Usability and Workload Evaluation of a Cybersecurity Educational Game Application: A Case Study

Abstract

Currently, social networks and Internet access have become a place that fosters risky experiences for their users, who are vulnerable and can become victims of violence, online abuse, extortion, etc. Therefore, it is considered necessary to make people aware of the appropriate use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and Internet access, to minimize the risks and vulnerabilities associated with these practices. This research analyzes the use of a game-like mobile application called CiberSecApp, which was designed to support the teaching of basic cybersecurity. This application was designed as a game because gamification has been shown to generate motivation and keep users interested in long periods of time. In addition, the new generation of students perceives educational mobile apps as an innovative way to access educational content in a simple, ubiquitous, and portable way Unlike other similar initiatives in the existing literature, this research did not focus solely on the game design aspects, but also on evaluating the user experience. For this purpose, the IBM Computer Usability Satisfaction Questionnaires (CSUQ) and the NASA Task Load Index (TLX) were used to evaluate the usability of the mobile application and the mental workload generated by the participants. A total of 60 engineering students participated voluntarily in this research. The results obtained show that the use of gamification of educational content can support the teaching of cybersecurity by creating an intention of use and with a low mental workload for its users.