Development context and ease of use of three programs for self-registration of unemployed people

摘要

In this study, we analysed the ease of use of three computer programs for self-registration of job seekers. The programs were developed in somewhat different activity contexts. In Experiment 1, a Windows-application (Datapower) and an Internet-application (Job Seeker Bank) were compared regarding the number of errors committed by users. The total number of errors committed did not differ between the programs, but they differed significantly in the number of Obstructive Errors and Deficient Comprehension of Function errors committed. In Experiment 2, the Windows-application program used in Experiment 1 was compared with a self-registration program (Af Explore) developed for this study. In this experiment the focus was on how graphic presentation of database contents affected the user-friendliness of the program. A difference to the advantage of Af Explore was found with respect to the two error categories Obstructive Errors and Deficient Comprehension of Function. The fact that usability-oriented development methods were employed when developing the Job Seeker Bank and Af Explore program is likely to have contributed to the result that these programs functioned in a more user-friendly manner than the Datapower program. The differences found between the programs in both experiments appeared to result from a combination of fewer constraints on individual input demanded by Job Seeker Bank and Af Explore and from the programs’ better adaptation to the mental functions of the users. The usability problems of the three analysed programs were explained as an effect of their respective developmental contexts.