Usability evaluation of a web-based e-learning application: a study of two evaluation methods

Abstract

Despite widespread use of web-based e-learning applications, insufficient attention is paid to their usability. There is a need to conduct evaluation using one or more of the various usability evaluation methods. Given that heuristic evaluation is known to be easy to use and cost effective, this study investigates the extent to which it can identify usability problems in a web-based e-learning application at a tertiary institution. In a comparative case study, heuristic evaluation by experts and survey evaluation among end users (learners) are conducted and the results of the two compared.

Following literature studies in e-learning - particularly web-based learning - and usability, the researcher generates an extensive set of criteria/heuristics and uses it in the two evaluations. The object of evaluation is a website for a 3rd year Information Systems course. The findings indicate a high correspondence between the results of the two evaluations, demonstrating that heuristic evaluation is an appropriate, effective and sufficient usability evaluation method, as well as relatively easy to conduct. It identified a high percentage of usability problems.