Skip to main content
Ministry of Education New Zealand
NCEA Education
10/5/2025 03:33 AM  |  Demonstrate understanding of usability in human-computer interfaces  |  https://ncea.education.govt.nz/technology/digital-technologies/1/3

Header

Purpose

Students are able to demonstrate understanding of usability in human-computer interfaces.

Achievement Criteria

Explanatory Note 1

Demonstrate understanding of usability in human-computer interfaces involves:

  • describing the purpose of human-computer interfaces
  • describing usability principles and their use in human-computer interfaces.

Examine the usability of human-computer interfaces involves:

  • explaining how usability principles have been applied in human-computer interfaces
  • explaining the usability of human-computer interfaces in terms of usability principles.

Evaluate the usability of human-computer interfaces involves:

  • comparing the usability of human-computer interfaces
  • applying usability principles to suggest improvements to human-computer interface usability.

Explanatory Note 2

For the purposes of this achievement standard, the usability of human-computer interfaces can be understood in terms of usability principles. Examples of usability principles could include:

  • mātāpono Māori such as:
    • accurate use of te reo Māori
    • support for te reo Māori in tools such as spell checking
    • support for expression of tikanga and mātauranga Māori
  • usability concepts such as:
    • internal and external consistency
    • accessibility
  • Nielsen’s usability heuristics.

Shared Explanatory Note

Refer to the NCEA glossary for Māori, Pacific, and further subject-specific terms and concepts.


This achievement standard is derived from the Technology Learning Area at Level 6 of The New Zealand Curriculum: Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 2007.

External Assessment Specifications

The External Assessment Specifications are published by NZQA and can be found on their website using this link:

NZQA Digital Technologies

[ External Link Featured NZQA ]
NZQA page for Digital Technologies
NZQA page for Digital Technologies

Useful Pages

[ External Link Featured NZQA ]
AS92006 External Assessment Resources
Link to NZQA’s webpage of external assessment resources
AS92006 External Assessment Resources
Link to NZQA’s webpage of external assessment resources

Unpacking the Standard

Mātauranga Māori constitutes concepts and principles that are richly detailed, complex, and fundamental to Māoridom. It is important to remember that the practice of these are wider and more varied than their use within the proposed NCEA Achievement Standards and supporting documentation.

We also recognise that the cultures, languages, and identities of the Pacific Islands are diverse, varied, and unique. Therefore the Pacific concepts, contexts, and principles that have been incorporated within NCEA Achievement Standards may have wide-ranging understandings and applications across and within the diversity of Pacific communities. It is not our intention to define what these concepts mean but rather offer some ways that they could be understood and applied within different subjects that kaiako and students alike can explore.

Mātauranga Māori constitutes concepts and principles that are richly detailed, complex, and fundamental to Māoridom. It is important to remember that the practice of these are wider and more varied than their use within the proposed NCEA Achievement Standards and supporting documentation.

We also recognise that the cultures, languages, and identities of the Pacific Islands are diverse, varied, and unique. Therefore the Pacific concepts, contexts, and principles that have been incorporated within NCEA Achievement Standards may have wide-ranging understandings and applications across and within the diversity of Pacific communities. It is not our intention to define what these concepts mean but rather offer some ways that they could be understood and applied within different subjects that kaiako and students alike can explore.

The intent of the Standard

This Standard requires ākonga to identify and evaluate usability principles within human-computer interfaces. They will compare the usability of interfaces and identify how usability principles could be applied to improve usability.

Ākonga may consider a range of usability principles. These could include Nielsen’s usability heuristics and the concepts of:

  • accessibility
  • commensurate effort
  • internal and external consistency
  • learnability
  • short-term memory
  • system response time.

Ākonga could also choose to consider mātāpono Māori to assess the usability of a human-computer interface. This may include considerations such as the accurate and clear use of te reo Māori, orthography (such as the use of macrons), and whether the interface supports aspects of tikanga Māori, for example:

  • the facilitation of kanohi ki te kanohi interaction
  • whanaungatanga (such as how the interface supports functionality to connect by waka, maunga, awa, iwi, and hapū as in a pepeha)
  • wairuatanga (such as how aspects of atua matua are given due recognition within the interface).

Ākonga could also consider if and how the interface supports the expression of mātauranga Māori.

Making reliable judgements

Human-computer interfaces are many and varied. To support the identification, examination, and evaluation of usability principles within an interface, it is important that a suitable interface is chosen. Suitable interfaces will be sufficiently complex to allow ākonga to identify usability principles. Examples of suitable interfaces could be websites with functions such as user sections or shopping features, or software applications with a wide range of user options.

Collecting evidence

This Standard will be assessed as set out in the Assessment Specifications provided by NZQA.

Possible contexts

Ākonga should have the opportunity to explore a range of interfaces built for different devices. Websites or smartphone apps for e-commerce sites or streaming services offer a good starting point. Websites for businesses in Aotearoa New Zealand will give better options for ākonga to discuss the expression of mātauranga Māori.

The intent of the Standard

This Standard requires ākonga to identify and evaluate usability principles within human-computer interfaces. They will compare the usability of interfaces and identify how usability principles could be applied to improve usability.

Ākonga may consider a range of usability principles. These could include Nielsen’s usability heuristics and the concepts of:

  • accessibility
  • commensurate effort
  • internal and external consistency
  • learnability
  • short-term memory
  • system response time.

Ākonga could also choose to consider mātāpono Māori to assess the usability of a human-computer interface. This may include considerations such as the accurate and clear use of te reo Māori, orthography (such as the use of macrons), and whether the interface supports aspects of tikanga Māori, for example:

  • the facilitation of kanohi ki te kanohi interaction
  • whanaungatanga (such as how the interface supports functionality to connect by waka, maunga, awa, iwi, and hapū as in a pepeha)
  • wairuatanga (such as how aspects of atua matua are given due recognition within the interface).

Ākonga could also consider if and how the interface supports the expression of mātauranga Māori.

Making reliable judgements

Human-computer interfaces are many and varied. To support the identification, examination, and evaluation of usability principles within an interface, it is important that a suitable interface is chosen. Suitable interfaces will be sufficiently complex to allow ākonga to identify usability principles. Examples of suitable interfaces could be websites with functions such as user sections or shopping features, or software applications with a wide range of user options.

Collecting evidence

This Standard will be assessed as set out in the Assessment Specifications provided by NZQA.

Possible contexts

Ākonga should have the opportunity to explore a range of interfaces built for different devices. Websites or smartphone apps for e-commerce sites or streaming services offer a good starting point. Websites for businesses in Aotearoa New Zealand will give better options for ākonga to discuss the expression of mātauranga Māori.

Standard Exclusions

This Standard has one or more exclusions, or Standards that assess the same or similar learning. These Standards are excluded against one another to prevent assessing the same learning twice. You can only use credits gained from one of these standards towards your NCEA qualification.

Find out more about the NCEA Level 1 Exclusions List.

Standard Exclusions

This Standard has one or more exclusions, or Standards that assess the same or similar learning. These Standards are excluded against one another to prevent assessing the same learning twice. You can only use credits gained from one of these standards towards your NCEA qualification.

Find out more about the NCEA Level 1 Exclusions List.

Assessment Activities

Footer

Te Poutāhū - Curriculum Centre Ministry of Education New Zealand home
  • About this site
  • Contact Us
  • Copyright
  • Privacy
Shielded site logo
© 2025 Ministry of Education New Zealand Government / Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa