‘Usability’ Wiki says this is the ease of use and learnability of a human made object. Usability is often something I think about. I am sure that I have previously stated that I get distracted quite easily while online. Unless I am really passionate about using a site or developing my web tools then if I can’t figure it out, I don’t use it.
For example – it was my birthday last week and while considering where I might go to have a good bit of grub, I thought about going back to Benares, and amazing Indian restaurant in London. But they had changed their website to make it all pretty and flashy, and I couldn’t work out how to look at the menus. The scrolling tool, I discovered later, was now a lovely block of colour, but I couldn’t figure this out – so I chose not to go there!
The course materials say that there are many definitions and as yet not so much research in how usability and user perspectives in using elearning. Interestingly, this was one of the things that my interviewee for TMA2 talked about. Their system allows them to track learners, see where they get stuck and even for the learners to make comments and rate the pages. It is quite hard to design something that will appeal to the spectrum of people likely to engage with it.
The OU has developed a framework called the Pyramid of Usability that looks at the different levels that one should consider, it reminded me a bit like a Maslow’s hierarchy of needs but for user design, ranging from basic functions to integrated learner design that enables the learner to become involved with the content and met the learning outcomes. What I particularly like about this approach is that it comes from the user point of view. Kukulsa-Hulme says, for example, that you would expect technology students to have a higher degree of knowledge in comparison to say, healthcare students. For us we need to consider these things when starting to think about our learning designs and innovative elearning (I am sure there is an examinable component just around the corner!). I have certainly got frustrated when content is too pretty, but then equally get frustrated with plain text. So how do we make sure the design is right and works for all involved?
We also asked the question about mobile usability. Interestingly people use their mobile phones and other mobile device to access learning. I read the OU forums on my little nokia while on the train home. Sites like ebay and facebook and even the transport for London journey planner now have a mobile browser format that you can use. Luckily the OU site easily translates into my small screen, but was it designed that way? Several of my fellow students have commented on the fact that there is a plethora of mobile designs and interfaces that it is impossible to design for all. It’s about understanding the context in which people learn, and that traditional static study changes. I use my phone to read the forums, but also often print off articles to read on the train. Yet I spend 2 hours of my day on a train, so this makes sense to my situation. But I have made the decision to study like this and the OU allows me to have this flexibility. When the use of mobile devices becomes a requirement then one needs to consider the sourcing and training in the use of a device. Kukulsa-Hulme also writes about the lessons already learned and things that needs to be considered from physical attributes of mobile devices, content and software applications, network access and reliability through to the physical environment in which it could be used.
Other Reading
Caroll, J. (1997) ‘Human Computer Interaction: Psychology as a Science of Design’ [online] https://courses.ischool.utexas.edu/Bias_Randolph/2009/Spring/INF385P/files/annurev.psych.48.1.pdf (accessed 18th April 2011)
Kukulska-Hulme, A. (2007) ‘Mobile usability in educational contexts – what have we learnt?’, Special issue of the International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, vol.8, no.2; also available online at http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/356 (Accessed 13th April 2011).
Nielsen, J. (2003) Mobile Devices: One Generation from Useful [online] http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030818.htmll (Accessed 13 April 2011).
O’Malley, C., Vavoula, G., Glew, J.P., Taylor, J., Sharples, M. and Lefrere, P. (2003) MOBIlearn WP4 – Guidelines for Learning/Teaching/Tutoring in a Mobile Environment [online] http://www.mobilearn.org/download/results/guidelines.pdf (Accessed 16th April 2011).
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