Week 1

Question 1

What is Usability?

Answer 1

The degree to which something is able or fit to be used.

Question 2

LEAF Criteria Shackle, 1986/1991

Answer 2

Learnability
Effectiveness
Attitude
Flexibility

Question 3

Learnability - LEAF

Answer 3

Users must be able to learn to use the system after a certain amount of training.

Question 4

Effectiveness - LEAF

Answer 4

Use of a system in a number of environments, within a certain time, and within error limits.

Question 5

Attitude - LEAF

Answer 5

Positive attitudes towards using the system and levels of tiredness or discomfort are kept to a minimum.

Question 6

Flexibility - LEAF

Answer 6

User performance must not degrade beyond a certain limit across tasks and environments.

Question 7

What concept did Booth (1989) think needs to be incorporated into the definition of usability?

Answer 7

Usefulness

Question 8

3 areas for Nielsen (1993) - framework for usability?

Answer 8

1) System acceptability
2) Practical acceptability
3) Usefulness/Usability

Question 9

System acceptability - Framework for Usability

Answer 9

Social acceptability and Practical acceptability

Question 10

Practical acceptability - framework for usability

Answer 10

1) Utility
2) Cost
3) Comparability
4) Reliability
5) Usefulness/Usability

Question 11

Usefulness/Usability - Framework for Usability

Answer 11

1) Efficient to use
2) Easy to learn
3) Easy to remember
4) Few errors
5) Subjectively pleasing

Question 12

Jordan (1995) extention on Nielsen’s usability concepts

Answer 12

Include system potential and system reusability.

Question 13

System potential

Answer 13

Achieving optimal performance - optimal level of effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction that is possible (the upper limit of experienced user performance).

Question 14

Reusability

Answer 14

Level of performance after non-use - the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction with which the specified users can achieve specified tasks with a particular product after a comparatively long period away from these tasks (decrement in performance).

Question 15

Marazano (1998) - emotions associated with products?

Answer 15

Product properties that influence the level of pleasure/displeasure.

Question 16

‘Ease of use’

Answer 16

Something that significantly impacts our emotional reaction to a product.

Question 17

5 E’s? - What makes technology useable?

Answer 17

• Effective - the completeness and accuracy with which users achieve specific goals.
• Efficient - the speed (with accuracy) in which users can complete the tasks for which they use the product.
• Engaging - how pleasant, satisfying, or interesting the piece is.
• Error tolerant - how well the product prevents errors and helps users recover from any errors that do occur,
• Easy to learn - how well the product supports both initial orientation and deeper meaning.

Question 18

What does confound mean?

Answer 18

Things we can control for effect.

Question 19

6 Important User Issues:

Answer 19

1) Cognitive and Perceptual
2) Personality Differences
3) Cultural and Environmental Diversity
4) Users with diabetes
5) Senior citizens and children
6) Psychic abilities. Psychical workplace.