Usability

Reflect on who you were able to have conduct the usability testing? Were you able to get the right people? Why or why not? What can you do to better improve this in the future?

Due to this being a summer course, I was unable to have my students pilot my course. Although, I did the next best thing and asked my colleagues to test drive it. My colleagues were the best choice because they are familiar with the curriculum, objectives, and activities required by our district. They are also familiar with our students’ demographic, needs, and capabilities, which gives me insight on how I can adjust my course for the best results possible. 

What impact did your platform (LMS, Google Docs, or other digital sharing) have on the testing and results?

Although our district’s LMS system is Canvas, many teachers do not utilize it and are not comfortable navigating through the platform. Between the educators I chose, they each had a different level of familiarity with the system. This was intentional because our students’ knowledge and familiarity of Canvas also spreads across a wide range. Third grade is usually where our students are beginning to utilize laptops. So, it is a transitional phase of being an expert at navigating an iPad, to becoming a beginner at utilizing a laptop or desktop, in addition to an LMS platform. 

]What were the lessons you learned from the usability testing feedback?

One of the most important lessons I learned from the usability testing feedback, is although my district and the state provide me with the content and curriculum needed, I should still make this curriculum my own. Each district, school, and classroom are different, and I should be incorporating methods, activities, and assessments that I deem necessary for my students’ success as long as I am meeting the objectives and keeping the rigor.

What have you done to your design to address the usability issues revealed in the testing? What have you added or taken away?

In my course I have added a section for chart papers with models of how particular graphic organizers should be completed. These models are based on stories that the students have prior knowledge of, like The 3 Little Pigs and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. My users felt this would be beneficial for students when they must complete graphic organizers outside of the classroom, but still need a reference. I also removed the lectures that were uploaded for daily use, because my peers felt it would be too much for students as they begin this blended learning journey. I agree with this stance because they have not previously done any learning online and going through daily lectures independently may overwhelm them.