Usability Evaluation of University Websites in Pakistan through User Testing

Abstract

University websites are important mediums of communication that make important information accessible to the stakeholders of university websites. A good user experience of these websites brings the broader population to these websites. Evaluating the usability of university websites is important because it finds possible usability problems. In this regard, this research discusses the experience of the usability evaluation of three official websites of the universities of Pakistan i.e., Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), University of Karachi (UoK), and Islamia University, Bahawalpur (IUB) by employing user testing method using thinking aloud approach. The findings of the usability tests are summarized using three measures named effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. The results reflect that the LUMS website scores higher in all three discussed measures. UoK and IUB both have the same effectiveness rating. The UoK website is less efficient than the IUB website, though. Finally, in satisfaction scores, users of the UoK website scored higher as compared to the IUB website.