Automated Workflow for Usability Audits in the PHR Realm

Teleworking is an everyday reality in today’s world. Many companies are opting for this way of working remotely, as it improves employers’ satisfaction along with the work–life balance and it does not lead to any significant reduction in performance. In general, the comfortable use of software applications is a priority, and quality aspects such as usability are of vital importance. In this paper, a novel workflow is proposed. It consists of the following components: (1) a tool to manage usability evaluations based on expert reviews, called Usevalia; (2) a set of heuristics to be considered when performing the evaluations; (3) a catalogue of usability requirements to guide the evaluations; (4) a checklist related to the heuristics to verify that the evaluations have been performed correctly by all the auditors; and (5) a set of tasks to know in advance the functionality of the applications to be audited. Personal health records (PHRs) were taken as a case study. This methodology made it possible to involve a total of 31 working groups that evaluated the usability of four PHRs. Concerning the main results, the evaluators agreed that with Usevalia the usability evaluations could go a step further because they are coordinated and can work together remotely. In addition, analyses of usability scores provided insight into current proposals for improving usability of applications

A Bibliometric Study on E-Learning Software Engineering Education

Due to the substantial development of information and communications technology, the use of E-learning in higher education has become essential to boost teaching methods and enhance students' learning skills and competencies. E-learning in Software Engineering turns out to be increasingly interesting for scholars. In fact, researchers have worked to enhance modern Software Engineering education techniques to meet the required educational objectives. The aim of this article is to analyse the scientific production on E-learning Software Engineering education by conducting a bibliometric analysis of 10,603 publications, dating from 1954 to 2020 and available in the Scopus database. The results reveal some scientific production information, such as the temporal evolution of the publications, the most prolific authors, institutions and countries, as well as the languages used. Besides, the paper evaluates additional bibliometric parameters, including the authors' production, journal productivity, and scientific cooperation, among other bibliometric parameters. The subject of the current study has not been treated by any previous bibliometric studies. Our research is deeper and more specific; it covers a long period of 66 years and a large number of publications, thanks to the chosen search string containing the different spellings of the used terms. In addition, the literature is analysed using several tools such as Microsoft Excel, VOSviewer, and Python. The research findings can be used to identify the current state of E-learning Software Engineering Education, as well as to identify various research trends and the general direction of E-learning research.

Sustainable Accessibility: A Mobile App for Helping People with Disabilities to Search Accessible Shops

People with motor disabilities must face many barriers and obstacles in their daily lives, making it difficult to perform everyday tasks. The purpose of this work is to improve their living conditions by providing an app with accessibility information in an updated, reliable and friendly form. The development of the system integrates national and regional accessibility regulations, architectural aspects, with an extensive field work, and a sustainable software process. The levels of accessibility and the requirements of the application are defined in the first phases of the project. The field work included the evaluation of 357 commercial establishments in the city of Murcia, Spain, showing that only 25% have a good accessibility, 40% are practicable with help, and 35% are inaccessible shops. The proposed system achieves its objectives of being sustainable and helping in the accessibility. Besides, the system can be a great incentive for businesses to improve their accessibility conditions. In conclusion, new technologies must have a much more active role in the promotion of universal accessibility. These tools must also consider the necessary requirements of sustainable development