Project 4 White Paper

USABILITY STUDY: UNIVERSITY
COMPARISON
BY ZION DIXON
MARCH 12, 2019
1
Table of Contents
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………....3
Methodology
Tasks……………………………………………………………………………………....3-4
Environment/Equipment…………………………………………………………......4
Metrics………………………………………………………………………………..….4-5
Results…………………………………………………………………………………….....5
Task 1………………………………………………………………………………….…6
Task 2…………………………………………………………………………………….7
Task 3…………………………………………………………………………………….8
Task 4………………………………………………………………………………….…9
Task 5………………………………………………………………………………….…10
Task 6………………………………………………………………………………….…11
Task 7………………………………………………………………………………….…12
Task 8………………………………………………………………………………….…13
Task 9………………………………………………………………………………….....14
Task 10…………………………………………………………………………………...15
Overall Scoring………………………………………………………………………...16
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………......................17
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………….18
Appendix..................................................................................................................19
Appendix A: Data Collection Completed Form………………………………..20-33
2
Introduction
This white paper compares two websites by using a
usability test to determine how user friendly the Eastern
Washington University website is compared to the Boise
State University website. This test is used to determine how
easily potential students can navigate the websites of the
schools they may be interested in attending, assuming
minimal technical ability.
Methodology
Tasks
Task 1: Find Information on Admission Requirements
Task 2: Ease of Accessing Application
Task 3: Ease of Finding How to Use Accessible Technology
Task 4: Finding Contact Information
Task 5: Accessing of All Offered Programs
Task 6: Use of Search Bar for Specific Searches
Task 7: Find Acceptance Graduation Rate of Institution
Task 8: Find Tuition/School Cost
Task 9: Ease of Finding Help Center
Task 10: Find/Interact with Map of Campus
3
I chose these tasks to determine the usability of each
website because I feel that these are the most common
things students search for or use when determining which
schools to apply for. Allowing for easy navigation of the
website will allow the students to browse freely and easily for
any questions they may have for their potential institution.
Test Environment
I completed this test after work on March 13 at 5:15 pm,
in the quietness of my room. My roommate is not home at
this time so I did not have any distractions while taking the
test. I used my Microsoft surface laptop to complete this
test. To complete the test, I pulled up a window for the BSU
website and a window for the EWU website. By pulling up
windows side-by-side, I was able to compare and contrast
the two websites easier in order to successfully and
accurately complete the usability test.
Test Metrics
Effective: I was able to successfully complete this task.
Efficient: I completed this task in a reasonable amount

of time.
Engaging: The websites appearance enhanced the

experience.
Error Tolerant: I was notified when an error was made

and instructed on how to solve the error.
4
Easy to Learn: I was able to complete the task without
referencing the Help Center.
Strongly Strongly Agree

Disagree
1 2 3 4 5
I used these test metrics because by answering and

rating these statements on the Likert Scale, one can gain a
fair understanding of the usability of each website. I feel
each statement can be rated on a scale from 1-5, 1 being
strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree.
Results
To determine usability, I mostly looked for how efficient
and effective each site was. The biggest thing to make
websites usable for potential students is simple navigation
and access to important information. If it was easy to find
certain informational areas I was looking for, with minimal
“clicks”, I would rule that the website was fairly usable. It
was difficult to tell if the websites were error tolerant
because of the fact that the tasks mostly only required
clicking, so there were no errors when completing the tasks.
Task 1: Find Information on Admission Requirements

5
I found that it was rather
difficult to find the
admission requirements
on BSU’s website. I
ended up having to
search for it in the
search bar which
ultimately made the
experience inefficient.
While navigating the website, I noticed the website design
made the process more overwhelming due to too much
text.
Similar to BSU’s website,

EWU’s website made it
difficult to find
admission requirements,
which led to me having
to use the search bar to
find the requirements.
The websites design
itself is appealing, which draws the user in and makes the
website more engaging. Although the website was
inefficient for this task, the website design aided in the
experience and ultimately the task was completed.
Task 2: Ease of Accessing Application
6
It was very simple and
easy to find the
application for EWU
upon entering the
website. There is a link
to apply upon entering
the website, which
makes the website very
efficient and user-
friendly for this task. The website design is appealing and
allows the user to be more engaged as well.
Similar to the EWU

website, the BSU
website had a link to
apply right on the
home page of the
website. This made the
task incredibly efficient
and simple. The
website did not
necessarily enhance
nor ruin the experience. No navigation was needed to
complete the task, so the website design was not
overwhelming. This task was efficient on both websites.
7
Task 3: Ease of Finding How to Use Accessible Technology
It was not very efficient

finding how to use
accessible technology
through the EWU
website. I did go to the
Help Center to figure
out exactly how to use
this technology, which
was not very efficient.
It was simple to find
the help center, however, which made completing the task
somewhat easier.
I could not find out

how to use
accessible
technology while
navigating through
the BSU website. The
amount of text and
other design options
made the task overwhelming and somewhat stressful.
Ultimately, I had to search for it in the search bar which did
pull up options for how to use the technology. Overall, this
task was not very efficient or user-friendly for either website.
8
Task 4: Finding Contact Information
Finding contact
information on the BSU
website was simple and
efficient. No navigation
was required to find the
contact information,
and I like that the
website gives you
information for multiple
contact methods. This makes it easier for potential students
to get ahold of the school, and I think it is a smart design
choice that does enhance the experience.
It was also efficient to

find contact
information for EWU as
well. The phone
number for EWU is seen
at the bottom of the
home page of the
website. Although it
was simple to find, it was a downfall to only include
information for one contact method on the home page. I
believe it is efficient, but this website design choice can be
something that can make the experience of finding a
school slightly more stressful.
9
Task 5: Accessing of All Offered Programs
Although it was not so

simple to find the
offered programs
specifically, it was
efficient to find the
colleges within BSU, from
the list of colleges,
potential students can
programs offered within
each college. The website design here is appealing and
easy to read. This website design does enhance the
experience.
It was very efficient to

find the offered
programs that EWU
offers. I was able to find
the offered programs
with only 2 clicks from
entering the website.
This made the process
less stressful. The
website design, again, is pretty simple, which makes
navigating the website easy and does enhance the
experience.
10
Task 6: Use of Search Bar for Specific Searches
For this task, I searched

for “graduate
programs” on the
search bar of each
website. On BSU’s
website, a list of
graduate programs
was instantly pulled up.
This task was efficient
and easy. I really do enjoy the website design for their
graduate programs. It was easy to see which programs are
offered with what specific degree, as well as offers further
information of the degree such as college and department.
When searching for

“graduate programs”
on the EWU website,
this is the page that
was pulled up after
opening the first link.
Although the website
is appealing, which
does enhance the experience and the task was fairly
efficient, the information on each graduate program is not
as readily available as it was on the BSU website.
11
Task 7: Find Acceptance/Graduation Rate of Institution
I was having trouble

finding the graduation
or acceptance rate of
the school when
initially browsing the
website. Ultimately, I
had to search for the
graduation rate in the
search bar as you can
see in this screenshot. The process was not very efficient, but
I was able to complete the task in the end.
When navigating the

BSU website for
acceptance or
graduation rates, I
had similar issues
completing the task
as I had with the EWU
website. I was able to
complete the task but only after searching for it in the
search bar. The task was over all, not efficient, and the
websites appearance did not necessarily enhance the
experience in anyway.
12
Task 8: Find Tuition/School Cost
Finding the tuition cost

of BSU was very
simple. The website
has a link directly to
costs on the
homepage of the
website. This makes
the task extremely
efficient, and because
of the website design
and appearance, which made the task efficient, the
experience was ultimately enhanced.
I was able to find the

cost of tuition for
EWU within 2 clicks of
entering the EWU
website. The BSU
website was slightly
more efficient in that
I was able to
complete the task
with 1 click on the
BSU website. Overall, I was able to complete this task with
ease and was able to find the cost of tuition with no added
stress or frustration while navigating the website.
13
Task 9: Ease of Finding Help Center
Surprisingly, finding the

help center on the BSU
website was difficult. I
navigated the website
for about 10 minutes,
before settling with
trying to find it in the
search bar. After using
the search bar with the phrase “help”, a link to the
information desk was pulled up. Within the information desk
link was another link to Frequently Asked Questions. The task
was not efficient, and I was not able to complete the task
without the search bar. The website design made the
experience more over-whelming and stressful.

help center easily on
the EWU website. The
access to the help
center was at the
bottom of the
homepage of the
website. Completing
this task on the EWU website was easy, efficient, and stress-
free. The appearance of the website did enhance the
experience because the appearance made the task
simple.
14
Task 10: Find/Interact with Map of Campus

campus map on BSU’s
website with ease. It
was at the bottom of
the homepage of the
website. Not only is the
map easily accessible, it
was also interactive. The
map allowed the user to
zoom in and out, it also offered links for users to click on to
gain further information. The task was efficient, easy, and
interactive. The website appearance did enhance the
experience for this task.
A map was much less

accessible on the EWU
website. I ended up
having to search for a
map in the search bar.
This pulled up a link to a
PDF version of the
campus map, which
was much less
interactive than the BSU
map. The task on the EWU website was not very efficient.
The website appearance did make the overall experience
slightly more over-whelming and stressful as well
15
Overall Scoring
With 250 points available overall, 250 points being
completely user-friendly in all test metrics, we can
determine the overall usability of each website.
EWU’s website earned 186 points, while BSU’s website
earned 173 points. Based on this information, it can
be safe to say that EWU does have a more user-
friendly website compared that the BSU website,
although it is not perfect.
Usability of the BSU v.s. EWU Website out of 250

points
190
185
180
175
170
165
BSU Website Usability EWU Website Usability
16
Conclusion
Overall, I feel that Eastern Washington University has a
more usable website than Boise State University. The layout
and design of the website is appealing and draws the user
in. It provides easy access to many important aspects that
potential students look for in a college such as tuition cost,
offered programs, application, and admission requirements.
It is easy to find the help center and also simple to use the
search bar. One thing to fix with this website would be to
create an interactive map similar to the one on Boise State
University’s website.
Boise State University’s website has positives along with

some negatives. The biggest negative with the website that
does not make it user friendly is that the website has too
much going on and that makes it feel overwhelming. There
is too much text all around the website, which made it
difficult to navigate and find things without using the search
bar. It did have easy access to crucial areas such as tuition
cost and application. My recommendation would be to
redesign the website with less text, to make the website less
overwhelming and easier to navigate. The biggest positive
to the website was the map. The map that the BSU website
provided was interactive and allowed users to zoom in or
out, as well as click on certain parts of the map to get more
detail. This could make potential students feel more
comfortable with the area in which their potential school
lies.
17
Bibliography
https://www.boisestate.edu/
https://www.ewu.edu/
18
Appendix
Completed Data Collection Form
19
Tasks Eastern Washington University Boise State University
Task 1 Finding Information on Admission Requirements Finding Information on Admission Requirements
Efficient I completed this task in a reasonable amount of I completed this task in a reasonable amount of
time. time.
Strongly Strongly Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree Disagree Agree
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Effective I was able to successfully complete this task. I was able to successfully complete this task.
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Engaging The websites appearance enhanced the The websites appearance enhanced the
experience. experience.
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Error I was notified when an error was made and I was notified when an error was made and
Tolerant instructed on how to solve the error. instructed on how to solve the error.
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Easy to I was able to complete the task without referencing I was able to complete the task without referencing
Learn the Help Center. the Help Center.
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Additional I was able to complete the task, but I did have I was able to complete this task, but similar to
Notes difficulty finding the admission requirements such as Eastern Washington University’s website, it was
GPA and SAT/ACT scores required to get admitted difficult to find. It is not efficient for potential
into the program. The website is engaging, which students to find the requirements. Unlike EWU’s
website, the websites style is somewhat confusing
20
did enhance the overall experience, but I had to and does not enhance the experience. I had to
use the search bar to find admission requirements use the search bar to find the admission
requirements for BSU as well.

Task 2 Ease of Accessing Application Ease of Accessing Application
time. time.
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
21
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Additional I was able to access the application in as little as I was able to access the application for BSU is two
Notes two clicks from entering the website. It was easy to clicks after entering the website as well. It was easy
find and quick to get to. The design of the website and simple to get to the application, but unlike
does enhance the experience. It is appealing to EWU, the design of the website is not very
the eye, and made navigation easier. appealing and it does not enhance the user’s
experience.

Task 3 Ease of finding how to use Accessible Technology Ease of finding how to use Accessible Technology
time. time.
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
22
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Additional I was able to access how to use accessible I was able to complete the task, but I had to use
Notes technology, but only after entering the Help the search bar to find information on how to use
Center. It went into full detail on how to use the the accessible technology. The website has a lot of
technology, however, and the website itself, has an text with little other design, much makes the
appealing aesthetic. website mostly overwhelming and does not
enhance the experience. The website is also
somewhat confusing and difficult to navigate.
23
Task 4 Finding Contact Information Finding Contact Information
time. time.
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Additional I was able to find a phone number on the first page I was able to find both an email and a phone
Notes of the website after opening. The website is number with zero clicks after opening the website.
appealing with its designs and does not have too The contact information is on the bottom of the
much text. It required no navigation, so access to websites first page after opening. The website was
some contact information was very simple and not confusing for this task, because navigation was
easy.
24
not required, but the design still has too text that still
feels slightly overwhelming.

Task 5 Accessibility of All Offered Programs Accessibility of All Offered Programs
time. time.
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
25
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Additional I was able to access all of the offered programs in I had difficulty finding the offered programs without
Notes only 2 clicks from entering the website. Not only using the search bar. I was able to access the
could I access each programs, I also had the colleges, which then would breakdown from each
option to access each college. I was able to do so college into the offered programs. Similar to with
with ease and without using the help center the other tasks, there is so much going on with the
website that it becomes overwhelming and
confusing to try to navigate the website.

Task 6 Use of Search Bar for Specific Searches Use of Search Bar for Specific Searches
time. time.
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
26
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Additional For both searches, I searches for graduate For both searches, I searches for graduate
Notes programs offered in each school. For EWU, it took 4 programs offered in each school. For BSU, all of their
clicks to enter into their offered graduate programs graduate programs appeared in 1 click after
after searching for it on the search bar. Even after searching for graduate programs in the search bar.
clicking the link to the graduate programs, it did not It was quick, simple, and easy to find the graduate
show all of their offered graduate programs, just programs on BSU’s website which made it more
their most common/popular ones. It took even efficient. The appearance once to the graduate
further searching to find all grad programs which program list was well-laid out and easy to follow
made it not very efficient. The appearance of the and understand, which enhanced the experience.
website is still appealing and draws the website user
in, which does enhance the experience.
27
Task 7 Find Acceptance/Graduation Rate of Institution Find Acceptance/Graduation Rate of Institution
time. time.
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
28
Additional I had difficulty finding graduation rates, so I had to I had the same issue finding the graduation rate for
Notes use the search bar to find the graduation rate of BSU as I did with finding the graduation rate at EWU.
EWU. The process before the search was not I searched the website, but with being unable to
efficient. Once I searched for the graduation rate, I find the graduation rate, I had to search for it in the
was able to view the graduation rates immediately. search bar. After searching for the graduation rate,
The website design is appealing, which did I was able to find it with ease. The website did not
enhance the experience. necessarily enhance nor make the experience
worse.

Task 8 Finding Tuition/School Cost Finding Tuition/School Cost
time. time.
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
29
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Additional I was able to easily find the cost of tuition on the I was able to find the cost of tuition at BSU with 1
Notes EWU website within 2 clicks of entering the website. click after entering the website. It was a top link
The website design did not necessarily enhance or which made it easy to find and so the design of the
make the experience worse. I was able to easily website did enhance the experience because it
find the information which was useful. made it quicker, easier, and less over-whelming.

Task 9 Access to the Help Center Access to the Help Center
30
time. time.
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Additional Access to the Help Center that has FAQ’s and I had issues finding the Help Center. I could not find
Notes other important information is at the bottom of the it without using the search bar. I ended up having
page when you enter the website. It was easy to to do the search bar which brought me to
find and easily accessible. I completed the task information center. In the information center, there
efficiently with no issues. was another link to the FAQ’s. It was not efficient to
find the Help Center and the website design and
31
appearance made the experience more over-
whelming and stressful than it needed to be.

Task 10 Finding/Interacting with Map of Campus Finding/Interacting with Map of Campus
time. time.
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
32
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Additional Upon entering the EWU website, I searched for a I was able to easily find the campus map upon
Notes campus map all over, ultimately I had to search for entering the BSU website. The map was not only
the map. The search pulled up a link for a PDF easily accessible but was also interactive. You
version of the campus map, which is non- could zoom in and out on the map of Boise, and
interactive. The website did not enhance the click different links. This is useful to potential students
experience because it was unclear of where to go because it will give them a very clear idea of the
to find the map. area in which BSU’s campus lies.
33

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USABILITY STUDY: UNIVERSITY

Appendix A: Data Collection Completed Form………………………………..20-33

Task 2: Ease of Accessing Application

Task 3: Ease of Finding How to Use Accessible Technology

Task 4: Finding Contact Information

Task 5: Accessing of All Offered Programs

Task 6: Use of Search Bar for Specific Searches

Task 7: Find Acceptance Graduation Rate of Institution

Task 8: Find Tuition/School Cost

Task 9: Ease of Finding Help Center

Task 10: Find/Interact with Map of Campus

Efficient: I completed this task in a reasonable amount

Engaging: The websites appearance enhanced the

Error Tolerant: I was notified when an error was made

Strongly Strongly Agree

I used these test metrics because by answering and

Task 1: Find Information on Admission Requirements

Similar to BSU’s website,

Task 2: Ease of Accessing Application

Similar to the EWU

It was not very efficient

I could not find out

It was also efficient to

Although it was not so

It was very efficient to

For this task, I searched

When searching for

I was having trouble

When navigating the

Finding the tuition cost

I was able to find the

Surprisingly, finding the

I was able to find the

I was able to find the

A map was much less

Usability of the BSU v.s. EWU Website out of 250

Boise State University’s website has positives along with

Completed Data Collection Form

Tasks Eastern Washington University Boise State University

Tasks Eastern Washington University Boise State University

Tasks Eastern Washington University Boise State University

Tasks Eastern Washington University Boise State University

Tasks Eastern Washington University Boise State University

Tasks Eastern Washington University Boise State University

Tasks Eastern Washington University Boise State University

Tasks Eastern Washington University Boise State University

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