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Critical Usability Challenges in E-Government and Educational Portals: Towards Practical Solutions for Developing Countries
Subject area: Science,Engineering and Technology · Area of research: Software Testing and Quality Assurance
DOI: 10.64388/IREV10I2-1722429
Abstract
The rapid adoption of digital platforms for public and educational services has transformed the way citizens and students interact with institutions [1]. However, the effectiveness of these platforms largely depends on their usability, accessibility, and ability to support users in completing intended tasks efficiently. In developing countries, many e-government and educational portals continue to experience usability challenges, including complex navigation, poor accessibility, limited mobile compatibility, and difficulties in completing online tasks. This study investigates critical usability challenges affecting e-government and educational portals in developing countries and proposes practical solutions for improving user experience. A comparative usability evaluation approach was adopted, examining selected portals from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Bangladesh. The evaluation employed three established usability assessment methods: System Usability Scale (SUS), Nielsen’s Heuristic Evaluation, and Task Analysis. The study analyzed usability issues related to task completion, interface design, accessibility, system feedback, and overall user satisfaction The findings reveal that although digital portals have improved access to government and educational services, significant usability issues remain, particularly in navigation efficiency, mobile responsiveness, information organization, and system performance during peak usage periods. The study highlights the importance of user-centered design practices, continuous usability evaluation, improved infrastructure, and accessibility considerations in developing effective digital services [2], [3]. This research contributes to the understanding of usability limitations in developing countries and provides practical recommendations for designing more efficient, accessible, and user-friendly e-government and educational platforms.
Keywords
usability evaluation; e-government portals; educational portals; system usability scale; human-computer interaction; developing countries.
References
[1] International Organization for Standardization, ISO 9241-11:2018 Ergonomics of human-system interaction — Part 11: Usability: Definitions and concepts. Geneva, Switzerland: ISO, 2018.
[2] J. Nielsen, Usability Engineering. San Francisco, CA, USA: Academic Press, 1993.
[3] J. Brooke, “SUS: A quick and dirty usability scale,” in Usability Evaluation in Industry, P. W. Jordan, B. Thomas, B. A. Weerdmeester, and I. L. McClelland, Eds. London, U.K.: Taylor & Francis, 1996, pp. 189–194.
[4] A. Bangor, P. Kortum, and J. Miller, “An empirical evaluation of the System Usability Scale,” International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, vol. 24, no. 6, pp. 574–594, 2008.
[5] A. Bangor, P. Kortum, and J. Miller, “Determining what individual System Usability Scale (SUS) scores mean: Adding an adjective rating scale,” Journal of Usability Studies, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 114–123, 2009.
[6] J. Nielsen and R. Molich, “Heuristic evaluation of user interfaces,” in Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1990, pp. 249–256.
[7] J. Nielsen, “Enhancing the explanatory power of usability heuristics,” in Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1994, pp. 152–158.
[8] J. Choudrie, J. Wisal, and G. Ghinea, “Evaluating the usability of developing countries' e-government sites: A user perspective,” Electronic Government, An International Journal, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 265–281, 2009.
[9] V. Venkatesh, M. G. Morris, G. B. Davis, and F. D. Davis, “User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view,” MIS Quarterly, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 425–478, 2003.
How to cite this paper
@article{1722429,
author = {Dr. Ebisin Aderonke Foluso, Lawal Ahmed Oladimeji, Akinola Daniel Adeoye, Adegboyega Faith Ireti; Omitogun Liafeez Damilare, Ibrahim Issa Timilehin; Oyalami Azeez Olumide},
title = {Critical Usability Challenges in E-Government and Educational Portals: Towards Practical Solutions for Developing Countries},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {10},
number = {2},
pages = {2167-2178},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1722429.pdf},
abstract = {The rapid adoption of digital platforms for public and educational services has transformed the way citizens and students interact with institutions [1]. However, the effectiveness of these platforms largely depends on their usability, accessibility, and ability to support users in completing intended tasks efficiently. In developing countries, many e-government and educational portals continue to experience usability challenges, including complex navigation, poor accessibility, limited mobile compatibility, and difficulties in completing online tasks. This study investigates critical usability challenges affecting e-government and educational portals in developing countries and proposes practical solutions for improving user experience. A comparative usability evaluation approach was adopted, examining selected portals from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Bangladesh. The evaluation employed three established usability assessment methods: System Usability Scale (SUS), Nielsen’s Heuristic Evaluation, and Task Analysis. The study analyzed usability issues related to task completion, interface design, accessibility, system feedback, and overall user satisfaction The findings reveal that although digital portals have improved access to government and educational services, significant usability issues remain, particularly in navigation efficiency, mobile responsiveness, information organization, and system performance during peak usage periods. The study highlights the importance of user-centered design practices, continuous usability evaluation, improved infrastructure, and accessibility considerations in developing effective digital services [2], [3]. This research contributes to the understanding of usability limitations in developing countries and provides practical recommendations for designing more efficient, accessible, and user-friendly e-government and educational platforms.},
keywords = {usability evaluation; e-government portals; educational portals; system usability scale; human-computer interaction; developing countries.},
month = {August},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I2-1722429}
}