Usability Testing of a Smartphone Application for Delivering Qigong Training

Abstract

A Qigong App was designed to promote a more flexible mode of delivering qigong training than face-to-face, with which individuals can access to this mind-body aerobic exercise more readily. The objective of the study was to examine the usability and acceptance of the App. Target participants were Cantonese- or Putonghua-speaking adults and owned a smartphone. First we conducted a pilot trial with 14 participants to examine the navigation feature of the App, followed by a main test. In the main test, another 100 participants reviewed the Qigong App and filled in a questionnaire on usability (System Usability Scale) and user acceptance (i.e., attitude, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, intention to use, and satisfaction), of which 89 completed the same questionnaire in a two-week interval. Qualitative feedback yielded from the pilot trial was summarized, and descriptive statistics, t-tests, and linear regressions were used in quantitative data analysis of the main test. The mean composite usability score in the main test was satisfactory (77.62 out of 100). Descriptive analyses showed that the majority of users found the Qigong App pleasant, user friendly, and useful for learning qigong. Participants indicated positive ratings for the items assessing usability and acceptance of the App. Regression results showed that certain characteristics predicted the ratings for some items, e.g., age as a predictor of scores of usability and perceived ease of use. The study provided researchers and practitioners with evidence of the usability and acceptance of an alternative qigong training mode that can enhance participants' access and motivation to practice qigong.