1. Usability and Internet Instruction INST 5240 Mimi Recker Utah State University

2. Usability and Internet Instruction o User interface design for usability: o enables users to fluently achieve particular goals in some domains o seamless integration of content and control, including layout of information and navigation o depends on technology; depends on deep understanding of human elements within interaction o Examples of usable and unusable interfaces?

3. Usability in Internet Systems o Loss of technical control o Display hardware o Connection speed o Software o User settings o Loss of content control o Hypertext o Outside links

4. Small Group Discussion o What makes an Internet-based education site usable? o What makes an Internet-based education site unusable? o What makes an Internet-based education site learnable? o...Identify top 3 characteristics

5. Principles to Support Usability o 1. Learnability o Predictability o Familiarity o Consistency

6. Usability Design Principles o 2. Flexibility o Customizability o Substitutivity (e.g. ‘shortcuts’) o 3. Robustness o Observability (provide clear visual messages) o Recoverability o Responsiveness (feedback) o Task-specific support for user’s goals

7. Usability via User-Centered Design o Design philosophy: o Early focus on users and their concrete needs -- designers contact real users o Integrated design o Early and continual user testing -- empirically driven o Iterative design with progressive refinement o Taking an expanded view of the product o Focus on satisfying concrete needs of real users

8. Process of User-Centered Design o Continuous cycles of design, enactment, analysis, and redesign: o Conduct needs assessment o Design/develop rapid prototype o Evaluate o Analyze o Redesign

9. UCD: Examples o Needs assessment: o What are learning objectives? o How will web resources help students learn? o Do users have reliable access? o Design rapid prototype: o Design brief o Screen/paper mock-up o Alpha, beta versions o Evaluate: o [see next slide] o Analyze data: o combine, categorize, diagnose, prioritize o Redesign

10. Evaluation o Recruit participants o client, experts, users … o Evaluation strategies o expert review, cognitive walkthrough, survey, focus group, interview, observation, assess learning/impact …

11. Two Evaluation Examples o 1. Webby awards o Content o Structure & navigation o Visual design o Functionality o Interactivity o Overall experience o (http://www.webbyawards.com/main/webby_a wards/criteria.html) o 2. WAMMI: Web usability questionnaire