engleski

Evaluation of educational tools and analysis of different ways that students use digital technologies in education

This paper includes evaluations of educational tools and presents ways that students use digital tools and devices in education. Three studies were conducted. Technology acceptance model is used for the theoretical background, and as a basis for the creation of criteria for the user evaluation of educational tools. First study is user evaluation of educational tools, and the second study is heuristic evaluation based on Nielsen’s 10 heuristics. Third study investigates undergraduate students’ use of technologies for the purpose of learning. Results of the first two studies reveal that students’ evaluations of the selected tools are correlated with usability evaluations based on Nielsen's’ heuristics. Half of the analyzed tools have severe usability problems with User control and freedom (H3), Consistency and standards (H4) and with Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors (H9). The best tools based on student evaluations also had no usability problems on Visibility of System status (H1), Error prevention (H5) and Help and documentation (H10). Results of the third study show that computers are the most used devices for all types of study activities, except for communication, whereby smartphones are more widely used. Smartphones are quite often used for literature search and reading, even though they are considered less useful. Among female students, Information Technology courses grades are correlated with using applications for reading and writing, and with using computers for literature search. There are many opportunities for introducing additional class activities that require use of various tools, since the students perceive those technologies to be useful, easy to use, and intend to use them. This technological enrichment of instructional processes would provide students with more opportunities for active learning. For successful technology use, both the users' preferences and the established design standards for interactive learning technologies have to be applied.

Educational tools ; Digital devices ; Evaluation ; Students ; Heuristic evaluation

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