Supporting Learning Through Affordance- Based Design: A Comparative Analysis of "BioVARse" and a Standard Textbook Companion Application in Biology Education

Abstract

Textbooks as an educational artefact has evolved immensely with technology, especially through mobile applications. When used in conjunction with textbooks, mobile applications have the potential to provide a unique set of affordances to support learning. This paper presents the design of “BioVARse”, a textbook companion app for Biology subjects that provides these affordances to the learners. A comparative analysis of these learning affordances with a standard textbook companion application is presented, and a pilot study for assessing the usability is also performed. The preliminary results indicate a significantly higher usability of BioVARse, when compared to the standard application. Additionally, the paper also discusses the possibility of improving the learning experience through an affordance-based design of a textbook companion app.