User experience evaluation: E-Learning @ UTM mobile application case study

Abstract

The evolution of Mobile Technologies has caused remarkable transformation on the way mobile devices are used nowadays, from making calls and exchanging short messages (SMSs) to be involved in almost every activity in our daily life such as banking, travelling, entertainment, education, etc. Smartphones along with their computing and connectivity capabilities has increased the demand for mobile applications by end-users. Besides, the open market of mobile applications and the availability of design and development tools, all these make it very easy to everyone to be able to develop a mobile application. However, the end-user who uses this mobile application not only concerned about “what it does”, but also “how it works”. In addition, interaction or expected interaction with certain mobile application creates “experience”. This experience might be in a form of joy, satisfaction, sadness, dissatisfaction, positive or negative experience. Thus, it is very important for developers to evaluate the User Experience (UX) to ensure positive user experience and desirable applications. In this study Anticipated User Experience (AUX) for students to use e-learning@UTM mobile application was evaluated. Students explored two mobile application designs in MS-PowerPoint and were asked to select between them, and then fill an online survey accordingly. An extension of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with Enjoyment and Context constructs used to evaluate the anticipated user experience in this study. Majority have chosen the Second prototype and findings revealed that hedonic aspect (Enjoyment) dominated the pragmatic aspects (Usefulness and Ease of Use) behind the intention to use elearning@ UTM mobile application. However, pragmatic aspects were found to be determinants of hedonic aspect.