Degree Name

MS (Master of Science)

Program

Computer and Information Science

Date of Award

8-2011

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Anthony D. Pittarese

Committee Members

Phillip E. Pfeiffer IV, Martin L. Barrett, Jessica Keup

Abstract

Usability guidelines for user interface (UI) design formulated by Nielsen and other authorities were used to redesign the web interface for a web based distance education course. The website's original UI, as judged by a group of web design professionals, violated standard guidelines for usability, readability, learnability, consistency, efficiency of use and flexibility. The original and redesigned UIs were tested using thinking aloud testing, a user satisfaction survey, and usability inspection. The results of user testing and heuristic evaluation suggest that the use of these guidelines in website redesign had a positive impact on user performance. A more conclusive result would have required a larger sample size and a redesigned testing protocol that varied the order in which participants worked with the old and redesigned interfaces.

Document Type

Thesis - unrestricted

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

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