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The objective of the study was to examine the effects of user interface — types of table of contents and frames — on user performance and user satisfaction. To accomplish this goal, a laboratory experiment was conducted using a Completely Randomized design in which two between-subjects factors were involved.
Thirty-six students at Indiana University participated in the study voluntarily. When the subject arrived, he/she was randomly assigned to one of the four different experimental conditions, e.g., expandable table of contents with single-frame, traditional table of contents with single-frame, expandable table of contents with multiple-frame and traditional table of contents with multiple-frame. During the first 15 minutes, the subjects were given time to relax and familiarize themselves with the environment. Then, the subjects were guided to open the World Wide Web browser, and read written instruction for tasks. After that, the subjects were guided to open and browse through each experimental system in order to familiarize themselves with the navigation tools. Immediately after the introduction, the subjects were given 30 minutes to search and browse for information. Finally, the subjects were asked to complete a 22-item satisfaction questionnaire, and then to fill in the demographic information during the 10 minutes before their leaving the computer cluster.
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