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Centre for eLearning Development - Resources

Usability

Usability relates to the user-friendly operation of web sites. This may be rated in terms of the web site's ease of navigation, how quick it was to find the information or resources the user was looking for after they arrived at the site, and whether the site is fit for purpose. Sites with good usability ratings allow those browsing to find what they are looking for quickly, with good signposting, clarity and no increase of frustration on the part of the web user. Usability is often bundled with Accessibility. Although they may be considered as two separate web design issues, a successful site will embrace both. A usable site may be completely inaccessible to a web user with a learning difficulty. Likewise, sites designed with too strong an emphasis on accessibility issues may become less user-friendly for other web users.

In eLearning design usability is a key issue. Online learning students need to be able to find their way round the course and locate and use the available learning materials in the best way. The following links may provide some guidance on usability issues when building courses:

Organisations

• The TechDis Seven precepts of Usability and Accessibility
  Seven of the key issues in developing web sites with good usability and accessibility ratings, as recommended by the JISC TechDis service.
  
  
• Usability Professionals Association (UPA)
  Definitions of usability and guidelines from the UPA, plus links to useful reading and organisations linked to usability.
  
  
• Usability First
  Includes a useful introduction to the concept of usability and a glossary of usability-related terms.
  
  
• Web Design and Usability Guidelines
  This site, produced by the National Cancer Institute in the USA provides top Web design and usability guidelines.

Texts

• Web Style Guide (1999)
  Written by Patrick J. Lynch and Sarah Horton, this book introduces basic design principles for creating web sites with usability in mind.

page last modified 20 November, 2006