e-Learning Usability Instruments: What is being Evaluated?

The process of evaluating the usability of e-Learning has included the use of varying instruments. These instruments have myriad factors and foci when attempting to provide an appropriate review of an e-Learning product. The variety of instruments and their embedded definitions creates some ambiguity when there is a need to review a particular e-Learning "unit". The purpose of this paper is to initially provide a guide towards the development of an appropriate instrument to review the usability of an e-Course. This is en route to an instrument that can be manipulated to produce specific guides for the usability of any type of e-Learning product. As eLearning products may have varying goals, instruments that can be manipulated would prove to be much more appropriate to the usability of all e-Learning products.