Usability Evaluation Methodology for Web-based Educational Systems

Over the past decade the field of education has experienced the introduction of the Internet, which has radically altered the way humans teach and learn. In conjunction with other advances within ICT, here including multimedia, networking and software engineering, this has enabled the appearance of new generations of computer-based educational systems. Inclusion of intelligence and adaptivity has additionally led to the development of Web-oriented educational systems like Web-based intelligent authoring shells, which provide the means for automated generation of emulators of human teachers in the process of learning and teaching. Our research is focused on user interfaces for Web-based intelligent authoring shells, which enhance with adaptive and "Web-based" features the operating capabilities of legacy "on-site" systems. In the paper we describe the methodology for such Web-based shell's usability evaluation, along with results thus achieved. The methodology itself is composed of three usability evaluation methods including a scenario-based end-user testing, guidelines set for system review and a user-interaction satisfaction questionnaire.

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