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What is Usability Research

Chapter 45
Handbook of Research on Virtual Workplaces and the New Nature of Business Practices
The integration of usability work into all areas and all stages of design so that users are contributing to development. Acknowledges and fosters a space of professionalization for graduate students and a space for ongoing, critical practices that benefit everyone involved in the project, including researchers, faculty, staff, and so forth.
Published in Chapter:
Usability and User-Centered Theory for 21st Century OWLs
Dana Lynn Driscoll (Purdue University, USA), H. Allen Brizee (Purdue University, USA), Michael Salvo (Purdue University, USA), and Morgan Sousa (Purdue University, USA)
Copyright: © 2008 |Pages: 18
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-59904-893-2.ch045
Abstract
This chapter describes results of usability research conducted on the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). The Purdue OWL is an information-rich educational Web site that provides free writing resources to users worldwide. Researchers conducted two generations of usability tests. In the first test, participants were asked to navigate the OWL and answer questions. Results of the first test and user-centered scholarship indicated that a more user-centered focus would improve usability. The second test asked participants to answer writing-related questions using both the OWL Web site and a user-centered OWL prototype. Participants took significantly less time to find information using the prototype and reported a more positive response to the user-centered prototype than the original OWL. Researchers conclude that a user-centered Web site is more effective and can be a model for information-rich online resources. Researchers also conclude that usability research can be a productive source of ideas, underscoring the need for participatory invention.
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