Novel and innovative modes of interacting with website information have arisen which necessitate methods and tools for their evaluation.  However, it is essential to develop such methods from contexts of use at a macro (i.e. cultural) and micro (individual use contexts) level.  Activity theory has been used extensively in systems evaluation as it bridges these two levels.  This article will extend activity theory by the development of a method, Analytical Activity Method (AAM).  The purpose of this method is as a tool to enable web designers and usability engineers to conduct usability evaluations of web interfaces, particularly the mobile web.  Based on the theoretical underpinnings of activity theory, AAM seeks to extend the activity checklist (Kaptelinin, Nardi, and Macaulay, 1999) for evaluation of websites on computers or mobile devices.  The application of this method contains the possibility to make visible that which was not obviously apparent from the theoretical tropes of Activity theory at system, historical and cultural level.  Finally, this paper concludes that the AAM has provided a comprehensive framework within which to conduct website evaluations and informs future designs.  It proposes some exciting new applications based on the AAM which not only extend activity theory but also provide a framework for understanding new methods of information access.

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A Methodology For The Evaluation Of Online Learning Resources

Tom Page*, Gisli Thorsteinsson**, Lorna Uden***, Milka Lehtonen****
* Lecturer, Dept.of Design & Technology, Loughborough University, UK.
** Assistant Professor, Dept. of Design and Craft, Iceland University of Education.
*** Staffordshire University, UK.
**** Researcher, MOMENTS and Associate Professor, Media Education, University of Finland.
Periodicity:January - March'2008
DOI : https://doi.org/10.26634/jet.4.4.574

Abstract

Novel and innovative modes of interacting with website information have arisen which necessitate methods and tools for their evaluation.  However, it is essential to develop such methods from contexts of use at a macro (i.e. cultural) and micro (individual use contexts) level.  Activity theory has been used extensively in systems evaluation as it bridges these two levels.  This article will extend activity theory by the development of a method, Analytical Activity Method (AAM).  The purpose of this method is as a tool to enable web designers and usability engineers to conduct usability evaluations of web interfaces, particularly the mobile web.  Based on the theoretical underpinnings of activity theory, AAM seeks to extend the activity checklist (Kaptelinin, Nardi, and Macaulay, 1999) for evaluation of websites on computers or mobile devices.  The application of this method contains the possibility to make visible that which was not obviously apparent from the theoretical tropes of Activity theory at system, historical and cultural level.  Finally, this paper concludes that the AAM has provided a comprehensive framework within which to conduct website evaluations and informs future designs.  It proposes some exciting new applications based on the AAM which not only extend activity theory but also provide a framework for understanding new methods of information access.

Keywords

Evaluation, Learning Resources, Activity Theory

How to Cite this Article?

Tom Page, Gisli Thorsteinsson, Lorna Uden and Milka Lehtonen (2008). A Methodology For The Evaluation Of Online Learning Resources. i-manager’s Journal of Educational Technology, 4(4), 16-27. https://doi.org/10.26634/jet.4.4.574

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