Learnability makes things click : a grounded theory approach to the software product evaluation

The aim of this doctoral dissertation is to investigate the phenomenon of learnability more deeply in order to better understand the learnability process. Grounded theory was used to determine the ground concepts based on fifteen users’ (N=15) actions (N=1836) in the WebCT Campus Edition’s virtual environment. Based on this study, the phenomenon of learnability and the learnability process is understood in greater detail and defined from the human centric of view, where the human being is the key actor. This doctoral dissertation answers the following research problem: 1. How learnable is the WebCT Campus Edition’s virtual environment? 2. How can the phenomenon of learnability be defined in a new way? The WebCT Campus Edition virtual environment’s learnability was measured with performance time and directions of action. In addition, the traditional learnability metrics of performance time and direction of users’ actions was used to verify the theoretical model of learnability and its nonlinearity. The result of this study showed that the variety of the WebCT Campus Edition’s learnability was higher between the individual users than it was between the different tasks. Therefore, the variety of task difficulty, i.e. the complexity or easiness of the different part of the user interface, have less influence on learnability in the WebCT Campus Edition than do the individual users’characteristics. Thus, the research results confirm the results found in earlier studies, where two important issues for usability evaluation and therefore evaluation on learnability, are the tasks and users individual characteristics. The theoretical model of learnability with following phases of information search, data collection, knowledge management, knowledge form, knowledge build and the result of action were determined from data. The theoretical model of learnability and its main patterns of a) data collection-information search, b)knowledge build-knowledge form and c) information searchknowledge management proves that learnability is a non-linear process. Therefore, the phenomenon of learnability cannot purely be defined by the separate properties of learnability, i.e. the properties of a user interface and a progressively enhanced linear process illustrated with learning curves. The theoretical model of learnability is one of the rare models of learnability that is based on empirical data. The use of grounded theory methodology means that the phenomenon of learnability is studied through tacit knowledge, i.e. through users’ real actions and though explicit knowledge, the users cognitive processes during interaction i.e. the phenomenon of learnability is approached from the holistic point of view, where the phenomenon of learnability is seen as one holistic process. Thus triangulation, where the phenomenon is interpreted through several split case studies are therefore unnecessary in this research setting. In conclusion, too many studies are still conducted in a laboratory situation using traditional methodological paradigms. More learnability studies with new methodological approaches in the natural environments are needed were the human, learning and non-linear process of learnability are in focus. It is important to understand more deeply the process of learnability and investigate more in greater detail the key elements that enhance learnability and on the other hand, cause learnability problems for users. Finally, based on the theoretical models of learnability, we can develop tools for the commercial user interface world in order to measure and test the learnability process more precisely and better understand how skills are actually learnt and how “to click” learnability