The usability of the course syllabus: Testing syllabi modality and comprehension

Framing students as users of course documents, this research project asks the following question: how does the transfer of syllabus material from a print-based format (represented as a PDF) versus a web-based format affect a students’ usability of the document and comprehension of the document’s content? To answer this question, this study tested two hypotheses: (H1) Users navigate and locate information more efficiently with the web-designed syllabus than with its PDF equivalent and (H2) Errors in syllabus comprehension are not affected by syllabus modality. To test these hypotheses, 42 student users participated in usability testing: 21 users tested a PDF syllabus and 21 users tested the web-designed syllabus. Users performed five tasks and retrospective recall after completing tasks if the test observer needed further information about user decisions while completing tasks. Testing results found that H1’s null hypothesis could not be rejected. Users did not demonstrate more efficiency with the web syllabus than with the PDF syllabus. H2’s results also failed to reject the null hypothesis, showing that errors in syllabus comprehension did not seem to be affected by syllabus modality. Additional quantitative and qualitative data were collected to analyze errors within the syllabus system. These data indicated four distinct error patterns: (1) Mode and efficiency patterns indicated that when users thought a task was easy, they tended to select the wrong information to complete the task. However, when users perceived the task to be more difficult, they spent more time completing the task. (2) Modality-specific problems emerged; specifically, scrolling and scanning in the PDF led users to stop navigating when they saw bolded text and found information they thought was correct (but it was not). Poor design choices for the web document also caused navigation confusion. (3) Term confusion led to false navigation cue expectations. When terms from the task question did not appear in the syllabus, users found completing the task more challenging. (4) Users’ prior experience with syllabi led to their own syllabus genre expectations. Because the syllabus represents a complex information system, the various users and purposes that surround the syllabus can cause confusion and disruption for the students as they navigate the syllabus for information. This suggests the role of student as user is often overshadowed by the need to accommodate other users (e.g. instructors, administrators, assessors) in the system. Overall, these data suggest a need for instructor’s to compose course documents that are user-centered.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Technical Communication and Rhetoric

Grantor

Texas Tech University

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Author dc:creator

• Crane, Katheryn L.

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Still, Brian

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Cargile Cook, Kelli
• Carter, Joyce

• Technical Communication
• Usability
• Syllabus
• Information Design
• User Experience

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2346/88188

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ttu-ir.tdl.org:2346/88188