INTRODUCTION
This usability test aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and user experience of the language learning app prototype, designed for beginner-level users such as Ethan Wong. Ethan is a high school student striving to improve his French skills through engaging and interactive methods. The app focuses on task-based learning with features like hints, visual prompts, and quizzes, tailored to enhance vocabulary acquisition and confidence in conversational French.
Key Concepts:
Task Success Rate: The percentage of participants completing tasks successfully without assistance.
Time on Task: The time participants take to complete each assigned task.
Ease of Navigation: How intuitive is the app for users to locate features?
Engagement: The level of user interest and interaction with the app's activities.
Ethan Wong, as our user persona, embodies the target audience. He is a beginner-to-intermediate French learner who prefers gamified and interactive exercises over traditional textbook approaches. His needs and frustrations guided this usability test's design and evaluation criteria.
METHODS & PROCEDURES
Participants:
Demographics: 6 participants aged 15 - 20 (3 participants for each cycle) , similar to Ethan Wong’s profile.
Education Levels: High school students and university students.
Language Proficiency: Beginner to intermediate learners of French.
Tasks and Scenarios:
Primary Task: Learn new vocabulary through interactive exercises.
Select a daily language challenge.
Practice vocabulary using audio and visual prompts.
Complete a quiz to reinforce learning.
Subtasks: Locate hints, reset settings, and save progress.
Testing Metrics:
Task Success: Percentage of participants completing tasks correctly.
Time on Task: Average time spent per task.
Error Rate: Instances of navigation errors or task failures.
Participant Feedback: Qualitative data from post-test surveys.
Tools and Equipment:
Figma interactive prototype.
Feedback forms and surveys for post-test data collection.
Procedures:
Pre-Test Briefing: Participants were introduced to the app’s purpose and provided with a brief tutorial.
Testing Session: Participants independently performed tasks while being observed.
Post-Test Survey: Participants rated their experience and provided feedback on app usability.
RESULTS
Quantitative Data:
Task Success Rate: 100% of participants completed all tasks successfully.
Average Time on Task: 2.5 minutes per task.
Error Rate: 16.7% of actions resulted in errors, primarily in navigation.
Qualitative Feedback:
Positive:
Visual and auditory prompts were engaging and effective.
Gamified exercises, such as quizzes, were enjoyable.
Hints in French added authenticity and immersion.
Negative:
Navigation buttons were not intuitive for some users.
Lack of immediate guidance caused hesitation in task completion.
Key Insights:
Beginner users like Ethan Wong appreciated interactive and gamified elements but needed clearer navigation aids.
Visual learners thrived with audio-visual integration, but labeling and organization required improvement.
IMPROVEMENTS/ACTIONS TAKEN
Identified Issues and Solutions:
Cycle 1
Long introduction before sign up:
Before: No skip button to skip the introduction pages.
After: Added skip button for user to skip the introductions bring the user directly to the start page.
Navigation Confusion:
Before: No instruction on the vocabulary quiz page leaving the user in confusion on what to do on that page.
After: State clear instruction on what the user needs to do to complete the task.
Lack of Onboarding Guidance:
Before: Users were left to explore the app independently.
After: Added a brief onboarding walkthrough to introduce app functionality.
Language barrier:
Before: No english translation on what challenge the user is at.
After: Added English translation below French word to notify users at which challenge they are at the moment .
Comparison (BEFORE vs. AFTER):
Cycle 2
No hints:
Before: No hints to help users to answer the question.
After: Added hints to help users choose the correct answer..
Design inconsistency:
Before: Some challenge page using the cartoon-based graphic and some challenge page using the real-life based graphic.
After: Align the design by using all real-life based graphics.
Comparison (BEFORE vs. AFTER):
CONCLUSION
The usability test highlighted strengths such as engaging content and effective gamification, while identifying areas for improvement in navigation and onboarding. Aligning the app with Ethan Wong’s needs, we introduced actionable changes that simplified navigation, enhanced guidance, and improved feature clarity.
These improvements ensure the app caters effectively to beginner users, boosting their confidence and language-learning experience. Future iterations will focus on refining advanced features and conducting long-term engagement studies to further align the app with user personas like Ethan Wong.
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