Google Glass for Education: A Remote Mobile Usability Study of a Responsive Instructional Website

Abstract

As wearable computing devices, ubiquitous mobile access, and advances in information and communications technology (ICT) become a global reality, the opportunities for innovation in distance learning expand exponentially. Educators face special challenges in designing effective instruction for delivery in online learning environments that are becoming increasingly mobile and many seek professional development resources to acquire the skills and expertise needed to adopt and integrate new technologies into their practices in impactful ways. With the release of the new Google Glass Explorer Edition (Glass), a head-mounted display, came a need to provide instruction for operating Glass with a focus on education. Google Glass in Education, a website of asynchronous, instructional modules (URL: eLearn.Glass), was created to instruct members of the Google+ Community—Google Glass in Education to impart the fundamentals of operating Google Glass, to record and stream live video, integrate augmented reality, and explore curated resources for educational use. The aim of this mobile usability study was to evaluate the website’s ease of use and effectiveness and to improve user satisfaction through iterative usability testing. Overall, data analysis revealed that participants did experience improved ease-of-use and increased satisfaction with the final revised instructional website.