Web Evaluation

Why we need to evaluate?

Web – has becoming one of the main resources of learning – therefore it has to be evaluated.

To assess the instructional qualities of a Web page/site

Classic methods of evaluation:

¨ the use of experts

¨ let people test

¨ use the results of others and

¨ have a look of the use in real life

Experts can be the teacher himself or an external person.

What do experts check?

¨ the content of a software,

¨ have a look at the quality of finding fast an information

¨ make an assessment (just explain his impression),

¨ draw a comparison between different versions

Web Evaluation Process:

- Formative Evaluation & Summative Evaluation

Formative Evaluation:

¨ A method of judging the worth of a program/product while the program activities/products are forming or happening. Formative evaluation focuses on the process (Bhola, 1990)

Summative Evaluation:

¨ A method of judging the worth of a program/product at the end of the program activities/products. The focus is on the outcome (Bhola 1990).

Usability Testing for web:

¨ Usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to use.

¨ The word "usability" also refers to methods for improving ease-of-use during the design process.

Why usability testing is important?

¨ Usability is a necessary condition for survival.

¨ If a website is difficult to use, people leave.

¨ If the homepage fails to clearly state what a company offers and what users can do on the site, people leave.

¨ If users get lost on a website, they leave.

¨ If a website's information is hard to read or doesn't answer users' key questions, they leave.

Usability is defined by five quality components:

¨ Learnability: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design?

¨ Efficiency: Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks?

¨ Memorability: When users return to the design after a period of not using it, how easily can they reestablish proficiency?

¨ Errors: How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they recover from the errors?

¨ Satisfaction: How pleasant is it to use the design?

Accessibility & Usability Testing for web: Seven Factors

¨ Navigation & Page Layout - Web Site navigation design and page layout

¨ Visual Presentation & Customization - Design, color and presentation issues including the requirements for user control

¨ Text Descriptions for Images - Implementation and appropriate use of various tags or attributes for images

¨ Accessible Mark-up for forms, lists, scripts and tables - Use of appropriate mark-up language to achieve accessible elements

¨ Use & Presentation of Written Language - Use of clear and concise, recognizable language conventions and configuration of letters, words, sentence and paragraphs

¨ Accessible Issues for Other Media Types - Providing accessible media (e.g. video and audio files), accessible documents formats (e.g. PowerPoint and PDF document files)

¨ Help, Searches, Errors & Documentation - Contextual help, dealing with errors and other useful documentation

What are the tools??

¨ Observation, In-depth interviews

¨ Surveys, Focus Groups, Analysis, Reports, and Dialogue with Users

¨ Form, Checklist or Rubric