My final year project at Loughborough consisted of the evaluation of the universities 'Virtual Learning Environment' (VLE), called 'Learn', with the aim to redesign the system on a mobile device. Using a range of UX methods and techniques, I was able to justify the issues and problems associated with the VLE in terms of its usability and functionality. From the initial background research and literature review phase, to the data collection and evaluative stage, the system was analysed to gain a true and thorough understanding of why the current system has its flaws, and how these can be addressed in an alternative way. The flow chart below presents the general flow of the project in a systematic manner.
Online surveys were distributed to 50 participants, all of whom matched the criteria of being a Loughborough University student, and therefore a frequent user of the VLE. Once briefed, the surveys were completed which involved a range of questions that gathered feedback about the current Learn system, the use of the system on a mobile phone, and any issues or recommendations users may have. The results were put into graphs and analysed, exposing the most 'popular' issues amongst those who took park in the survey.
Figure 1. Which features do you use the most when using Learn on a mobile device?
Figure 2. What device is the VLE 'Learn' best suited too?
Once the survey results were concluded, usability testing was conducted using a range of participants who agreed to partake. Testing the usability of the current system on a mobile device involved the recording of the time taken to complete a set of tasks / user journeys, the number of screens it takes, and any errors made. The three tasks were set in accordance to the results from the surveys, as the feedback suggested certain features are primarily utilised. Once the time taken to complete the tasks, and the number of screens and errors made were recorded, the results were put into graphs for studying.
Following on from the usability testing, the screens/pages/windows presented throughout the user journeys were noted down and analysed. This method allowed the pathways to be explored, and to understand whether all the steps and stages are necessary components throughout the journey. The user journey analysis is presented below in graphical format:
Figure 3. User Journey Analysis of Learn on a mobile device
A focus group was arranged using a selection of Loughborough students, who all agreed to meet at Loughborough Design School after the session was organised using social media and email. The focus group was moderated, and audio recorded for referral afterwards. The group were prompted with questions and discussion points, with an in-depth conversation about the current Learn system, the use of mobile phones, and any issues or recommendations they may find beneficial.
Figure 4. Focus Group
Many aspects of the VLE that were discussed, and the conversation generally flowed from discussing the features, to any improvements or suggestions the participants felt would be beneficial. The first feature discussed was the Campus Map, with one participant saying:
“I like the Campus Map feature, and when I first joined, I found it incredibly helpful when I was on campus trying to find out my lecture and seminar room. However, this was only the case in first year, and since then, I have barely used it”
This point was reiterated throughout the group. The timetable was another essential feature that students used, however the general atmosphere was that it should certainly be redesigned in a more accessible way. A participant stated:
“I don’t really use my timetable anymore – I use Google calendar – if the timetable was on an app I would use it, as it would be much quicker to access”
However issues posed towards the Google calendar were briefly sussed out, with many lectures and seminars not accounted for, therefore this was not a sufficient alternative. One of the main issues with the timetable feature, as well as the email, was said by one participant to be…
“…rather tedious, as I find myself logging in two or three times before I even get to the right page. Even when I do, you have to pinch the screen to really zoom in, as the text is far too small”
After the focus group session, wireframe testing was performed, using low-fidelity sketches. Participants were to proceed through simple interactions, whilst points of interaction that were most recognisable and conventional were noted in order to start the redesign process. This method allowed for rapid prototyping ideas to be created and discarded based on their success rate, which were both feasible and low-costing.
Figure 5. Wireframe Testing
When the fundamentals of the redesign were decided, the sketched wireframes were transferred to rapid prototyping software. A mobile app prototype was created using Axure, allowing for a realistic simulation of how the redesigned product would work. The same participants performed usability testing although this time using the newly designed version. This A/B style of testing allowed for direct comparisons to be made between the two versions, exposing data that may suggest there have been improvements to the design. The results were put into graphs and compared to the previous version. One indicator that the user experience had been vastly improved when comparing the new VLE was that the time taken to complete certain tasks on the prototype was much shorter than it took users to complete the same tasks on the current VLE used at Loughborough University.
Figure 6. Current VLE Learn vs. Mobile app prototype - Usability testing
As shown above, the average time taken for the users to complete the same tasks as were performed on the current system, were drastically shortened when using the redesigned version. Despite the limitations of testing on the prototype, such as user unfamiliarity, the results still suggested the usability had indeed been improved with reference to the measure of 'time taken'. Other measures such as the number of errors and screens accessed were also kept to a minimum, emphasising how the redesign was easier to use, making the overall project a great success.
