The impact of cultural context on web design for e-Government in South Africa

The role and power of ICT today, particularly the Internet, cannot be underestimated. The Internet has a great impact on the business environment, where a large majority of companies and organisations have made substantial investments in an online presence in the form of websites, as well as the IT infrastructure needed to improve business processes. In terms of websites, research has shown that it is critical to identify the target market of the site and the actual users, and to construct the site according to their specific needs and preferences. This is to a large extent the focus of the field of Human Computer Interaction. It therefore makes perfect sense that many software products and websites fail to meet the users‟ needs, as they are designed mainly by Western designers for Eastern and African users. In essence, the failure is due to the fact that the design does not accommodate the cultural behaviours, understandings and preferences of the intended users, thus making it difficult for them to use and adopt them. This has been confirmed by many researchers who have studied various culture dimensions and their relation to Web design. As mentioned, the role of the Internet in terms of its effect in the business world is becoming increasingly important. However, the Internet could prove to play an influential role in the public sector as well and could therefore be used as a critical tool by government in the form of e-Government. Many countries are adopting e-Government initiatives in an attempt to improve their relations within government itself and with their citizens and businesses. This would help them to render better service delivery and at the same time empower the citizens to also participate in the governance of the country itself. The concept for this dissertation was formulated in terms of three key ingredients: e-Government, culture dimensions and Web design. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the way a specific culture dimension, referred to as the cultural-context dimension, which focuses on the communication process, can impact in Web design. Once this is achieved, it will be possible to determine how this can positively affect the design of the South African e-Government website so that the overall usability of the site may be improved. The improvements will be justified because the site would then match the cultural behaviours, perceptions and Web design preferences of South African users. In short, the goal of this III dissertation is to provide guidelines and recommendations that will improve the South African e-Government website (www.gov.za) by examining anthropologist Edward Hall‟s cultural-context dimension and its role in the Web design process

A framework to evaluate usable security in online social networking

It is commonly held in the literature that users find security and privacy difficult to comprehend. It is also acknowledged that most end-user applications and websites have built-in security and privacy features. Users are expected to interact with these in order to protect their personal information. However, security is generally a secondary goal for users. Considering the complexity associated with security in combination with the notion that it is not users’ primary task, it makes sense that users tend to ignore their security responsibilities. As a result, they make poor security-related decisions and, consequently, their personal information is at risk. Usable Security is the field that investigates these types of issue, focusing on the design of security and privacy features that are usable. In order to understand and appreciate the complexities that exist in the field of Usable Security, the research fields of Human-Computer Interaction and Information Security should be examined. Accordingly, the Information Security field is concerned with all aspects pertaining to the security and privacy of information, while the field of Human-Computer Interaction is concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use. This research delivers a framework to evaluate Usable Security in online social networks. In this study, online social networks that are particular to the health domain were used as a case study and contributed to the development of a framework consisting of three components: a process, a validation tool and a Usable Security heuristic evaluation. There is no existing qualitative process that describes how one would develop and validate a heuristic evaluation. In this regard a heuristic evaluation is a usability inspection method that is used to evaluate the design of an interface for any usability violations in the field of Human-Computer Interaction. Therefore, firstly, a new process and a validation tool were required to be developed. Once this had been achieved, the process could then be followed to develop a new heuristic evaluation that is specific to Usable Security. In order to assess the validity of a new heuristic evaluation a validation tool is used. The development of tools that can improve the design of security and privacy features on end-user applications and websites in terms of their usability is critical, as this will ensure that the intended users experience them as usable and can utilise them effectively. The framework for evaluating Usable Security contributes to this objective in the context of online social networks

A framework to evaluate usable security in online social networking

It is commonly held in the literature that users find security and privacy difficult to comprehend. It is also acknowledged that most end-user applications and websites have built-in security and privacy features. Users are expected to interact with these in order to protect their personal information. However, security is generally a secondary goal for users. Considering the complexity associated with security in combination with the notion that it is not users’ primary task, it makes sense that users tend to ignore their security responsibilities. As a result, they make poor security-related decisions and, consequently, their personal information is at risk. Usable Security is the field that investigates these types of issue, focusing on the design of security and privacy features that are usable. In order to understand and appreciate the complexities that exist in the field of Usable Security, the research fields of Human-Computer Interaction and Information Security should be examined. Accordingly, the Information Security field is concerned with all aspects pertaining to the security and privacy of information, while the field of Human-Computer Interaction is concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use. This research delivers a framework to evaluate Usable Security in online social networks. In this study, online social networks that are particular to the health domain were used as a case study and contributed to the development of a framework consisting of three components: a process, a validation tool and a Usable Security heuristic evaluation. There is no existing qualitative process that describes how one would develop and validate a heuristic evaluation. In this regard a heuristic evaluation is a usability inspection method that is used to evaluate the design of an interface for any usability violations in the field of Human-Computer Interaction. Therefore, firstly, a new process and a validation tool were required to be developed. Once this had been achieved, the process could then be followed to develop a new heuristic evaluation that is specific to Usable Security. In order to assess the validity of a new heuristic evaluation a validation tool is used. The development of tools that can improve the design of security and privacy features on end-user applications and websites in terms of their usability is critical, as this will ensure that the intended users experience them as usable and can utilise them effectively. The framework for evaluating Usable Security contributes to this objective in the context of online social networks

Interactive Software Technology for Deaf Users: Mapping the HCI Research Landscape that Focuses on Accessibility

The purpose of this paper is to chart research developments in HCI literature that focuses on accessibility for the deaf user group. A map for this particular landscape has been constructed based on a review of the four most relevant sources in HCI that focuses on accessibility, from 2000 to 2013. The map describes topics of research that are covered under the umbrella of Interactive Software Technology (IST) for deaf users in HCI literature that focuses on accessibility. To construct the map and identify these topics a systematic approach was applied, involving a number of stages and employing several research methods (literature review, focus group and card sorting). The resulting map, which underwent three revisions, consists of 23 code categories in total: 3 main categories, 8 subcategories, 7 second-level subcategories and 5 third-level subcategories. This paper can act as a guide for other researchers interested in conducting research within this landscape

Development and Validation of an Evaluation Toolkit to Appraise eLearning Courses in Higher Education: A Pilot Study

The development and evaluation of eLearning approaches is a global trend in higher education today. This study aimed to develop a companion evaluation toolkit consisting of formative and summative assessment scales to evaluate academics’ experiences in designing, delivering, and evaluating eLearning. To test the psychometric properties of the companion evaluation toolkit, an instrument validation study was conducted. Items were created, then tested for content and face validity. A confirmatory factor analysis (n = 185 participants) for the summative assessment scale examined the underlying structure of the scale, while reliability was assessed using the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The results show that the model examined is consistent with the 3 factors (33 items) explaining a total of 62% of the variance. The results also show a high level of reliability for both the formative and summative scales that comprise the companion evaluation toolkit. The results of this study can be used and welcomed by both teachers and professionals involved in the development and use of learning management systems or in the design, delivery, and evaluation of the eLearning process

European Union digital education quality standard framework and companion evaluation toolkit

The Covid-19 pandemic positioned digital education in a new light. The need for educational institutions to develop strategies, standards and establish quality assurance across digital education became even more evident. This paper describes the four-step process of designing an interactive European Union (EU) Digital Education Quality Standard Framework and Companion Evaluation Toolkit to guide the design, delivery and evaluation of effective digital education. (1) A review of literature of existing digital education frameworks and models is presented. (2) Variables and sub-variables inherent in designing, delivering and evaluating effective digital education are identified. (3) Next the variables and sub-variables in the framework are defined. (4) The process of designing the interactive framework diagram is described with the companion evaluation toolkit outlined. The proposed framework is flexible and applicable to entities and audiences regardless of where they are in the online learning adoption process