Usability and Design Considerations for

The overall success of computer-based products and systems is dependent to a significant extent on their usability and usefulness in the intended context. User Centered Design (UCD) combines research-based methods with product design practices in ways that support the creation of useful and usable products and systems. In this paper we discuss common design and usability considerations in the development of computer-based learning and assessment products, and the associated information management tools used to manage and deliver them. The application of UCD as a "science of design" (i.e., a research paradigm directed at systematically understanding, evaluating, and documenting usage requirements) will be considered in the context of designing and deploying web-based assessment and learning tools. Defining User Centered Design (UCD) User Centered Design (UCD) is a term used in recent years to describe an approach that has been around for decades under different names, such as human factors engineering, usability engineering, human-centered design, and more recently user experience engineering. UCD incorporates a multidisciplinary collection of methodologies and theoretical perspectives that can be used to design a wide range of products or services, from consumer products, to industrial devices, to work processes and environments. The term is most frequently applied to the design of technology products, such as software, web sites, computer-related devices, and mobile communications products.