Measuring consistency of web page design and its effects on performance and satisfaction

This study examines the methods for measuring the consistency levels of web pages and the effect of consistency on the performance and satisfaction of the world-wide web (WWW) user. For clarification, a home page is referred to as a single page that is the default page of a web site on the WWW. A web page refers to a single screen that indicates a specific address on the WWW. This study has tested a series of web pages that were mostly hyperlinked. Therefore, the term 'web page' has been adopted for the nomenclature while referring to the objects of which the features were tested. It was hypothesized that participants would perform better and be more satisfied using web pages that have consistent rather than inconsistent interface design; that the overall consistency level of an interface design would significantly correlate with the three elements of consistency, physical, communicational and conceptual consistency; and that physical and communicational consistencies would interact with each other. The hypotheses were tested in a four-group, between-subject design, with 10 participants in each group. The results partially support the hypothesis regarding error rate, but not regarding satisfaction and performance time. The results also support the hypothesis that each of the three elements of consistency significantly contribute to the overall consistency of a web page, and that physical and communicational consistencies interact with each other, while conceptual consistency does not interact with them.     

Significance of culture toward the usability of web design and its relationship with satisfaction

Universal Access in the Information Society - The aim of this study is to clarify the role of culture when measuring the usability of websites. This study offers a framework that can be used by...     

The effect of work-rest schedules and type of task on the discomfort and performance of VDT users

Consideration of the literature survey indicates that video display terminal (VDT) operators tend to have a high incidence of musculoskeletal problems, visual fatigue, and job stress. Although a number of ergonomic improvements in workstation design and work environment can help to reduce these problems, a proper work-rest schedule deserves consideration since it is easily applicable and inexpensive. The objective of this study was to compare the work-rest schedules for VDT operators considering data entry and mental arithmetic tasks. An experiment was conducted with 10 male college students as participants. The methodology included a discomfort questionnaire and performance measures. The independent variables were the work-rest schedule (60-minute work/10-minute rest, 30-minute work/5-minute rest, and 15-minute work/micro breaks) and the type of task (data entry and a mental arithmetic task). The results were analysed using multiple analysis of variance followed by separate analyses. The 15/micro schedule resulted in significantly lower discomfort in the neck, lower back, and chest than the other schedules for data entry task. The 30/5 schedule followed by 15/micro schedule resulted in the lowest eyestrain and blurred vision. Discomfort in the elbow and arm was the lowest with the 15/micro schedule for the mental arithmetic task. The 15/micro schedule resulted in the highest speed, accuracy, and performance for both of the tasks, compared with the 60/10 and 30/5 schedules. The data entry task resulted in significantly increased speed, accuracy, and performance, and lower shoulder and chest discomfort than the mental arithmetic task.     

The effects of usability and web design attributes on user preference for e-commerce web sites

This study examines the relationships among perceived usability before actual use, task completion time, and preference, and the effects of design attributes on user preference for e-commerce web sites. Nine online bookstore web sites were used by ten participants. Results indicate: (1) pre-use usability and task completion time were correlated; (2) the relationship between pre-use usability and preference was greater than that of task completion time and preference; (3) design attribute assessments after actual use were highly intercorrelated; and (4) organizational structure and layout had a greater effect on user preference than aesthetic aspects, such as color and typography. These findings can be used to construct a conceptual framework for understanding user preferences and to develop design guidelines to yield more highly preferred e-commerce web sites. Also, the methodology in this study can be applied to other computerized-applications.     

The effects of time-compressed audio and verbal redundancy on learner performance and satisfaction

Digital audio is becoming increasingly popular in higher education with faculty digitally recording and broadcasting lectures for students to learn-on-demand. Students have discovered accelerated playback features in popular computer software and use it to reduce the amount of time spent listening to audio-enhanced instruction. In the current study, 183 undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of three audio-enhanced multimedia presentations that were recorded at three speeds (1.0, 1.4, and 1.8). Results show no significant difference on performance across treatments and a significant difference on satisfaction in favor of 1.4 times the normal audio speed. The results also indicate statistical differences in favor of verbal redundancy, in which the same verbal information was presented on both an auditory and visual channel.     

The effects of gender differences on operational performance and satisfaction with car navigation systems

This study investigates whether gender differences have an impact on the definition of good interface design and whether manufacturers should develop interfaces that fit small-display portable car navigation systems (CNSs) based on gender. This work adopted an experimental design for collecting data from three tasks – locating points, planning routes, and searching polygons – each emphasizing a different aspect of way-finding. Study results show that gender, the CNS interface the participant used, and a combination of the two predict a person’s operational performance and satisfaction with a CNS. This study’s results provide a better understanding of whether manufacturers should develop interfaces that fit a CNS’s small display based on gender.     

The effects of download delay on performance and end-user satisfaction in an Internet tutorial

The present study investigated the effects of a variable unique to Internet-based learning; download delay of instructional materials. A simulated online teaching tool was created to measure the effects of download delay of images on test performance, time spent on the material, end-user satisfaction, and perceived effectiveness. Overall, download delay of instructional material had mixed effects on all four dependent variables. The results from this study appear to be the first empirical evidence that the effects of download delay are not linear, rather they are moderated by academic experience of the subject and difficulty of the material.     

Assessing the effects of service quality and justice on customer satisfaction and the continuance intention of mobile value-added services: An empirical test of a multidimensional model

Understanding the antecedents and consequences of customer satisfaction in the mobile communications market is important. This study explores the effects of service quality and justice on customer satisfaction, which, in turn, affects continuance intention of mobile services. Service quality, justice and customer satisfaction were measured by multiple dimensions. A research model was developed based on this multidimensional approach and was empirically examined with data collected from about one thousand users of mobile value-added services in China. Results show that all three dimensions of service quality (interaction quality, environment quality and outcome quality) have significant and positive effects on cumulative satisfaction while only one dimension of service quality (interaction quality) has a significant and positive effect on transaction-specific satisfaction. Besides procedural justice, the other two dimensions of justice (distributive justice and interactional justice) significantly influence both transaction-specific satisfaction and cumulative satisfaction. Furthermore, both types of customer satisfaction have significant and positive effects on continuance intention. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

The impact of learning design on student behaviour,satisfaction and performance: A cross-institutional comparison across 151 modules

Pedagogically informed designs of learning are increasingly of interest to researchers in blended and online learning, as learning design is shown to have an impact on student behaviour and outcomes. Although learning design is widely studied, often these studies are individual courses or programmes and few empirical studies have connected learning designs of a substantial number of courses with learning behaviour. In this study we linked 151 modules and 111.256 students with students' behaviour (<400 million minutes of online behaviour), satisfaction and performance at the Open University UK using multiple regression models. Our findings strongly indicate the importance of learning design in predicting and understanding Virtual Learning Environment behaviour and performance of students in blended and online environments. In line with proponents of social learning theories, our primary predictor for academic retention was the time learners spent on communication activities, controlling for various institutional and disciplinary factors. Where possible, appropriate and well designed communication tasks that align with the learning objectives of the course may be a way forward to enhance academic retention.     

Software ergonomics: effects of computer application design parameters on operator task performance and health

Abstract

Evidence is reviewed that the operating characteristics of computer application systems, in addition to physical characteristics of display units (CRTs), are the cause of many observed effects on operator health and task effectiveness. These effects are hypothesized to occur through changes in task structure, and the man-machine redivision of labour that results when computer application systems are introduced into work setting. First, the association between task dimensions and models of operator performance effectiveness and well-being are reviewed. Second, application system design parameters that affect task structure are identified. Then, empirical evidence supporting this three-part causal linkage—application system parameters to task characteristics to operator effectiveness and health—is presented. The findings suggest that by improving dialogue quality, taking advantage of two-way communication to reduce uncertainty, using smaller and less integrated systems and matching system performance to operator needs a job can be created that is likely to improve both operator well-being and effectiveness.     

Ergonomic aspects of aircraft keyboard design: the effects of gloves and sensory feedback on keying performance

Increasing requirements for aircraft keyboards have indicated inadequacies in ergonomic standards for airborne environments, in particular for tasks involving unskilled, discontinuous data entry, with emphasis on accuracy rather than speed. Four experiments are reported from a programme of research aimed at the development and application of methodologies for assessing factors relevant to keyboard design. Experiment 1 demonstrated that the effects of various aircrew gloves on a representative aircraft data entry task are highly situation specific. Experiment 2 showed that gloves impaired performance on a high compatibility continuous keying task, with relatively high keying rates, and that this impairment was not reduced by additional auditory feedback. Experiment 3 demonstrated that the high compatibility keying task provided a successful methodology for investigating the effects of key displacement and resistance on speed and accuracy. Experiment 4 indicated the relative contributions of reduced tactility and mobility to the effects on keying and manipulative performance caused by aircrew gloves. Together, these experiments suggest that kinaesthetic and tactile feedback associated with keying are relatively unaffected by aircrew gloves, and that restrictions on mobility caused by gloves may be more important for continuous data entry involving relatively high keying rates     

Vertical versus dynamic menus on the world wide web: Eye tracking study measuring the influence of menu design and task complexity on user performance and subjective preference

Web sites need fast and effective navigation systems. An eye tracking laboratory study with n = 120 participants was conducted to compare the influence of different navigation designs (vertical versus dynamic menus) and task complexity (simple versus complex navigation tasks) on user performance, navigation strategy, and subjective preference. With vertical menus, users needed less eye fixations, were faster and more successful. We conclude that, firstly, vertical menus fit better to perception and cognition than dynamic menus, where the navigation items are hidden and must be accessed by an additional mouse click. Secondly, navigation systems should be extended with different kinds of navigation items adapted to the complexity of the users’ navigation tasks, because users tend to switch their navigation strategy when confronted with complex tasks.     

On the need for attention-aware systems: Measuring effects of interruption on task performance,error rate,and affective state

This paper reports results from a controlled experiment (N = 50) measuring effects of interruption on task completion time, error rate, annoyance, and anxiety. The experiment used a sample of primary and peripheral tasks representative of those often performed by users. Our experiment differs from prior interruption experiments because it measures effects of interrupting a user’s tasks along both performance and affective dimensions and controls for task workload by manipulating only the time at which peripheral tasks were displayed – between vs. during the execution of primary tasks. Results show that when peripheral tasks interrupt the execution of primary tasks, users require from 3% to 27% more time to complete the tasks, commit twice the number of errors across tasks, experience from 31% to 106% more annoyance, and experience twice the increase in anxiety than when those same peripheral tasks are presented at the boundary between primary tasks. An important implication of our work is that attention-aware systems could mitigate effects of interruption by deferring presentation of peripheral information until coarse boundaries are reached during task execution. As our results show, deferring presentation for a short time, i.e. just a few seconds, can lead to a large mitigation of disruption.     

Characterization of intermedia synchronization and its effects on the performance of an ATM multiplexer loaded by multimedia traffic

The time relationships which characterize the intermedia synchronization in a multimedia stream affect network performance. For this purpose in this paper a new parameter is introduced, here referred to as the intermedia synchronization index (ISI), which measures the intermedia relationships in a multimedia stream. The parameter is defined as the cross-covariance between the monomedia streams in the multimedia flow, and it is calculated in terms of the parameters of the emission process introduced in this paper to model a multimedia source. Also, an analytical framework is introduced in order to calculate the statistics of the loss process, the overload and underload periods, and the output process of an ATM multiplexer loaded by multimedia traffic. The influence of the ISI on these statistics is shown by means of examples in a case study.     

Assessing the effects of gamification in the classroom: A longitudinal study on intrinsic motivation,social comparison,satisfaction, effort,and academic performance

Gamification, the application of game elements to non-game settings, continues to grow in popularity as a method to increase student engagement in the classroom. We tested students across two courses, measuring their motivation, social comparison, effort, satisfaction, learner empowerment, and academic performance at four points during a 16-week semester. One course received a gamified curriculum, featuring a leaderboard and badges, whereas the other course received the same curriculum without the gamified elements. Our results found that students in the gamified course showed less motivation, satisfaction, and empowerment over time than those in the non-gamified class. The effect of course type on students' final exam scores was mediated by students' levels of intrinsic motivation, with students in the gamified course showing less motivation and lower final exam scores than the non-gamified class. This suggests that some care should be taken when applying certain gamification mechanics to educational settings.     

Examining the effects of field dependence–independence on learners' problem-solving performance and interaction with a computer modeling tool: Implications for the design of joint cognitive systems

An investigation was carried out to examine the effects of cognitive style on learners' performance and interaction during complex problem solving with a computer modeling tool. One hundred and nineteen undergraduates volunteered to participate in the study. Participants were first administered a test, and based on their test scores they were classified into three groups, namely field-dependent, field-mixed, and field-independent learners. Participants then received the same set of integrated-format materials and were asked to use a computer modeling tool to solve a complex problem about immigration policy. A multivariate analysis of variance was performed with field type as the independent variable, and cognitive load, problem-solving performance, and learner interaction with the computer tool as the dependent variables. The results indicated that there was no significant difference in terms of the amount of cognitive load reported. However, there was a significant difference in terms of learner problem-solving performance. Specifically, field-independent learners outperformed field-dependent learners, and field-mixed learners outperformed field-dependent learners. The results also indicated significant differences in computer interaction between field-independent and field-dependent learners, and between field-mixed and field-dependent learners. The qualitative findings of the study showed that students who interacted poorly with the software were unsure about how to systematically use the affordances of the computer tool to solve the problem, did not have a goal-directed plan or strategy in mind about how to investigate the issue at hand, and had difficulty with testing the immigration policies by appropriately controlling variables in order to collect data to inform decision making. Implications are discussed in terms of designing computer systems that scaffold learners' complex problem solving by considering the cognitive demands of the task.