Alexander, K. P. (2013). The usability of print and online video instructions. Technical Communication Quarterly, 22(3), 237-259.
Alexander (2013) conducted a study to investigate the usability of print and video instruction for computerized instruction. The author focused on the effect of the format in assessing the usability criteria. The findings indicate that participants rated print instructions as more usable than video instruction. However, the results were in terms of user satisfaction and preference, while they rated video instruction as being more usable concerning the effectiveness of the medium, level of understanding, and user preference. The study’s results revealed the medium’s role in determining the usability of instruction. Alexander (2013) further revealed the importance of using multiple media in instruction to enhance usability and understandability. Instructors should consider each medium’s benefits and drawbacks to determine how they can work together to achieve the goals of the instruction.
I support the observation of Alexander (2013) that different instruction methods, such as print and video, have advantages and disadvantages that the instruction designer should understand. They should also comprehend the context of usage when determining the medium to use to support teaching and learning goals. For example, the main advantage of the print instruction is the speed of locating information, while the strength of video is the ability to complete tasks correctly. Therefore, the data from the article informs the efficacy of creating instructional designs that capitalize on the advantages and strengths of the different media to enhance various aspects of usability. The information aligns with the need to improve the usability of instruction to ensure that students understand and retain the information about a task. Usability is at the core of effective teaching and learning.
Alturki, R., Gay, V., & Alturki, R. (2017, September). Usability testing of fitness mobile application: Methodology and quantitative results. In 7th International Conference on Computer Science, Engineering & Applications (pp. 97-114).
The study focused on the potential to improve the usability of mobile applications to motivate users to achieve their goals. However, Alturki, Gay and Alturki (2017) included the aspects of social and cultural norms to the current research on the mechanisms of increasing usability. They suggested that usable mobile apps meet user’s social and cultural standards. The cultural environment of use determines mobile apps’ perceived ease of use. In a review of previous studies, the researchers tested the usability of a mobile app for obesity management within the Saudi cultural context. The findings indicated that users judge the usability of a mobile app depending on the suitability within the cultural and social context. Therefore, any communication tool operating outside a society’s confines or culture might be judged as failing the usability criteria.
The article presents new knowledge into the study of usability in technical communication. Most of the previous studies have failed to consider the role of cultural and social norms in the perception of usability. The review of the literature indicated the importance of these elements when considering the usability of a communication tool, such as a mobile app. I agree with the observation that a communication tool might fail to achieve its objective if it operates outside the social and cultural constraints. People perceive ease of use in a mobile application relevant to their cultural and social goals. For example, since obesity is a cultural construct, any app to support its management should also be limited to the norms of the target culture or society. The article relates to information on factors that affect usability in technical communication.
Becker, D. A., & Yannotta, L. (2013). Modeling a library web site redesign process: Developing a user-centered web site through usability testing. Information Technology and Libraries, 32(1), 6-22.
Libraries hold critical information that should be beneficial to diverse users. Becker and Yannotta (2013) focused their study on the significance of conducting usability studies on library websites to ensure user-centered designs. Their study conducted on Hunter College Libraries’ existing website identified the importance of integrating usability testing within the design process to achieve user-centered designs. The process is instrumental in ensuring that the created website is useful to the target audience. Therefore, Becker and Yannotta (2013) proposed the need to conduct iterative user testing and commands from users to create a website that meets usability standards. They further cautioned against the use of assumptions regarding the needs of users and their information-seeking behaviors to avoid limitations in the use of the website. The process applies to the design and redesign of library websites.
Library websites are essential sources of information for a school or college community. I agree with the observations in the article regarding the importance of collecting information from users to create websites that meet usability standards. The article cautions against making any assumptions regarding the needs of the users. Instead, designers and implementers should conduct critical tests to create user-centered designs. The information from the article informs the design and implementation of all technical communication tools through the engagement of users to integrate their views into the design process. The insights are critical to creating tools that align with users’ needs and preferences, and that can be easily adapted to changing resources and technologies. Therefore, the article is useful for research and practice when creating IT information resources for diverse settings, including schools.
Ben-Zeev, D., Kaiser, S. M., Brenner, C. J., Begale, M., Duffecy, J., & Mohr, D. C. (2013). Development and usability testing of FOCUS: A smartphone system for self-management of schizophrenia. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 36(4), 289.
The study focused on the use of Mobile Health (mHealth) approaches for people suffering from mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Information technology tools play an important role in improving the outcomes for such patients. Ben-Zeev et al. (2013) conducted a study focusing on the development and usability testing of such an application, smartphone illness self-management system. Their study affirmed the importance of ensuring that such tools are created with the needs of the users put into consideration. Developers should also consider the characteristics and preferences of the users when designing such tools. Therefore, they advise conducting a user-centered development process, including a usability test to design tools to meet their objectives. The researchers proposed an mHealth illness self-management intervention that meets the usability standards for use in the management of the symptoms of schizophrenia, which can be used in real-life settings.
The article includes significant insights into designing and implementing user-centered information technology applications. I agree with the observation that only tools that meet the usability criteria can provide specific services to the target population. The requirements are more critical in health care settings where patients increasingly depend on technology than the traditional facilities for managing chronic conditions. The tools reduce the cost of treatment and management of psychiatric conditions. Therefore, they should be designed and developed with the users’ needs, characteristics, and preferences. The article contains information that aligns with readings regarding the importance of conducting usability tests when developing user-centered technological applications.
Beul-Leusmann, S., Samsel, C., Wiederhold, M., Krempels, K. H., Jakobs, E. M., & Ziefle, M. (2014, June). Usability evaluation of mobile passenger information systems. In International Conference of Design, User Experience, and Usability (pp. 217-228). Springer, Cham.
Transportation plays an important role in modern society as people move from one place to another. Travelers desire comfort and convenience when travelling, which explains the rationale of passenger information systems. The systems provide critical information to passengers and create a modernized image of public transportation. Therefore, their designers should evaluate them to ensure that they meet user requirements for usability, such as interaction design, layout, and various functions. Since the information systems combine data concerning providers and transport modes, their usability plays a vital role in determining whether they achieve their objective of supporting passengers at all stages of their travel. Designers can use information from user feedback to establish whether the system serves them effectively. Besides, in any new application, they should generate and communicate user experience to ensure the confidence of passengers. Generally, usability is a critical factor in the success of any information system in public transportation.
The article is relevant to the research on the usability of technical communication. Passenger information systems provide technical information to travelers and should meet the usability criteria to achieve its purpose. Therefore, the article proposes a necessary test for evaluating if the system meets user requirements, including usability. I agree with the claim that young travelers are primarily attracted by technology as a source of information regarding their transportation. The source relates to information from readings and lectures regarding the role of usability and other user requirements in determining the use of technical communication. Therefore, regardless of a limitation in the sample used to evaluate a system and a prototype information system, the source provides critical data that can be used in future research and practice when designing passenger information systems.
Fay, N., & Ellison, T. M. (2013). The cultural evolution of human communication systems in different sized populations: usability trumps learnability. PloS one, 8(8), e71781.
Fay and Ellison (2013) conducted their study to establish the rate of acquisition of human communication systems by second-generation speakers. They considered two variables in the process, learnability against usability, to determine which of the two determines the ease with which the second-generation users acquire the communication systems inherent in their cultures. They considered whether communications change to become easy to learn or easy to use. They concluded that although the two qualities are important in transmitting language systems from one generation to another, the usability pressure is more significant than the learnability pressure. Communication systems that evolve through large populations become more usable than those that develop through smaller populations. Therefore, the study affirmed the importance of the usability construct in the knowledge of communication systems and their transmission to future generations. The concept is essential in understanding the transmission of human communication in societies.
Although the article does not directly relate to technical communication in the technology world, it plays an important background role in understanding the importance of usability in understanding human communications. It includes critical insights into the use of usability and learnability to understand how people communicate and how cultural elements, such as language, are transmitted to the subsequent generations. Therefore, any attempts to understand human knowledge should focus on the social characteristics supporting its transmission because communication is only important if the target population understands it. The article aligns with other information sources that indicate usability’s role in human interaction. It provides background information on the way the concept promotes language and knowledge acquisition.
Hovde, M. R. (2015). Effective user experience in online technical communication courses: Employing multiple methods within organizational contexts to assess usability. In Proceedings of the 33rd Annual International Conference on the Design of Communication (p. 30:1–30:5). New York, NY, USA: ACM.
Hovde (2015) conducted a study focusing on the design of the interface for online technical communication courses. The author suggested the importance of the user experience in creating the type of communication. Online communication courses should provide a positive user experience for students and faculty members to achieve their objectives. Faculty members have the challenge of ensuring that technical communication courses meet the usability criteria for students. A usable interface overcomes problems associated with using online learning management systems and improves student outcomes. Designers of such websites should understand the principles of usability that align with pedagogical concerns in online courses. Basically, Hovde (2015) suggests the importance of achieving usability criteria focusing on the learning goals of such websites. A usable online learning management system should support students in achieving their educational goals.
The article provides valuable insights into the topic of usability in technical communications within the educational context. It provides the reader with critical information regarding the significance of ensuring that online communication courses have a usable interface to benefit students and members of the faculty. The most important aspect of the article is the need to ensure that the usability goals in such websites align with pedagogical efficacy. It also proposes some effective mechanisms to evaluate the extent to which the goals are achieved, such as heuristic analyses, usability testing, student feedback, and analytic tools. The article aligns with course readings and lecture notes relating to the use of diverse tools in testing the usability of technical communication. Hovde (2015) challenges educators to use an integrated model (with diverse tools) to test the usability of online communication courses.
Meloncon, L. K. (2017). Patient experience design: Expanding usability methodologies for healthcare. Communication Design Quarterly Review, 5(2), 19-28.
Information plays an essential role in promoting patient experience in health care settings. Therefore, Meloncon (2017) focused on the significance of building “patient experience design (PXD)” to ensure that patients benefit from information aimed at improving their health outcomes. The author further suggested the importance of using the theory in health care research involving various medical and health care stakeholders. The article informs researchers in this area to apply the theory reconsidering the context of use, and motivating the development of new usability techniques. The model is at the core of the improvement of patient engagement in the research to address health care problems. They should participate in communication and information design to ensure that information targeted to patients is usable and understandable. Usability is at the core of engaging patients in a more meaningful way.
The article provides critical information regarding the importance of creating a positive user experience in health care settings. The modern health care system is heavily dependent on data and information. However, not every piece of information is useful to stakeholders in the setting, especially patients. I support the views of the author that the use of patient experience design informs effective participation of the stakeholders in the research and design of health information sources. Work that meets the criteria for usability supports the delivery of care because patients can communicate effectively with their caregivers. Therefore, technical and professional communicators play a vital role in the setting to support the design of communication materials that support user experience by meeting the usability criteria. Such experts provide support for the development and use of PXD as a methodological orientation to ensure adequate technical communication in health care.
Orlando, D. (2014). Executing the instructions. An empirical investigation into the usability of technical translations done by trainees. EUT University of Trieste Editions.
Orlando (2014) conducted and reported the findings of a longitudinal empirical research relating to developing the competence to perform the translation in technical areas. The study focused on syntactic variation and Iconic Linkage (IL) as the measurement tools for technical translation in relation to usability and adequacy. Basically, work in this area should ensure that content achieves usability criteria to be useful to the reader. They should ensure that they translate to create entirely usable texts, which is at the core of translation competence. Furthermore, Orlando (2014) reported a relationship between usability and the quality of the translated text. The study’s results informed the need to develop translation competence in translator training to ensure that they can create usable content. The competence is achievable through proper training and skills development.
I concur with the author in the observation that usability in technical communication translation relates to the quality of the target text. Translators should ensure that they create content that the target audience can understand; otherwise, they will fail to achieve their goal in conducting the translation process. I also support the idea of practical training for translators to develop the necessary skills to create usable content from texts that require translation. The article focuses on such training that emphasises translation competence and other technical aspects of the process, such as cognetics, legal responsibility, and writing creativity. The article relates to the communication goals of translation, which are achievable if the target audience can comfortably read and understand the translated text. Otherwise, the translator will have failed to develop and using translation competence.
Ratwani, R. M., Benda, N. C., Hettinger, A. Z., & Fairbanks, R. J. (2015). Electronic health record vendor adherence to usability certification requirements and testing standards. Jama, 314(10), 1070-1071.
The healthcare system in the United States is highly dependent on information to support patient care. Ratwani, Benda, Hettinger, and Fairbanks (2015) concentrated on the usability requirements in health information technology. The requirement is managed by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) under the US Department of Health and Human Services. The findings revealed that health care organizations often fail to adhere to ONC certification requirements and usability testing standards in their implementation and use of electronic health records. Regardless of the failure, most EHR products are cleared as having met the requirements. The study further established that limitation in meeting the requirement is the main factor behind poor usability experience among clinicians, who should use the services effectively to provide optimal care. The authors propose changes to improve this area to ensure safety and quality goals for next-generation EHRs.
The article provides important information regarding a limitation in usability requirements in health care. It is a critical resource for regulatory authorities in the United States to improve the implementation process for EHRs because of their implications in health care quality and safety outcomes. I agree with the observation that EHRs should meet a high standard of usability because clinicians rely on the information to provide critical care to patients. Therefore, the government agency should create adequate changes to the certification process to ensure that all EHRs meet the regulation standards before they are approved for use in hospitals and other health care facilities. The article relates to the course readings and lectures related to the usability requirement in information systems used in various settings, including hospitals. The study reveals one of the major limitations in this area.
References
Alexander, K. P. (2013). The usability of print and online video instructions. Technical Communication Quarterly, 22(3), 237-259.
Alturki, R., Gay, V., & Alturki, R. (2017, September). Usability testing of fitness mobile application: methodology and quantitative results. In 7th International Conference on Computer Science, Engineering & Applications (pp. 97-114).
Becker, D. A., & Yannotta, L. (2013). Modeling a library web site redesign process: Developing a user-centered web site through usability testing. Information Technology and Libraries, 32(1), 6-22.
Ben-Zeev, D., Kaiser, S. M., Brenner, C. J., Begale, M., Duffecy, J., & Mohr, D. C. (2013). Development and usability testing of FOCUS: A smartphone system for self-management of schizophrenia. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 36(4), 289-292
Beul-Leusmann, S., Samsel, C., Wiederhold, M., Krempels, K. H., Jakobs, E. M., & Ziefle, M. (2014, June). Usability evaluation of mobile passenger information systems. In International Conference of Design, User Experience, and Usability (pp. 217-228). Springer, Cham.
Fay, N., & Ellison, T. M. (2013). The cultural evolution of human communication systems in different sized populations: usability trumps learnability. PloS one, 8(8), e71781.
Hovde, M. R. (2015). Effective user experience in online technical communication courses: employing multiple methods within organizational contexts to assess usability. In Proceedings of the 33rd Annual International Conference on the Design of Communication (p. 30:1–30:5). New York, NY, USA: ACM.
Meloncon, L. K. (2017). Patient experience design: Expanding usability methodologies for healthcare. Communication Design Quarterly Review, 5(2), 19-28.
Orlando, D. (2014). Executing the instructions. An empirical investigation into the usability of technical translations done by trainees. EUT University of Trieste Editions.
Ratwani, R. M., Benda, N. C., Hettinger, A. Z., & Fairbanks, R. J. (2015). Electronic health record vendor adherence to usability certification requirements and testing standards. Jama, 314(10), 1070-1071
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