hopper, 1993 [4.2, abstract, overview, toc, switchboard, references]

4.2.3 Organizational Influences on Usability

There were three organizational factors that influenced whether the "usability" of software was deliberately addressed.
 
  1. LaVin's description of the events that led to the interface that was used on the highly successful TODOR project show that key user interface decisions did not just depend upon the technical capabilities of the BLOX software package. Improved usability was the result of an administrative decision imposed by LaVin (personal interview, October 2, 1992):
     
    LaVin: All the modules have the same user interface because I said to make all of the modules look the same. The reason for a common interface was so that once the users had seen it the first time, they would go into a module and know to click in a certain place to make a certain thing happen. This was important because the modules were intended to be used in different places in the curriculum. The modules would probably be used as demonstrations in a freshman course, and then they would be used for homework assignments and design projects by the junior and senior level.

     
  2. An organizational factor that influenced the consideration of usability of authoring software early in one project was the relationship of the project director to experienced people who had previously involved in similar projects. Bucciarelli chose cT for the Mechanics 2.01 Problem Set Solutions project with direction from consultants inside the Athena project (including LaVin) who advised him about the importance of usability and adaptability. This advice was based on a long history of experience from projects that had not had the benefit of easy to learn packages.
     
  3. An organizational factor that contributed to inclusion of "usability" in both the Context32 and the Geology Tutor courseware was the availability of resources to develop authoring software tools to support learner oriented educational goals . In both cases, the project leaders were in the enviable positions of directly shaping the character of their software.
© Mary E. Hopper | MEHopper@TheWorld.com [posted 12/04/93 | revised 04/12/13]