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Evaluating Remote Communication Applications Using Student Usability Reviews

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Computer-Human Interaction Research and Applications (CHIRA 2024)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 2370))

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Abstract

The paper investigates and assesses the user interface design of well-known remote communication applications (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet) for improved user experience and interaction. University students evaluate the applications as part of a series of creative challenges, covering important HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) aspects such as existing affordances, visual variables, or interaction flows. The study contributes to an already-established literature review of the uses and effects of video-conferencing tools during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. With volunteer students as participants, they offer a new perspective for the research by acting both as users and evaluators. The study consisted of two connected experiments between early 2023 and 2024, learning and improving with each iteration transitioning from an ad-hoc qualitative-focus approach to a well-defined quantitative-centered tactic. The results for the first experiment showed that the participants preferred Zoom, Discord, and Webex as the top three choices out of nine distinct alternatives. The second experiment positioned Discord as the most advantageous of the final three-the application dominated with a Mean SUS (System Usability Scale) score of 77.42, and ranked first in six out of eight criteria (and one tie) using a custom rating scale.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    How to use Discord for your classroom – https://discord.com/blog/how-to-use-discord-for-your-classroom (Accessed on June 15, 2024).

  2. 2.

    Zoom Breakout Rooms – https://www.zoom.com/en/products/virtual-meetings/features/breakout-rooms/ (Accessed on June 15, 2024).

  3. 3.

    Discord Application Commands – https://discord.com/developers/docs/interactions/application-commands.

  4. 4.

    Responsive Design – https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/responsive-design.

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Acknowledgements

The study was possible with the contribution of the participants who volunteered. Gratitude and appreciation are in order. A special mention also goes to Prof. Dr. habil. Sabin-Corneliu Buraga for his support while making this paper.

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  1. Faculty of Computer Science, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, General Henri Mathias Berthelot 16, 700483, Iasi, Romania

    Alecsandru Grigoriu

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  1. Alecsandru Grigoriu
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Correspondence to Alecsandru Grigoriu .

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  1. IT - Institute of Telecommunications, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal

    Hugo Plácido da Silva

  2. University of Turin, Turin, Italy

    Pietro Cipresso

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Grigoriu, A. (2025). Evaluating Remote Communication Applications Using Student Usability Reviews. In: Plácido da Silva, H., Cipresso, P. (eds) Computer-Human Interaction Research and Applications. CHIRA 2024. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 2370. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-82633-7_14

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