Evolution by Evaluation

This paper describes the process of formally evaluating an E-Learning system that has been in use for several years. Professional usability evaluation offers deeper insight into user behaviour and needs than accidental feedback collection or introspection by system developers. A first analysis of the evaluation samples shows satisfaction of users with the general design of the system but also dissatisfaction with certain aspects of navigation that would otherwise have escaped our attention. State of the art formal evaluation turned out to be instrumental in making an existing system considerably more user-friendly.

[1]  Betty Collis,et al.  Collaborative learning in a contribution-oriented pedagogy. , 2005 .

[2]  Kai-Uwe Carstensen,et al.  Problem-based Web-based Teaching in a Computational Linguistics Curriculum , 2003 .

[3]  T. Landauer,et al.  Handbook of Human-Computer Interaction , 1997 .

[4]  Alastair G. Smith,et al.  Online and Distance Learning: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools and Applications , 2008 .

[5]  Lester R. Bittel,et al.  TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK. , 1967 .

[6]  Cerstin Mahlow,et al.  Sentence completion tests for training and assessment in a computational linguistics curriculum , 2004, COLING 2004.

[7]  D. Wentura,et al.  Wissenschaftliche Beobachtung: eine Einführung , 1997 .

[8]  Lawrence Tomei Advancing Education with Information Communication Technologies: Facilitating New Trends , 2011 .

[9]  Rachael Knight,et al.  Encyclopedia of Distance Learning , 2005 .

[10]  Deren Chen,et al.  An Ontology Infrastructure for an E-Learning Scenario , 2007, Int. J. Distance Educ. Technol..

[11]  Kelly Wilkinson,et al.  Business Report Writing Students' Perceptions of Their Ability to Succeed in an Online Environment vs. Students' Performance in an Online Course , 2009, Int. J. Inf. Commun. Technol. Educ..

[12]  Ugur Demiray,et al.  Ethical Practices and Implications in Distance Learning , 2008 .

[13]  Rachael Knight,et al.  Teaching Medical Statistics over the Internet , 2009 .

[14]  Gary A. Berg Distance Learning as Commercializing Higher Education , 2005 .

[15]  Jakob Nielsen,et al.  Usability engineering , 1997, The Computer Science and Engineering Handbook.