Haptics and hotspots: creating usable and educational apps for children in the Netherlands

ABSTRACT This study investigated how app design features in educational apps affect app usability (i.e. effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction during use) and subsequent learning for Dutch children aged 4–5 years old. Guided by the Capacity Model 2.0 and Cognitive Load Theory, a 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment was conducted with 128 children (Mage = 4.73, SD = .40) to investigate how tactile (i.e. haptic movement: dragging versus tapping) and visual (i.e. hotspots: salient (moving) versus non-salient (non-moving) features in an educational app (M = 4.97 minutes game play) influence app usability and children’s learning – namely, receptive vocabulary acquisition. Results lent partial support to study hypotheses. Although children learned nearly five new Dutch words after playing the seeking game only once, the manipulated features did not explain this acquisition. In line with expectations, features did influence usability with salient hotspots proving to be a key predictor of usability. Implications are discussed. Impact Summary Prior State of Knowledge: Although there is much speculation regarding the impact of app design on the usability of and subsequent learning from children’s educational apps, empirical knowledge on this topic is lacking. Novel Contributions: This study is the first empirical investigation to combine predictions of the Capacity Model and Cognitive Load Theory to investigate how educational app design features (haptic and visual) predict app usability and subsequent learning for preschool-aged children. Practical Implications: For designers, results suggest that the thoughtful use of salient hotspots can lead to improved app usability. But, as demonstrated in the study, usability is not a guarantee for learning. It is crucial to consider how to use such features to support learning.