Enhancing Usability of E-Learning Platform: A Case Study of Khan Academy

Maham Sheikh; Abdul Hafeez Muhammad; Quadri Noorul hasan Naveed

doi:10.36902/sjesr-vol4-iss2-2021(40-50)

Maham Sheikh Department of CS, Bahria University Lahore Campus
Abdul Hafeez Muhammad Department of Computer Science, Bahria University Lahore Campus
Quadri Noorul hasan Naveed College of Computer Science, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36902/sjesr-vol4-iss2-2021(40-50)

Keywords: Usability, Usability Evaluation, Heuristic Evaluation, E-learning Usability, Human-Computer Interaction, System Usability Scale, Single Ease Questionnaire, Usability Metrics

Abstract

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is a subject that measures usability and evaluates the interface of a system, software, or product to see its efficiency, effectiveness, and user satisfaction. On the other hand, at the time, the pandemic spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19) having an immense impact on schools, universities, and other educational sectors. In this current unpredictable situation, the importance of online education is visible, therefore, the usability of e-learning platforms truly plays an essential role in our lives. This study is about to evaluate the usability of a very common e-learning portal i.e., Khan Academy by user testing and heuristic evaluation techniques. Effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction of Khan Academy were measured quantitatively, while usability issues were identified qualitatively through heuristic evaluation. The study result shows that Khan Academy suffers from certain usability problems which need to be addressed. The study also presents relevant recommendations which are scrutinized and approved by IT specialists and UI/UX designers. The study concluded that suggested amendments are important to consider enhancing the usability of different e-Learning portals generally and Khan Academy particularly.