Expanding the Concept of Usability

Introduction E-learning, a new paradigm of distance education, is reshaping teaching and learning. Perhaps the most comprehensive definition of e-learning has been offered by Learnframe (2001) in which it states that e-learning is "using electronic applications and processes to learn. E-learning applications and processes include Web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration. Content is delivered via the Internet, intranet/extranet, audio or video tape, satellite TV, and CD-ROM." Adkins (2002) predicts that U.S. e-learning industry revenues will total $83.1 billion by 2006. This amount is divided among the following categories: K-12 academic $11.0 billion; higher education $23.0 billion; recruiting and staffing $4.6 billion; corporations and business $16.4 billion; government $2.7 billion; e-learning simulation $6.1 billion; vocational $8.6 billion, consumer $7.3 billion; and associations $3.4 billion. Based on Adkins' (2002) report, it is evident that e-learning is becoming increasingly popular. Perhaps less evident is e-learning's ability to deliver a quality educational experience. Given this sentiment, e-learning instructional design aspirations must be to enhance and optimize learning. Instructional design in general is planning and constructing successful and valuable instructional materials. Instructional design relies on learning models and theories to optimize learning. Broderick (2001) states that "Instructional Design is the art and science of creating an instructional environment and materials that will bring the learner from the state of not being able to accomplish certain tasks to the state of being able to accomplish those tasks." Instructional design has been developed that draws on learning theories and models including behaviorist, cognitive, humanist, constructivist, mastery learning and taxonomy, psychological stages in life cycle, multiple intelligence, and andragogy (pedagogy for adults). There is consensus among scholars that instructional design for e-learning necessitates the use of appropriate learning models geared explicitly to the needs and specifications of learners (Egbert & Thomas, 2001; Pimentel, 1999; Randall, 2001). The importance of including appropriate learning models in designing e-learning curriculum has been widely acknowledged in previous research (Gold, 2001; Huang, 2000, 2002, Koohang & Durante, 2003; Pimentel, 1999; Sherry & Morse, 1995). In addition, there are certain key elements that influence learning within the e-learning environment. These are learner consideration, learning task, learning content, content organization, instructional strategies, media, learning environment, quality assessment of instruction, selection of materials for delivery, and evaluation/feedback (Moore & Kearsley, 1996; Sherry & Morse, 1995; Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2000). The e-learning instructional design process, however, has primarily focused on insertion and or adaptation of learning principles/theories, and learning models into the e-learning curriculum. Little research has been done regarding the usability of e-learning courseware and its significance in the e-learning instructional design process. Koohang and du Plessis (2004) constructed a three element e-learning instructional design process model that includes not only the elements of instructional design as expressed by content and learning as expressed by user characteristics, but it also includes usability properties as expressed by system features. The authors believe that inclusion of usability properties within the e-learning instructional design process is vital to successful e-learning curriculum. In addition, recent studies by Mehlenbacher (2000), Koohang & Weiss (2003), and Koohang (2004) have revealed the importance of including usability into the e-learning instructional design process. …