Proposal to improve the usability of multiplatform mobile applications inside “MiESPE” web portal at Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas

Abstract

The growing use of technology has forced Higher Education Institutions (IES) to adopt new technological tools that allow establishing an effective communication with students specially through the use of multiplatform mobile applications. However, for the most part, the development of these applications does not meet usability criteria, neither in design nor in development, which is a determining factor in the success or failure of the project. This paper describes the heuristic evaluation and usability tests of the MiESPE web portal, identifying the problem factors that are solved in the development of the multiplatform mobile application: “MiESPE Móvil”, using the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology. The experimental evaluation carried out based on several usability guidelines of the People At the Center of Mobile Application Development (PACMAD) and User-centered design (UCD), allowed to reach an acceptable average of: overall efficiency, effectiveness and user satisfaction.