Page 42 - IJPS-10-2

International Journal of
Population Studies Design and usability evaluations of a course

reveal a lack of awareness or knowledge about, for example, topic): sleep (6), physical activity (3), light and darkness
the importance of having proper light at home, as one of conditions at home (3), and alertness and energy (3). For
the participants commented. example, one participant wrote about the importance of
sleep and energy: (i) “I want to increase my quality of life by
3.2.2. Usability testing questionnaire using the time I’m awake better, doing what I’ve planned to
The usability ratings were congruent with the participants’ do and not just letting time pass while taking a nap, talking
positive attitudes about the course content. Participants’ on the phone and surfing the Internet on the tablet.” (ii)
SUS scores ranged from 67.5 to 97.5, as shown in Figure 5. “More energy and better discipline. Get better sleep, and
All six participants rated 6 (“Excellent”) for the overall more regular sleep habits and eating habits, etc.” (woman,
user-friendliness. 79 years old). Only one participant mentioned all four
topics, which suggests that the participants’ varying degree
3.2.3. Direct observations and interactions with of interest in the targeted behaviors of the course is a factor
participants
to consider when deciding on inclusion criteria and course
Based on interactions with participants in the laboratory, announcements.
we found that (i) one participant had trouble following the
written stepwise instructions for downloading and using 3.2.5. Design changes after round 2
the light application for iPhone and (ii) several participants Changes to the course content included clarification of
had some trouble with finding their way back to the web instructions and using boldface to highlight new content
page after clicking the link text to pdf documents that when subheadings were not considered appropriate. Based
automatically opened in a new browser tab. on participants written responses to the online assignment
Online enrollment for the course faced unexpected “Course expectations” and the interviews, the invitation to
issues because standard instructions developed by the participate was modified as follows:
university for course enrollment were not tailored to The course is beneficial to those who experience any of
the participants. Some participants had trouble creating the following issues:
a password, while others did not complete the course • Not having the appropriate lighting or feeling
registration by clicking the “accept” button. Three uncomfortable with your light environment;
participants received support on the telephone, and one
received in-person support. • Not having routines for physical activity;
• Usually have mild sleep problems;
Participants were logged into the course for 6 h on • More problems of low mood or lack of energy during
average (ranging from 3.5 to 10.4 h). Assuming they were autumn/winter than in other seasons.
active while logged in, four participants unexpectedly
accessed and read the course from home. 4. Discussion

3.2.4. Participants’ written responses to the online 4.1. Main findings
assignment “Course expectations” The study aimed to develop a web-based course to

The content-based thematic analysis resulted in four encourage changes to routines and the home environment
key topics (number of participants who mentioned the and to test for usability problems. Findings suggest
potential for a web-based course to enhance knowledge
about and awareness of the role of light and physical
97.5 97.5
100 95 activity to improve sleep and well-being.
90 87.5 75 67.5 target users proved valuable, enabling refinement of the
The two-step usability evaluation including experts and
80
System usability score 60 course content and significantly reducing the number of
70
50
identified usability issues in the second round. All but one
40
participant in the second round had a SUS score of 75 or
30
20
10 higher, indicating high usability. The remaining usability
issues in the second round were few and concerned the
0
P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 graphical design (formatting text), information design
OK (grey); Good (blue); Excellent (yellow) (difficulty to find one’s way back after clicking a text link),
Figure 5. System usability scores in round 2 with target users (N = 6). and interaction design (insufficient steps in assignment
Note: P = Participant. instructions).

Volume 10 Issue 2 (2024) 36 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.378