Abstract
Aim and Research Questions
Digital data tools and platforms impact education and research across all academic subjects, and understanding their usability is crucial for maximising their educational or research potential (Cole et al., 2023). Within the UK, the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) has developed a real-time data intelligence platform, 'Data-Lens', to provide controlled access to national sport and physical activity sector workforce-related data for industry stakeholders and students. This study aimed to investigate student perceptions of the usability of the national CIMPSA (2025) 'Data-Lens' platform, exploring the overall assessment of its usefulness and barriers that might influence student access and engagement.
Theoretical Background and Literature Review
Trusted Research Environments (TREs) are rapidly expanding as secure digital platforms that provide protected research data access (Cerdeira, 2024). Academic and healthcare researchers have deployed TREs extensively (Cole et al., 2023), but these platforms remain poorly understood or utilised in sports management education and research. Traditional TREs focus on static data storage rather than user-centred engagement, but emerging developments, such as active analytics solutions, aim to enhance user access to research data (Cerdeira, 2024). Sengupta et al. (2024) argue that incorporating user-centred design and continuous feedback enhances engagement; therefore, involving students in platform development through responsive design methods can mitigate interface complexity and improve usability (Cole et al., 2023).
Research Design, Methodology and Data Analysis
This study employed a sequential mixed-method design. The first phase involved a first-person action research method where the primary researcher accessed and assessed the CIMSPA ‘Data-lens’ system using the standardised User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) (Laugwitz et al., 2008) items to record qualitative reflections as a query into their views and actions when using the system (Coghlan & Brydon-Miller, 2014). Utilising this first-person action pilot tested the usefulness of the UEQ conceptual themes to develop qualitative questions for students to record deeper reflections on their experiences and opinions when using the platform. The UEQ has six scales representing the most important user experiences using pairs of terms with opposite meanings spanning a semantic differential with a 7-point answer scale. (Laugwitz et al. 2008), including:
Attractiveness: General impression of the product.
Efficiency: Reaching goals using the product is quick and efficient.
Perspicuity: Ease of understanding how to use the product.
Dependability: Safety and controllability of the interaction with the product.
Stimulation: Is it interesting and fun to use the product?
Novelty: Is it innovative, creative, and stimulates the user's attention?
These six scales combine into three core pillars of usability, including pragmatic quality, focusing on how well a user can understand the system. Hedonic quality focuses on the user's need for stimulation and novelty. Attractiveness is the verdict that users form, combining pragmatic and hedonic views.
The second stage of the research initiated a second-person action research inquiry where ten sport management students were selected using purposive sampling and asked to use the CIMPSA ‘Data-lens’ system and then record their UEQ questionnaire scores and qualitative experiences and opinions using extended questions to ensure all were thinking about its use in a standardised way (Coghlan & Brydon-Miller, 2014). All qualitative notes were collected and reviewed using a standard thematic analysis approach to identify themes in the data (Braun et al., 2016).
Results/Findings and Discussion
Analysis of the UEQ responses (n = 10) highlights that sports management students generally see "Data-Lens" as being pragmatic (Efficiency = 1.31 ± 1.10, Dependability = 1.00 ± 0.92 and Perspicuity = 0.65 ± 1.00). The hedonic scales reveal modest appeal against benchmarks (Stimulation = 0.63 ± 1.00, Novelty = 0.28 ± 0.75). The overall Attractiveness scores (1.05 ± 0.90) suggest that students were generally positive about the platform and interface. Reliability diagnostics confirm Cronbach's α is acceptable for Attractiveness (0.71) and Efficiency (0.69); it is moderate for Perspicuity (0.64), Dependability (0.40), and (0.55) but inadequate for Novelty (0.28), suggesting that students' understanding of the scale terminology may be irregular, so the use of questionnaire scores to influence design changes should be made with caution. Analysis of the qualitative data offered six inter-related recommendations, including that TRE platform development consider (1) presenting clear information, (2) developing supporting tutorials to support inexperienced users, (3) using navigation prompts to support practical use of the platform, (4) explain data sources and methods for its collection to build credibility and user trust; (5) help students understand how data can be used in assessments or for research ideas; (6) consider integration of AI or other analysis tools to support personalised use of the data.
Conclusion
Whilst student users of platforms such as CIMSPAs "Data-lens" can see the value in their provision and availability, providers of TREs and data portals will need to be cognisant of their design, interface, complexity and usability to maximise engagement and stimulation of research or educational use (Cole et al., 2023).
Digital data tools and platforms impact education and research across all academic subjects, and understanding their usability is crucial for maximising their educational or research potential (Cole et al., 2023). Within the UK, the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) has developed a real-time data intelligence platform, 'Data-Lens', to provide controlled access to national sport and physical activity sector workforce-related data for industry stakeholders and students. This study aimed to investigate student perceptions of the usability of the national CIMPSA (2025) 'Data-Lens' platform, exploring the overall assessment of its usefulness and barriers that might influence student access and engagement.
Theoretical Background and Literature Review
Trusted Research Environments (TREs) are rapidly expanding as secure digital platforms that provide protected research data access (Cerdeira, 2024). Academic and healthcare researchers have deployed TREs extensively (Cole et al., 2023), but these platforms remain poorly understood or utilised in sports management education and research. Traditional TREs focus on static data storage rather than user-centred engagement, but emerging developments, such as active analytics solutions, aim to enhance user access to research data (Cerdeira, 2024). Sengupta et al. (2024) argue that incorporating user-centred design and continuous feedback enhances engagement; therefore, involving students in platform development through responsive design methods can mitigate interface complexity and improve usability (Cole et al., 2023).
Research Design, Methodology and Data Analysis
This study employed a sequential mixed-method design. The first phase involved a first-person action research method where the primary researcher accessed and assessed the CIMSPA ‘Data-lens’ system using the standardised User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) (Laugwitz et al., 2008) items to record qualitative reflections as a query into their views and actions when using the system (Coghlan & Brydon-Miller, 2014). Utilising this first-person action pilot tested the usefulness of the UEQ conceptual themes to develop qualitative questions for students to record deeper reflections on their experiences and opinions when using the platform. The UEQ has six scales representing the most important user experiences using pairs of terms with opposite meanings spanning a semantic differential with a 7-point answer scale. (Laugwitz et al. 2008), including:
Attractiveness: General impression of the product.
Efficiency: Reaching goals using the product is quick and efficient.
Perspicuity: Ease of understanding how to use the product.
Dependability: Safety and controllability of the interaction with the product.
Stimulation: Is it interesting and fun to use the product?
Novelty: Is it innovative, creative, and stimulates the user's attention?
These six scales combine into three core pillars of usability, including pragmatic quality, focusing on how well a user can understand the system. Hedonic quality focuses on the user's need for stimulation and novelty. Attractiveness is the verdict that users form, combining pragmatic and hedonic views.
The second stage of the research initiated a second-person action research inquiry where ten sport management students were selected using purposive sampling and asked to use the CIMPSA ‘Data-lens’ system and then record their UEQ questionnaire scores and qualitative experiences and opinions using extended questions to ensure all were thinking about its use in a standardised way (Coghlan & Brydon-Miller, 2014). All qualitative notes were collected and reviewed using a standard thematic analysis approach to identify themes in the data (Braun et al., 2016).
Results/Findings and Discussion
Analysis of the UEQ responses (n = 10) highlights that sports management students generally see "Data-Lens" as being pragmatic (Efficiency = 1.31 ± 1.10, Dependability = 1.00 ± 0.92 and Perspicuity = 0.65 ± 1.00). The hedonic scales reveal modest appeal against benchmarks (Stimulation = 0.63 ± 1.00, Novelty = 0.28 ± 0.75). The overall Attractiveness scores (1.05 ± 0.90) suggest that students were generally positive about the platform and interface. Reliability diagnostics confirm Cronbach's α is acceptable for Attractiveness (0.71) and Efficiency (0.69); it is moderate for Perspicuity (0.64), Dependability (0.40), and (0.55) but inadequate for Novelty (0.28), suggesting that students' understanding of the scale terminology may be irregular, so the use of questionnaire scores to influence design changes should be made with caution. Analysis of the qualitative data offered six inter-related recommendations, including that TRE platform development consider (1) presenting clear information, (2) developing supporting tutorials to support inexperienced users, (3) using navigation prompts to support practical use of the platform, (4) explain data sources and methods for its collection to build credibility and user trust; (5) help students understand how data can be used in assessments or for research ideas; (6) consider integration of AI or other analysis tools to support personalised use of the data.
Conclusion
Whilst student users of platforms such as CIMSPAs "Data-lens" can see the value in their provision and availability, providers of TREs and data portals will need to be cognisant of their design, interface, complexity and usability to maximise engagement and stimulation of research or educational use (Cole et al., 2023).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - Sept 2025 |
| Event | European Association of Sport Management (EASM) 2025 Conference: Sustainability in Sport Management - Hungary, Budapest, Hungary Duration: 2 Sept 2025 → 5 Sept 2025 https://easm2025.com/en/ |
Conference
| Conference | European Association of Sport Management (EASM) 2025 Conference |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Hungary |
| City | Budapest |
| Period | 2/09/25 → 5/09/25 |
| Internet address |