Web Usability Index

Goal
This instrument represents a German version of a usability test instrument originally developed by a Canadian consulting firm. The instrument was originally designed for written processing and aimed to compare the user-friendliness of two websites. But the structure can also be used as a heuristic to test the usability of your learning technology.

Structure:
The following categories are of particular importance:

1. Navigation and orientation (e.g. questions about path entries to simplify orientation);
2. Interaction and information exchange (e.g. questions about ways to make contact);
3. Currency and quality (e.g. questions about sources and creation dates and errors);
4. Information and text design (e.g. questions about font size, contrast, and display of icons);
5. Traceability and accessibility (e.g. questions about the web address or available indices).

Conclusion
The instrument provides good ideas for the development of a heuristic list. Taking into account the recommended categories allows a quick overview of usability to be obtained, although the authors note that "the Web Usability Index considers central criteria of web usability, but it is not an instrument for a detailed usability assessment" (p. 291).

The Web Usability Index is available free on the Usability page of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Saarland: http://usability.is.uni-sb.de/werkzeuge/wu_index.php .

On the same site (http://usability.is.uni-sb.de/werkzeuge/heuristiken.php) you can find additional information about usability assessments in general and on heuristics in particular. The downloads available as a series of abridged versions of various heuristic lists in German are also recommended.