Development and Formative Evaluation of a Virtual Exercise Platform for a Community Fitness Center Serving...

Area of Science:

• Disability Studies
• Health Informatics
• Exercise Science

Background:

• Physical activity is crucial for health but often inaccessible for people with disabilities due to barriers like transportation and facility access.
• Virtual Exercise Platforms (VEPs) present a potential solution to overcome these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate user interaction (effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction) with a VEP.
• To assess the user interface's strengths and weaknesses.
• To understand the overall user experience for people with disabilities.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods study involving 5 participants with disabilities.
• Task-based usability testing using a VEP with features like live classes and progress tracking.
• Data collection included quantitative metrics (time, success, errors) and qualitative feedback (interviews, think-aloud method).
• Validated instruments like the System Usability Scale (SUS) and Questionnaire for User Interface Satisfaction (QUIS) were used.

Main Results:

• Participants successfully completed most tasks, with high efficiency in account creation and class registration.
• The VEP achieved a high mean SUS score (86.5/100) and QUIS score (8.08/10).
• Qualitative feedback highlighted the VEP as simple, user-friendly, and accessible, despite minor difficulties with specific tasks like calendar integration.

Conclusions:

• The VEP demonstrates high usability and user satisfaction among people with disabilities.
• The platform is a viable and effective option for promoting physical activity in this population.
• VEPs can help mitigate common barriers to exercise for individuals with disabilities.