Pradeep Yammiyavar

Usability constructs: a cross-cultural study of how users and developers experience their use of information systems

Whereas research on usability predominantly employs universal definitions of the aspects that comprise usability, people experience their use of information systems through personal constructs. Based on 48 repertory-grid interviews, this study investigates how such personal constructs are affected by two factors crucial to the international development and uptake of information systems: cultural background (Chinese, Danish, or Indian) and stakeholder group (developer or user). We find that for the user group frustrating and useful systems are experienced similarly, whereas for the developers frustrating systems are experienced similarly to easy-to-use systems. Looking at the most characteristic construct for each participant we find that Chinese participants use constructs related to security, task types, training, and system issues, whereas Danish and to some extent Indian participants make more use of constructs traditionally associated with usability (e.g., easy-to-use, intuitive, and liked). Further analysis of the data is ongoing.

Cultural usability tests - how usability tests are not the same all over the world

The cultural diversity of users of technology challenges our methods for usability evaluation. In this paper we report on a multi-site, cross-cultural grounded theory field study of think aloud testing in seven companies in three countries (Denmark, China and India). The theoretical model that emerges from the data suggests that the production of a usability problem list is multicausal and subject to cultural variations. Even the way usability problems are experienced by test participants may be different. In the discussion we outline practical guidelines for a test that is more sensitive towards cultural usability.

Personal Usability Constructs: How People Construe Usability across Nationalities and Stakeholder Groups

Whereas the concept of usability is predominantly defined analytically, people relate to systems through personal usability constructs. Based on 48 repertory-grid interviews, this study investigates how such personal constructs are affected by two factors crucial to the international development and uptake of systems: nationality (Chinese, Danish, or Indian) and stakeholder group (developer or user). We find no significant overall difference across nationalities, but further analyses suggest that conventional usability aspects such as ease of use and simplicity are prominent for Chinese and Danish but not Indian participants and that a distinction between work and leisure-related communication is central to Chinese and Indian but not Danish participants. For stakeholder groups, we find a significant overall difference between developers and users. Unlike developers, users associate ease of use with leisure and, conversely, difficulty in use with work-relatedness. Further, users perceive usefulness as related to frustration and separate from ease of use, whereas developers construe usefulness, fun, and ease of use as related. In construing usability, participants make use of several constructs that are not part of prevailing usability definitions, including usefulness, fun, and security.

Design Approach for E-learning Systems: Should it be User Centered or Learner Centered

E-learning systems have overcome the temporal &spatial constraints of traditional learning environments in extending educational opportunities to one and all. With a growth rate of 35.6%, the e-learning market is expanding in a phenomenal pace, still many e-learning systems fail. One of the important factors that determine the success of information systems is the ability of the system to satisfy its users. This paper focuses on the system design perspective, one among various factors that account for userssatisfaction in e-learning systems and argues that for enhanced user satisfaction; a learner Centered framework should be adopted over user Centered frame work for design of e-learning systems.

A behavioral approach to modeling Indian children's ability of adopting to e-learning environment

E-Learning is making inroads into schools in India in a large scale. Making use of information and communication technology (ICT) for learning can be very effective in delivering education to masses and thereby bridging the educational divide. How far is e-learning suitable, feasible and acceptable to school children of developing country like India is a question that needs careful study. This paper reports an exploratory study of investigating a school students perspective of acceptance of e-learning as a tool for supplementing school education. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used to model influence of factors like individual preferences, computer-friendliness, perceived ease-of-use, perceived usefulness, attitudes and intentions - on usage or adoption of e-learning by children. Childrens mental models were analysed for understanding their beliefs and feelings towards e-learning. The results show TAM to be partially effective tool in investigating childrens behavioural intention towards using e-learning. It was observed that facilitating conditions directly and strongly affected e-learning usage while intention to use e-learning was not much influential in driving the e-learning usage.

Developing a Mobile Phone Based GUI for Users in the Construction Industry: A Case Study

This paper reports work done in conceptualizing, developing and testing of a mobile phone based graphical user interface (GUI) package targeted at users from the construction industry. System analysis and information design principles were adopted during the development processes. Starting from user requirements based on field studies the development of graphic icons and their testing has been outlined. In addition to integrating individual icons into a GUI, coding and loading the application on a mobile phone has been done to enable testing of the GUI prototype. Users from the construction trade (sample size = 29), randomly selected, were asked to evaluate the designed icons in terms of their acceptance, adaptability and learnability aspects. It was found that learnability of the new GUI was more dependent on age and education level of the user rather than on the length of prior experience they had with mobile phones in general. The length of experience of using mobiles may not be an indicator of learnability in new applications for such user segments due to rapid rise in ‘digital literacy’ levels amongst semi literate users.

Status of HCI and Usability Research in Indian Educational Institutions

HCI is an emerging area of great potential in India. While Design schools were already advocating it as part of Design education since a decade, it has yet to consolidate itself as an independent area of specialization in a learning institution. Computer science and Information technology institutions have started taking interest in HCI. There is urgency for training more researchers in this filed. This paper traces briefly the evolution of HCI in educational institutions in India. It highlights through samples of research work done in one or two institutions such as IITG.

Tracing cognitive processes for usability evaluation: a cross cultural mind tape study

Cultural differences in cognitive processes and cognitive tools have been extensively documented. Design and use of culturally sensitive interfaces have been in demand in HCI for sometime. In this study the method of stimulated retrospective verbalization which is called here as Mind Tape study, has been used to capture cognitive differences of Danish and Indian users while interacting with chosen websites on a given task. The recording of the interaction captures screen activities and video of user. The replay of the recording is used as stimulus during a voice over interview. Using Mind tape, not only the sequence of activities during task fulfillment is observed, but also an insight into the users cognitive processes, motives and intentions, regarding the choices made and activities done are recorded. The paper reports the cultural sensitivity and suitability of the mind tape method for cross cultural usability evaluations in light of the study conducted.

A study of the impact of task complexity and interface design on e-learning task adaptations

E-learners use different strategies of learning and interactions in different learning situations. The learning tasks complexity and the design of user interface used together influences learners adaptations in their interaction tasks. This research studies influence of tasks complexity and interface design, on learners adaptations in interaction tasks. The study reveals learners interaction behavior in situations of changing cognitive demands of learning tasks. The participants of the study solved learning tests using an e-learning web application with two distinct types of graphical user interfaces (GUI-1 and GUI-2). GUI-1 had hierarchical navigation design while GUI-2 had non-hierarchical design. Different sample groups (K, C and A) were administered learning tests having different complexities such as knowledge based (K), comprehension based (C) and application based (A). The interaction tasks such as total pages visited (Tpv) and total operations done (Top) during the learning tests were recorded for computing task adaptation score (TAS). The adaptation scores for GUI-1 and GUI-2 in various sample groups (K, C and A) were compared and analyzed. The study concludes that the hierarchical or non-hierarchical navigation designs have no significant effect on learners adaptations in Tpv and Top. However learning test complexity (knowledge, comprehension and application) significantly affects task adaptation scores.

Design of a Template for Handwriting Based Hindi Text Entry in Handheld Devices

Mobile phones, in the recent times, have become affordable and accessible to a wider range of users including the hitherto technologically and economically under-represented segments. Indian users are a gigantic consumer base for mobile phones. With Hindi being one of the most widely spoken languages in the country and the primary tool of communication for about a third of its population, an effective solution for Hindi text entry in mobile devices is expected to be immensely useful to the non English speaking users. This paper proposes a mobile phone handwriting based text entry solution for Hindi language, which allows for an easy text entry method, while facilitating better recognition accuracy.