Description

The usability of a web site is what ultimately influences the ‘success’ of the site. A badly designed site may deter many users, and will lead to dissatisfaction for those who do venture beyond the home page. In order to achieve a high level of usability a designer must balance:

• The aims, or context, of the site.
• The layout of key elements.
• The navigation structure.
• The use of media elements.
• Compliance with accessibility guidelines.

Usability is particularly important for educational web sites, since the sponsor of the site will need to justify the decision to choose the Internet as a delivery medium, as opposed to alternatives such as books, cassettes, face-to-face environments and libraries.

Cost effectiveness is fast becoming a primary influence on educators, and web sites must prove themselves in terms the number of users and in positive feedback. Commercial educational sites must make a profit, and poor usability will certainly affect the profitability of a site.

This paper analyses the usability of two quite different educational web sites.

Anaheim University Journal Online. Anaheim University Press. August 2004