Week 6: Article Review

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Article in PDF Format: The Impact of Geographic Location on the Subjective Assessment of System Usability

Citation

  • Kortum, P., & Ziegler Acemyan, C. (2019, February 1). The Impact of Geographic Location on the Subjective Assessment of System Usability. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN–COMPUTER INTERACTION, 35(2), 123-130. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2018.1437865

Abstract

  • Marketing researchers use geography to identify specific user groups for studies to more effectively describe their potential customer base. Since usability professionals often recruit users employing similar selection criteria as their marketing peers, the use of geographic information might also be relevant when selecting usability test participants. In total, 3,168 participants from across the United States rated the usability of different hardware, software, and web-based products using the System Usability Scale (SUS). SUS scores were compared across geographic divisions to determine if usability assessments differ by location. SUS scores were also compared across rural and urban areas to determine if usability assessment scores change with population density. There was a lack of evidence to support significant differences in usability scores across both US geographic areas and zones of population density. The findings suggest that people make similar system usability assessments regardless of the area of the United States in which they live.

Experimental or Nonexperimental?

  • This study was nonexperimental as no treatment or manipulation was used. Participants in this study answered an online questionnaire.

Qualitative or Quantitative Research?

  • This is a quantitative research study. The data collected was ratings on a numerical scale and the data was analyzed utilizing percentages.

Population of Study

  • Residents of the United States of America.

Sample used for Study

  • The 3,186 participants in this study were recruited viz a task post on Amazon Mechanical Turk. The sample ranged in age from 18-87 with and average age of 36 and a standard deviation of 12. 41% of participants were male and 51% female. Race and ethnicity information was not collected from participants.

Method of Measurement

  • Participants in the study answered a 10 question System Usability Scale questionnaire. The usability was rated on a scale of 0-100, with 0 representing very low usability and 100 representing outstanding usability. The study generated data on 4 software programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Photoshop), 4 web-based services (Gmail, Facebook, Google search engine, and FAFSA), and 3 hardware platforms (iPhone, Wii, and printed W-4 forms).

Method of Analysis

  • The researchers divided the US into 9 regions and averaged the SUS scores across each system for each region. They also compared the SUS averages based on Rural, Urban Cluster, and Urban locations. A SUS score of 70-100 is considered acceptable, 50-70 is considered marginal, and below 50 is considered unacceptable.

Conclusion

  • The results of the study showed no significant difference in SUS scores based on geographic locations. The results were not only similar across all 9 regions of the US, but also in Rural vs Urban areas.

How the Study is Useful to Me

  • I am employed by a telecommunications provider serving many communities throughout the state of Kansas. My company, like may telecoms, is working to close the digital divide while remaining profitable. I believe the results of this study show that residents of rural communities are familiar with and utilizing technology at the same level as urban citizens. I have heard concerns that building into rural areas may not be worthwhile as there isn’t much demand for high bandwidth Internet access. The results of this study suggest that rural citizens are utilizing technology and building into rural areas would likely grow a telecom’s customer base.

Next Logical Step to Extend Study

  • To participate in this study, the participants and to use a computer, indicating some level of computer literacy, and have the means to afford access to at least some of the products on the survey (p. 129). A better sample might be obtained by mailing surveys to random citizens, eliminating the need for computer literacy and increasing the chance of reaching individuals that may not have a computer, tablet, or smartphone in their home.

About Chris Ashley

My name is Chris Ashley and I am a senior at FHSU. My major is Informatics with a concentration in Computer Networking and Telecommunications. I live in Wichita, Ks and have worked in the telecommunications industry for 20 years. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my wife and 4 children, completing home projects, and attending concerts and local music shows.

One thought on “Week 6: Article Review”

  1. Hi Chris, I enjoyed reading your article around the study of usability in different geographic zones. When I first saw the title, I assumed there would be a difference in usability between rural and urban zones meaning those in urban areas had higher access to more technology than those in rural towns. Furthermore, as you stated, I thought expanding into rural zones would ultimately be a waste as there isn’t as much of a demand for certain technology as in the more populated urban areas. As I read your post, I learned that there is as much of a demand for technology and usability is the same across the board in the U.S. This means that expanding into those rural zones would be beneficial and profitable to provider companies. I would like to see an extension of this study to see the level of individuals that could afford access to certain technologies if introduced within their area.

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