Usability Evaluation of Virtual Learning Environments: A University Case Study

Abstract

As part of educational technology developments in Higher Education, every university has adopted a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) that facilitates online methods of delivery by enabling the submission of course materials, course management system and computer-mediated communication. VLE is regarded as technology which is either accepted or rejected by its users such as students, academics and administrators. Perceived usefulness and ease of use play an important role in user acceptance and satisfaction. This paper provides quantitative results of usability evaluations i.e., the System Usability Scale (SUS) scores from different user groups including students (n=137), academics (n=23), administrators (n=19) and learning technologist (n=3). The qualitative element of the VLE evaluation comprised the utilization of an approach called Interactive Management (IM) (n=13). The results showed that the newly implemented VLE performed under the average usability expectation (SUS score of 58.6). Students on average evaluated the usability of the VLE higher than the staff. The usability scores of the students from different courses showed remarkable differences. The ranked and categorised feedback from the IM session highlights the importance of planning, training and communication before and during the implementation, as well as the aspect of usability and learnability of the VLE.