What is Usability?
What makes an interface good or bad?
In a way, aren’t we experts ourselves? We know what we like and don’t like — think about apps on your smartphone. What makes some of them enjoyable and pleasant to use? What complaints might you have? What features would you like to see in the future?
Every user is different though, which leaves usability quite contextual, fluid, and dynamic — this must be addressed within mobile design.
Combine all of this with the fact that the same can be said about learners and their learning preferences as well. It is no question then that good usability is crucial for positive learning experiences.
With this OER, we hope to provide you with an overview of the leading studies in usability, introduce important guidelines, illustrate good and bad examples of usability, and finally — put you to the test.
Where did it all begin?
Research in usability in mobile Edtech can trace its origins to the introduction of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). HCI refers to the field of study dedicated to how humans interact with computers. It was first popularized by Stuart K. Card, Allen Newell, and Thomas P. Moran in their 1983 book, The Psychology of Human–Computer Interaction, which sought to outline how various principles and methodologies of traditional ergonomics could be developed and applied to how humans interact with computers specifically.
A major contributor to the field of Human-Computer Interaction is Jakob Nielsen, who defined usability as “a quality attribute that measures how user interaction can be used as a method for improving ease-of-use, efficiency and satisfaction”. This widely-adopted definition has been cited as the basis for much research in usability in mobile learning technology, including the three major studies below.
3 Sample Studies
Usability Guidelines for Designing Mobile Learning Portals
Seong (2006)
In 2006 HCI researcher Daniel Su Kuen Seong noted that despite rapid growth and advancements in mobile technology, there was very little research pertaining to usability for mobile learning applications. By way of response, Seong developed three broad categories of usability in mobile tech, along with ten “golden usability guidelines” which were formulated by translating ten heuristics proposed by Nielsen (1994) into a mobile learning context. Seong then put these guidelines into practice with the development of a Mobile Learning Course Manager (MLCM) portal, and LMS demonstrating the real world application of the guidelines he had identified in his research.
Usability Guidelines for Mobile Learning Apps: An Empirical Study
Kumar and Mohite (2016)
As mobile learning technology became more widespread throughout the 21st century, Kumar and Mohite continued to develop a usability framework to assist developers working in the field. The researchers carried out a robust survey among experts which lead to the development of 30 usability guidelines across 6 general categories. In order to evaluate the validity of their proposed guidelines, the researchers developed and evaluated multiple prototype mobile learning applications. A survey of the results indicated that the developed guidelines were effective for the creation of mobile learning applications.
Usability Guidelines for Mobile Learning Applications: An Update
Kumar, Goundar and Chand (2019)
Taking things a step further, Kumar, Goundar and Chad sought to develop a new gold standard in usability guidelines by conducting a structured analysis of 17 studies. The results were added to the research completed by Seong (2006) and Kumar and Mohite (2016). The researchers referred to end product of this analysis as their Updated Guidelines, which resulted in 121 specific usability guidelines across 10 broad categories. Experimental Analysis showed that these Updated Guidelines outperformed new and existing guidelines that were developed by previous research.
Why does usability matter so much to mobile learning?
“Apps that succeed in the educational market are apps that pass the easy-to-use test” (McQuiggan, Kosturko, McQuiggan & Sabourin, 2015, p. 192). In other words, if an educational app isn’t easy to use, it will fail its students and learning will not happen. As educators, we have a responsibility to make sure the mobile educational technologies we expect our students to use are designed with optimal usability in mind.
Nielsen (2001) observed that although general usability standards apply equally to e-learning, there must be additional considerations. As such, it is important for engineers and designers to view usability specifically through the lens of education when developing learning applications.
