24th Annual TCC | Online Conference | April 16-18, 2019

Sustainable Learning, Accessible Technologies, & Diverse Contexts

usability study

Remembering Our Rural Roots: A Usability Study

Session Description
The purpose of this usability study was to create and evaluate the ease-of-use of a website about the history of ‘Ele’ele School and the community in which it exists. Founded in 1837, ‘Ele’ele School is a public elementary school located in the County of Kaua’i in the State of Hawai’i. Using the mapping platform Esri, the historical website integrated maps, narratives, photographs, archival records, and other elements to tell a story of the community and at the heart of it all–a school and its pupils. To evaluate the ease-of-use of the site, the investigator conducted three rounds of distant, usability testing with nine participants currently living in Hawai’i. Participants were asked to perform a series of tasks; each task was designed to allow for exploration through the site and to test potential problematic elements within the site. The website was evaluated using several usability metrics, including: Single Ease Question (SEQ), task completion rate, and Subjective Usability Scale (SUS). The intent was to increasingly improve the design of the site with each round of testing and to make the end-user experience easier, more effective, and more satisfying. The results from this study indicates that users are more likely to be satisfied with a website if it is effective at supporting them to achieve their goals.
Presenter(s)
Kerri Muraoka
Kerri Muraoka, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Kauai, Hawaii, USA
Session Type
20-Minute LTEC Student Session
Audience
All Audiences

A recording of this presentation is available.
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Virtual Dental Home Maui: A Usability Study on the Teledentistry Website

Session Description
It is important to have a website designed for students to use during their volunteer activity in the Virtual Dental Home (VDH). Dental hygiene students learn about community dental health during their formal educational experience. A portion of the curriculum is dedicated to service learning through volunteering which is encouraged by the instructor to promote experiential learning. VDH incorporates the use of teledentistry to allow the hygienist and volunteer dental hygiene student to perform necessary dental therapy while they communicate directly with other healthcare providers. Using teledentistry, dentists and other medical personnel do not have to be physically present to care for patients. The website was purposefully designed to be simple and easy to navigate to be considerate of the student’s time. A usability study was conducted with 13 University of Hawaii Maui College students to assess the functionality and value of the website Volunteer Now! Virtual Dental Home Maui. After viewing the website, all participants strongly agreed or agreed that volunteering in VDH is now more attractive to them and they are prepared to volunteer. They all strongly agreed or agreed that they could find their way around the website, got to information quickly, and were satisfied with the design and performance of the website. The website enhances the learning experience by informing students about how VDH can provide alternative learning experiences, community service projects, and work environments. (Website: https://higalea.wixsite.com/website-1)
Presenter(s)
Leanne Higa
Leanne Higa, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Pukalani, Hawaii, USA
Leanne Higa, BS, is a dental hygiene instructor at the University of Hawaii Maui College and clinical dental hygienist working in private practice. She is a graduate student in the Learning Design & Technology master’s program at University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her project is a usability study of a website that she has designed for the Virtual Dental Home (VDH) pilot project. She has tailored the website to be useful to dental hygiene students who are curious and wish to volunteer in the VDH project.
Session Type
20-Minute LTEC Student Session
Audience
All Audiences

A recording of this presentation is available.
Click the button to the right to access the session archive.

Web-based CALL Process Writing Tools Website: A Usability Study

Session Description
Many English as a Second Language (ESL) learners need help writing. Learners prefer to get as much feedback and guidance with their writing as possible. However, teachers are overwhelmed and often do not focus on errors that do not interrupt communication. Web-based Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) tools can provide learners with additional feedback and scaffolding. These tools can empower adult learners, allowing them to create and check their own work. A website was developed on WIX, to provide Web-based automated e-learning, or CALL, writing tools to supplement adult learners to engage in each stage of the writing process. The purpose of this usability study was to evaluate the navigation and satisfaction of content presentation of the site. Qualitative and quantitative data collection included a pre-questionnaire for collecting demographic information; three think-aloud interview rounds, each with 6 to 7 participants; a retrospective post-survey. Revisions were made after each iteration based on the result and following Nielsen’s Severity Rating for Usability Problems to guide the selection of issues to address. The results of the study revealed a favorable reception of the website and its contents. Future revision and improvements in presentation and content for this project could further improve this project. (URL to website: https://jo1aloha.wixsite.com/writingprocesstools)
Presenter(s)
Joseph Peters
Joseph Peters, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Joseph was born and raised in Hawaii. He has a background in education, language learning, and instructional design. He has a Bachelors in Elementary Education, Masters in Second Language Studies: Language Teaching, and is in his last semester in the MA: Learning Teaching and Design Program at the University of Hawaii. He recently started a job as an English instructor in Nagoya, Japan. His interests include incorporating E-learning and technology for collegiate language learning.
Session Type
20-Minute LTEC Student Session
Audience
Novice

A recording of this presentation is available.
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HI Mommy Website – A Usability Study

Session Description
Moms of newborns may experience emotional, physical, and mental fatigue due to the demands of motherhood. Importance is placed on caring for the baby that moms tend to overlook the fact that they need to also take care of themselves. Moms search for postnatal care information which are readily available to them, especially online, however, moms do not search for information on postpartum self-care, are even aware of what it is, and its importance to their overall health as a mom, spouse, and friend.

The purpose of this usability study was to create and evaluate the ease-of-use of and satisfaction of available content provided on the HI Mommy website (https://rsenoren.wixsite.com/hi-mommy). The website provides suggestions for self-care activities that O’ahu moms can do at home and outside of the house, with or without the baby, and finding support on the island. The website was developed using Wix, a cloud-based development platform. The design of the website was guided by Gestalt principles and best practices for designers as suggested by Susan Weinschenk. The usability study recruited 10 participants who gauged the navigability of the website and the value of its content. Three rounds of usability testing were conducted. Verbal feedback during the study and results from collected data via post-surveys indicated that participants agreed or strongly agreed that the website was easy to use and were satisfied with the available information. The study provided insight on what features makes a website easy to use (navigable) and self-care content that was most helpful for moms. The session will discuss the approach to the usability study and the outcomes, which includes methods, design strategies, study results, website modifications, and lessons learned.

Presenter(s)
Routhie Ann Senoren
Routhie Ann Senoren, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, Ewa Beach, Hawaii, USA
Routhie Ann Senoren is a graduate student of the Learning Design & Technology master’s program at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa College of Education. She has over 10 years of training experience working multiple technical consulting roles (such as Technical Trainer, Online Help Lead, Software Testing Lead, and Instructional Systems Designer) through government contracts. Ms. Senoren is taking a break from the training industry to take care of her 15 months old twin girl and boy. Her new role as a mother was the inspiration behind her master’s project, the HI Mommy website.
Session Type
20-Minute LTEC Student Session
Audience
All Audiences

A recording of this presentation is available.
Click the button to the right to access the session archive.