Optimising the effectiveness of questionnaire surveys for usability evaluation of offline e-learning tutorials

ID: 40471 Type: Full Paper
  1. Julius O. Nyang'or, Samuel Ssemugabi, and Ruth M De Villiers, University of South Africa, South Africa

Thursday, October 24 1:30 PM-2:00 PM Location: Las Vegas Ballroom 3 View on map

Presider: Eileen Dittmar, Capella University, United States

Abstract: Usability of e-learning environments should be based on an interaction design that promotes ease of learning and offers meaningful engagement with the content. To achieve this, their design should take into account principles of learning and of usability. Selection of an appropriate usability evaluation method requires consideration of its cost and effectiveness. The objectives of this study are: to generate a questionnaire for evaluating offline e-learning tutorials, based on a customised usability framework, use the questionnaire in a user-based evaluation of an offline interactive tutorial, and determine the effectiveness of the questionnaire in usability evaluation. Based on a framework of twelve criteria, the questionnaire was developed and deployed in a survey, which demonstrated its effectiveness in evaluating an interactive tutorial. The major problems identified were related to the structure and navigability of the tutorial, as well as weaknesses in its Help system.


Generate a questionnaire for evaluating offline e-learning tutorials, based on a customised framework of usability criteria Apply the questionnaire in evaluating an offline CD-based interactive tutorial Determine the effectiveness of the user-based questionnaire survey in usability evaluation of e-learning.

Topical Outline

This paper focuses on the effectiveness of a user-based questionnaire survey that was administered to evaluate an offline e-learning tutorial. To make the work more effective, the study was founded on a theoretical framework consisting of criteria for evaluating offline e-learning tutorials. The criteria were generated from an extensive literature study on usability, learning theories, evaluation, and practical aspects of e-learning and were converted to evaluation statements for the questionnaire that was completed by respondents to evaluate the tutorial. The system evaluated was an offline application with the pseudonym Business English for You (BE-Y). BE-Y is a CD-based e-learning tutorial that supports adults in learning the English language for business purposes. It was on the offline CD medium, since not all its users had internet connectivity.

Experience Level



PhD (Prof), Msc and Msc

