This paper describes a study on the usability of an academic website, http://www.explainingclimatechange.ca, and starts with a discussion of the literature on usability and eye-tracking, appropriately noting that a challenge for academic websites is the ability of students to locate information. The authors note that “some methods related to eye-tracking can be powerful, and powerfully misleading...”

The study involved ten students taking a general education chemistry course. The methodology consisted of directing participants to perform four specific tasks, such as: “Learn when chlorofluorocarbons were invented,” and “Locate and use [the] Earth’s Atmosphere learning tool.” Time limits were imposed. Success was defined by the student being on the right page and clicking an “I did it” button. The non-success rate was high, with no student completing one of the tasks and only about 50 percent completing the others. The system monitored performance through eye-tracking and a tool called UserZoom. Participants’ assessments of the site were collected using a survey instrument called the system usability scale (SUS) and interviews.

The study provided feedback on ways to improve the website, including removing distracting animations and changing some terms. The study did not test the students’ understanding of the material, and doing the location tasks, while important to reveal navigation issues, may have made students less likely to read the lessons. Still, the paper was valuable for the specific findings and the methodology. One minor complaint is that the figures were too small to comprehend.