Bringing content understanding into usability testing in complex application domains—a case study in eHealth

Simon Bruntse Andersen*, Claire Kirchert Rasmussen, Erik Frøkjær

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingArticle in proceedingsResearchpeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A usability evaluation technique, Cooperative Usability Testing with Questions of Understanding (CUT with QU) intended to illuminate users’ ability to understand the content information of an application is proposed. In complex application domains as for instance the eHealth domain, this issue of users’ content understanding is sometimes crucial, and thus should be carefully evaluated. Unfortunately, conventional usability evaluation techniques do not address challenges of content understanding. In a case study within eHealth, specifically the setting of a rehabilitation clinic involving the participation of four physiotherapists and four clients in a period of 3.5 months, it was demonstrated how CUT with QU can complement conventional usability testing and provide insight into users’ challenges with understanding of a new complex eHealth application. More experiments in other complex application domains involving different kinds of users and evaluators are needed before we can tell whether CUT with QU is an effective usability testing technique of wider applicability. Performing CUT with QU is very demanding by drawing heavily on the evaluators’ ability to respond effectively to openings and potential shortcomings in the users’ content understanding. Evaluators need to train this interview/examination process in order to be able to reach a proper insight of the user’s content understanding. If CUT with QU after more research shows to be inadequate, the motivating research question behind this experimental study remains important: How can “content understanding” effectively be brought into usability testing in complex application domains?

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationDesign, User Experience, and Usability: theory, methodology, and management : 6th International Conference, DUXU 2017, Held as Part of HCI International 2017, Vancouver, BC, Canada, July 9-14, 2017, Proceedings, Part I
Number of pages15
VolumePart 1
PublisherSpringer
Publication date2017
Pages327-341
ISBN (Print)978-3-319-58633-5
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-319-58634-2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017
Event6th International Conference on Design, User Experience, and Usability: theory, methodology, and management - Vancouver, Canada
Duration: 9 Jul 201714 Jul 2017
Conference number: 6

Conference

Conference6th International Conference on Design, User Experience, and Usability
Number6
Country/TerritoryCanada
CityVancouver
Period09/07/201714/07/2017
SeriesLecture notes in computer science
Volume10288
ISSN0302-9743

Keywords

  • Co-monitoring
  • Compliance
  • Cooperative usability testing
  • CUT with QU
  • Field experiment
  • Health informatics
  • Home-based training
  • Knowing
  • Rehabilitation
  • Self-monitoring
  • Understanding
  • Usability testing

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