool, architects will have knowledge about how to get information from the environment, together with usability criteria that establish principles of good functioning of environments, products and systems (use) and universal principles (broad access and participation).

Usability of library website: Specifying and measuring constructs

Usability testing is an invaluable tool for evaluating the effectiveness and ease of use of Web sites. This article reviews major usability principles and explores the application of formal usability testing to an existing site Allama Iqbal Library, University of Kashmir. The research seeks to measure usability of the site to identify the major strengths and weaknesses of the site. The study is based on the users’ feedback and data is collected from 237 respondents through a questionnaire. It is designed on five quality components for website designing given by Neilson Jakob (2012). It includes Learnability, Efficiency, Memorability, Errors and Satisfaction. The questions under each factor were framed and five-point Likert scale is used. Website usability, design and performance metrics, including download delay, navigability, interactivity, and responsiveness were accessed.

Usability Evaluation of a Web Academic Software Developed to Measure

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Systematic Review of Commercially Available Mobile Phone Applications for Prostate Cancer Education.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer among all men and the second most common cause of death. To ameliorate the burden of prostate cancer, there is a critical need to identify strategies for providing men with information about prostate cancer screening and the importance of informed decision making. With mobile phones becoming more ubiquitous, many individuals are adopting their phones as sources for health information. The objective of this systematic review is to identify and evaluate commercially available apps for promoting informed prostate cancer screening decisions. Two keywords “prostate cancer screening” and “prostate cancer” were entered into the search engines of Google and iOS app stores in May 2017. Evaluations were conducted on apps’ (a) quality, (b) grade-level readability, (c) cultural sensitivity, and (d) usability heuristics. None of the 14 apps meeting the inclusion criteria contained the full breadth of information covered in the 2016 American Cancer Society’s Prostate Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Guidelines, but over half were inclusive of topics consistent with these guidelines. Most apps’ readability was higher than an eighth-grade reading level. Most apps were also not framed and had a neutral tone. Only four apps met most criteria for being culturally sensitive to African Americans. Usability among apps was variable, but some contained major usability concerns. Recommendations for improving educational apps for prostate cancer screening include: disseminating evidence-based information; using culturally sensitive language; knowing the implications of the one and framing of content; making apps interactive; and following common usability principles.

Evaluating the usability of the information architecture of academic library websites

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an integrated list of heuristics and an information architecture (IA) framework for the heuristic evaluation of the IA of academic library websites as well as an evaluation framework with practical steps on how to conduct the evaluation.Design/methodology/approachA set of 14 heuristics resulted from an integration of existing usability principles from authorities in the field of usability. A review of IA literature resulted in a framework for dividing academic library websites into six dialogue elements. The resulting heuristics were made applicable to academic library websites through the addition of recommendations based on a review of 20 related studies.FindingsThis study provides heuristics, a framework and workflow guidelines that can be used by the various evaluators of academic library websites, i.e. library staff, web developers and usability experts, to provide recommendations for improving its usability.Research limitations/implicationsThe focus of the usability principles is the evaluation of the IA aspects of websites and therefore does not provide insights into accessibility or visual design aspects.Originality/valueThe main problem that is addressed by this study is that there are no clear guidelines on how to apply existing usability principles for the evaluation of the IA of academic library websites.

Usability Evaluation of an Admission, Discharge, and Transfer Information System: A Heuristic Evaluation.

BACKGROUND:Admission, discharge and, transfer (ADT) process is one of the most important hospital workflows. ADT system is a part of a hospital information system (HIS).AIM:The objective of this study was to evaluate the usability of the ADT system.METHODS:The study performed at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS) hospitals. Data collection instrument was a validated checklist of Pierotti heuristic evaluation. To determine the severity of usability problems, a hybrid of Nielson and Tampere unit for computer-human interaction (TAUCHI) severity scaling algorithm was used. Usability problems were divided into five categories (major, severe, minor, cosmetic, and technical). Six experts evaluated the ADT system independently. According to TAUCHI severity scale, if a feature has not yet been implemented in the ADT system, evaluators considered it a technical usability problem. Therefore, usability problems due to non-design feature in the ADT system were identified. Finally, the mean severity of each usability problems was calculated.RESULTS:A total of 186 usability problems were identified. The frequency of major, sever, minor and cosmetic usability problems were 2, 65, 69 and 50, respectively. A total of 55 usability problems by the evaluators were recognised as technical problems. The highest mismatch with usability principles was related to the “recognition rather than recall”. The range of the mean severity of usability problems was between 0-2.31.CONCLUSIONS:Our result showed that although implementation of IHIS on a large scale, it still suffered from unresolved usability problems. Identification of usability problems and evaluation of their level of severity, which was simultaneously performed in this study, can be used as a guide to evaluate the usability of other HISs.

Adoption of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Model in Games Development Framework for Serious Games Applications

Fulfilling the client’s requirement within the given budget and timeframe in the developments of software projects is the measurement of the successful of the project. It must follow the standards process in a software engineering model. Each phase in the software process model led to the expert team to manage the process of developing the software which include the requirements, usability, time management and costing of the project. The standards will assist in supervising and managing the development process. Nowadays, serious games are getting to be outstandingly in many fields such as military, healthcare, management, tourism, education and others. The motivation of learning using the serious games is not limited to enjoying the games, but it’s help the player getting knowledge and experiential in practicing the learning. The aim isn’t simply playing for pure entertainment, yet share the knowledge, giving the training and experience the skills. Looking to the increasing numbers of serious games in many industries, the flow, process and usability principles must be design in a systematic way to map with the software engineering activities. Overall aims in this paper propose a framework model for serious games adopting from Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). It is targeted to help examining this field and implement the software processes that serve development team to identify the distinctive necessity of the software.

A Mobile Health Intervention for HIV Prevention Among Racially and Ethnically Diverse Young Men: Usability Evaluation.

BackgroundMobile health (mHealth) apps have the potential to be a useful mode of delivering HIV prevention information, particularly for young men (13-24 years) who account for 21% of new HIV diagnoses in the United States. We translated an existing evidence-based, face-to-face HIV prevention curriculum into a portable platform and developed a mobile Web app: MyPEEPS Mobile.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to assess the usability of MyPEEPS Mobile from both expert and end user perspectives.MethodsWe conducted a heuristic evaluation with five experts in informatics to identify violations of usability principles and end user usability testing with 20 young men aged 15 to 18 years in New York, NY, Birmingham, AL, and Chicago, IL to identify potential obstacles to their use of the app.ResultsMean scores of the overall severity of the identified heuristic violations rated by experts ranged from 0.4 and 2.6 (0=no usability problem to 4=usability catastrophe). Overall, our end users successfully completed the tasks associated with use case scenarios and provided comments/recommendations on improving usability of MyPEEPS Mobile. The mean of the overall Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire scores rated by the end users was 1.63 (SD 0.65), reflecting strong user acceptance of the app.ConclusionsThe comments made by experts and end users will be used to refine MyPEEPS Mobile prior to a pilot study assessing the acceptability of the app across diverse sexual minority young men in their everyday lives.

Improving the U.S. Adult Immunization Schedule by Applying Usability Principles

Human factors (HF) can be implemented in various domains to improve usability, and healthcare is no exception. A student team from Georgia Tech was consulted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) about performing a straightforward user-centered redesign of the CDC’s immunization schedule. Using classic design principles (e.g., consistency, simplicity, clarity), the team created a prototype schedule that aims to produce HF-driven efficiency of use while maintaining a form that fits with end-user expectations of the schedule. The CDC implemented some of the team’s design recommendations in its 2017 immunization schedule, and more changes could be implemented in the 2018 version of the schedule.

A nomological network of customers’ privacy perceptions: linking artifact design to shopping efficiency

ABSTRACTThe explosive growth of mobile devices and their widespread acceptance by customers along with the potential benefits of autoID technologies have prompted retailers to consider adoption of emerging technologies. Their motives are to enhance in-store customer shopping experience and to acquire an advantage in the competitive retail environment. Two interrelated issues nevertheless have been a hindrance: mobile shopping application usability and customers’ privacy concerns. Drawing on a recently developed conceptualisation of mobile application usability and the multidimensional developmental theory of privacy, we tackle these two issues. We theorise about the impact of artifact design on mobile application usability and the consequent impact of usability on customers’ privacy concerns and shopping efficiency. We tested our hypotheses in two retail store laboratory studies in which the participants were assigned to two different shopping tasks: general browsing (n = 194) and goal-directed shopping (n = 190). We found that adhering to mobile application usability principles could mitigate privacy concerns and consequently, improve shopping efficiency. Our findings suggest new avenues to alleviate customers’ privacy concerns using artifact design, thus complementing conventional approaches that focus on preventive measures to deal with the issue of privacy concerns.

The Development of Heuristics for Evaluation of Dashboard Visualizations.

Heuristic evaluation is used in human-computer interaction studies to assess the usability of information systems. Nielsen's widely used heuristics, first developed in 1990, are appropriate for general usability but do not specifically address usability in systems that produce information visualizations. This article develops a heuristic evaluation checklist that can be used to evaluate systems that produce information visualizations. Principles from Nielsen's heuristics were combined with heuristic principles developed by prior researchers specifically to evaluate information visualization. We used nominal group technique to determine an appropriate final set. The combined existing usability principles and associated factors were distributed via email to a group of 12 informatics experts from a range of health care disciplines. Respondents were asked to rate each factor on its importance as an evaluation heuristic for visualization systems on a scale from 1 (definitely don't include) to 10 (definitely include). The distribution of scores for each item were calculated. A median score of ≥8 represented consensus for inclusion in the final checklist. Ten of 12 experts responded with rankings and written comments. The final checklist consists of 10 usability principles (7 general and 3 specific to information visualization) substantiated by 49 usability factors. Three nursing informatics experts then used the checklist to evaluate a vital sign dashboard developed for home care nurses, using a task list designed to explore the full functionality of the dashboard. The experts used the checklist without difficulty, and indicated that it covered all major usability problems encountered during task completion. The growing capacity to generate and electronically process health data suggests that data visualization will be increasingly important. A checklist of usability heuristics for evaluating information visualization systems can contribute to assuring high quality in electronic data systems developed for health care.

Adult code cart redesign: Clinical implications.

Adult code cart redesign: Clinical implications.

A Formal Protocol to Conduct Usability Heuristic Evaluations in the Context of the Software Development Process

Heuristic evaluation is one of the most used techniques to evaluate the level of usability of a software product. In this research, we performed a comprehensive analysis of the recent studies which report the use of this method in the context of a software development process. The purpose was to identify the specific way in which each author performs this usability evaluation method, in order to propose a formal protocol. After an indeed examination of these studies, we have determined there are several differences in the way this technique is conducted according to the literature. There is no agreement about the number of inspectors that should participate, the usability principles that should be used, the profile of the specialists who must be part of the assessment team, or the evaluation process that should be followed. This work highlights the available settings and a detailed procedure to perform a heuristic evaluation in the domain of software products.

Adapting usability heuristics to evaluate Facebook according to elderly

A usability inspection is an evaluation method carried out by one or more experts in HCI, individuals with solid theoretical and practical foundations for the formal and objective observation of a product. One of the most used methods is the heuristic evaluation, a term coined by Jakob Nielsen in 1989 that consists of using a set of usability heuristics to examine a product and analyze its degree of compliance. Due to the ever-growing use of Facebook by older adults, a heuristic evaluation of this application is carried out in this article, where principles of usability have been adapted to fit the profile of an older adult and the interaction with collaborative aspects and groupware functions that are characteristic of social networks. The results of this process of inspection will be of utmost importance to understand whether the current applications consider the older adult as a possible user, respecting principles of usability consistent with their profile.