The new Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science (CS) Principles course increases the need for quality CS teachers and thus the need for professional development (PD). This article presents the results of a 2-year study investigating how teachers teaching the AP CS Principles course for the first time used online PD material. Our results showed…

In response to the recent trend in maker movement, teachers are learning 3D techniques actively and bringing 3D printing into the classroom to enhance variety and creativity in designing lectures. This study investigates the usage pattern of a 3D modeling software, Qmodel Creator, which is targeted at K-12 students. User logs containing…

An empirical study examined the effects of two influencing factors in usability tests on user performance and usability ratings. Product aesthetics (high vs. low) as the main independent factor and prior usage event (positive vs. negative) as a subsidiary independent factor were varied in a between-participants design. 60 participants took part in…

This study explored the impact of using best practices identified in previous studies in designing age-appropriate websites for middle and high school youth. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, 31 middle and 22 high school youth took part in six focus groups across four states. Participants were introduced to a website specifically designed for…

To investigate the most efficient way to represent text in reading Chinese on computer displays, three typographic variables, character size (41[feet] arc/24 pixels and 60[feet] arc/32 pixels), character spacing (1/4 and 1/8 character width) and font type (Kai and Ming), were manipulated. Results showed that the reading speed for Chinese…

Website quality measurement tools have been largely static and have struggled to determine relevant attributes of user satisfaction. This study compares and contrasts attributes of user satisfaction based on usability guidelines seeking to identify practical easy-to-administer measurement tools. The website users assessed business school homepages…

The usability test team examined design problems that limit the ability of instructors at the Indiana University to use data entry forms on the School of Education Web site. The forms permit instructors to publish information about themselves and about courses they teach on the School of Education Web site. Faculty and graduate student instructors…

This paper presents a research project conducted by the Department of Information Science in cooperation with the Saarland Museum, the art museum of the Federal State of Saarland, Germany. The study had two aims. The first was to evaluate some methods of usability engineering for the Web, and the second was to evaluate the usability of the…

Provides methods for the systematic redesign of a library Web site through comparing baseline data changes in use brought about by design changes. Shows how complementary information, based on Web users' log statistics and direct observations of users, can enhance a library Web site. Relates this information to practical Web site decisions that…

This paper compares and discusses the results from two user studies of interactive television (ITV) with a total of 50 subjects. The interfaces of two different ITV information services were studied: one with a place-like interface rich in graphics, animation and audio, and the other a simple interface with text and still images. In the first…

Examines differences between the formal features of commercial versus noncommercial Web sites, and the relationship between Web page complexity and amount of traffic a site receives. Findings indicate that, although most pages in this stage of the Web's development remain technologically simple and noninteractive, there are significant…

The purpose of this study was to assess usability of an academic library Web site and to better understand how faculty and students complete typical tasks using one. Despite their success in completing the tasks, participants experienced difficulties in knowing where to start and with the site's information architecture-in particular while…

The complexity of the design problem for modern computer based information systems has increased significantly over its predecessors. The problem presented to the designer is to configure a system which satisfies the user criterion while achieving system resource related performance criteria. The purpose of this paper is to present an evaluation…

While electronic learning environments provide exciting possibilities for supporting learners, the design of the user interface is as yet little understood. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the importance of specific usability attributes for online learning courses. A review of related papers on usability methods and learning theories…

Library patrons evaluated two versions of a bibliographic record displayed on cathode ray tube terminal, one representing Library of Congress (LC) format, the other, one of 15 format variations. Patrons generally preferred side heading label and underlining to LC forms, and upper and lower case letters to lower case only. (EJS)