The importance of package features and learning factors for ease of use

In the Information Systems community, the term ease of use has taken on many meanings and interpretations, and various factors said to contribute to it have been investigated. To determine whether studies in this area have focused on the right aspects, or need to be refocused, this study sought to ascertain whether some level of agreement exists among experienced users regarding the importance of various package design and assistance features for ease of use and the support they offer to identified learning dimensions. The results point to some degree of agreement among these users on the importance of individual features for ease of use, though they did not agree on all features. The panel agreed that the identified learning dimensions should be equally supported by package features. There was also reasonable agreement that certain features support certain learning dimensions. The results point to a need to refocus some of the research areas which have been considered important for ease of use and suggest new areas to pursue.