A usability study of a web-based educational modeling software.

• Main Author: Lim, Samantha Zhen Ling.
• Other Authors: School of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Psychology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/44377
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Collaborative modeling tools offer various advantages in science inquiry learning. However, before learners can enjoy these benefits, the educational software has to be easy to use. This study focused on identifying usability flaws in a newly developed collaborative modeling tool, and proposed a series of recommendations for design improvements. Heuristic evaluation and usability testing were applied to uncover usage flaws, whereby findings from heuristic evaluation guided usability testing. Four dyads of university undergraduates were observed using a collaborative modeling tool to co create a model depicting a scientific phenomenon. A large number of usability problems were identified, classified according to severity, and addressed in a series of recommendations. Implications for software modification and educational software development were discussed.