Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Usability Testing To Improve A Teaching Website For Graduate Counselor Education Students, Paula S. Mcmillen, Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson, Grace Lin

Paula S. McMillen

Technology proficiency expectations have proliferated in counselor education. Yet, limited information in the counseling literature details how to effectively evaluate or refine online resources from a design/utility standpoint. This description of a small-scale usability study demonstrates a cost-effective strategy for improving counselor education Web sites. Counselor education students completed specific tasks related to the target Web site’s purpose and functionality. Error and completion rates were tracked. Process comments were recorded. Combined qualitative and quantitative results clearly indicated what worked and what did not, allowing the Web site designers to prioritize needed changes in content organization, format/graphics, and workflow.