Make E-Learning Effortless! Impact of a Redesigned User Interface on Usability through the Application of an Affordance Design Approach
Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: Introduction Studies on affordances in the field of e-learning have mainly examined the affordance characteristics of certain e-learning technologies. These studies looked at affordance attributes such as accessibility, entertainment exchange, information repositories in asynchronous video conferencing tools (Krauskopf, Zahn, & Hesse, 2012), multimedia access and collection, communication, and representation of thought and knowledge in handheld devices (Song, 2011), enhanced spatial knowledge representation for experiential learning, improved contextualization of learning and richer effective collaboration learning for 3-D virtual environments (Dalgarno & Lee 2010), hints and tips for solving problems related to blogs (Robertson, 2011), and educational affordances of ubiquitous learning environments (Fu, Chu, & Kang, 2013; Tan, Lin, Chu, & Liu, 2013). However, very few studies on the development of affordable e-learning technologies have been conducted. One of the reasons for this is a lack of design guidelines for improving the affordances of e-learning user interfaces. Many user interfaces have been developed based on structured and iterative methodologies. These methodologies consist of a series of processes involving analysis, user task analysis, heuristic evaluation, formative evaluation, and summative comparative evaluation (Shneiderman, Plaisant, Cohen, & Jacobs, 2009). However, this functional design approach does not pay attention to affordances, properties of an object that induce specific behaviors on the part of users, and is therefore limited in that intended affordances are not systematically considered in the design process. Given that affordances are complex to identify and difficult to induce through the design process, an alternative design method is needed for improving affordance values. To address this issue, Maier and Fadel (2009) suggest Affordance-Based Design (ABD), which helps designers to simultaneously analyze users' needs, consider the affordance requirements of learning tasks, and identify the affordances of artifact components such as technological components simultaneously during the design process. This method has been actively used in reengineering architecture to improve affordance values. However, few studies have identified and improved affordances in the e-learning field. Studies on cognitive information processing theories indicate that our cognitive systems have limited capacity and thus, learners must select those that best match their goals (Clark & Mayer, 2011). Employing an Affordance-Based Design method is expected to help designers to select a minimalist approach that avoids overloading working memory by identifying and systematically increasing affordances that are pertinent to a specific technology for targeted learning tasks. Thus, the purpose of this study was to make e-learning user interface affordable with affordance support. To achieve this purpose, design strategies were suggested by looking at the improvement in the usability of an existing e-learning user interface from an affordance perspective. The effects on pedagogical usability were then examined. Theoretical framework of the e-learning content user interface and affordances A user interface affects the efficient use of e-learning content because it functions as an information channel that mediates the relationships between users and artifacts. Usability is the degree of ease with which the system can be used and with which it promotes learning and, thus, is important in user-centered interface design (Nielsen, 1993). Given that a user interface interacts with users through their direct and cognitive perceptions (McGrenere & Ho, 2000), a critical factor to be considered for improving the usability of an e-learning content user interface is to make it more affordable; that is, to enhance the affordances that it provides. …
Source: Educational Technology & Society
Authors: Hyungjoo Park, Hae‐Deok Song
Language: English
Subfield: Human-Computer Interaction
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W1248863631