Avaliação da usabilidade das interfaces gráficas do Linux para o uso nos laboratórios da Universidade Federal do Ceará no campus Quixadá

Abstract

This research presents a comparative usability evaluation between the Gnome 46 (Ubuntu 24.04) and KDE Plasma 5.22 graphical environments, focusing on the academic context of the Federal University of Ceará campus in Quixadá. The main objective was to identify which interface offers the best user experience for undergraduate students in everyday laboratory tasks. The adopted methodology followed the DECIDE framework, utilizing a mixed-methods approach that combined usability tests with direct observation, using the Think Aloud technique, the application of the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire, and interviews aimed at understanding the user, with a sample of ten students. Quantitative results revealed an advantage for Gnome 46, which obtained an average score of 90.25 (classi ed as "Best Imaginable"), while KDEPlasma reached 83.00 (classi ed as "Excellent"). The qualitative analysis, grounded in Nielsen’s Heuristics, identi ed that the main dif culties in KDE were related to menu consistency, whereas Gnome stood out for its minimalist design and lower cognitive load. It is concluded that, although both interfaces possess high acceptability, Gnome 46 proved to be more intuitive for the tested user pro le, presenting lower severity of usability problems and greater ef ciency in the execution of academic tasks.