An Approach to Usability Evaluation of e-Learning Applications

Despite recent advances of electronic technologies in e-learning, a consolidated evaluation methodology for e-learning applications is not available. The evaluation of educational software must consider its usability and more in general its accessibility, as well as its didactic effectiveness. This work is a first step towards the definition of a methodology for evaluating e-learning applications. Specific usability attributes capturing the peculiar features of these applications are identified. A preliminary user study involving a group of e-students, observed during their interaction with an e-learning application in a real situation, is reported. Then, the proposal is put forward to adapt to the e-learning domain a methodology for systematic usability evaluation, called SUE. Specifically, evaluation patterns are proposed that are able to drive the evaluators in the analysis of an e-learning application

An e-Learning Environment for Deaf Adults

Raithel V, Straetz K, Kaibel A, Specht M, Grote K, Kramer F. An e-Learning Environment for Deaf Adults. In: Workshop Proceedings. 8th ERCIM Workshop on User Interfaces for All, Vienna, Austria, June 28-29, 2004. Springer; 2004.The objective of this paper is to present a learning management system (LMS) which offers German Sign Language videos in correspondence to every text in the learning environment. The system is designed notably for deaf adults who want to maintain and improve their mathematical and reading/writing skills. The described LMS offers deaf students a new paradigm of learning: For the first time they will be enabled to learn self-determined in their own language, the sign language

The Usability of E-learning Platforms in Higher Education: A Systematic Mapping Study

The use of e-learning in higher education has increased significantly in recent years, which has led to several studies being conducted to investigate the usability of the platforms that support it. A variety of different usability evaluation methods and attributes have been used, and it has therefore become important to start reviewing this work in a systematic way to determine how the field has developed in the last 15 years. This paper describes a systematic mapping study that performed searches on five electronic libraries to identify usability issues and methods that have been used to evaluate e-learning platforms. Sixty-one papers were selected and analysed, with the majority of studies using a simple research design reliant on questionnaires. The usability attributes measured were mostly related to effectiveness, satisfaction, efficiency, and perceived ease of use. Furthermore, several research gaps have been identified and recommendations have been made for further work in the area of the usability of online learning