Usability of 4to24: A Transition Application for Parents of Students With Visual Impairments

Abstract

Introduction: This article covers the technical development and usability testing of 4to24, a mobile application (app) for students with visual impairments and their parents. The app includes information and resources on numerous topics to support and encourage preparation for employment from an early age. Methods: We partnered with technical developers from the blindness field to design and develop the app using an iterative approach that included usability testing at two key points in the development process. Technical developers incorporated accessibility into the app's design as it was built. Researchers conducted two rounds of usability testing with a total of 9 parents and 10 students. Participants completed specific tasks in the app and completed the System Usability Scale (SUS) to assess the app's usability. Results: Mean SUS scores were 80.83 for Round 1 and 83.75 for Round 2, indicating above-average usability at both time points. In each round, participants provided feedback on the app interface and identified issues impacting the app's ease of use. Discussion: We devised a system that automatically sends relevant informational modules to users based on the student's age, grade level, experience, and progress. The iterative design process allowed us to seek user feedback through usability testing and correct identified issues as development progressed, resulting in an intuitive and easy-to-use app. We also assessed and corrected accessibility issues as they arose, ensuring that the app met users’ accessibility needs. Implications for Practitioners: 4to24 is a usable and accessible mobile app that provides parents and students with relevant, timely information and resources to help students prepare for employment as they grow.

The Experiences of Parents of and Students With Visual Impairments With 4to24, a Transition Application

“…The SUS is a brief quantitative measure of perceived usability (Brooke, 1996) wherein participants rated their level of agreement for 10 items (e.g., “I felt very confident using the system”) on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Previous research conducted with various types of products supports the validity and reliability of the SUS (Bangor et al, 2008; Sauro, 2011). We generated total SUS scores for each participant using calculations provided by Brooke (1996).…”

“…At both time points, app SUS scores were above average (Sauro, 2011; Sauro & Lewis, 2012), indicating that participants felt that the app was user-friendly and intuitive. The SUS scores from the account setup survey demonstrated an upward trend for students compared to scores from our initial usability sessions with similar tasks (Antonelli et al, in press), perhaps due to the improvements made to the account setup process in response to user feedback. Logistical differences between the initial usability sessions and the field test could have also influenced SUS scores since initial sessions were moderated by researchers and involved only brief interactions with the app.…”

“…Participants’ positive ratings on the ease of the account setup process and quick setup times may reflect the team's efforts to streamline the process and fix the bugs identified during the previous project phases (Antonelli et al, in press). Students were slightly faster at setting up their accounts than parents.…”

“…Early stages included (a) obtaining input from stakeholders and (b) developing and validating app content (Antonelli et al, 2021). Information about technical development and initial usability testing with parents and students is available in Antonelli et al (in press). The final stage of the development process involved conducting a 6-month field test with parents and students.…”