Evaluating the usability of a mobile computing system for subject counseling at the Autonomous Indigenous University of Mexico

Abstract

Evaluation and functionality tests have been carried out on a computer system called FoldMobile at the Universidad Autónoma Indígena de México (UAIM). This system provides sufficient information to monitor student learning when face-to-face interaction between the advisor and the student takes place anywhere on the university campus and within an environment completely disconnected from any network of devices used for storage. For this purpose, it has been installed on a personal digital assistant (PDA). The purpose of the tests is to measure its usability and to redesign the system using the user-based methodology. Especially the heuristic evaluation proposed by Jakob Nielsen through his ten rules. The results gave the experts approval to the simplicity of the screens and the information presented through a consistent and familiar language but also suggested a redesign in terms of obtaining aids for using the system. The benefits are in cost and development time of the system and more favorable conditions for it to be really usable.