How Do You Get the Information You Need? Triangulation in Usability-Testing

Two Explorative Studies

Abstract

The efficiency of multimedia environments depends on more than appropriate pedagogical frameworks: Learners must not be distracted from their initial learning task by unnecessary or inconvenient features of the screen design. A bad usability does hurt learning by increasing the extraneous cognitive load. But what would be the best way to examine the usability of e-learning-systems from the user’s point of view? We are looking at the methods and the results they produce. Based on a Pilot-Study we conducted a second study exploring the outcomes of two popular assessment-techniques: Thinking-aloud and group discussion, both in a semi structured and structured condition.