Abstract Evaluating the Usability of Web-based Learning Tools

Abstract

Web-based learning tools provide integrated environments of various technologies to support diverse educators ’ and learners ’ needs via the Internet. This paper reports the results from a study to experimentally compare two commercially available learning tools in a university course. We discuss the findings from this study in relation to basic usability issues that must be attended to when designing user interfaces for webbased learning tools. Findings regarding navigation, customization, student management and content creation as well as students ' rating of tool features such as the 'online quiz ' and 'assignment ' are discussed in detail. We also report on students ’ perceptions of whether the tools impacted positively or negatively their learning in the course and their recommendations to universities who may be considering campus-wide adoption of web-based learning tools. The article closes with recommendations for universities, educators and tool-developers for the development and use of web-based learning tools that take into account the importance of usability issues in the choice of web-based learning tools and recognition of the situatedness of students and educators within real life contexts. Keywords: Web based learning tool; empirical evaluation; distributed learning tool, human computer interaction. 1