Usability inspection of informal learning environments: The HOU2LEARN case

Abstract

It is argued that a social network can support knowledge transfer to its members with an informal way. It is also argued that a usable, in terms of HCI, social network can do this effectively and efficiently. Therefore, usability evaluation is a significant process that social networks, especially the education-oriented ones, have to undergo in order to be widely accepted and accomplish the task of knowledge transfer. This paper presents a methodology for the usability evaluation of social networks, that was applied to HOU2LEARN, an open educational social network setup in Hellenic Open University for educational and research purposes. The application of this methodology to HOU2LEARN is described and the evaluation results and outcomes are discussed. © 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.